Review Summary: A throwback to many of the pioneers of old-school death metal that sadly never pushes the envelope enough to stand out as more than a glorified tribute act.
Hailing from Barcelona, Confined began as a three-man project that would release two demos before drifting apart in 2007. Any additional history regarding the early output of this band is murky, with their own Bandcamp page simply reading that the "now solo project" emerging in 2021 and working to re-arrange and record eleven songs written and recorded more than a decade previously. The only concrete information discernible is that one "Roger B." is now the sole creative force, having only shared writing credits for three of the eleven songs, and handled the whole suite of guitars, bass, drum programming, vocals, and lyricism himself. This debut album was released in January 2023, to almost no salient media attention thus far, under the title 'Eternal Fury of the Disillusioned Ones.'
One immediate impression this album makes is the sensation of having heard elements of this sound before, many times over. Opening song "Cult of the Atrorep" punctuates its low end chugging with a barrage of pinched harmonics in a manner heavily reminiscent of early Cannibal Corpse, and eventually gives way to an alternation of the two guitar tracks in isolation that recalls pre-'Obscura' Gorguts. "Terminally Confined" fluctuates in tempo rapidly, calling to mind Suffocation - a comparison cemented by the uncanny resemblence between one of the faster riffs and one found in "Thrones Of Blood" by that particular band. The old-school death metal influence is something worn on the sleeve of this band, with aspects of Morbid Angel also apparent in some of the more atmospheric mid-paced moments of the album, witth "Where The Slime Live" seeming more and more influential on this band the more of these segments one hears.
Having detailed the derivative, a question worth asking is whether this album brings anything new to a table utterly crammed with throwback artists? "Uterine Tombs" hones each of the aspects heard previously to a sharpened, refined assault on the ears, with the occasional technical guitar flourish to distinguish it. Despite this, the over-reliance on pinched harmonics and Suffocation homage ensure the second half of the song squanders its potential. Particularly egregious is the stop-start flurries of notes, which lead to a disjointed sound, a trap which artists such as Decapitated avoid in "The Knife" by keeping the intensity of the other instruments high. In serving a role as something of a tribute act, Confined could learn lessons from failings in attempts to push the envelope a litlte. The chords left to ring at the end of certain bars in "Millennial Devastation," for instance, are rendered ineffective by the reversion to type with the obnoxious use of pinched harmonics immediately afterwards.
When 'Eternal Fury of the Disillusioned Ones' is firing on all cylinders, it offers an enjoyable experience for fans of old-school death metal, and certainly shines at times. "Victim of the Raptor" uses an intro comprised of drums and bass, before a riff kicks in that reminds of material from 'Carnival Is Forever' by Decapitated. The shifts between the breakneck pace and lurching chugs that follow are effective, whilst the tremolo picked riffing later on provides a satisfying backdrop to headbang to. The grotesque, gruff growls that sit nicely in the mix atop the instrumentation are also handled well throughout the album; lacking in variety, yet satisfactory in their delivery. Closing the album out is "Decrepitude Beyond Nothingness," which begins with a more intricate riff which continues into a verse that explores techniques such as trills. This feels like "Roger B." attempting to throw the kitchen sink at the listener, using his entire repertoire to give as much variety to this concluding track as he is capable of, and it is better off for it.
This album is one that is both easy to recommend to hardcore fans of old-school death metal, yet also challenging to endure in its entirety. At fifty minutes in length, it certainly drags, and this is something that can even be felt in the five-and-a-half minute opener, which feels indulgent for the sake of it. The riffing here is enjoyable enough, although it is far too reliant on tropes such as pinched harmonics and rarely pushes the envelope. The drum machine is handled well, and the bass is inoffensive yet rarely shines. Sadly, this is also an album that feels far too much of a copycat to ever stand on its own, with the Gorguts and Cannibal Corpse influences brazenly stretched as far as good taste will allow, whilst Roger's love of Suffocation is apparent without ever truly feeling like a positive replication - or, dare i say it, expansion - of that sound. As such, this is an album that settles into that mundane bracket, average in almost every way, and something to only be used as background noise.
