Worth the wait

Lansing’slong-running thrash/death stalwarts Genocya have finally released a realfull-length album, “Ever Descent.” The band had a demo and an unreleasedbut reasonably easily obtained live disc prior to this, if you’re keepingtrack, but this is the first legit disc. Not many bands waitnine years to put out a proper debut album, but most bands don’t have as manyline-up shifts (or as much bad luck) as Genocya, either.

This is at leastthe seventh configuration of the group. It’s not the prime line-up (that wouldbe the Sever/Albrecht/van Staveren/Peterman/Keech dream team) but it’s a solidone, and they do a damned fine job on “Ever Descent.”  

After the briefmisstep of starting the record with a voice sample, the band begins thepummeling with the Genocya staple “Your Salvation,” and they don’t really letup from there. The instruments are played with total ferocity, especially TimSever’s drumming. The man is an animal, and it’s nice to finally be able tohear every jaw-dropping 64th note kick drum beat. More than one drummer hasgiven up the hobby in disgust after seeing Sever nonchalantly smack his kitaround, cigarette dangling from his lips  — smoking ban be damned.  

Guitarists Bradvan Staveren and “Yukon” Matt Cunningham weave in and out of each other’splaying so well it’s almost as if they were one really great guitar player. JimAlbrecht’s bass should have been more audible in general, but it’s a smallcomplaint; most folks are going to listen to this on their computers anyway, sothey’ll never notice. 

The band’s newvocalist Dane Brown steps up to the plate and fills former singer Jeff Keech’sshoes quite well — and those were rather large shoes, despite Keech’sdiminutive size.  Brown’s voice is more conventional than Keech’s but isvery effective.

The old songs (“YourSalvation,” “Omega Alignment”) are the standouts and, while it would have beengreat to have a proper recording of “Strangling Ritual” on the album what theband does turn in here is solid and enjoyable metal. Though “Ever Descent” isn’tgroundbreaking, it’s not cookie-cutter either, as the guys skillfully combinetheir influences in a way that works for them.

Don’t let themodest, black-and-white packaging dissuade you, what’s inside will crush yourskull.

Genocya CD release show

5 p.m. Saturday, June 11 Blackened Moon ConcertHall

3208 S. Martin Luther King Blvd., Lansing

Featuring 10 metal bands and a performance byGenocya at midnight

$10, all ages