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Landmine Marathon - Gallows review



Reviewer:
8.0

22 users:
7.45
Band: Landmine Marathon
Album: Gallows
Release date: September 2011


01. Three Snake Leaves
02. Cutting Flesh And Bone
03. Knife From My Sleeve
04. Liver And Lungs
05. Dead Horses
06. Cloaked In Red
07. Beaten And Left Blind
08. Morbidity

In Leviathan, the book, not the band, Hobbes, the philosopher, not the stuffed tiger, described life in the state of every man's war against every man as "...nasty, brutish, and short."

The same could be said for Landmine Marathon's Gallows.

Their latest features just seven tracks and just under 30 minutes of visceral, raw(r!) grinding death punishment. Nasty. Brutish. Short.

Grace Perry continues to froth, scream, and contort like some acid-tongued banshee whose scornful voice possesses the ability to strip the paint off your car at 30 meters. The female front person thing is perhaps still a bit gimmicky in metal as a whole... "I'm a Barbie Girl in a Metal World!" Angels singing beautiful soprano in front of and above the band. Or those that go out of their way to dress, look, and act the part. Fuck that noise. Grace Perry is G.I. Jane and knows 23 ways to kill you with her drivers license and four more with her voice. She gets backed up at times with some atypical DM male roars in some twisted duet.

The knuckledragging 26.2 milers back up this horrific screeching by flailing away at their instruments with reckless abandon. The tempo? A mile a minute, which given the run time means if you kept pace you could damn near finish the marathon before the album comes to a close. Provided you don't stomp on a claymore and blow yourself to hell. Sure, there are some of the slowed down grinding bits, such as the intro portion of "Knife From My Sleeve", but make no mistake, the vast bulk of Gallows is played at "ludicrous speed."

Furthermore, the band not only plays fast (bah, everyone does that nowadays) but they have the knack for playing with this galloping groove that makes the songs almost catchy. It's some great work by the guitarists... the riffs don't stand out and draw attention on their own so much as work within the cacophony of pounding drums and throat-shredding vocals. It's more a gestalt whole, a solid unit, rather than a collection of assembled parts.

Finally the production is not nearly as polished as a lot of modern DM, which helps this harken back to the good old days of the early 90's when the music spewing forth from the swamps of Florida was raw and vile. Modern DM seems like a sterilized scalpel which clinically dissects the listener... the old school was more getting hacked apart by a rusty hatchet. Landmine Marathon definitely lean in the direction of the hatchet-wielders.

Ultimately, unlike 2010's Sovereign Descent, which never really clicked with me, I've found Gallows to be more fun than a monkey knife fight.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 8
Songwriting: 8
Originality: 7
Production: 8





Written on 23.11.2011 by BitterCOld has been officially reviewing albums for MetalStorm since 2009.

Guest review by
Boxcar Willy
Rating:
8.7
I have enjoyed Landmine Marathon for a long time now, pretty much since I started listening to the heavier side of metal, starting with Wounded I progressed throughout their discography. I reached Gallows and I knew after three solid releases they would not let me down.

The album enters with a strong presence, the shrieking guitar leads into the amazing voice of Grace Perry. Grace Perry, ah? the highlight of this album; her voice is raw, powerful and mind-boggling. In songs like "Three Snake Leaves" and "Cloaked In Red" I was astounded by such a voice, I'm not saying this just because she is a woman either - her voice has a power the blasts most others out of the water.

Read more ››
published 31.01.2012 | Comments (4)


Comments

Comments: 13   Visited by: 196 users
23.11.2011 - 19:25
Ag Fox
Angel No More
I lol'ed at Hobbes the stuff tiger part. Good job as usual
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loves 小巫
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23.11.2011 - 20:50
Troy Killjoy
perfunctionist
I liked this album quite a bit, but the review is honestly better.

I love Grace Perry by the way. I plan on marrying her one day.
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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23.11.2011 - 21:13
Void Eater
Account deleted
Written by Troy Killjoy on 23.11.2011 at 20:50

I love Grace Perry by the way. I plan on marrying her one day.

Back off pal. You can marry Hobbs the tiger, I got dibs of Grace.

But yeah, saw this band live, awesome show. John Kevill says it best- "More brutal than a regular marathon."
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23.11.2011 - 21:15
Troy Killjoy
perfunctionist
Written by Guest on 23.11.2011 at 21:13
John Kevill says it best- "More brutal than a regular marathon."

That honestly made me laugh out loud.
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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24.11.2011 - 17:40
silenius

Looooooove this album to bits, awesome review aswell mate, laughed and pooped.
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26.11.2011 - 23:19
Grody2themax

This album sounds pretty good. But after I listened to it, I'd rather just listen to the new Exhumed if you know what I mean haha. Compare the 2 side by side and its like, yea exhumed is way better, imo at least.
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27.11.2011 - 00:53
Rating: 8
BitterCOld
The Ancient One
Written by Grody2themax on 26.11.2011 at 23:19

This album sounds pretty good. But after I listened to it, I'd rather just listen to the new Exhumed if you know what I mean haha. Compare the 2 side by side and its like, yea exhumed is way better, imo at least.


to each their own. exhumed is well done, but didn't move me like Gallows did.
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get the fuck off my lawn.

Beer Bug Virus Spotify Playlist crafted by Nikarg and I. Feel free to tune in and add some pertinent metal tunes!
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30.11.2011 - 05:13
Rating: 9
Boxcar Willy
yr a kook
Written by Guest on 23.11.2011 at 21:13

Written by Troy Killjoy on 23.11.2011 at 20:50

I love Grace Perry by the way. I plan on marrying her one day.

Back off pal. You can marry Hobbs the tiger, I got dibs of Grace.

But yeah, saw this band live, awesome show. John Kevill says it best- "More brutal than a regular marathon."

ahem, i called her back on the sovereign descent album i belive


so *pelvic thrust* suck it!
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14:22 - Marcel Hubregtse
I do your mum

DESTROY DRUM TRIGGERS
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30.11.2011 - 05:19
Void Eater
Account deleted
Written by Boxcar Willy on 30.11.2011 at 05:13

so *pelvic thrust* suck it!

If you want me to suck your pelvic thrust, than you're probably not the kind of guy who would want Grace Perry... But all this talk about marrying death metal vocalists is really awkward and creeperish, so I'm just gonna stop now...
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30.11.2011 - 05:21
Rating: 9
Boxcar Willy
yr a kook
Written by Guest on 30.11.2011 at 05:19

Written by Boxcar Willy on 30.11.2011 at 05:13

so *pelvic thrust* suck it!

If you want me to suck your pelvic thrust, than you're probably not the kind of guy who would want Grace Perry... But all this talk about marrying death metal vocalists is really awkward and creeperish, so I'm just gonna stop now...

so shes mine then
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14:22 - Marcel Hubregtse
I do your mum

DESTROY DRUM TRIGGERS
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30.11.2011 - 05:28
Void Eater
Account deleted
Written by Boxcar Willy on 30.11.2011 at 05:21

so shes mine then

You should probably turn 18 before you think about any serious decision.
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30.11.2011 - 05:29
Rating: 9
Boxcar Willy
yr a kook
Written by Guest on 30.11.2011 at 05:28

Written by Boxcar Willy on 30.11.2011 at 05:21

so shes mine then

You should probably turn 18 before you think about any serious decision.

creeping a 15 year olds profile? you twisted bastard.
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14:22 - Marcel Hubregtse
I do your mum

DESTROY DRUM TRIGGERS
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28.01.2012 - 06:47
Rating: 9
Boxcar Willy
yr a kook
BTW, great review!
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14:22 - Marcel Hubregtse
I do your mum

DESTROY DRUM TRIGGERS
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