Halopent - The Ancient Of Days / In The Darkness Of Chaos

So you just listened to Necrophagia's "early days" compilation and you're itching for more ungodly death metal of the highest order. Right? You could search endlessly for another platter of severed hands and removed organs or you could check out Halopent's "The Ancient Of Days / In The Darkness Of Chaos" double barrel release of ugly festering refuse. The release is a constant example of what puts the "death" in death metal. Two demos, sixteen tracks and a whole lot of blood soaked goodness awaits you. It's the kind of release which finds a corner somewhere in your mind and dwells there for a while slowly growing into an addiction. Upon first listen you might not find anything worthy - though if you let "Septic Torture" pass you by you should reconsider what you consider your listening ability - and upon second listen you might find a song or two enjoyable, once the addiction grows and you're listening to the compilation for the hundredth time, you'll be gnawing on your own bones during every track, the madness compelling you to drench everything in gore immediately.

I prefer the first "side" of the release, "The Ancient Of Days" for its... well... ancient feel. "Septic Torture", "Morbid Feast," and "Post-Mortal Suffering" are the top three best songs on the entire release. All contain the wailing decrees of a guitar in pain. I'd hate to be an instrument in the Jackson family. Randal Jackson handles rhythm guitar, bass and drum duties while Ryan Jackson delivers the final blow with the guitar solos. An interesting combination if I've ever seen one but one that works rather well for these two Texans. "The Ancient Of Days'" early death metal style (see Necrophagia, Death, Possessed) gives insight into the incorporation and importance of thrash in formative death metal. This is thrashy and trashy low-fi yet crushing metal of death madness for fans of mid-80's proto-death metal and the deadlier thrash of the late 80's.

Second "side" of this compilation is "In The Darkness Of Chaos," though equally disgusting, I don't find as many high caliber songs on this side. Opening track, "Cannibals Born Of Satanic Ritual" is an acceptable death metal dirge, marching along to occult rhythms. "In Demonic Possession" contains an irritating start stop rhythm, resembling machinery made to make pots and pans. "The Inevitable Death" and "Infernal Eternity" both are slower, bass driven songs though in reality, the bass on the second set of tracks on the compilation basically takes the role of guitar - dishing out basically all the rhythms and taking a major upfront role. Though "World Of Ashes" is actually relatively awesome compared to the other songs on this side of the release, it still falls short of the tracks on "The Ancient Of Days" side. Ultimately, this is a worthy release, something quirky and unique with four or five strong songs I feel comfortable proclaiming loyalty to. Though as a whole, only the first nine songs - The Ancient Of Days tracks - are what's worth paying for, the extra seven songs aren't total garbage as evidenced by "World Of Ashes."