Label: Independent
Genre: Death Metal
Length: 49:41
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Cemetery, formed in 1986, is one of the earliest names in the German extreme metal scene. After changing its name and musical direction in 1993, becoming Aeons End, the band finally reverted to its original name in 2017. This rebirth culminated in 2019 with the release of their first album, The Last Day on Earth. This year, Cemetery returns independently with a second album entitled Thoughts on Life... and Death, available in digital format and as a limited edition Digipak CD, which is what I'm going to talk about today.
Thoughts on Life... and Death consists of nine tracks with a total running time of 49:41. Musically, the album offers an old-school death metal, but that's not all. There is a well-balanced passages between slow and fast tempos, with some structures incorporating more technical and progressive sections. The solos reveal heavy metal influences, while certain atmospheres, and even entire tracks, clearly lean towards doom metal. The production is solid and effective: every instrument is perfectly audible, as is every change in dynamics.
The album opens with the track Thoughts on Life, which immediately sets the tone with unapologetic brutality from the very first scream. It's a direct introduction that will clearly not disappoint fans of the genre. Among the Dead continues in the same rhythmic vein as the opening track, but at 1:03, the song shifts to a heavier and more oppressive cadence. At 1:56, a beautiful guitar performance stands out, with a heavy metal-influenced solo, followed by a more technical demonstration. Grief, Anger and Despair is a true instrumental outburst, fast and aggressive, before the tempo slows down at 1:19 to give way to a heavier and darker atmosphere. The track is also marked by a short but very effective solo at 2:10, followed by an eruption of bass at 3:48 with two sharp notes to say I am here.
Physical Fear (a track I pinned on my social media as ‘track of the week’ last September) gets you nodding your head from the very first notes. I particularly enjoyed the vocal performance from 1:21 onwards, and at 2:23, I found myself headbanging while taking notes (a very good track). Next comes Nothingness, an instrumental track carried by piano notes that create a macabre, dark and almost cinematic atmosphere. The sonic violence returns with Lock the Doors to Your Mind and its direct rhythm. From 2:14 onwards, a beautiful technical display takes over and, once again, I found myself headbanging (a clear sign that I loved it). At 4:14, a guitar solo comes in naturally.
What stands out most to me about the track Believe is first the drum section in the opening seconds, then the technicality and melody of the guitars from 0:54 onwards. Very quickly, the brutal tone takes over and dominates the soundscape from 1:15 onwards. At 3:06, it almost feels like the song is coming to an end, before a few sparse guitar notes reappear, gradually joined by the drums. This moment of tension and calamity is abruptly interrupted by a powerful scream (arguably the best scream on the entire album). On Truth ‘A’, we find another technical demonstration, with a faster tempo and clearer but muffled vocals, adopted in a narrative perspective reminiscent of certain doom metal codes, accompanied by more discreet drumming on certain sections. Finally, the last track, Thoughts on Death, the longest on the album, clearly follows a doom/death metal approach. The bass is more present, the compositions heavier and more overwhelming. It is impossible not to mention the solo starting at 7:32, as well as the scream at 8:33, which I particularly loved.
With Thoughts on Life... and Death, Cemetery has produced a solid, sincere and masterful album. Between old-school death metal, crushing doom passages and more technical touches, the album offers an intense and immersive listening experience. This is not an album that seeks to revolutionise the genre, but one that honours it with conviction, personality and real artistic maturity. And one that clearly deserves the attention of fans of authentic death metal.
