Diabolic - Chaos in Hell... EP (2007)

In another twist on the Diabolic path, vocalist/bassist Paul Oullette would return to the Florida hellfire equation for their 2nd EP in two years: Chaos in Hell..., which is more or less business as usual. Those who preferred the band's more mindless, driving efforts such as Vengeance Ascending or Infinity Through Purification will find themselves in the familiar terrain of Coates incessant blast work and a storm of ferocious but forgettable riffing interspersed with loony, extra-dimensional leads that stand out on principle alone. Like its predecessor, Possessed by Death, this is a pretty short work, only about 10 minutes of material used to help the band cement some label interest and keep the fans in tune that they still exist.

My problem here is the same that I've had with some of the albums I listed above, in that the straight streak of brutality simply is incapable of conjuring much riffing worth a damn. A song like "The Suffering Church" at least breaks into a semi-spectral bridge of old school thrills, but so much of the playtime is devoted to dry and effortless guitars that fail to evoke anything resonant to the brain. Oullette sounds solid enough back in his musical chair, but still similar to an Erik Rutan or David Vincent and relatively indistinct against the field of similar artists. A lot of that bleak and infernal depth and curvature that made an album like Subterraneal Magnitude worth hearing is vacant here, its a straight race to the finish that offers little entertainment on its side lines or its pit stops.

If you're really into Covenant, Blessed Are the Sick, Conquering the Throne, and King of All Kings, then this would be as good as any a place to start exploring Diabolic's discography, but the material is simply not as strong or dynamic as Subterraneal Magnitude or even the band's debut Supreme Evil. The production is stronger than Possessed by Death, but the writing is less compulsive and atmospheric. A better value when the two are joined together in the 2008 Deathgasm re-release, but not altogether strong.

Verdict: Indifference [5.5/10]

http://www.myspace.com/diabolic666

Diabolic - Possessed by Death EP (2006)

Somewhere between the years of 2003 and 2006, Diabolic had undergone a legal dispute over the band's name which was reflected in the shifting of its lineup. Several of the members, including Aantar Lee Coates, had gone off to form a new project in Blastmasters, while being replaced for the band's 2003 full-length Infinity Through Purification, and there was obviously some sort of disconnect, or unrest within the ranks. Thus, it's a bit of a surprise that the next Diabolic recording would feature an entirely different lineup than the third album, Coates obviously winning the moniker and then recruiting a few of his Blastmaster cohorts into the fold, along with Pessimist shredder Kelly Mclauchlin.

Finding themselves without a label, Diabolic recorded this EP material to shop around for interest and offer a free download to their remaining fanbase, a wise and low cost maneuver rather than going for broke on an entire new full-length. It doesn't look like much, but what do you expect for free? Stylistically, there's no cause for concern, as Possessed by Death maintains the same relative pace and aggression of prior efforts like Vengeance Ascending and Subterraneal Magnitude, fusing the Deicide and Morbid Angel influence into fits of appropriate blasted mayhem, churning rhythms and whacked out, atmospheric leads. The new vocalist Jesse Jolly has a comparable, blunt approach to Paul Oullette's: David Vincent's depth and Glen Benton's layered snarling in lockstep, but not necessarily very interesting.

The EP is book-ended by a pair of brief, unhinged guitar instrumentals, of which "Chronology" is the more interesting with its cheesy, almost martial keys, and then its core is comprised of three metal tracks, which blow past the listener with the same monotonous fire as much of the Vengeance Ascending material. However, I will point out that the lead sequences are quite nice in "Possessed by Death" and "Devour the Subconscious", plenty of thought instilled in their pallid eruptions against the incessant, background battery. All told though, there is not a lot of meat on this content. The production is consistent, the drums intense, and the riffs functional, but there is little of the ominous architecture that made Subterraneal Magnitude a pleasure to experience. I should point out to the prospective buyer that this was re-released alongside their following EP Chaos in Hell in 2008, through Deathgasm Records, so that's a preferable option for the purse. But either way, this isn't anything you've not heard in the past and better from the better known Florida acts, and not even up to par with the firs two Diabolic outings.

Verdict: Indifference [5.75/10]

http://www.myspace.com/diabolic666

Diabolic - Infinity Through Purification (2003)

A couple years after the debacle that would have Diabolic releasing two albums within weeks of one another (the strong sophomore Subterraneal Magnitude and the monotonous blast fest Vengeance Ascending), things appeared to be in order once again. Thus, their second album through Olympic, Infinity Through Purification feels a little less rushed in retrospect, a bit more balanced. Really though, after Vengeance Ascending, just about any degree of variation would have served, and though this is not Diabolic's best CD, it certainly cannot be accused of the same exhausted momentum of its direct predecessor. Much closer to Subterraneal in scope, with a lot of huge, swerving grooves interspersed by maniacal bursts of Morbid Angel worship, Infinity lies between them in overall quality.

Some of the guitar work here, for example, is stunning, like the tearing weave of melodies that initializes "From the Astral Plane...Entwined with Infinity", or the transcendent, atmospheric leads in "Spiritual Transition". But these are leveled off with rampant blast work and vapid streams of chords that establish little more than a comparative level of brutality to their peers Malevolent Creation, Hate Eternal and of course Morbid Angel. You'll have the distinct impression that you've had your head torn off and then punted down the nearest street, but it often becomes difficult to remember just who by? A few of the tracks like "Exsanguinated Life" or "Satanic Barbarism" almost trip over themselves in their forceful clamor, but leave behind very little memorable riffing of note, and because of this, the leads often stand forth far more than they justly should, because they provide the few moments of inarguable intrigue.

As usual the drums (performed here by Gaël Barthelemy, who would briefly replace Aantar Coates) are a tireless engine of hostility, but the velocity at which a percentage of the rhythms are performed leaves little room for breathing. If a double bass/blast beat storm is what you're looking for, then Infinity Through Purification would likely appease you, but too little of the writing transcends that particular threshold. The production is clean and reactive to the intense traffic of the drums and guitars. The vocals just kind of blather along like a mix of Steve Tucker and Glen Benton's lows, never really establishing distinction through malevolent tone or lyrical patterns. Dynamically, this isn't suffering necessarily from the same one track mind as the prior album, but neither is it exceedingly well structured or memorable. A few madness spun leads and guitar sequences outstanding, the rest degraded to the same mindless raving that renders much of the work of Divine Empire or Malevolent Creation ineffective.

Verdict: Indifference [6.75/10] (the attack proceeds)

http://www.myspace.com/diabolic666

Diabolic - Vengeance Ascending (2001)

Counter to its feeling 'rushed', Vengeance Ascending was actually the proper Diabolic album of 2001, being released only a few weeks after Subterraneal Magnitude had finally arrived (due to delays). That can't be fun for any band, because which do you promote? Well, if I had been Aantar Coates and company, I would have just run with the sophomore, because Vengeance Ascending is one of those 'rush to the finish line' albums which gestates pure speed and brutality, but not much by way of interesting riffs or compelling songwriting. In fact, the one saving grace this album might possess would be the leads, as in "All Evils Inside", which provide about the only tangible journey up and above the monotonous blasting and double bass.

Certainly, the drums are a lot more incessant than the previous two albums, but there's just not that much else happening to distract your ear away from them. "Darken the Imagination" opens as if it were a long lost runoff from Altars of Madness, sans the quality riffing of Azagthoth, and then it bursts through the next 3-4 songs as if some hellish premature ejaculation. The rhythm guitars are functional enough, yet they never quite achieve the mesmerizing patterns necessary to conjure any real malevolence. In fact, if you were to remove the samples, the album would be a total bore up until the bridge/lead sequence in "Marked for Banishment", which is followed with a dark ambient trip called "The Inevitable", through which the listener can take a break before the tightly coiled thrashing that inaugurates "Possess the Strength". But the remainder of the cuts follow the same mired formula of blasted mediocrity, half-decent dynamics and solos thrust into the compositions too sparsely, like oasis of memory in a desert of forgetfulness.

The mix of the album is also less impressive than Subterraneal Magnitude, because it's just so level that nothing other than the leads ever stands out to the fore. They're still using a similar guitar tone to the previous albums, but it feels less potent somehow, failing to distinguish itself from Coates' abyssal battery. The lyrics also felt a little less interesting than the two before, even if its skirting about the same occult pageantry. Diabolic seemed to be going for an all out death race of aggression which would impress those rabble who care for nothing else than sheer wall of force metal with zero immortal qualities, or at the very least a Morbid Angel knockoff, but they wound up with an album that has no real character beyond its barbarian forcefulness and a few spidery, resonant leads.

Verdict: Indifference [6/10] (relish the human decay)

http://www.myspace.com/diabolic666

Diabolic - Subterraneal Magnitude (2001)

Though the album was delayed for a year, finally arriving just a short span before Diabolic's third full-length Vengeance Ascending was ready for liftoff, I am happy we were finally able to get our mitts on Subterraneal Magnitude. It's the best of this Florida band's efforts by a fair margin, combing the depths of those old school aesthetics unearthed by the band's forebears, but at the same time establishing them as more than a mere clone (at least here). This was their peak in both tone and mood. Reasonably strong songwriting compounded by rhythmic variation, dense atmosphere and entertaining, engaging lead work that succeeds in grasping the listener's attention when and where it might seem to begin to drift off...

I'd situate Subterraneal Magnitude between the poles of Morbid Angel and Pennsylvanians Incantation, though the former clearly remains Diabolic's most obvious influence (always would be). Tracks like "Infernalism", "Deadly Deception" and the superior "Failed Extraction" make strong use of Aantar Coates' musculature as the guitarists lay out storming frameworks of turmoil and strife, Paul Oulette's cavernous, deeper David Vincent tone presiding across the onslaught without stealing the mix away from the impenetrable rhythm section. But the album is even more interesting when the band slows itself to a raucous stomp, as in the intro instrumental "Vassago" where a catchy piano succumbs to copious grooves; "Fleshcraft", in which a simplistic and instantly sticking guitar pattern grinds off into the most potent and hellish thundering of the entire album; or the closing title track, which too manifests a climactic groove before thrusting off into the band's comfort zone of blasted, primal torment and tense solos.

All of this and a fine, throbbing production make for a band's early peaking. One wonders how this was not released on time. That added initiative might have allowed for it to cause larger ripples than it did among those craving brutal roots death among the hordes of more melodic acts that were taking flight around the turn of the century. Nowhere close to immortality, or perfection. But the decent lyrics, eye catching cover art and generally powerful composition (a few of the faster blasters leave something to be desired) drive this beyond their debut Supreme Evil and the following Vengeance Ascending with ease, not that the writing is all that distinct from one to the next, but Subterraneal Magnitude curries their Diabolic potential like a Beelzebub stuck in celestial amber, a cataclysmic statement that might have disintegrated a broader host of witnesses had it been given the chance.

Verdict: Win [7.75/10] (reverent life living despair)

http://www.myspace.com/diabolic666

Diabolic - Supreme Evil (1998)

Diabolic swept into their respective scene like an infernal phalanx of mercenaries, immediately adapting to the speed and virility of their Floridian forebears. Supreme Evil was released only a year into the band's career, a blazing effigy of anger cast in the mold of Morbid Angel or the higher velocity atrocities of Deicide. There's a brute, professional tone to this record, the equal of nearly anything their neighboring veterans were issuing forth, and the sheer strength and capability of Aantar Coates through both his footwork and blasting makes it all sound too damned easy. Now, Paul Oullette's grunting force was hardly novel for the day, and ultimately this was not a band bringing anything new to the feast of fiends. But as far as the 'generic' slaughter-garden variety of USDM was concerned, the high sonic standards and punishing delivery of Diabolic were nothing to scoff at, and while they might only succeed a fraction of the time at conjuring the malevolence and eerie atmosphere I so often associate with the finer records in the genre, they at least try, harder still than many of their established peers in the mid to late 90s...

I really love the guitar tone here, full-bodied and fetid. Morbid Angel circa-Blessed Are the Sick or Covenant, only more brazen, flowing fluidly through the dynamic architecture of rapid abuse and carnal, concrete breakdowns. "Sacrament of Fiends" and "View with Abhorrence" are two of particular favors amidst this writhing, punishing mass: the former a nice reward after the rather bland ambient intro, an escalating citadel of celerity spiked through with frantic abandon in the leads and some thundering double bass during the bridge; the latter threading tremolo duality into a surging start/stop sequence that ultimately manifests into a burst of bitter schizoid enmity. I also enjoy "Dwelling Spirits" for its brief, haunting intro and thick, gargoyle lurch that again reminds me of Morbid Angel's groovier orientations through Covenant or Domination, but with plenty of accelerated abandon. Other moments of worthiness: the razor tongued stream of dissonant chords hurled above "Wicked Inclination" and the muscular abrasion pent up within the titular finale.

There are a few tunes that lag behind these ("Treacherous Scriptures", "Ancient Hatred"), but not by a wide margin, and there's never really a point throughout the forgiving 32 minutes that you felt the festering ennui inherent in so many faceless USDM hordes. Diabolic are about as well scripted in their influences as it comes, and well aware of how to balance composition with both brickwork and variation, power and precision. Having said that, there's really not much of an impetus to acquire this record unless you're interested in more of the same. It's like being presented with a raw, rare steak, then asking the server to bring it back and return to you with something well done. Creatively and conceptually it does not manage to elbow past a Morbid Angel, Malevolent Creation or Deicide, yet it offers a better balanced aural equation, a blasphemy built to blueprint, a safe harbor from which to pursue an impetuous quarry. Supreme Evil remains one of the best albums of Diabolic, but this lack of uniqueness is one that infects their sum body of work.

Verdict: Win [7.25/10] (spewing forth the arrival)

http://www.myspace.com/diabolic666

Diabolic - Excisions of Exorcisms (2010)

Florida's Diabolic might just be the perfect example of how 'too much of a good thing' can eventually lead to the marginalization of a band within a musical genre. Through the band's history, they have released some half decent, stock blasting death metal like Supreme Evil and Subterraneal Magnitude, but because of the saturation of such music in the 90s through the 21st century, they never really found the same market presence of their influences like Deicide and Morbid Angel. After a few years' hiatus in which the band released only a few EPs, they return here with their 5th full length Excisions of Exorcisms, which might as well be called 'Business as Usual', since it grasps straight at the band's primal, blasting old school horns and wrangles them into the present.

The central premise of this band has always been Aantar Lee Coates beating on his kit like an abusive stepfather while the guitars rip out pure, one track blasphemy in the vein of Vital Remains, Sinister, Immolation and Deicide. The band has a similar sound to Maryland's Pessimist, minus the black metal elements and that should come as no surprise here since Kelly McLauchlin is one of the guitar players here. The leads cut through with a carefully measured vitriol typified by the Florida forefathers, and for the most part the band simply doesn't feel like slowing or stopping.

That's a good thing here, because where the band does morph into sluggishness, i.e. "False Beliefs", there is often a little less impact. "Entombed" and "Fragmented Kreation" fare slightly better, as they mix tempos and offer some more palatable, grisly riffing. The faster fare, however, ala "Excision of Exorcisms", "Venomous Habitations" and "Evil in Disguise" is the true sacrificial heart of this recording, as they blast the listener into submission and force upon him the ebbing, gradual hypnotism of the guitar patterns. Being blunt here: aside from the occasional surprise and the ghastly flow of the leads, I did not find enough of the actual writing to bewitch me, and after a number of listens I feel content in abandoning the record back to the hellish ages from which it was spawned, possibly to visit once more if I'm ever in the need of some sheer blasting mayhem with little regard for nuance.

I doubt Excision of Exorcisms will stir up much further attention for this decade plus veteran, but it's a solid and grounded effort that maintains strict loyalty to the band's back catalog. The mix is great and the musicians sound unstoppable from an energy standpoint. Sadly, that just wasn't enough for me this time, and while I have no major complaints whatsoever, the music simply doesn't call to me like a lot of other old school death. Listeners new to the band would be better served by checking out their earliest efforts, which reek of a slightly superior evil atmosphere, but die hard adherents of the first four Diabolic records probably would not be disappointed by the infernal transgressions placed upon this particular altar.

Verdict: Indifference [6.75/10] (lawless is the path of thy self)

http://www.myspace.com/diabolic666