Maximum Metal Rating Legend

De Lirium's Order - Victim No. 52 2004 Woodcut Records reviewed by: EC

Track Listing1. Sanctuary of Incineration 2. Abomination 3. The Art of Butchering 4. Masterpiece of a Morbid Mind 5. Victim no. 52 6. Through the Eyes of a Murderer 7. Nightmare in Apartment 213 8. Dr. Lirium Orders: Suffering 9. Pathologist's Perverse Fantasies 10. The Sunrise

De Lirium's Order has released their first professional release, "Victim No. 52", through Woodcut Records. This neo-death act from Finland combine the raw, killing sounds of genre staples such as Sinister and Altar, with the fast thrash sounds of Canada's Cryptopsy.

"Victim No. 52" is a fresh, mature death metal outing of intense hatred, with plenty of blast beats, scorching technical guitar, and Glen Benton style growls from vocalist Corpse (how appropriate!). It's rare for me to find a death metal band that really mixes it up, with so musicians in this genre leaning towards the Gothenburg trend of today, or stepping into the roots of Morbid Angel, with plenty of "borrowed" sounds that just seemed so stale to me in the first place. With De Lirium's Order, I sense a more defiant metal act, a group armed with an original sound, one that uses an 80's thrash masterplan to build heavier, fast death tones upon. Guitarist Dr. Lirium and S.M. Nekroc are absolutely furious on the strings, reminding me of the prime 80's shred that came from the Shrapnel label.

"Victim No. 52" marks De Lirium's Order's first attempt at a professional recording. The group released a four song demo last year entitled "Morbid Brains", and a self-financed release in 2002 called "Termination In Surreal". With this being the band's pro-debut, I think its just fabulous that a band this young can sound this good. People can say production carries young band's these days, but I really think it goes beyond that in this case. Certainly "Victim No. 52" is rewarded with killer production from Woodcut Records, but the group put together interesting songs, with plenty of timing changes that are smooth, never straying far from the song's capabilities.

Opener "Sanctuary Of Incineration" is simply brutal, with the obvious nods to Morbid Angel and Altar, but the group throw in a small dose of early Hypocrisy as well. Vocalist Corpse has a very deep delivery, with the ability to go higher much like Deicide's Glen Benton. "Abomination" reminds me of the fast, technical aspects of early Sinister, with huge choppy guitar and up-front vocals. Drummer E.R. Insane shows a ton of patience on this album, delivering the tight blast beats when needed, but mostly giving ear to the music, allowing the riffs and bass to breathe without the use of aggression.

Tracks like "Abomination" and "Through The Eyes Of A Murderer" really showcase what this band is good at, the neo-death sound with the "hyperblast" speed of Canadian monsters Cryptopsy. Combine that with the guitar shred from Lirium and Nekroc, and De Lirium's Order has a winning presentation on their hands.

Fans of early Hypocrisy, Morbid Angel, Cryptopsy, and Sinister will absolutely adore this release. I think Woodcut Records have done well signing this band, and I see huge waves being made with "Victim No. 52". Popular bands like Lamb Of God and Killswitch Engage were once in the same spot as De Lirium's Order, just simply waiting for the right people to hear them. I think once the right person comes along, this band will be a household name in the metal community. For me, this is the death metal album of the year.


--EC 07.27.04