Fourteen months after the release of the debut EP After Every Setting Sun, Germany’s September Murder strike with their first full-length album Agony in Flesh. Time to check out what these guys have to offer.

The band started in 2004 with the intention to play some cover songs and to gather some ideas together for own songs. Over the next year the band completed its lineup and played shows in Germany with bands from all over the world. After the release of the EP the (German) press was all over this band and September Murder started to get some recognition. They were lucky enough to get picked up by Maintain Records (known for some underground death metal bands such as Ba’al, Dying Humanity and GodHateCode) to start working on the debut album. Still being in the production process, drummer Stefan left the band, being replaced by ex-Disillution drummer Clemens Frank. If we have to believe the label, we can expect some Almighty, Crushing, Sick Death Metal!

The first track '…And the Entrails Fill The Sea' starts off with a long melodic intro that reminds me of other German acts such as Neaera and Heaven Shall Burn. Nothing interesting so far. The rest of the track is filled with ‘I’ve heard it all before’ parts, uninspired death metal riffs and over-triggered kickdrums. It’s amazing how they managed to put eight tracks on the album that all sound exactly the same. None of the tracks stand out and they mostly sound like a wall of sound without any originality or having an own identity. There is no space between the tracks and every minute on the album is filled with double kicks and heavy guitar parts. Especially the drum kit, which is way too triggered and loud, starts to work on your nerves after a few tracks. On a more positive note, the singer has good vocal capacities, ranging from low growls to high screams and even a sort of pig scream, but that’s not enough to save the album from mediocrity.

September Murder sounds like they are trying to be somewhere in between Cannibal Corpse and German melodic death such as Heaven Shall Burn, but fail to create their own sound and make tracks that actually stand out. You can hear that the members are skilled musicians, but they have to work on their own sound too!