Subservience’s debut lands in the grey middle-ground of DM in 2017, neither stirring excitement nor worthy of ridicule. The Sussex band display a draw towards Swedish groove, Bolt Thrower bludgeon and the decipherable growls of, say, Chimaira on their 2005 self-titled album. Most songs begin with a killer opening salvo but a lot of the progressions turn inert, as the spark dissolves through simple arrangements, weak lead work and uninspired riffs. Subservience are overcome by their influences; until they show real aggression and a greater sense of identity – a rudimentary piano intro/outro on Descend Into Despair just won’t do – they will always be on their knees.
Subservience - Forest Of The Impaled album review
South-East UK death/thrashers find themselves behind the pace
Why you can trust Louder Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.