Maatkare
                                                                                                 Title: Rise To Power
                                                                                                 Label: Independent
                                                                                                 Released:18th October 2024
 

Maatkare is a Pharaohcious UK/Netherlands Death Metal group channeling the essence of ancient Egypt through their fierce musical expression. Enthralling and captivating are just two words to describe their long-awaited debut album. Founded in March 2020, this band of ambitious women delivers the goods and then some on this exceptional work of art. In a male-dominated world of Metal, these vixens of Death Metal take no prisoners with this eight-track monster. 
A lesson in the past is delivered as the vortex sucks you into dark passages of time as Amie Chatterley, Georgia Bell, and Janneke de Rooy deliver on all fronts, the rise of the Egyptian civilization, conflicts, and battles with the Romans unfold the listener is instantly hooked as this music digs deep into your psyche. 

Starting with a gentle beginning"War Before Peace" ignites, into an incredibly catchy song, with a head-bangingly addictive groove, it's an intense opening leading to the title track "Rise To Power" a powerful accolade to one of history's most formidable female figures, Pharaoh Hatshepsut (Maatkare). I love the fact every growl and harsh vocal from Janneke De Rooy are instantly decipherable as we are treated to a history lesson about this formidable woman as Amie Chatterleys Bass thumps and Georgia Bells riffs shake the foundations of the room while Prika Amaral from Nervosa features on here as well. (Who is drumming? Is it a machine or one of the lasses? Whatever the mix is phenomenal!).  
 

Next, we have "Long Live The Queen" I love the vocals, and the deep, deathly growls send shivers up and down your spine. It's mighty fierce and delivers the statement that the mighty king is dead you better believe it.
"May The Gods Bear Witness is a battering ram of a song, it's really heavy and annihilates your senses, releasing a salvo of steel-encrusted delirium. The superb "Maatkare" ( of course this has to be the piece de resistance and it is!), has everything from the melodious to the damn right brutal it's simply sublime encompassing everything that there is to love about this genre of Metal.
Death growls from the deepest pits of hell emanate from your speakers with shredding that will induce the crowds to go wild, beautifully and mercilessly,  this will see you straining your neck, punching the air, and yearning to stage dive into the pit as "Judgement Day" and the death-defying "Black Death" unleashes its fury upon the masses.

The final track "The Realm of  The Dead" wraps up one of the best debuts so far this year and encapsulates what has gone before!
This is one opus that will appeal to a lot not only Death Metal fans this will cross the wide spectrum of fans who love "REAL" Metal!

I promise you are never going to get bored listening to "Rise To Power" Unlike some Death Metal releases every song offers up something intriguingly different. Maatkare has created an intoxicating creation with "Rise To Power" which will be and is impossible to ignore! 

Review: Seb Di Gatto     Score: 9.5/10
Reviewed: 16/1024

Track listing:
1. War Before Peace
2. Rise To Power
3. Long Live The Queen
4. May The Gods Bear Witness
5. Maatkare
6. Judgement Day
7. Black Death
8. Realm Of The Dead

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Band Line up:
JANNEKE DE ROOY: Vocals
GEORGIA BELL: Guitar
AMIE CHATTERLEY: Bass

 

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/MaatkareOfficial

BANDCAMP: https://maatkare.bandcamp.com/album/rise-to-power
WEBSITE: https://maatkareofficial.com

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