Arghoslent started out in the early 90's, punishing the underground death metal scene across the USA. The band remains 
underground to this day, with their archaic and undeniably brutal ideals. Stubborn, uncompromising musical defiance are 
corner stones to what makes Arghoslent such an amazing band. My experience of Arghoslent was typical of a well hyped band - 
I’m sure many of you have experienced high expectations, often spiralling into anger from mediocrity and wasted anticipation!
I had heard a lot about this particular album before actually listening to it, all recommendations; none belittling it, thus,
my expectations were boiling, yet I was unsure of what to expect ... what ensued was brilliance.

The band is not without controversy. The lyrics hark back to fields of torture and slavery of years gone by where colonists 
ruled and the weak were raped and pillaged. The opening track screams racist and vile dark histories;

‘Burying swords into emaciated ribs
Tired naked souls
Could no longer walk
Exotic filthy mongrel dogs
Fettered to failure
By a flawed genome

With laziness indelible and inherent
The pitch brutes lived
At the end of the whip’

I know of few bands, which cover the grounds of historic colonisation, and even fewer bands that I listen to, dare to remind
us of our animalistic heritage. This is one of the reasons I enjoyed the album so much. Deviation from the typical satanical
or odinist themes and ideals was a warmly welcomed change.

Musically, the album does not disappoint. It is excellent death metal, with hints of influence from thrash (as most good 
death metal has) and NWOBHM feel. The music is at points melodic, but maintains the raw and rasping sound similar to Morbid 
Angel, but without the motorised edge. The melodic overlays work well amidst frantic drumming and technical riff work. 
However, by no means does it have the ‘Gothenburg’ sound many find synonymous with the word melody in metal.

The first track, Flogging the Cargo, starts off with a fast paced riff, followed by a short and well-worked solo. The 
beginning has a good thrash / punk feel to it, but the album essentially begins with the grooving riff to come, over which 
vocals start. For the most part the song is at high tempo, maintained mainly by the frantic drumming mentioned above.

‘Heirs to Perdition’ is probably my favourite track at the moment. It has the most Morbid Angel feel to it of all the tracks,
probably because the rhythm of the vocals is most Morbid Angel`esque. As many of the tracks do, it uses slower melodic 
passages in the middle of the song, along with snapping vocals, which proudly exclaim the victory of war – what the 
‘Silent Troops’ had fought and died for. At points the song has an almost Chuck Schuldiner feel to it, with the sharp and 
technical syncopated riffs.

Without going into the detail of every song, the whole album is a great listen from start to finish. The title track is even
a killer 8 minute instrumental which I was actually considering listing as my favourite in the review (So hard to choose just
one!)

Who is this album for?

The musicianship on the album is fantastic. It is an awesome death metal album that mixes technicality, melody, thrash and 
archaic violent themes. The album creates an atmosphere of victory in war and control through supremacy of murder. The vocals
are pure death, without being too low or too rasping and suit the music extremely well.

If you enjoy bands like Carcass, Morbid Angel and to a lesser extent Eucharist, then this is for you.