siLLy puPPy Formed in the year 2000, NERVECELL was one of the first extreme metal bands to emerge from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and has since put the Middle East on the map in the world of death metal having toured with bands such as Metallica, Morbid Angel, Deicide, Decapitated and Suffocation. In its 23 year existence the band has been led by guitarist Barnaby “Barney” Ribeiro, the band’s only constant member however both bassist / vocalist Rajeh Khazaal and lead guitarist Rami Mustafa joined shortly after and have both stuck with NERVECELL for the last two decades.

So far the band has released two EPs and three full-length albums. PREACHING VENOM is the debut album that emerged in 2008 with 10 tracks and a traditional album’s running time of just over 45 minutes. The band is clearly in the death metal camp but features some interesting deviations such as the acoustic Middle Eastern sounds as heard on the introductory track “As They Reign & Slither” as well as opening sounds for tracks like “Ratios” which has earned them a comparison with Nile and Egyptian death metal band Scarab however unlike Nile’s chunky abstract riffing style, NERVECELL chugs along almost in a groove metal procession showcasing a strong affiliation with melodic death metal acts from the Swedish tradition (Edge of Sanity, Dark Tranquility, Sacrilege).

Other than the ethnic infused acoustic aspects, PREACHING VENOM is a no nonsense masterwork of chunky high octane death metal that features a few technical workouts as well as moments of NWOBHM dueling guitar melodies but also present are chaotic Morbid Angel style squealing frenzies. The band certainly did its homework in studying the masters of the trade before releasing itself onto the world of Western extreme metal. Other than the ethnic influences on board there is nothing to indicate the band emerged from the Middle East as the death metal styles infused within are clearly of Western origins and linguistically speaking completely delivered in the English language. Basically this is one rampaging album from beginning to end save the opening number and a few short moments of respite in between.

Overall this is a decent slice of death metal competency from an unlikely setting making NERVECELL a worthy contender on the modern death metal scene however at the same time doesn’t quite measure up to the bigwigs of the genre either. While highly astute in the delivery department what’s lacking is variation and the element of surprise in the compositions themselves. This is pretty much death metal by the books with all the influences tucked into the mix but other than showcasing the ability to craft death metal at a world class level, the band doesn’t excel at anything particularly original either. Perhaps a bit more digging into local folk flavors would have enhanced it a bit more.

Not a bad album by any means and if you don’t mind a rather generic death metal album that delivers the goods with extreme musical mastery then you will love NERVECELL’s debut release but if you’re looking for anything beyond the status quo then you won’t find anything mind-blowing here. I could totally understand that if i lived in Dubai where such music was nonexistent when this came out that this would be a godsend but as a seasoned death metal fan i have to say this doesn’t quite reach the levels of innovation that i would hope for. A very good start for NERVECELL with bantering brutality, tones of technicality and mesmerizing metal mania however unfortunately the tracks don’t feature enough diversity or memorable moments to propel this release to a higher level.