PATHS OF POSSESSION

George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher will surprise longtime fans here — his work in CANNIBAL CORPSE sounds positively one-dimensional next to the clear enunciation and varied vocal patterns he brings to PATHS OF POSSESSION. Musically, you might be a little startled too. The band lays off the speedy Floridian death metal for a semi-melodic midtempo chug not too far removed from early IN FLAMES! The end result sounds like some forgotten Holy Records release from the mid-1990s — definitely still possessed of the characteristics of American death metal, but laced with more melody than expected, and defiantly locked into an old-school groove straight out of the early '90s.

There's an oddly chaotic, thrown-together bent to the arrangements in places — can someone tell me, for instance, what the first ten seconds of "Bleed the Meek" have to do with the rest of the song? But check out "A Heart for a Heart", which is practically boogie-woogie rock and roll compared to CORPSE (not that the two bands should be unduly compared, but Fisher's involvement will be why many people check out PATHS OF POSSESSION). The midtempo grooves and simplistic riffing will appeal to SIX FEET UNDER and OBITUARY fans, while new-school metalheads might find the whole exercise a bit plodding.

The instrumental "Erszebet" points to a much more musically involved, melodic, classic metal influence on the musicians in PATH OF POSSESSION. And hell, Fisher has never sounded this intense or enthused about his vocal work. While "Promises In Blood" falls a little flat, it has its moments of glory, and holds the potential for a much more interesting follow-up release in the future.