UMUR
"Vengeance Ascending" is the 3rd full-length studio album by US, Tampa, Florida based death metal act Diabolic. The album was released through Olympic Recordings on the 30th of October 2001. It´s the successor to "Subterraneal Magnitude" which was released only a few weeks prior to "Vengeance Ascending" on the 16th of October 2001. "Subterraneal Magnitude" was already recorded in June 2000, but problems with the label postponed the release a full year (the original release date was planned for October 2000). There´s been one lineup change since the predecessor as guitarist Bryan Hipp has been replaced by Jerry Mortellaro.
Stylistically the material on "Vengeance Ascending" continue in a similar predominantly fast-paced and energetic US death metal style as the style played on the first two album releases by Diabolic (still strongly influenced by Morbid Angel and to a lesser degree Deicide). The growling vocals shift between deep growls and a higher pitched aggressive type of growling (again not terribly different from the vocal style on the early Morbid Angel releases). Screaming chromatic guitar solos accompany fast-paced tremolo riffs, and thundering ultra fast-paced drumming. A slight black metal influence has crept in on some tracks, but it´s only an influence and this is still an archetype US death metal release in the most fast-paced and technically well played end of the spectrum.
The sound prooduction is slightly weaker sounding compared to the first two releases, but that´s mostly due to the thin triggered bass drum sound. Other than that the sound production on "Vengeance Ascending" is relatively well sounding and suits the material well. Overall "Vengeance Ascending" is another quality death metal release by Diabolic and fans of the genre should find loads to enjoy here. I´ve read some reviews saying this is a step down from the first two releases, but I´m not sure I feel the same way. It´s true Diabolic haven´t progressed much in sound and style since their inception, but that probably wasn´t the idea to begin with. They seem fully content to keep playing their brand of death metal, and to my ears they excel in doing just that. A 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is deserved.