A meditation upon the psychic wounds imposed by isolation, rampant death and the despair of uncertainty this debut full-length album from Santa Fe, New Mexico-based solo death metal project CEMETERY REIGN rides hard on the fumes of an all-consuming existential threat. In service to the artist’s taste in classic forms ‘Confined to Time‘ carries itself with bounding ‘old school’ death metal and hardcore punk inspired aggression which is just busied enough within its riff-driven damage to generate uncanny morbid tension. Through that tension the steadfast momentum of their work bears its own consistency even if this saps some of its memorable value beyond the riff.

Cemetery Reign is a pandemic-borne solo project from musician David McMaster who is probably best known for his drumming in black metal band Predatory Light and death metal band Superstition as well as a key figure in punkish death metal crew Street Tombs. Developed between 2020 and 2023 ‘Confined to Time‘ is a death metal album which reflects the uncertainty and containment of the immediate pandemic era, specifically the tax upon the psyche of the artist during that time, detailing where the mind went in its spiral-out. Built from a riffs-first, tempo map later compositional process combined with themes inspired by dire circumstance their intent speaks to a personalized version of ‘old school’ classicism. This debut’s style hits like an earlier Vastum record with imposing vocal register and some rolling mid-paced ‘War Master‘-era Bolt Thrower-isms leading the charge.

Uncomplicated in statement yet far from void of nuance ‘Confined to Time‘ and its use of tumbling movement doesn’t push any sort of immediately obvious conversation beyond its grimed-up and loose interpretation of early 90’s death metal. Much of it’ll hit as samey to start as there are virtually no bells and whistles applied to Cemetery Reign‘s work beyond McMaster‘s pursuit of interesting riff variations as core feature. This is both intentional and practical per the artist’s process, jamming on rhythms sans drums until a song is conjured from that exploration and fleshed. You’ll likely feel this notion of irregularly piling variations strongest in passage from “Spiral Eyes” through “Grave Depression” as they share pacing and pivot from the same general root points. That general marching ride carries through the full listen, front to back.

Strangled-out divebombs, leads which echo and expand riffs into melody, Asphyx/Master-esque ramping development of phrase, and hardcore punk/late 80’s death informed slow-tapped beats help Cemetery Reign carry momentum through the duration of ‘Confined to Time‘. This is felt strongest via the combined impact of its two opening numbers where the nearly two minute scratch through opener “Escape Survival” threatens introductory motioning for a moment before containing itself beyond salvo, achieving nearly as much as they do on songs twice as long. I couldn’t help but feel like the taut and straightforward intro to this album outshined some of its later-on Side B songs in this regard. With that said “Pendulum Clock” right afterward is the most engaging and complete showing of all available machinery firing at once as a variety of leads and plenty of fills help to sustain the urgency of their full arrival.

Consistency is both a virtue and a curse as ‘Confined to Time‘ tunnels on through Side B. I’d found the swinging and scaling “Despised by Fire” among the strongest pieces on the album as its thrashing gallop carries us into the second half. There is an early U.S. melodic death/heavy metal movement to the song which stood out to me on each pass while the three pieces beyond repeat the general tone and trampling found on the first half of the record. I’d like to have heard a few different swings taken on the back half or some manner of motioning toward a clear endpoint but in this category it isn’t necessary to introduce formal structures or bring the full range of the sub-genre. With that in mind I don’t know that Cemetery Reign‘ve made a case for wildly memorable gear outright here so much as presented a solid example of riff-centered ‘old school’ inspired death metal. A moderately high recommendation.

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