Carnal Garden – On The Final Day

Carnal Garden comes from Greece and is a 2-piece death metal that recently released an EP entitled “On The Final Day”. This 4-song release wastes little time before providing an uncompromisingly brutal sound, with the primary influence appearing to be Obituary. Both the wild, uncontrollable vocals, and the ability of the band to bust out mid-paced grooves that defy heaviness bring back images of John Tardy and company. The first song, “Through Darkness and Dust” is the only one that offers something a bit different; atop the typical death metal sounds is what sounds like a clean guitar providing the melody of the song. While its uniqueness is appreciated, sometimes it is just best to smash some skulls with your music.  

After this point, it’s just one groovy track after another. There are moments of extreme speed, but often times it is just the drums picking up the pace a bit (usually through more double bass usage) rather than major tempo changes. Another good comparison would be to Bolt Thrower, who can also deliver a mean groove. Regardless, if you’ve got a lot of hair, it would be put to good use swinging around listening to this, as the rocking nature of these tracks is perfect for headbanging. In the context of an entire album, this style might wear thin, but with only 4 tracks, it does not overstay its welcome. There are also a couple of samples used throughout the EP, and they do a great job of enhancing the somewhat hopeless, dreary tone of the record. 

“On The Final Day” is a pretty well put together release. The production suits the somewhat sludgy atmosphere, as it is very bass-heavy, and not perfectly clear. This sound is a refreshing change from the legions of Inclonetation bands around these days, as there are not too many that worship at the altar of Obituary. For this reason, Carnal Garden’s “On The Final Day” is a worthy release for fans of old-school Floridian death metal.

Be sure to check out and like Carnal Garden on Facebook!

Highlights

All of it

Final Rating

3.75/5 or 75%. 

Written by Scott