Mausoleum - Defiling the Decayed

Angry Metal Guy

After nearly two months away from writing,¹ I wanted something straightforward – something down the middle of the road – for my first review back. Something to reconnect with the core of the music I have largely omitted of late. And what could be straight-forward than old school death metal? Though Defiling the Decayed may be the third full-length by Mausoleum, it’s their first since 2011. In this way it’s ideal; a return for them as much as it is for me. Left for more than a decade to rot in a musical grave, are the compositions here appropriately decomposed?

Mausoleum’s inventive song names go some way to indicate the sort of music you’ll hear here. “Gravefucked” is a personal highlight and tracks against the one sheet that describes a zombie-infested, grimy sort of death metal. But “Nine Eternities in Doom” also signifies the doomier, slower passages that occasionally fall on the back half of the mid-song transitions that the band clearly enjoys. It’s nothing you haven’t heard before but not a bad example of it. Devout fans of the old school style should find enough to enjoy, from the throat-ripping growls to the razor-sharp guitars. Diverting from a remainder marked more by consistency than inventiveness, the extremely enthusiastic lead guitarist is likely the most distinctive quality of Defiling the Decayed. The solos are uniformly insane but enjoyably so, conferring an unhinged edge to proceedings. The entire final minute of “Curse of the Tomb” sounds like layers of frantic guitars spasming. It’s all a bit silly but conveys a sense of fun, in a grave-defiling, corpse-molesting sort of way.

If I have a fundamental complaint, it’s that Mausoleum aren’t really good enough to push beyond the novelty of nostalgia for the late 80s and early 90s. In particular, this type of music lives and dies by The Riff. There are a small handful of stronger exceptions – hear the groovy opener on “Catacombs of Eternal Dead,” for example – but the majority of the leads here are more ‘solid’ than ‘outstanding’. This will always consign a death metal record to the middle of the pack for quality. Likewise, there’s a lack of memorable choruses or vocal passages. I’m not seeking the catchiest singles from popular radio, but my favorite bands in the style, like Lik and Scolopendra, revel in morbidly shoutable choruses. There’s nothing wrong with the wretched, guttural growls chosen. But they’re not molded into those memorable refrains that the best death metal bands use.

Those dramatic transitions mentioned above represent some of the more engaging moments on the record. “Nine Eternities in Doom” decelerates into grand, slow chords with spoken word samples, forging a passage that feels more climactic than is otherwise heard here. This becomes a motif on most songs, reforming their style from frenetic chaos to something groovier and more potent. As a lover of musical dynamism, my attention is refocused in these moments. But the negative angle is that these passages re-emphasize that the remainder is very predictable. Even when the guitar solos are flying and the grimy atmosphere clings on, Defiling the Decayed will quickly become predictable across your first listen. This is partly a consequence of the style (which was already perfected nearly 35 years ago) and partly a consequence of the songwriting (which follows structures and riffing that remain consistent throughout). It’s more competent than excellent.

More than anything, Defiling the Decayed made me want to listen to other old school-style death metal bands. Mausoleum offer a perfectly adequate platter of messy death metal but it’s not better than its scene competitors and it won’t change any pre-existing conceptions about the sub-genre. I’m left with a sense of mild enjoyment while it’s playing but no incentive to return once my attention has wandered elsewhere.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 192 kbps mp3
Label: Moribund Records
Websites: mausoleum.com | facebook.com/mausoleum
Releases Worldwide: August 9th, 2024

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