Pathology, The Time of Great Purification

Ah, Pathology… those purveyors of the technical brutal slam. Three albums in three years? Really? That doesn’t give you all that much time to really develop your material, does it? Well, as evidenced by the band’s latest full-length, The Time of Great Purification, it wasn’t.

The thirteen tracks served to you on a blasting and energetic plate of brutal death metal doesn’t display much in the way of progression. What it does do, however, is firmly cement the band deep into the genre they have decided to call home. Each song is violent, furious, technical and more of the same. Songs blend from one to the other without much variety despite the musicianship on display. Jonathon Huber’s vocals are deep and guttural, border on pig squeals at times and are exactly what the music calls for. The rest of the guys (Schwartz on guitars, Ramirez on bass and Astor on drums) certainly know how to play their instruments and play the fuck out of them they do.

I normally, point out some highlights for these album reviews to give you an idea of what you can expect, but really, once you’ve heard one Pathology song, you’ve pretty much heard them all. Now, that’s not too say this album is boring. It’s not by any means, but it could certainly use a little variety. All-blast-all-the-time tends to weigh heavy on the listener about halfway through. I’m sure fans of the band will go absolutely rabid for the technical fury that is The Time of Great Purification, but it might just be too much blasting slam for the casual listener.

So, if you’re a fan of what these slam enthusiasts are spewing, then I’d recommend you pick up their third album in as many years. Otherwise, you know, listen to what you normally listen to.