Phazm

Antebellum Death ‘n Roll (Osmose/The End)
by Hansel Merchor

With their sophomore release, Antebellum Death ‘n Roll, French outfit Phazm have concentrated all their hate and Satanic prowess into a pretty standard mix of death metal and rock and roll. There are also some nicely hidden guitar textures and other quirks, like the wailing guitar on the second track, “Hunger,” but mostly Phazm sticks to basics. Such is the case of “Black ‘n’ Roll,” a track that without such artifices would belong in the annals of nothingness. The band makes its case for staying lowbrow, simple, and coming off like an obscure Motörhead cover band (“So White, So Blue, So Cold”), which is a shame because early on the record, Phazm displays some good ideas. Phazm plays the blackened and tender smoked look quite well though; corpse paint, fake blood, fire-breathing, exposed entrails; it’s all on their site, but the music is not as focused. If you really want death ‘n’ roll, then why not try The Crown? Phazm’s simplicity makes them a one-trick pony, and the band forgets that rocking and rolling should, at least from time to time, get out of second gear.
(www.theendrecords.com)