Well, this is definitely a "first" album, and Gorefest here exhibit almost none of the brilliance that would appear on their subsequent albums. This is middle of the road death metal, with really, really disgusting lyrics. Yeah, I know, the name is GOREFEST, what the fuck do I expect... This album is OK, not highly recommended, better versions of their best songs appear on The Eindhoven Insanity and Erase. Both the lead guitarist and drummer were replaced after this album with much better musicians, and things just improved 1000%. Unless you want absolutely everything by this band, or really get into songs about coat hanger abortions, I'd avoid this album cuz the best thing about it is the cover art.

5 out of 10

Such a change... Throwing out half the band, Gorefest produce their magnum opus. Highly intelligent, musically challenging, a death metal paradigm for bands to imitate forever. This album is tight! All four members play incredibly well together, no matter what tempo or pattern may be tossed around. I'm not sure if Jan-Chris had some sort of cathartic experience or what, but gone are the juvenile horror movie lyrics, and plodding dunka-dunka-dunka straight ahead drum beats. Ed Warby is a master double bass drummer, every hit is spot-on. So, the riffs are killer, the leads fantastic, the vocals brutal. This all adds up to one of the greatest releases in death metal history, an easy

10 out of 10.

While not quite the masterpiece that was False, Erase is non-the-less a worthy successor. More growth and development here, which of course, pissed off a lot of people who wanted and expected False 2. I was almost one... It seems like when a band releases an album like False, Clandestine, The Jester Race, and you listen to it over and over and over, you start starving for more. Unfortunately, the next album is never as good for some reason (above bands...) and Erase is a prime example. OK, the positives... Erase is really fucking heavy, like cement being poured on your skull. Gorefest are also tight as hell. There are couple of slow spots, and this is indicative of the mutation into classic rock that the band is apparently going through at this time. All in all, a good album, not another classic, but a worthy entry into the annals of metal.

7 out of 10

A tough call here... I guess this album just isn't for me. There are some killer riffs on Freedom, Forty Shades, and the outro (which is part of Tired Moon, available on Death is Just the Beginning IV), but the vocals just don't fit with the Deep Purplish vibe here. It's worth checking out, but it's more like Death Rock. It is something different, and if you have no expectations, it's a pretty cool album. It's actually pretty interesting to hear this and Mindloss back to back. This just never kicked in like it should. Supposedly the new album is a better mix of the old and new, like the last Entombed (To Ride...).

6 out of 10

Chapter 13

1. Chapter 13
2. Broken Wing
3. Nothingness
4. Smile
5. Idiot
6. Repentance
7. Bordello
8. F.S. 2000
9. All Is Well
10. Unsung
11. Burn Out
12. Super Reality
13. Serve the Masses

Line-Up

Jan-Chris De Koeÿer - Vocals and Bass Guitar

Frank Harthoorn - Guitar

Ed Warby - Drums

Boudewÿn Bonebakker - Guitar