Ahriman – Politically Incorrect

Ahriman was a death metal band from Ohio that formed in 1991 under the name Digust. They released one demo under that name in 1993 before changing their name to Ahriman. There was then an eleven year gap between the release of that demo and the release of their first and only full-length album, Politically Incorrect. They broke up sometime thereafter.

I must say, despite being released in 2004, there is a strong old school sound to this album. It's as if the 90s never ended. It has that classic production that features a guitar tone that cuts down to the bone and a snare drum that packs a lot of punch. Speaking of drums, they're fantastic. They play lots of double bass that is accompanied by intricate fills. They also play plenty of complex mid-paced rhythms that remind me of Death, as well as your signature blast beats. I also appreciate how prominent the bass is. It gives the music a lot more muscle, and it's even given the spotlight on occasion.

The vocals consist of a hoarse growl that sort of sounds like a young Chris Barnes. They sound quite brutal and fit the music well. The guitars are even better. They play lots of crunchy riffs that just scream 90s. As with the vocals, some of the riffs remind me of Cannibal Corpse. However, they also play a few technical riffs that sound like later-era Death. They then top off these great riffs with some awesome solos that scream and howl in a tone that sends chills down my spine. Some of these solos get so fast and complex I'm surprised the guy's fretboard didn't catch on fire. I also like this one part on “Agonized by Scripture” where they play clean guitars and bass in a way that sounds like it came from The Sound of Perseverance.

Although the production and musicianship are fantastic, I do have one major problem with this album: it's too repetitive. Sure, the riffs are great, but there are parts where they just drag on and on. I wish they had cut down on the fluff and added more variety. Other than that, this was a pretty good album that featured great production and excellent musicianship. I also liked how it still maintained that old school sound and spirit during a time when everything sounded so sterile.