Feast Eternal
Prisoners of Flesh

By Andrew F.

Open Grave Records, February 2007
Style: Death Metal
Website: www.feasteternal.com
Rating: 4/5

“Feast Eternal started out in 1992 with John Greenman and T.J. Humlinski. As former members of the secular band Infested, they found themselves without direction and a lack of motivation. Through thetestimony and witness of several good friends they were led to a mutual rebirth in Jesus Christ. When they opened up to the Lord, He revealed His true path for their talents, as a call to ministry. To use the heaviest forms of music to share with others the truth of Jesus Christ, and His power in their lives.” – Website Bio

This is a very brutal death metal album. The production is raw, the guitars are bludgeons to your ears, the vocals are very hoarse and throaty, and the rhythm is insane, to say the least. There are tons and tons of meaty bass and guitar riffs, sick and often unorthodox drumming, and there are even a few solos in here and there. “Immersion” opens up the album right away with a catchy riff, and within seconds launches into a full-force assault on the ears. It soon slows down for a strong, groovy breakdown before finishing with a bang. The next track, “Forgetting God”, is my most favorite song, personally. It is 8 minutes long, with long instrumental breaks for the band to show off their abilities. The song has a very emotional side to it, and you can often hear the angst within the constant bombardment. “Of Service and Suffering” is a fast, short song with a frantic pace to it. Some group vocals also highlight the track. There aren’t a lot of melodies on this
album, however on the two bonus songs, “Serpents Proclaim” and “Rage of Angels”, some melodic guitar licks and even a few solos make their way into this album of chaos and destruction. “Rage of Angels” is especially worthy of being spoken about. There are times when it almost resembles Extol with its shifting between melody and rhythm. The only grip I have about Prisoners of Flesh is that there are several times when the drumming is just weak. It is definitely creative at times, but it can also contrast the powerful nature of the guitar and vocals. However, when everything is put together, this album is definitely a worthy purchase.

Vocally T.J. has a very throaty growl, similar to that of Bruce Fitzhugh of Living Sacrifice. On several tracks he almost sounds like he’s about to lose his voice! He also has a higher-pitched tone that is evident on such tracks as “Ashes to Dust” and “Serpents Proclaim”. Lyrically the band takes on a very poetic approach to writing. They are not vague, but they weave strong and colorful words and expressions together to create truly beautiful songs. Topics include persecution for one’s faith, stories of spiritual matters and remorse on a decision.

Feast Eternal may soon be the new face of Christian Death Metal. If they can perfect their signature sound, the future definitely looks bright for them!