Review of Ground Of Ruin - Visions Of Obscenity

While a few notable outfits call Ireland their home, it’s not one of my favorite countries when it comes to metal, and Ground of Ruin don’t do anything to change that. Essentially, Visions of Obscenity is mediocre in most respects because it’s a thrashy death metal sound both you and I have heard before – many times over, even. On the whole, a lack of ingenuity and a general boring nature render this EP forgettable at best.

From the simple song structures to the repetitive riffs to the standard growls, Ground of Ruin fail to excite on any level. Instead, despite the grooves and fast pace, a song like “Ever Decreasing Circles” comes across as overly formulaic, which results in trance-inducing monotony. Ground of Ruin aren’t all bad, though. The players are above average in their abilities, and the fadeout of the above-mentioned tune is nicely done – mostly due to the overriding guitar melody. Still, it’s a wonder the instruments can be distinguished from one another, especially the bass drum, because Visions of Obscenity suffers from an incredibly muddy production. Surely this would benefit from a thicker, meatier production, as most death metal, in my opinion, thrives on stoutness and clarity. While the thrashy beginning of “Nerve Damage Affliction” is promising, the remainder of the EP never seems as focused. Perhaps GoR should concentrate on thrash since they are more proficient at it.

Though not necessarily bad, Visions of Obscenity is one of those middle-of-the-road releases that most should overlook. In all likelihood, those who do won’t regret it.

Release Details

Ground Of Ruin

Visions Of Obscenity

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