Circle of Dead Children – Psalms of The Grand Destroyer

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There is a hidden weapon in the extreme metal world coming out of Pittsburgh, and that is vocalist Joe Horvath. He might just be one of the best vocalists when it comes to the deathgrind genre, but I can’t help but think his talent goes to waste with Circle Of Dead Children’s latest Psalms Of The Grand Destroyer. The band’s latest offering is certainly not bad, but it could be a lot better. Songs like We Who Move With The Graven Worms sound almost like a current Cannibal Corpse B-side. Grindcore should be about heart and intensity, but it seems CODC have found a comfortable niche treading halfway into death metal territory. The band could looking into the burgeoning US grindcore scene to give their music a bit more spice, such as a faster punk direction like P.L.F. out of Texas, or they could even visit their Maryland neighbors in Pig Destroyer to learn how to make contemporary grindcore memorable without down-tuning it to hell. The main complaint about this album isn’t about what it doesn’t do, it’s about what it does: that is, the band just plays lifeless, soulless death metal/grindcore, which is a really hard thing to do. Psalms Of The Grand Destroyer is a good album for beginer grind fans who want to become familiarized with the current US grindcore scene, though veterans will dismiss this album as nothing more than bland. The talent is there, Circle Of Dead Children just need to use it to their advantage.

Written by Jackson May
More: 2010, Albums, Death Metal, Quick.Play Reviews, Circle of Dead Children