Album Review: Boris the Blade - 'Tides of Damnation (EP)'

With the demise of The Red Shore there appears a vacant spot in the Australian death metal scene. It's not one that is automatically going to be handed out to the first band that offers something vaguely resembling a brutal dose of metal. But there is a spot that needs filling nevertheless.

While, Thy Art Is Murder have more than kept the seat warm to the point that they are now perhaps, along with stalwarts Psycroptic, one of our best and premier local outfits, Melbourne's Boris the Blade are working to make up ground.

With Roman Koester (The Red Shore) now on board, this debut EP entitled 'Tides of Damnation' is assertive, punishing and contains an obvious modern metal influence.

Six tracks. Brutal delivery. Strong impact. That's the core of it really. A previous spot at number one on the Australian iTunes metal chart is representative of the early reception and the impression a first listen generates. Think Nile meets All Shall Perish. 'Tides of Damnation' is an up-the-front delivery. What you see, or rather hear, is what you get.

Beginning with 'Like Wolves', Boris the Blade launch into Hate Eternal styled riffs while following track 'A Vulgate Prophet' is a blast-heavy, down-tuned, three minute rager that is raw and heavy (although the latter goes without saying really). 'Wastelands' is the instrumental moment, with 'Your Last Breath' again devastating.

It would be easy to slap a deathcore tag on this but the overall sound favours more traditional death metal structures instead. Additionally, guest vocal spots from Thy Art Is Murder's Chris 'CJ' McMahon and Kyson Shepherd of Signal the Firing Squad, ensure those guttural vocals and punishing deliveries are easily maintained.

There is no debut blues or musical awkwardness here. This may be a band offering their first slab of visceral metal as a collective, but make no mistake, these are seasoned musicians who jump in at the deep end instead of meddling in the shallow confines of derivative rhythms and cliched scene approaches.

Like most death metal, things can get monotonous due to the consistency of similar tempos and riff ranges. However Boris the Blade compensate well enough in this instance. Essentially, 'Tides of Damnation' is short and sharp…and that's good enough really.

With each passing Australian metal release seems to come the notion that there is no longer any inferiority between local bands and international outfits. Boris the Blade have a sound (that although still finding its feet) is nevertheless, in both production and overall delivery, just as strong as similar bands playing across the ocean.

1. Like Wolves

2. A Vulgate Prophet

3. For The Wretched

4. Wastelands


5. Your Last Breath


6. Tides Of Damnation