Soul Remnants

Soul Remnants make it very clear they're all about the extreme side of death metal; they have no problem unleashing a torrent of noise. Where Soul Remnants differ is in their ability to break away from the endless filler of blast beats and aggressive palm muting, instead introducing some cataclysmic riffs. These money riffs are what pull you through the album and are ultimately the defining factor of the band's sound. The album opens with "Chopwork II," a track that sounds eerily similar to the opening of Slayer's "Angel of Death," due to the pinch harmonic that sound exactly like Tom Araya's opening scream. However, it isn't until "Cauldron of Blood" that the listener gets a chance to experience the infectious groove snaking throughout the rest of the record, finishing with the sonic carnage of "Reanimation." For a debut, the production for Black and Blood is surprisingly good, opting for a clearer sound rather than the intentional use of poor recording techniques engrained in death/black metal culture. No particular instrument sounds faded or undermined by another, including vocals that are incredibly clear over the double drum assault, which is a rarity for debut records in this particular genre.