Holy crap, if there's a band that ought to put Algeria on the death metal world
map, then I reckon this is the one!
Originally a one-man effort, the band and the man Lelahell began the writing and
recording of this EP, but the guitarist/vocalist is now flanked by drummer Slabe
Blaster and bassist Nihil. And a toxic trio they are!
Although not top-notch in terms of production and mix, there's enough
originality in the sound of Lelahell to make this old hack's eyebrows move
upwards a bit. The EP starts off with a blast and makes you think 'right, fair
enough, another grindish-blastbeat death metal outfit'. Yes, they are indeed
that, but Lelahell is also so much more.
There are clear influences from Morbid Angel, Nile, Bloodbath and
that vein of death metal, i.e. the blastbeats are there, yet the greatest
strength here is more the mid-tempo grooves. Moreover, the Algerians add an element of folklorism that
provides something in their music that isn't quite out there right now (as far
as I know) as well as a tiny fraction of classic progressive rock.
The 'Al Intihar' EP offers a great deal of diversity without tipping into the
realm of the avant-garde and, most importantly, it has an underlying foundation
of indismissable, harsh brutality.
You'll notice from the track listing below that the last track of EP is a Mayhem
cover. Let me just note that this sounds better that Mayhem ever did. Just my
humble opinion...
Looking forward to hearing more from the death metal kings of Algeria in the
future!
