Purgation - Realm of the Dead (2001)
Heavy doom with lots of groove! This cd sounds something like a more modernized version of Solitude Aeturnus. Very good work from this Lousiana based trio. the guitars and drums are tight and the production is very good for an indie release. Musically this is tough and doomy with a lot of groove. At times they even throw in some classic "thrash" style guitar parts. Vocally I prefer Ronnie's lower/mid range vocals to his higher ones, it gives it a more "doom" tone. Lyrically they tackle some heavy subject matter, (as they did in their first release under the name Purge), dealing with topics as wide ranging as evangelizing the lost to first amendment rights. The only bad thing about this disc is that it is too short. It is four songs and leaves you wanting more. Definitely worth your time to check this out. On the title track there are some moments where Ronnie (lead vocalist/guitarist) sounds just like Robert Lowe from Solitude Aeturnus. A very welcomed sound in the Christian metal world. -- Review by Norm