The Fallen Prophets // Primordial Instinct // EP Review

Cape Town’s Death Metal force of nature, The Fallen Prophets, gives us the “Primordial Instinct”.

Formed in 2011 & based in South Africa, The Fallen Prophets are a death metal powerhouse with influences which include iconic bands such as Aborted, Bloodbath, Cannibal Corpse, Dyscarnate, Hypocrisy, Nile, and Vader.

“Beneath The Veil Of Flesh”, the opening track begins with a Classical and Baroque style acoustic piece, which is performed gorgeously before the band unleash fully & the brutality begins.

The band’s sound is very much in that brutal death metal sound but has great flourishes & songwriting moments that incorporate those classic music influences, which makes for some great & fantastic riffing.

Guitarists Francois van der Merwe & Daniel Louw keep their feet firmly within the death metal genre, but their technique & skills help the band have that different edge that says Nile has incorporated their love for Middle Eastern music.

Within the first track, we already hear just how great frontman Pieter Pieterse is with his flow & vocal placement. There are passages of his singing that were so fast it made my brain melt in the best way. Brutal death metal vocals can sometimes be very dimensional, but here, Pieter has great dynamics & feels like an instrument all to itself.

With a dirgy opening riff, “The Wretched Offering” gives it to us slow & heavy. This opening section hits you hard & I love it. The build-up of heavy before the band goes full tilt & increases the speed by just enough that the track slightly dips its toes into the old-school death metal pool.
A ripping lead solo by Daniel Louw gives the track this grandiose feel that elevates the track. It has its brutal DNA, but this one gives you a nice different taste & shows you a different side to the band.

Like an all-out bludgeoning “Bloodmoon Immolation” turns the brutality to 11. Drummer Dylan Haupt’s double bass & blasting on this track is magnificent. The overall track has this very large epic feel. With great chugging riffs & open chorus strums, this track breathes a lot of life & has a great organic feel. Powerful yet beautiful.

This might only be a small slice of The Fallen Prophets sound, but this EP showcases the different sounds the band can craft & shows even as a prequel to their last album that thematically they can tie their overall sound together. Creating a great slice of five tracks for anyone who loves brutal music with a diversion sound.

Review: Joseph Mitchell

All Links https://linktr.ee/thefallenprophets