Diocletian-Gesundrian

Diocletian is named for a Roman emperor who was known for leading the Great Persecution and as the harshest killer of Christians of the emperors. Now if that isn't a brutal name for your blackened death metal band, I don't know what is. There new record Gesundrian is the sort of powerful blackened death that embodies the pure evil of a genre that is, simply put, the bastard child of some of the most screwed up music out there today. Filled with all sorts of unholy screams and powerful riffs, this is the kind of album you listen to again, again and again.

Diocletian have been around for a decade now, and it certainly shows in the music. This is their third full length release and it has a certain maturity to it that few younger bands can emulate. Unlike most of their compatriots, these guys made it to the third album. It's hard for bands to do that these days with everyone breaking up and forming new projects all the time. Not only that, but this is actually the bands tenth release since 2005. They are used to playing together and have a lot of really wonderful ideas that they are bringing to the fore. You'd think this kind of black metal slaughter would be Scandinavian, or at least German, but no, the lords behind Diocletian are actually from New Zealand! Now, THERE, is a country that doesn't have nearly enough metal coming out of it.

Diocletian understand what it is to rip skulls open with evil black metal from the pit, yet they also understand the importance of chunky riffs and engaging hooks as found in the best death metal of today. This often garbled fusion is pulled off with aplomb here and the tracks simply get more audacious as the album goes on. Diocletian really have a good understanding of where they want to go with their music and nothing is holding them back. There comes a point when you realize you just can't mess with a band, they are simply that evil, and with Gesundrian I think we have found it, a band who embody chaos and blackness have managed to put out what is quite easily their best album yet.

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