I’ve been a fan of Cardiac Arrest for nearly a decade. These death metal veterans continue to get deadlier with each subsequent release. But when they released A Parallel Dimension of Despair (2018), I honestly believed there was no way they could top it. In terms of writing, musicianship, and all around heaviness, I thought it was as far as they could go. Leave it to the Windy City death metal devastators to serve me a piping hot bowl of my own words with the arrival of their latest full length, The Day That Death Prevailed.
After multiple listens to this album, the first word that comes to mind is “pummeling”. A little over 30 minutes is all Cardiac Arrest needs to pulverize, brutalize, mangle, strangle, and rip the listener to shreds. The Day That Death Prevails was recorded in that same concise spirit as violent classics like Reign in Blood and Pleasure to Kill. There’s no flashy musical theatrics, no frills, no bullshit: only pure death. Most of the songs are faster than the speed of light, but even the ones that aren’t pack a powerful punch.
Look no further than my favorite track, “Plague Ridden Destiny”. “And the award for the nastiest intro of 2020 goes too…” This is miserable, maggot infested death/doom at its finest. Things get even uglier on “Endless Dread” and the closer, “Up from Oblivion”. These riffs make me want to exclaim “OUGH!”, Tom G. Warrior style, at the top of my lungs.
In my interview with guitarists/vocalists Adam Scott and Tom Knizner, they mentioned there’d be even more punk aggression on this album, aggression which was previously teased on Parallel Dimension’s “Professional Victim”. To say they stuck to their promise would be an understatement. “Sodomite” and “Eradicate the Masses” are as fast, angry, and pissed off as they come. Replace the blastbeats with d-beats, and the guttural vocals with shouting, and you’ve got yourself some cathartic 80s hardcore!
I’d conclude this review by saying there’s no possible way Cardiac Arrest can get any better or heavier, though I’m sure I’ll be proven wrong come the next release cycle. Trust me boys. I’ve learned my lesson this time! I promise! *proceeds to be thrown “Into the Woodchipper”*
8 out of 10
Label: Memento Mori
Genre: Death Metal
For fans of: Autopsy, Cianide, Abscess