Devourment is the most famous brutal death metal band from Texas, but they're not the only such band from that state. It's also home to Prophecy, who have quickly become one of my favorite bands. Technically, they're from Louisiana because they formed in that state in 1991, but they moved to Texas long before they recorded anything and frontman James Parks II was born in Channelview, Texas, so they are, for all intents and purposes, a Texan band. With that pedantry out of the way, let's focus on the music.
It Shall Come to Pass
As previously mentioned, Prophecy was formed in 1991 by James Parks II. The band's lineup was incredibly unstable throughout its entire life, with Parks being the only consistent member. They went through several musicians before they even recorded a single note. After much tumult, the band recorded their first demo It Shall Come to Pass in 1996.
The production is surprisingly good for a demo. It's heavy and clear, especially the bass. Speaking of which, the bass is played by Jody C. Stephens. As far as I can tell, he only ever played on this demo and then disappeared, which is a shame because he does a fantastic job. Not only does he bolster the strength of the guitars, he also plays some intricate riffs on occasion. The drums are played by Craig Sample. His only musical credit is a brief stint with Interment. He also does a great job. His blast beats are aggressive, but more interesting are his galloping rhythms that are filled with elaborate flourishes and punctuated by excellent fills. I also love how strong the snare is during the slow slam beats.
Phil Holland is the lead vocalist. He performs a deep grunting growl inspired by early Frank Mullen, and they perfectly match the brutality of the rest of the music. Frontman James Parks II plays rhythm guitars and Joe "Boogie" Dunlap plays lead guitars. Their many palm-muted riffs and chord progressions are heavily influenced by Deicide and Cannibal Corpse, and they all have a dark and ravenous quality. The chugging riffs they play during the slam sections are pulverizing, and they also throw in a few frightening tremolo riffs. To make things even more interesting, Dunlap plays solos that are sometimes technical and other times melodic. The melody is especially strong on the track "Prophecy."
It Shall Come to Pass is one of the best death metal demos I've heard in a long time. Even in their earliest and most unrefined state, the band shows tremendous talent.
Foretold...Foreseen
Having proven their immense skill on their 1996 demo, Prophecy returned to the studio and recorded their first full-length album Foretold...Foreseen. This album features one of the first cover arts that Jon Zig ever drew. The layout was also done by Chris Pervelis, the frontman of Internal Bleeding.
In a surprising twist, this album begins with some ominous clean guitars and bass that help to build up atmosphere before launching into the brutality. Production duties were handled by D. Braxton Henry, who also produced the legendary Devourment album Molesting the Decapitated. The mastering was done by Dave Osbourn, who also mastered the Mortifix album Reborn Through Hatred. Both of these men have done a fantastic job here, for the music is clear, detailed, and extremely heavy. Five of the nine songs on here are re-recordings of tracks from their first demo. The amount of polish they have been given is incredible. Most amazing of all is the work they did on the song "Prophecy," which has been made even more wondrous and captivating.
Trevor Warner has replaced Jody C. Stephens on bass, and he proves himself to be just as good as his predecessor, rattling the strings with ferocity and precision. And just like the man he replaced, Trevor came from nowhere, stayed with Prophecy for only a short while, and then left and vanished without a trace. Hank Thompson has replaced Craig Sample on drums. Before joining Prophecy, he played in the death metal band Gruesome Fate and its previous thrash metal incarnation Dreadnought. He does an excellent job here. His many mid-paced rhythms are tightly performed and quite elaborate at times, his blast beats are fierce, and his slow slam beats are crushing. I also love the sharp sound of his snare.
Phil Holland's growls are much more guttural on this album, a perfect match for the brutality of the rest of the music. Sometimes his performance is accompanied by raspy screams courtesy of James Parks II. Aside from a split album that would come out a year later, this was the last Prophecy release to feature Joe "Boogie" Dunlap on lead guitars. Once again, his work alongside Parks is amazing. The chord progressions are menacing while also having a bit of flair, and there are also a few moments when they play insidious tremolo riffs and fiery palm-muted riffs. They even throw in a few pinch harmonics on occasion. Sometimes they play slower passages that draw influence from doom metal, but I was much more impressed by the chugging riffs they play during the slam sections. These are some of the heaviest riffs from 1998, especially those on "Diggin' a Pit." All of this is topped off with fantastic solos that bring melody to the brutality.
Foretold...Foreseen is one of the best brutal death metal albums to come out during the 1990s. It's outstandingly heavy, the instrumental work is incredible, and the songwriting is superb. I seriously can't get enough of this thing.
Our Domain
Four years after Foretold...Foreseen, Prophecy released their second full-length album Our Domain. The cover art was done by Leigh Odom, who also did the cover arts for the Artery Eruption albums Reduced to a Limbless Sex Slave and Gouging Out Eyes of Mutilated Infants. This one is much more tasteful than either of those. The production was once again handled by D. Braxton Henry. The most obvious difference I noticed is that this full-length is louder than their first. Perhaps this can be attributed to that awkward time when music was transitioning from analog to digital recording. I'm not complaining, though. I've definitely heard worse.
The bass is played by former Mē◦āt◦َus member Burt Buchanan. Aside from spotlight moments like those on "Tortured by Deceit," he mostly follows the guitars, but his performance still bolsters the heaviness of the rest of the music. The drums are played by Billy Bonsal. This is yet another case where a musician comes out of nowhere, performs on a single album, and then vanishes from the metal scene. Despite apparently having no experience in any metal band prior to this, he does an excellent job behind the kit. His blast beats are just as violent as those done by his predecessors, but his mid-paced rhythms are much more interesting to me, for they are intricately structured and often include even more elaborate fills. Even his slam beats feature interesting cymbal work and thumping double bass.
Phil Holland once again performs amazing guttural growls. No complaints there. Replacing Joe Dunlap on lead guitar is Jeff Hernandez, who is notable for winning a guitar contest without actually owning a guitar. The slam riffs are once again one of the main highlights. They offer up a unique brand of heaviness that only Texans can provide. The appropriately named "Keep It Fuckin' Brutal" features some of the best of these types of riffs. The palm-muted riffs, tremolo riffs, chord progressions, and arpeggios are similar to what they played on their first full-length, but they also show off a bit more technical flair, such as on "Gurgling Menstraul Phlegm." "Destined to Fail" in particular sounds like a brutal rendition of mid-era Death, especially with that lead at the halfway point.
Though I prefer the gruesome charm of Foretold...Foreseen, Our Domain offers up a heavily detailed brutality that is sure to please those who are drawn to the more technical side of the genre.
Don't Fuckin' Mess With Texas
After a ten year long silence, Prophecy returned with the bluntly titled Don't Fuckin' Mess With Texas. The production this time around was handled almost entirely by frontman James Parks II, with Daniel Schmuck handling engineering and mastering duties. Our Domain was a bit too loud, but this album fixes that problem, for it is clear and has balanced volumed while still being heavy.
Hank Thompson returns to man the drum kit. Age has not dulled him in the slightest, for his blast beats, slam beats, mid-paced patterns, and fills still sound as strong as they did on the band's first full-length. Thanks to the polished production, they hit even harder. On this album, James Parks II plays the bass as well as the guitars, and he does so pretty well, for the riffs he plays are quite complex, especially those on "The Unnamed."
This was the last Prophecy album to feature Phil Holland on vocals, and he once again performs excellent guttural growls. He is also joined on certain occasions by four guest vocalists: Jamie Moore, Jeremy Kitchens, Weston Wylie, and Mike Majewski. Yes, the Devourment vocalist. Joseph Moreno plays lead guitars this time around. After performing on this album, he would go on to play in I Am Destruction. Prophecy has an uncanny ability to attract skilled guitarists, for Moreno's many chord progressions and palm-muted riffs are strong and invigorating. His tremolo riffs, arpeggios, and pinch harmonics are also quite impressive, but I was most amazed by the brutality of his slam riffs, the best of which can be found on the title track.
This album does not reinvent the wheel, but it doesn't need to. All it needs to do is offer up brutal music, and it does so brilliantly. It definitely lived up to its title, that's for sure.
The Beginning
Prophecy's 2016 full-length, The Beginning, marks the point when they became overtly Christian. I know certain people might object, but I fully support the band's decision. The production was handled by J.T. Longoria, who also produced albums for bands such as Absu and King Diamond. He did excellent work here, for the sound is both professional and brutal.
The drums are now played by Trevor Scott, and he is without a doubt the best drummer the band has ever had. From the very first second, it's obvious that his technical skill is incredible. His mid-paced rhythms and even his slam beats are heavily detailed and punctuated by elaborate fills. Rumbling double bass and intricate cymbal work are in ample supply. The most impressive display of his skills can be found on "Die Right Next to You." His blast beats are intense and violent, and I was especially amazed by the gravity blast he performed at the end of "Beyond This Flesh." The bass is now played by Allen Culmo, who also played on the Motifix album Reborn Through Hatred. He mostly follows the guitars, but his performance is still extremely heavy.
The vocals are performed by multiple people, namely Mike Majewski of Devourment, Jacob Mathes of Broken Flesh, Jeremy Kitchens, John Foxworth Jr. of Center of Disease, and Stephen Mashburn of I Am Destruction. They all perform brutal growls, but each man has a unique sound and style that provides a different texture to every song. Ben Heffley now joins Parks on guitars. They still play plenty of crushing slam riffs, most notably those on "In the Name of God," but for the most part the performance has become much more technical. Their chord progressions twist and turn, the slam riffs are more nuanced, and they also perform a few haunting descending arpeggios that reminded me of Cannibal Corpse. They also play plenty of solos.
The Beginning is Prophecy's best album since Foretold...Foreseen. The band has evolved, becoming more technical while still maintaining the brutality of their past. It is a beast of divine wrath that lays waste to the wicked.
Foreseen Scriptures
Foreseen Scriptures is Prophecy's latest full-length, released in 2019. Daniel Schmuck handles production duties again. He has made the music clean yet still heavy. Not much else to say. Trevor Scott once again astounds with his performance behind the drum kit. His blast beats, slam beats, and mid-paced rhythms are all detailed and nuanced, and his many fills are even more intricate. Allen Culmo's bass work continues to bolster the rest of the music, and there are still moments like on "Infuriate" when he stands out even more.
Drew Duffy is the new lead vocalist, with backing vocals provided by Trevor Scot and James Parks II. This guy's performance reminds me of Luke Griffin of Acrania. His growls range from hoarse to deep, and he also performs grotesque inhaled vocals on occasion. Charlie Porter joins the band on lead guitars, and he sounds just as good as Ben Heffley. His many slam riffs are intimidating, especially those on "Buried in Brimstone." He also throws in plenty of excellent chord progressions, tremolo riffs, and arpeggios, and he tops it all off with great solos.
I still prefer The Beginning, but Foreseen Scriptures is still a pretty good album, one that is full of hard-hitting slams and technical flair. Now I sit here wondering when they'll release something new.