Band:	Vore
Album:	Dead Kings Eyes
Style:	Death metal
Release date:	1997
Guest review by:	Korpi

01. Suffer The Slave
02. Dead Kings Eyes
03. Summon The Nameless
04. Right Cross
05. Albion
06. Bring Me Back

Some albums simply do not age well, and I will not dare to account for context when it comes to most bands since that can prove largely a convoluted and impossible task for someone who didn't listen to an album upon initial release. All that said, this album hits a TL;DR category that may prove interesting for those connoisseurs of obscure death metal, metal history, or those who prefer slower performances.

For every truly good band, there are many average bands that make live performances at local venues and keep their particular genres thriving; Vore generally appears to be one of the latter types.

The riffs and drums of Dead Kings Eyes sometimes show clear rock influences, and many times fall into the category of monotonous and dull due to the slow tempo. The vocals are raw and sometimes rather entertaining in their variation; the track "Right Cross" is by far the pinnacle of the vocals on the album, with prolonged periods of harsh aggressive gutturals. Some of the lyrics are good but even when the vocals are good they tend to lose their impact and could realistically be replaced with just about any generic death metal lyrics. The acoustic interlude of "Albion" is a high point in the album next to "Right Cross"; it's executed with good skill, but feels tremendously out of place in both timing and for the overarching thematic elements of the album.

It is very possible to hear the roots of the band's modern sound in this album, but it feels very small-time in the same way as your local garage band. The album has enticed me enough to listen to some of their later material, but it doesn't particularly resonate on any level with me nor does it stand out from the crowd of death metal bands. Perhaps if this was mixed differently or viewed live, it would have a much more overwhelming and crushing effect on the listener.