Immortal Rites

For Tyrant's Sake

Khaos Master Productions 2007

With a name like Immortal Rites I was expecting something a little more along the lines of Morbid Angel from these Germanic hordes.  However what I got was something a lot more melodic and slightly more progressive.  Jumping right into the fray with the title track, echoes of the Swedish masterpiece Mirrorworlds from Eucharist are immediately noticeable in the way the melodic riffs are arranged and the bursts of aggression constantly erupt out of the song's normal flow.  Each song is filled with hooks that instantly grab the listener but steer clear of the commercial cheesiness of acts like In Flames.  A good example is Daemon Dawn with its old school death metal chorus and smooth melodies.  Starting around its 3 minute mark the song drifts into a soulful and gripping melody that brings us to the verge of melancholy.  As the album progresses further along clean vocals surface and futuristic slants become more readily noticeable bringing to mind another Swedish experimental death metal group, Oxiplegatz.  This sort of stylistic expansion really begins with Source Code @ Converter's Day where robotic vocals inject themselves into each verse and then soar on the chorus.  Though at times these clean vocals sort overtake the heaviness and seriousness of the album.  This is evident on Born in Our Own Funeral and Killing Star Species and continues to grow as the album progresses from track to track.  an exception is Construcdead which begins with a caustic drumming section with frenzied riffing that cave in upon melodic leads.  For Tyrant's Sake is a good album though it could use with a little reigning in of the progressive elements.  It is most effective and hardest hitting when it is in a melodic death metal mode, like the Eucharist style of the first two songs.  If the songwriting is a little more focused I feel Immortal Rites could rule the current German scene. 

On a separate note I have heard that the member responsible for the progressive leanings on For Tyrants Sake ahs since departed and future releases will be much more old school in their sound and style.