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It seems there is quite a Death Metal scene up there in Seattle and Drawn and Quartered are veterans of the scene. Although they are a bit long in the tooth, no one would guess so upon hearing Congregation Pestilence, their latest and 8th full-length album. Coming off of 2018's The One Who Lurks, this is a rather ambitious push from the band.

The One Who Lurks was a very solid record, but this one really pushes the pedal to the metal, as they say. From the start, this thing just smashes everything at high speed, with often chaotic drumming and riffing that may require some to take a few listens to really grasp. This is a much faster album than its predecessor, with even better production and writing.

The instrumental work is a bit more in the forefront in the mixing, and this balance works really well as the vocalist Herb Burke has a beastly, deep voice. This balancing makes him sound like a massive beast slightly in the distance, threatening to demolish everything. Oh, and if you want to know what the beast is saying, you'll be best off if you pull out a lyrics sheet, because it's hard to pick out lyrics by ear. The guitars... Kelly Kuciemba did a phenomenal job on these guitar parts. These riffs are all killer, and the leads and solos are phenomenal. These guitar parts are surprisingly catchy, and the leads and solos working off of unique scales and modes really add a lot of flavor to the mix.

While it's a faster record than its predecessor, it still has its slower moments. The third track, "Oblivion Pilgrimage," rides a slower groove with an intensely memorable guitar and bass ostinato that underlines much of the action from the beginning and later in the song. This was probably the first track that really got stuck in my head, but later after a few listens, "Age of Ignorance," "Proliferation of Disease," and closer "Congregation Pestilence" all stood out as highlights of the album with intensely memorable sections. "Age of Ignorance" is my personal favorite track here, with some of the fastest, most intense guitar work and drumming, really standing out as the most chaotic song on the album to my ears. "Proliferation of Disease" features some of the most unique leads and riffs, a bit on the atonal side and not terribly far removed from something you might hear on an earlier album by Defeated Sanity in small sections. "Congregation Pestilence" starts slower, guided by a repeated lead that will eventually stick with a listener for a while. The exiting guitar leads breathe a bit with a soaring and melodic quality and lower this album to its gravely end.

Another fun thing to pick out is that track five, "Dispensation (Rise of the Antichrist)" starts with what may be a Black Sabbath quote, as it has a bass line that leaps up an octave and then settles down on the tritone before restarting early in the song. Whether it was an intentional quote of "Black Sabbath" or just by chance, it was a cool discovery and seems appropriate for a song of such a title.

Congregation Pestilence is a damn fine record filled with goodies for any Death Metal fan. The guitar and bass tones are excellent, the vocals ominous, and the drumming furious. This is one of the few albums I've heard in a while that I will likely be listening to many years down the road. Death Metal fans can pick this up without any hesitation.