Laceration Mantra - Prolonging The Pain

Laceration Mantra

Prolonging The Pain

Obsidian Records

After continual line-up issues and lengthy periods of inactivity following the release of their E.P. ‘Killer Species’ in 2000, Brisbane (Queensland, Australia) based thrash outfit Transfear was officially laid to rest.

But while the band was no longer active, it didn’t mark the end of vocalist/bassist Rob Reiff and guitarist Michael Perry continued musical collaboration. Instead, it was simply a way of marking a new beginning for the pair, and after recruiting former Misery/The Dead guitarist Scotty Edgar and ex-Misery drummer Anthony Dwyer into the fold (Due to the fact that Misery are no longer active), soon announced the formation of Laceration Mantra.

Three years after first getting together, Laceration Mantra have finally finished work on their debut full-length album ‘Prolonging The Pain’. And as expected, the band lives up to the expectations the impressive pedigree of the line-up offers.

Although Laceration Mantra is essentially an amalgamation of Transfear and Misery, this new outfit bears little resemblance to either of their former groups. Yes, Laceration Mantra is a death metal outfit, and ‘Prolonging The Pain’ is one bludgeoning slab of intense metal throughout the ten tracks they offer up on the album. But beyond that, Laceration Mantra really does offer up something quite different from what you would expect, with the band finding the perfect balance of old school influences and new, without losing any of their own identity in the process.

‘Thrown To The Wolves’ starts the album off in a speedy fashion, with the production (Handled by Joe Panetta at his Wavelength Recording studio in Brisbane) allowing enough distinction between all of the member’s respective instruments, all the while maintaining a thick brutal sound. Direction wise, a bit of Deicide can be detected with the use of dual vocals, while the music falls along similar lines of Cannibal Corpse mixed with shades of Morbid Angel in places.

‘Purveyors Of Torment’ and ‘Realisation’ slows things down a touch to reveal some subtle grinding influences to come to the fore alongside some great lead work, while tracks such as ‘The Innermost’ and ‘Victims Of Hate’ take their influences a little more from the hardcore side of things both musically and vocally.

Elsewhere, the chaotic twisted riffs and various tempo changes on ‘The Global Straightjacket’ is a definite highlight, while the catchy ‘Surreal Reality’, the chugging groove of the title track ‘Prolonging The Pain’ and the rather short ‘Barney’ (Which I can only assume is a tribute of sorts to Napalm Death) are further tracks worthy of a mention in the latter half of the album.

Overall, ‘Prolonging The Pain’ is one solid brutal death metal album from start to finish, and a credit to the members of Laceration Mantra, who have a long history within the Australian metal scene.

For more information on Laceration Mantra, check out - http://www.myspace.com/lacerationmantra.

© Justin Donnelly.