Band:	Yyrkoon
Album:	Occult Medicine
Style:	Death metal
Release date:	October 2004

01. Intro
02. Doctor X
03. Censored Project
04. Blasphemy
05. Occult Medicine
06. Revenant Horde
07. Reversed World
08. Trapped Into Life
09. Surgical Distortion
10. Schyzophrenic Carnage
11. Erase The Past

My home country of France is not so well-known for its Metal bands, but over the years bands such as veterans Massacra and Loudblast wrote the handbook of Brutal Death Metal. So, I am pleased to introduce the successors of this glorious past, please welcome Yyrkoon from Longueil-Annel, France! Despite a weird name which makes one think that the band comes from Norway or Finland, Yyrkoon is indeed a French band. And they are not anybody either.

Previously playing "softer" Death Metal, the band latest effort, "Occult Medicine", is a blast of Brutal Death Metal "à l'ancienne" with hard-hitting drums, hammering riffs, fast killer guitar solos, destructing vocals and insane rhythm BUT with the necessary dose of creativity to transcend the album into the new millennium and a professional production rarely witnessed before in such a field.

Yyrkoon is officially composed of Steph [guitars, vocals], Jeff [guitars] and Victo [bass]. The trio got the services of our national "counterpart" to Hellhammer, Dirk Verbeuren [of Scarve fame and the other 3,000 bands/projects he is or was involved with], who is clearly one of the best drummers around and who has the nice habit to turn a good album into a great album. Well, once again, Dirk did just that albeit this album is more than great.

And what's best to hand-bang than the grim topic of medicine, the occult one preferably? Well, nothing really, so let's proceed into the dim world of mad doctors, rusted scalpels and operation tables stained with hectoliters of blood and diverse pieces of human tissue.

It all started with 'Doctor X', a true "in your face" opening track, with some of the fastest drums I've ever heard and empowering riffs, let alone the grunting and shrieking voice of Steph. The guitar solos are another great moment in the song, Michael Romeo would appreciate the job done here.

Then comes 'Censored Project', with a title reminding of old Sepultura material. The vibe is even more brutal than on 'Doctor X' whereas the solos have a different ring this time. You don't want to miss those mind-blowing rhythm breaks [Dirk, you rule man!]. In the end, this track is a monster of energy, a stegosaur of brutal force. By now, I think you understand the terrific atmosphere that reigns in this album.

Another track shines, actually it's THE ultimate track on the album, 'Occult Medicine', the title track. Yyrkoon manage to build a real creepy atmosphere while blasting one of their best "morbid experiments". It's the catchiest song and it features a stunning guitar solo [once again], transcending it to being the best song on the entire album.

At last, I could not got to sleep if I leave that song out of this review, so let's go down to business with 'Reversed World'. Even more brutal while having the catchiness of any track from a band such as Amon Amarth [but in way more aggressive?], 'Reversed World' is a true anthem for any drummer envisioning the field of Death Metal. It's like the ultimate discharge of energy, well-"assisted" by the killing riffs and the hard sounding bass lines - what can I say? - brutally beautiful.

The rest of the album would deserve equal detailing but you might as well buy the damn album before I bore you to tears [assuming that you're still reading this].

Hurray! Hurray! The huge return of one of the most interesting Metal styles ever, Yyrkoon places the bar very high and their "Occult Medicine" works like a charm. This album is "old-school Brutal Death Metal with a vengeance", so beware, it's a juggernaut of aggression. Talk to your doctor about Yyrkoon to discuss if it's right for you today. Side-effects may include serious hand-banging.