Creeping Death – Boundless Domain (Review)

The new wave of US death metal is in full swing. Gatecreeper, Frozen Soul and 200 Stab Wounds are probably among the flagship bands. But one band that should definitely be on your radar is Creeping Death. The Texans will release their second album called Boundless Domain on June 16th.

Whereas some bands tried to copy the Swedish death metal sound as good as possible during the last years, Creeping Death choose a different way. Since their first release, the Texans have always mixed hardcore with death metal, drawing heavily from legends like Obituary, Cannibal Corpse and Hatebreed. Boundless Domain is of course no exception and fits perfectly into the band’s discography. Creeping Death remain true to themselves. Heavy mosh parts paired with tight guitar solos can already be heard on the opener of the record. This is paired with a murderous death groove, which would probably make even seasoned greats like Obituary envious.

Since their last EP The Edge of Existence, the song writing of the band has improved greatly, which also applies to the new album. The tracks are written more structured. “Intestinal Wrap” is not only a good track because of George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher‘s guest part, but also shows how Creeping Death improved their songwriting skills. At some points you could think Cannibal Corpse themselves recorded this. Both instrumentally and vocally, the band has clearly evolved. Reese Alvari succeeds through the interplay of growls and screams to bypass a monotone vocal performance. Almost the whole album seems varied, as far as this is possible in death metal. The interplay between drums and guitars is especially well staged on “Cursed”. The riff at the beginning of the song alone makes me want to punch a hole in wall. The alternation between blast beats and groovy parts makes many songs on the album shine.

Don’t get me wrong, I really like the last Creeping Death EP. I also think it’s cool that they put a song from it on their new album. “The Edge of Existence” is an absolute banger. But why did they used this song as album closer? It would have been much more interesting if they chose a new track. However, this does not change the fact that the sophomore record is more than good. Boundless Domain fits the current death metal climate very well. Don’t sleep on this on if you like death metal mixed up with some hardcore influences.