By: Deek

Posted: Apr 5, 2006

Loud. Fast. Punishing. Unforgiving. RIFLES AND BAYONETS!!! That's the basic sound of Watchmaker's death/grind sound. Not a style that I particularly like. There are a few grind bands that I do like, and even then it's not the bands' entire catalogues I like. Early Carcass does nothing for me. The one grind-oriented Napalm Death album I like is "Utopia Banished". And I gave To Separate The Flesh From The Bones a rather good rating because of the comic affect. For me, grind needs more than the "brutal, play-as-fast-as-you-can" approach the majority of it takes anymore. Watchmaker is one of those bands that don’t really have what I need, and ”"Erased From The Memory Of Man" shows that.

This album has a lower, heavier sound to it than previous albums. This doesn't make it better. The screech that opens and closes the album doesn't help, either. It's a generic album. 26 minutes of, well, noise. There are a few songs that add to what the album has to offer, though. 'Gunpoint Stoicism' stands out for the tempo changes (sounds like it'd be an opening song to a brutal death metal album, too). 'Mourning Breath' has a cool intro. 'Failing Upwards' is an interesting approach to their sound. 'Swept From All Existance' also stands out because of the slower grind pace it takes. 'Visiting Plague/Blood Freezing Violence' is a good closer, minus the damn screeching at the end. There's just nothing special about this one.

This album is, well, not for everyone, obviously. Anyone that wants something that is just fast and brutal with a little more will like this. Also those that want to piss off everyone in the campus dorms. Hell, I know I annoyed someone down the hall when reviewing this one.

Rating: 4/10

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