A much awaited album for the year of 2012 was the eighth full length by Dying Fetus entitled ‘’Reign Supreme’’. The New Yorkers are one of the bands that especially the last ten years evolve in a tremendously surprising way and every time they attract the attention of the fans of the extreme scene a little more. Their influence on the whole death metal scene could only be seen to many bands that formed the last five years and they use the term ‘’slam’’ for their bastardised death metal with hardcore beatdowns sound, clearly influenced by Dying Fetus. On the other hand, without any need to prove anything, the teachers are back to teach the students a very brutal lesson in violence, and a very convincing one I could add. For about 38 minutes, the old DF fans are going to repeat the same process while listening to their albums and the ones that listen to them for the first time will definitely purchase the rest discography of the band.
Opening with a 125 second blaster like ‘’Invert The Idols’’, where the initial tapping on the guitar gives its place to constant riffing and the familiar double vocal attack by Sean Beasley (whose performance here is the best he’s done in a DF album so far) and leader/guitarist John Gallagher, whose well-like throat gives a lot of pain and moshing to the nine compositions of the album. Yes, this time the band didn’t continue the tradition with eight tracks on the album as it happens from ‘’Killing On Adrenaline’’ and on, but this proves to be even better, as there are no fillers on the album (actually there has never been in any DF album). ‘’Subjected To A Beating’’ which follows shortly after the hammering of the first track, is the hit of the album, the track that leaked first and showed we’re going to deal with another amazing release by the band. Easily one of the highlights not only in the album but the entire career of the band, it has everything a fan of them asks, amazing changes, riffs, beatdowns and brutality, all in the package of one.
With such a beginning, you get the feeling that ‘’Reign Supreme’’ is an equal album to the previous ‘’Descend Into Depravity’’, which surprised a lot of people, especially those who started thinking that the band could never repeat masterpieces of the past, when they listened to ‘’War Of Attrition’’ (which is also a great album but if someone wants to find something negative, he’ll do it anyway). The production brings out the amazing team work of the power trio, with the drums following the riffs in most parts of the album, and bursting out where they must, especially in the double vocal attack frenzies that annihilate your ears. The tracks that follow keep your adrenaline high, with ‘’From Womb To Waste’’ starting slowly and evolving into a great spinesplitter and ‘’Dissidence’’ making you unable to act, as you once again admit that the band has caught you off guard and delivers you all you wanted to listen to (maybe more than these to be honest).
‘’Devout Atrocity’’ is one of the most impressive tracks they have ever composed, with harmonic whistling on the guitars, followed by intense double bass and the bass filling the gaps to prevent a more noisy approach on the sound. Everything is heard crystal clear but that doesn’t mean that the album is less brutal than required and ‘’Revisionist Past’’ with a beginning that Chuck Schuldiner could have written, puts you back into your place and you keep on making the air-hammersmashing (imagine the convicts breaking stones in a jail, you just do it faster and left-right). ‘’The Blood Of Power’’ puts the tombstone to all the bands that thought they could ever sound a hint special like Dying Fetus. Rest in pieces folks, you were asking for it and punishment came from above and below. The amazing lead of the track shows that Dying Fetus can play everything you can imagine and put them all in one track without sounding tiring.
Once again, we have a triumph for the American pioneers of the extreme scene. I can only imagine what will happen if they go out and play these tracks live, those of you not familiar with a Dying Fetus live performance, will get so addicted that you’ll realize one time is not enough (I’m personally counting four and can’t wait for the fifth, sixth, seventh time etc). Dying Fetus truly reign in a very supreme way and deliver one of the ten best albums of 2012 so far. The best thing is that once you listen to them, you know that each time they will give you something full of quality and intensity. A jewel band for the whole metal scene, be it extreme or not. I don’t know how much this continuous inspirationn will last, but the three guys are hungry for more and they show it. Such a need for doing what you really want (and now best) is very seldom in life. Enjoy it as much as you can, you never know if you find other bands to repeat the same thing with the same succesful result. Beware of their bite, it hurts like hell.