UMUR
"La Muerte" is the 6th full-length studio album by Dutch death metal act Gorefest. The album was released through Nuclear Blast Records in August 2005. After a less than favorable response to "Chapter 13 (1998)" from fans and critics alike, Gorefest split up in 1998. They reformed again in 2004 to play some festival shows and as it often happens when a band reunites to do a few shows, chemistry works it´s mysterious ways and the band decided to write and record another album.
While the last couple of albums experimented with a 70s influenced hard rock sound and other alternative metal styles, "La Muerte" is a return to the band´s death metal roots. Stylistically I´d say "La Muerte" could have been placed between "False (1992)" and "Erase (1994)" in Gorefest discography as it features the death metal brutality of the former and some of the more melodic tinged death metal elements of the latter. It´s mostly the sound of "Erase (1994)" that I´m reminded of though. Lead vocalist/bassist Jan-Chris de Koeije sings in the same semi-growling style as he did on that album.
As always when we´re talking Gorefest we´re treated to a very well playing band. These guys are skilled but never enter "mindless wankery" territory. They knew what their fans wanted at this point and they delivered. Not too many unneccesary "experiments", but a focus on dynamic and catchy death metal. The years and the more melodic influences on the last couple of albums haven´t gone by unnoticed though and "La Muerte" also features elements that remind me of the last couple of albums. Thankfully not the tame riffing that made those releases somewhat powerless listens (especially "Chapter 13 (1998)"). An example is the heavy "Rogue State", which features loads of melodic soloing.
At 64:44 minutes "La Muerte" is maybe a bit too long for it´s own good, and there are moments where the album enters a deadlock. Thankfully it doesn´t happen too often and overall I find "La Muerte" an enjoyable release and a welcome comeback for the Dutch guys. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.