Maximum Metal Rating Legend

Scarve - The Undercurrent - 2007 - Listenable Records

Track Listing1. Endangered 2. Imperceptible Armageddon 3. Senseless 4. The Plundered 5. Assuming Self 6. Fathomless Descent 7. A Few Scraps Of Memories 8. Rebirth 9. Alteration

When it comes to death metal I always prefer the more melodic bands like Hypocrisy, Unleashed, Amon Amarth, etc. This genre of metal has never been my strongest favor, in fact I simply get confused when bands overextend and try to add more and more layers to complicate an already technical sound. So with that being said I decided to attempt to tackle the newest death metal release for French label Listenable Records. The record company has really been putting out the releases the last couple of years with this year focusing on Scarve's "The Undercurrent" and Kruger's "Redemption Through Looseness".

Scarve is making waves globally by their addition to the Meshuggah Euro tour. The band is the only support for the tour and the act was hand picked by Meshuggah for the tour. Fans of the abrassive, brutal technical aspect of today's extreme metal will find Scarve a worthy listen. The band was formed in 1993 and since then has released three records. This new album, their fourth, is entitled "The Undercurrent" and finds the band right on cue with their previous efforts, this one enriched by machine like tendencies that incorporate chugging riffs, blast beats, and layers upon layers of sonic foundations. The album was produced by Daniel Bergstrand (Strapping Young Lad, Soilwork, Meshuggah) and features vocals from ex-Darkane screamer Lawrence Mackrory.

The Bottom Line - A brutal piece of death metal that requires repeated listens to completely grasp the entire scope of the band's sound. For me personally this is way over my head, however fans of this type of sound should find this very appealing.



--EC 11.02.07