CRUCIFIXION - "DESERT OF SHATTERED HOPES"/"A COLD SEA OF HORROR" (LA CAVERNA RECORDS, 2020)

Band: Crucifixion

Title: Desert of Shattered Hopes/A Cold Sea of Horror

Genre: Death Metal

Time: 58.39 min

Release Date: 10th August 2020

Vote: 87/100

And so, the Colombian label La Caverna Records reissued this year also the outstanding debut album of Crucifixion, "Desert of Shattered Hopes". Released in 1993 by the historic Belgian label Mausoleum Rec (strange that it published a so extreme album!), "Desert..." shows a band already with a great self-confidence playing a death metal that is more ferocious and direct in comparison with "Paths Less Taken". But this without forgetting to spew forth a dark and cursed atmosphere , that is determined by various factors: the doom tempos here and there; the bestial but, at the same time, spectral vocals of Danny Martinez; and by the nice guitar solos.

The notable tracks to mention are many and, among the, there are especially the last two ones: "Tomorrow is the End", very violent at enviable levels also because of some remarkable riffs a lot close to a war black metal approach; and "Woods for the Suicides", in which there are even some keyboards that make the sound in a gloomier way. In addition, I can cite the short atmospheric intermezzo "Remembering the Dead" (that, with its acoustic guitars, is a very classic tune for the old-school death metal) and "Binding of Dragons", mentionable for its kind of bass solo, one of the refined details that you can find throughout the album.

But the reissue of the album is comprised also of "A Cold Sea of Horror". This is the first demo by Crucifixion that was released in 1991, and it contains 5 tracks, included "Home of the Lonesome Wanderers" and the same "Tomorrow is the End", both re-recorded two years later for the debut album. The style of this demo is substantially the same, a dark but violent death metal.

So, I fell in love with Crucifixion when time ago I listened to "Paths Less Taken" thanks to La Caverna, and this love still continues with "Desert of Shattered Hopes", that is a very intense and interesting album, even though it lacks in a production not always balanced (e.g. sometimes the drums are weak in songs like "Black Mourning"). Anyway, of the two albums, I prefer "Paths Less Taken", where all the potentialities shown in "Desert of Shattered Hopes", along with other features, were developed better and with more confidence. And so, I really think that this act deserved to continue its Left Hand Path but, despite their talent, its seems that many of its members played in no other metal bands, included the guitarist Adam Cantù, unfortunately dead in 2016 due to a cancer.

Tracklist:

1 - Desert of Shattered Hopes

2 - Binding of Dragons

3 - Home of the Lonesome Wanderers

4 - Black Mourning

5 - Remembering the Dead

6 - Sick are the Shadows of Reality

7 - Descendants Thereafter

8 - Tomorrow is the End

9 - Woods for the Suicides

10 - A Cold Sea of Horror

11 - Home of the Lonesome Wanderers

12 - Trees Succumb

13 - Screaming Fatality

14 - Tomorrow is the End

Line-up:

Danny Martinez - vocals/bass

Armando Mata - guitars/keyboards

Adam Cantù - guitars (rhythm)

Mark Vargas - guitars (rhythm) (in "A Cold Sea of Horror")

Josè Esquivel - bass (in "A Cold Sea of Horror")

Puppet Cavazos - drums

La Caverna Records: https://www.facebook.com/lacavernarecs/