San Francisco-based project Vastum, with former and current members of e.g. Acephalix, Necrot and Hammers Of Misfortune, did surely impress undersigned, and undoubtably tens of millions of others, with 2011’s Carnal Law. The sophomore record Patricidal Lust was recorded at the famous Earhammer Studio and goes on in the very same vein, yet with a heavier and more dense and darkened / darkening core. The material lasts for thirty seven minutes (way too short, guys!) and I think it is even better than the debut. At least, and that’s what I mean, this stuff sounds like a more professional and matured edition of the debut.
Vastum combine elements from some of the greatest Death Metal acts we have or had, such as Autopsy, Death, Pestilence, Bolt Thrower, Asphyx, Incantation, Torchure (that legendary, splendid, yet unfortunately underestimated German top-formation!), Unleashed and Hellhammer / early Celtic Frost. Besides the modern sound, it breathes the Old School with a mostly sulphurised stench. Like ‘newer’ bands such as Funerus, Graveyard (the Swedish one), Deathevokation (look out for the review on The Chalice Of Ages, which will be updated in a very near future) or Finnish Decaying, Vastum are such a pretty young band that are able to combine the better (read: the best) elements from higher mentioned top-acts, and turn and twist it into an own, mainly (and masterly) slowed-down interpretation of old styled grotesquery with nothing but excellence to add. It is doomish, but not Doom Metal, and it is blackish, but not Black Metal; no, Patricidal Lust brings the kind of Morbid Death Metal we are all craving for, not?! So I’ll keep it short and simple: if you do like / appreciate at least one of the bands I just enlisted, you know what to do!