Centurian is one of these band the Dutch death scene can be proud of. Together with a select group of bands (Inhume, Sinister, Severe Torture & others) they try to strike down on humanity with some ear raping technical death grind. Found back in 1997, out of the ashes of Inquisitor (R.I.P.), I heard from Centurian in 1998 when their former record company Full Moon Productions re released their first demo called “Of Purest Fire”. And I was quite impressed by the intensity of their songs and music. After the release of “Choronzonic Chaos Gods” I was totally convinced. But then the problems started. The record company could not fulfill the band’s expectations on the European promotion and besides that half of the band decided to focus totally on Severe Torture.

But with new members Jerry (vocals / bass) and Oskar (guitar) both from Zi Xul, and a new record deal with Listenable Records everything seems to have calmed down. Except for the music. Cause “Liber Zar Zax” probably is the most extreme Centurian release ever. But the band also gained on technique. The grind parts are more spread this time and there even was some space left for an almost doomy My Dying Bride / Morbid Angel song (“Feeding Flesh to the Vortex”). The riffs, on some moments, are almost genial and show that Centurian seems to be evolving towards their own sound. The newcomers certainly seem to have found their place and that certainly is promising for the future. Buy or die!