Lair of the Minotaur: The Ultimate Destroyer
The Minotaur Storms Chicago:
A Review of The Ultimate Destroyer
Patrick Sullivan
Black Oak Presents
Winter 2008
"Emerging from the caustic burrows of Chicago comes the monolith of metal called Lair of the Minotaur," their website proclaims in a perfect introduction to a crushingly heavy group from Chicago. Lair of the Minotaur's most recent album, The Ultimate Destroyer, is as monolithic as described.
The sound of the album borrows much from a group like Celtic Frost, although it is less experimental. The major difference here is a clear Southern US death metal intensity and sludginess that works to make something unique but also familiar. Most of the tracks clock in at about four minutes, leaving little space to slow down or branch out.
That is exactly what helps the album, because the intensity and surprisingly melodic (by death metal standards) music exudes such a clear groove and flow.
These are efficient songs played at full force. The riffs are crunchy, intense, and highly effective even if mostly forgettable. Although the album clocks in at around 43 minutes, there is so much packed in those 43 minutes that it feels much longer. The lone track over 7 minutes is the only one that feels shorter than it is.
What makes most of this even more impressive is the fact that Lair of the Minotaur currently exists as a trio. Steven Rathbone handles the vocals and guitars brilliantly. How he manages such vocal intensity while playing intoxicatingly intense riffs is a magnificent feat. It's enough for any drummer and Bass player to keep up with his kind of energy, but Donald James Barraca (Bass) and Chris Wozniak (Drums) bring it in spades.
The lyrical content, as you might assume, tends to focus on themes of Greek mythology. Song titles such as "Behead the Gorgon" and "The Hydra Coils Upon This Wicked Mountain" reveal what this music is about. It is a small feat in itself to fit all these references into the lyrics, but that ultimately becomes the lone hindrance to the album. Sometimes it is best to just write from the heart than from the brain.
Lair of the Minotaur currently presides on the roster at Southern Lord Records. The Ultimate Destroyer is their third recording for the label which includes one previous full length (Carnage) and an EP (Cannibal Massacre).
With a new album due out in 2008, the band has remained busy and has become a force in the studio as well as on stage. Southern Lord Records has quietly amassed a very impressive and diverse lineup of artists including Attila Csihar, Sunn O))), Pentagram, and Saint Vitus. Lair of the Minotaur fits seamlessly among those names.
For more information, visit www.lairoftheminotaur.com.
Patrick Sullivan is fidgety, thinks too much, and can never relax. He lives on Chicago's north side and enjoys ice cream. Sometimes he writes music reviews for Black Oak Presents.
Reproduction of material from any original Blackoakmedia.org pages
without written permission is strictly prohibited.
Copyright 2008 Black Oak Media