Greece has never really been a hotbed for death metal in the way that countries like America, Sweden, Finland and Poland have been, but there are a few bands that do hail from the land better known for their black metal exports. One such band that has garnered a pretty decent amount of attention would be the evil and brooding Necrovorous (They also share members with Resurgency) who delivered a great album last year, but there was another band who I became aware of last year, and that band was Resurgency. Their split with Desolator was one that showed immense promise for the young act and it had me wanting more, and needless to say, the band's full-length debut "False Enlightenment" is that promise full-filled.
While the band's demo "Dark Revival" showed a lot of Vader worshiping going on, "False Enlightenment" does a much better job of running the death metal gamut, incorporating influences from just about every sound around. Songs like "Where Despair Dominates" and "Psychosis" embrace the groovy pummeling of Bolt Thrower and the midpaced brilliance of Entombed to perfection, leaving plenty of room for the listener to bang their head while also stopping to appreciate the impeccable songwriting and stellar riffage. The track "Black Holes of Antiverse" is definitely the darkest one on the record and shows notable Incantation influence, as the track is dominated by sinister tremolo sections that creep along ever so nicely. "Hideous Premonition" and "Binding Is Fatal" both conjure up some melodies that would make the Finndeath pioneers proud, as the melodic passages sweep through the crushing music flawlessly giving the music some atmospheric moments.
Aside from the Resurgency's fantastic ability to create some terrific death metal that doesn't leave out many influences, the collective effort of every member also makes "False Enlightenment" as much of a stand-out record as it is. The vocalist's growls are highly reminiscent of Vader's Peter and they always suit the music very well, whether he's bellowing over thrashy riffs or evil melodies, they never sound out of place. The drumming is also enjoyable as every blast is tastefully placed and never overdone. The bassist's performance isn't very prominent, but the instrument thumps along well enough and provides enough heaviness for the band's sound, so no complaints here. All in all, "False Enlightenment" is a breath of fresh air as far as newer death metal acts are concerned and it wouldn't surprise me at all to see this record give Resurgency the attention from the metal underground that they deserve.
Be sure to check out and like Resurgency on Facebook!
Highlights
"False Enlightenment"
"Hideous Premonition"
"Psychosis"
Final Rating
4.4/5 or 88%.