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Of Despair is the second full-length from the United Kingdom's Horrified and it finds the band stepping up to the plate with some quality Death Metal. The riffing is Thrash-based and the drums only occasionally speed up to insanely fast, so while much of the album is dominated by faster tempos, it isn't a blur. The vocals are a low, guttural growl that thankfully avoids the vomiting Florida-style. I've never understood the appeal of Death vocals since I can't really sing along but that wasn't a hindrance while listening to Of Despair as the songwriting is surprisingly mature with varied riffs and complex, yet uncomplicated song structures. There's just the right amount of slower tempos, guitars-sans-effects and other little deviations from the standard formulas to keep things interesting in the absence of a big, hooky chorus. I don't think Chuck Schuldiner's early Death albums are an unfair point of reference when listening to Of Despair though someone with a wider knowledge of Death Metal may find other, more appropriate comparisons. Regardless, good Heavy Metal defies genre and Horrified have come up with some good Heavy Metal on this second album.