MONSTROSITY — In Dark Purity (review)

MONSTROSITY — In Dark Purity album cover Album · 1999 · Death Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3/5 ·
UMUR
"In Dark Purity" is the 3rd full-length studio album by US, Florida based death metal act Monstrosity. The album was released through Conquest Music in May 1999. It´s the successor to "Millennium" from 1996 and features two lineup changes since the predecessor as lead vocalist George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher has left to join Cannibal Corpse and has been replaced by Jason Avery and guitarist Jason Morgan has been replaced by Tony Norman. Drummer and band founder Lee Harrison and bassist Kelly Conlon remain from the lineup who recorded "Millennium (1996)".

Stylistically the material on "In Dark Purity" continue in the same brutal and technically well played death metal style of "Millennium (1996)". Think Cannibal Corpse meets Brutality or something in that vein. 100% pure US, Florida death metal. Losing a frontman like Fisher could have been a problem, but Avery proves to be a decent replacement. In fact I wouldn´t even have noticed there was a new singer on board, had I not known it. The two singers have a very similar growling style.

"In Dark Purity" features a dark, brutal, and raw sounding production job, which suits the material perfectly. Definitely an upgrade from the sound production of the precessor, which isn´t up to par with the production values of this album. Monstrosity are a well playing unit and they perform their music with both great conviction and passion. So on most parameters "In Dark Purity" is a good quality death metal release. I have to talk about the songwriting though, as I think most tracks lack memorable moments/riffs and vocal hooklines.

This is not vers/chorus structured pop music, but a few more catchy parts and more variation between tracks wouldn´t have hurt. Monstrosity have all the right tools, but the shed they´ve built still feels a bit empty. If I have to mention a few standout tracks it would be "Perpetual War" (because of the heavy mid-paced main riff), the instrumental "The Pillars of Drear", and the Slayer cover "Angel of Death" (which is decent although nothing too special). A 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is warranted.
Share this review

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

The Goblin Sessions Heavy Metal
THEM
Buy this album from MMA partners
Tormenta De Arena Metalcore
VORAGO
Buy this album from MMA partners
Infinite Metalcore
FUTURE GHOST
Buy this album from MMA partners
Heretic Melodic Death Metal
SUNCINDER
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

Harrowed TwentyTenVideo
HARROWED
Bosh66· 3 days ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us