Warthur On Embers and Revelations, Weapon play blackened death metal with comparable production values and overall aesthetic to Behemoth, but with a somewhat more old school bent. The Morbid Angel influence is there, but I think Weapon manage to recapture the more direct brutality of acts like Deicide a bit more than Behemoth do. Mysterious drummer The Disciple (Paulus Kressman, if my sources are right) perhaps qualifies as the band's secret weapon here, offering up a ferocious assault packed with surprises and able to change directions and ambush you at a moment's notice. I also appreciate the fact that the band show some discernment about what they actually commit to record, recognising that 37 minutes of solid material is far better than 73 minutes of merely lukewarm stuff. If you want a take on blackened death metal which shows a skilled mastery of the classic death metal sound, you'll probably want to add Weapon to your armoury; it's not doing anything revolutionary but if you dig their influences you'll probably appreciate what they are doing.

UMUR "Embers and Revelations" is the 3rd full-length studio album by Canadian death metal act Weapon. The album was released through Relapse Records in October 2012. Weapon got signed to Relapse Records after releasing their much praised second full-length studio album "From the Devil's Tomb (2010)".

...listening to "Embers and Revelations" it´s obvious why Relapse Records have chosen to add Weapon to their stable. This is high class death metal through and through. The musicianship is excellent, the sound production professional, raw and powerful and the songwriting is top notch. Weapon are not original in a way that they create a whole new death metal direction or anything like that, their strength is more that they understand and are able to use the tools of the trade to create catchy, brutal, occult themed and varied death metal (with a blackened touch). The playing time of 37:19 minutes also ensure that the album never outstays it´s welcome. A perfect length for music in this style. While references to acts like Morbid Angel, Behemoth and Vader are valid enough, Weapon are one of those rare death metal acts that have a distinct sound even though they don´t invent the wheel. They have a decidedly "vintage" death metal sound to them, that should appeal to fans of late eighties/early nineties death metal, but still manage not to sound too retro.

"Embers and Revelations" is an instantly enjoyable release, but fortunately there are enough layers and compositional ideas on the album to ensure longivity. The snarling aggressive nature of the music is an extra plus that makes this a headbanger friendly album too. A 4 - 4.5 star (85%) rating is fully deserved.