Altars of Putrification – Berserker (click to download)

2009 has barely even started and a new Pakistani Death Metal band has surfaced. I am beginning to think this year is going to be yet another landmark in the history of Pakistani Heavy Metal. Berserker is a two-piece death metal band from Karachi who has recently risen from the ashes of the black metal band Sanctity of Faith and Oblivion.

Their first song, Altars of Putrification exhibits strong nostalgic aestheticism and theatricality and is written in an old-school death metal vein.
The guitar-work is nothing short of pure genius and the tone, remarkably, goes perfectly with the sensibilia that defines death metal. They may not have perfectly emulated the ‘Chainsaw’ guitar tone that is characteristic of the death metal bands of the not so recent past nonetheless, Berserker have managed to perfectly synthesize the atmosphere and emotionality that the name warrants. The solo sounds a little sloppy but I am willing to overlook that on account of the sheer awesomeness that Altars of Putrification exemplifies.

The drums are sequenced and arranged accordingly but the ringy snare mars an otherwise perfect song. Mind you, the ringy snare is native to Slam Death and sounds really out of place when incorporated in other varieties of death metal. The drums are either mixed too loud or have not been properly assigned to their respective channels.

The vocals, in particular, striked me in terms of how well-recorded and well-proportioned they are for a home-recording. The vocals are definitely hoarser and the velar form of growling further beautifies an already perfect song. Mad props to Tajammul, the vocalist.

The song-structure never ceases to amaze you and although, tedious at times, it is catchy and if you abhor the over-produced and modestly-inventive faggotry that is Modern Death Metal (teh brut@lz) and adore the entrail-ripping and goat-fondling symphonies of Old School Death Metal, this song is for you.

It has always troubled me as to how Sanctity of Faith and Oblivion has never received the kind of response that it is liable to garner. Abyssed and Semideus are famed as the only Pakistani Black Metal bands when clearly, there are better bands out there. I will see to it that this band receives the attention that it deserves unlike its predecessor. The song is fucking bad-ass and the only thing that takes a tiny bit from the experience is the fact that the drums are too loud.  I give this song a 4.75 out of 5.