UNHOLY GHOST — Torrential Reign (review)

UNHOLY GHOST — Torrential Reign album cover Album · 2004 · Death Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
UMUR
"Torrential Reign" is the debut full-length studio album by US, Tampa, Florida based death metal act Unholy Ghost. The album was released through Century Media Records in April 2004. Unholy Ghost was formed in early 2003 by three former Diabolic members (drummer Aantar Coates, bassist/vocalist Paul Ouellette, and guitarist Jerry Mortellaro) and Pessimist guitarist Kelly McLauchlin. Unholy Ghost ended up being a shortlived act disbanding in 2005 (Coates revived Diabolic in 2006 and a little later Ouellette also rejoined Diabolic), so "Torrential Reign" is the sole album released under the monicker. The band also released a demo in 2003 to shop for a label.

Stylistically the material on "Torrential Reign" is technically well played US death metal, and it sounds exactly like you would have imagined the fourth Diabolic album would have sounded like if the three ex-members mentioned above hadn´t quit and left Brian Malone to solely decide Diabolic´s new direction on "Infinity Through Purification (2003)". So "Torrential Reign" actually sounds more like classic Diabolic, than contemporary Diabolic did.

So if you are familiar with the first three heavily Morbid Angel influenced Diabolic albums, you´ll find next to no surprises on "Torrential Reign". The sound production is slightly more thin and the drums are a bit too triggered and clicky sounding for comfort, but that tendency already began on "Vengeance Ascending (2001)", so again no surprise there. "Torrential Reign" are often criticized for showing no progression of sound and being a rehash of ideas from the first three Diabolic albums (and why would it be since 3/4 of the Diabolic lineup play on this album) and while that may be true to some extent, people seem to forget to listen to the actual music, because "Torrential Reign" is on most parameters a high quality death metal album, loaded with killer riffs, aggressive growling vocals, blistering guitar solos (McLauchlin is a welcome addition to the ranks), and a high speed rhythmic attack. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.
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