Vircolac
- Masque
Ireland
Dark
Descent Records
Vircolac
play an abrasive style of death metal with subtle hints of thrash and
black metal. Their sound leans mostly to the old school, but
occasionally flirts with modern elements in terms of riffing and the
way the songs are structured. Fortunately, the result is quite
cohesive and pleasant to listen to. I'm a fan of the throbbing bass
sound and the fact that it's audible – it adds a menacing tone to
the mix. The vocals are quite upfront, aggressive, and well
implemented. Collectively, every member brings something to the
table, and you can tell these guys took their time crafting these
songs considering
the excellent quality of the music.
The focal point of this album must
be without
a doubt the riffs,
as they are very pleasant to listen to
and
often
plunge
into more
experimental
territory without becoming overbearing. "Masque" is an
album that should appeal to a multifarious fanbase ranging from black
metal,
death metal,
to
even war metal. “Masque”
is
a solid entry from Ireland and I would recommend it to anyone into
the rotten and demented side of death metal. For fans of: Morbus
Chron, Lantern, Chapel of Disease. (HT)