So many bands emerged within the Floridian death metal scene in the very late '80s and early '90s. Not many succeeded however in rising above the crowd, and tragically some of those who drowned have only been appreciated fully today. Monstrosity were one of those bands. 'Imperial Doom' is a superb debut that didn't get the credit it deserved back in the day, especially when other bands such as Deicide, Morbid Angel, Obituary and Death were ruling the scene. Nine tracks, produced by Scott Burns, who lent his magic touch to many releases of the genre, certainly not as brutal as say Suffocation, but certainly an album of blistering precision and extremity. Again though, such a quality act are let down by the cover artwork which resembles so many other bands from the time, but thankfully look beyond this and you'll hear some masterful aggression. 'Definitive Inquisition' hurtles by at breakneck speed, 'Ceremonial Void' does have that familiar Florida sound which at the time would've rendered the band as to "just another death metal act", but the musicianship is tight, the drumming hyper, yet vocally there is a cleaner edge than most bands. Favourite cut is the 'Vicious Mental Thirst' which could even pass for Slayer in some of its mid-section thrashing. Overall then, 'Imperial Doom' won't change the face of death metal, but remains an essential brick in the wall of a genre that had the ability to take over the metal genre, albeit for a short time, in the early '90s.
7.5/10
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