Monumental Torment - Element of Chaos (2011)

Being a musician can sometimes be a hassle.  As anyone who's ever picked up an instrument and ventured out of their bedroom to try their abilities together with that of other sonic disturbance engineers will know, one lethargic, insular bastard is bad enough but when you've got 4-5 bastards all operating on that level it can prove to be difficult on a level that even the world's greatest and most experienced cat herders would refuse to have anything to do with the entire situation.  Point blank.

So Monumental Torment already get a ripple of applause from the various inhabitants of my cluttered cranium.  With members in Russia and Arizona I find it daunting to comprehend the level of organisation these guys must have to make this project even vaguely workable.  I find it even more daunting that they manage to make it work so well.

What these far-flung troubadours produce is some particularly technical, chaotic brutal death metal of a rarely surpassed quality.  No quiet build-ups here, no slow intros; just a razor-blade bedecked bass-ball bat straight to the chops.  Of which, incidentally, there are a fair few - along with slams and sweeps and so much widdly hammer-on/pull-off's that I can pretty much envisage the rosewood being eroded by the second.

And yet - as always - there is a downside:  The most glaringly obvious one is the drums which, while on the slower sections are pretty convincing and overall very well-programmed, there are times that the speed, velocity and lack of any kind of organic feeling whatsoever detract from the piece as well as the overall experience.  Challenging listeners is always good - not that I'm endorsing Lulu-esque serve-up-shit-and-say-that-it's-food, obviously - but making listeners actively have to force themselves back on track the way that certain sections of the drum programming on this do is just unnecessary.  Programmed drums will always lack a certain amount of depth when compared to their organic counterparts - that's a given - but I can't help feeling that with a little more time spent on making some of the blasts a little less absurd would've made for a much more substantial and awe-inspiring listen.

We also run into one of the biggest problems of the genre once again:  Namely a lack of diversity between tracks.  On the whole, each slab of mind-fuckery on this release is well-composed and fully thought-through.  At times, however, the sheer pace means that certain sections have a tendency to appear all too similar to sections on preceding tracks.  Nevertheless, I wouldn't (as has been done elsewhere) compare this release to the likes of Brain Drill.  We do actually have songs here and each one does stand alone.  The lack of variation is a problem for the album and possibly caused by being locked into a strict tempo by drum programming, as opposed to a problem with individual tracks.

Yet there are some elements here that are truly unique:  Nameless One features a piano not as intro, not as 'ambience' and not as some absurd, half-arsed attempt at having classical leanings but rather as a fully-fledged instrument -  its playing both sitting beautifully alongside while striving for technical dominion over the guitars.  For the rest of the album though, it rarely rears its head again - just a nod here and there which, to me, was a massive disappointment when it seemed to work so fucking well!

So a festival of technical ferocity is the order of the day, with riffs galore and slamming brutality together with flashes of total originality.  I'd be surprised if any fan of technical death metal wouldn't enjoy this album.  Just be prepared to have something a little more organic and a little more laid back queued on your playlist for afters.  Maybe that and an ice-pack. 

Regurgitate Life - Promo 2011

One-man death metal projects seem to be an increasingly accepted phenomenon. There was a time when such solitary endeavours were almost exclusively limited to the realm of pornogrind with some half-arsed forgettable, badly produced disc being wanked over by individuals with more of an appreciation for 'sick' artwork than musical appreciation.  well, that or black metal. But no longer:  A single vision and a will to succeed despite petit matters like not having enough people of the right calibre to actually form a band getting in the way; uncompromising riffing not held back by the technical (in)abilites of the weakest member, but free to develop as naturally and rigorously as the composer intends; and the technology to make it work live as well as in the studio.

It's inevitable that comparisons with Putrid Pile, Viral Load and their ilk abound. Sammy Urwin's Regurgitate Life, however, is not a mere clone of its forebears.  Building upon the 2010 4-track release 'Condemned From the Beginning', this 2011 promo takes what was previously achieved and surpasses it immeasurably.  The art of composition is one which RL has become a master of.  Nothing by the numbers here; rather a perfect melding of styles and influences to create a unique sound.  Elements of the old and new schools of death metal mesh together to form an audible experience that ranges from chugs and slams to dissonant tremolos and melodic leads which never descend into notes for note's sake but flow together and perfectly complement the two tracks on offer. 

The only downfall of this release is one of production.  While the drums are well programmed, together with the levels of vocals, they tend to dominate the sound a little for my liking, overshadowing some of the phenomenal exceptional riffing .  The guitar sound on the second track also seems muddier than on the opener which doesn't help, causing some of the heavier sections of the track to become a cacophony requiring conscious deciphering.

However, with such well-written material, this is a small criticism.  It’s rare to come across a death metal release with quite this level of genuine feeling combined with a total lack of pretension.  There’s no need for gimmicks when songs are this well-crafted and when there’s this much packed into a mere two tracks, you don’t feel like you’re missing out.  If this material gives an inkling of what a Regurgitate Life full-length will be like, I for one, can’t fucking wait!

Decaying Purity release new track!

Turkish brutal death-metallers, Decaying Purity have released a new track from their upcoming The Existence of Infinite Agony album.  The second full-length from these Istanbul-based purveyors of brutality will be released on Sevared Records in June 2011, with artwork by the acclaimed artist Toshihiro Egawa and, if Defilement of the Deranged is anything to go by, will build on the success of their first album and leave the death-metal scene trembling in its wake. . .

Check it out here:

Cenotaph - Putrescent Infectious Rabidity

I've been writing for Death Metal Baboon - so this review can be found here.

Fleshgod Apocalypse - Mafia

Fleshgod Apocalypse - Mafia

Willowtip Records (2010)

I must admit that, though I'd heard people rave like demented hyenas about this band, I had actually failed to check them out until this release, which is my own shear fucking stupidity and a mistake I quickly remedied by acquiring their previous effort Oracles at the soonest available opportunity.

In the world of death metal, having 'classical influences' can mean a number of things: It could mean that one or two of the tracks feature a piano or some hugely unconvincing synth strings; it could mean that you occasionally have a neoclassical solo comprised of licks memorised from some Malmsteen instructional video; it could mean that you're just one of those delusional fuckwits that thinks the occasional acoustic, instrumental interlude is all you need to elevate you above the 'riff-raff' of brutal bands to stand like the poncey cunt you are, stick firmly positioned in the anus, trying to convince everyone who'll listen that you're the metal Paganini.

Well, fuck you. . . fuck all of you, because Fleshgod Apocalypse truly do have classical influences; while neoclassical leads abound throughout this EP, there's no thoughtless widdling here. There is an originality to both the progressions and the arrangements with songs often being structured in a classical vein and building to a narrative crescendo before repeating key sections just to ensure they're suitably drilled into your brain.

This repetition does, however, get a bit tiresome. After the first few listens, Thru our Scars [sic – another demonstration of death metal's Illiterati elite] while full of brutal riffs, driving blasts and eye opening leads, I keep wanting the song to either end or do something different. The fact that one, initially jarring section featuring bassist Paulo Rossi's high-pitched and almost operatic vocals is repeated unnecessarily means that instead of the listener waiting for the second spin of the disc to sagely nod in understanding of why it was employed and how it fits musically, he's far more likely to want to teach the fucker a lesson in high-pitched, operatic singing with particular reference to castrati! Similar to some sections on Emperor's IX Equilibrium, while Rossi's vocals are hugely impressive, I can't help thinking that by simply dropping them for one of the two sections would actually serve to increase the emotion of the track as well as propelling the incredibly intricate fret-work that sits in the background to the fore.

Again, on Abyssal, we have an incredible track that could only benefit from losing a minute or two. I'm not sure whether Fleshgod and I are on different pages - me being on the one that says "leave the fuckers wanting more and they'll love you for it" - or if the Apocalypse boys are just trying to fill out an EP that only has three original songs on it, either way, these tracks could only benefit from going on a bit of a diet and coming out a little leaner and a little meaner.

Aside from the 3 new songs, the remaining tracks on the disc are a cover of Blinded by fear which, while both competently executed and differing enough from the At the Gates version, was never going to sound as good as the original and - like their previous album - a piano outro.

Criticisms aside, this is an amazing EP and an impressive follow up to Oracles. The malevolent tremolos, the expertly conducted sweeps, plethora of riffs, tight drumming, solid vocals and a composition which both surprises and manages to keep its hooks in for days on end mean that this is a near-faultless release. Those criticisms levelled at this release are minor in the extreme and on most other discs would be niggles compared to far bigger issues. The fact remains that there *are no* bigger issues. Not only is the musical ability on display phenomenal, the song-writing pretty much above reproach but it's all backed up with a superb mix that means that the brutality is accentuated while everything remains balanced and therefore audible.

With Hour of Penance' future looking uncertain to say the least, there are bound to be comparisons with two ex-members in Fleshgod, however we see these Romans not just distancing themselves from HOP but forging their own distinct furrow to an even greater degree. I just can't wait to see what their next full-length holds for us. . .

Sarcolytic - Thee Arcane Progeny

Sarcolytic - Thee Arcane Progeny (2010)

What is it with musicians? Is it that there really are so few of them actually willing to get off their arses and do something, or are they just the insular, incestuous bunch they appear? Yet again a band comes from left field (granted, they did so at the beginning of the year, but this blog didn't exist then) to totally side-swipe me, only for me to find out that it's another fucking supergroup!

After a fashion anyway: Sarcolytic come strutting like the technical death metal aficionados they are, boasting members of Images of Violence and Disgorge. Unlike either of these two bands however, Sarcolytic is not just another moniker preceding the standard brutal-death assault which - while I love - we've all heard a thousand times. Sarcolytic take a darkly Sci-Fi tinged, lyrical approach to a sound which while being both heavy as fuck and technical as bastardry is tinged with elements of black metal in the form of complex open chords which break up technical yet catchy riffing. Particularly apparent on the title track and Emissary, its appearance on the latter also demonstrates some excellent interplay between the guitars and Denton's almost jazzy bass that adds another layer to an already complex, yet well constructed track. This is not to say that there's a lack of pace on this release; at times reminiscent of their technical US counterparts, at others sporting an almost melodic dissonance more usually found on more 'necro' releases, Sarcolytic combine these influences in a manner that is, if not always particularly original, certainly very well executed and incredibly memorable.

There is, in contrast to Disgorge and IoV, a distinct influence from the mainstream of death metal here - there are elements of Nile, Behemoth et al, all of whom have flirted to some degree with the blackened sound - but Sarcolytic manage to make their moments of grimness seem fresh. I'm not sure whether it is the Disgorge-inspired brutality preceding them or whether that in tracks so full of complicated, technical mastery, these sections come as a welcome focal point to make the tracks instantly distinguishable from their predecessors. Whatever it is: it fucking works. Furthermore, it serves to remove any doubt that this is a band in its own right - this isn't some second-rate Disgorge tribute. 

I can see why some fans of Disgorge and Images of Violence may not immediately warm to this release. That being said, not only is the guitar work mind-fuckingly technical and gratifyingly varied, the bass both expertly played and mixed, old-school vocals thanks to John Zig; guttural and complimentary - all held together with amazingly tight drumming which up the feel of brutality without dominating the track - not only do Sarcolytic do all of this, but at the same time create a truly dark atmosphere which sucks you in to both the music and the lyrical expositions as well.  Building on what they'd already proved themselves doing; these guys have forged their own musical identity.

Defeated Sanity - Chapters of Repugnance

 Willowtip Records - 2010

I must admit that this album took a little time to work its way under my skin. As a massive fan of DS's previous outings; Prelude to the Tragedy and Psalms of the Moribund, I was all set to love Chapters on its first spin. The fact that I didn't is nothing to do with it being a bad album and far more to do with the production itself which has pushed the guitars back in favour of a huge low end that compliments a more slam-oriented style than previously seen. This leads to some riffs in the faster, more chaotic sections flying by with no real definition or clarity, which is a shame as the sheer musical ability on display is phenomenal.

DF's combination of influences is superbly demonstrated at the best of times, yet none more so than on Engulfed In Excruciation which manages to mix slams, grooves and technical mastery in a perfect fashion that I've rarely come across. Carnal Deliverance's mid-riff tempo changes and fast choppy sections keep slams that might otherwise feel a little repetitive constantly interesting, while the jazzy bass sections in Consumed by Repugnance and its occasional flourishes on tracks like Blissfully Exsanguinated serve to highlight the brutality as well as breaking up the assault – albeit briefly – just for it to pick up pace and have another go with re-awakened vigour.

Blissfully Exsanguinated also demonstrates how the intelligent use of samples can actually exacerbate the intensity and atmosphere as opposed to being tacked on at the beginning or the end of tracks with no real purpose.

This album has worked its way under by skin. It's a fucking great album that only time will tell whether it'll live up to the record company's promise of being the most brutal album of the year. It's truly dark atmosphere permeates the music from its grooves to its more technical moments and continues throughout the indecipherable lyrics which, while are pretty much what you'd expect theme-wise, come across with a realism that doesn't seem contrived.

It remains however that this album lacks the clarity of production demonstrated on their previous albums. The fact that the guitars are, on occasion, reduced to a buzzing background noise compared to the prevalence of bass and drums that dominate the mix means that it is impossible to truly appreciate the songs in their totality. With third albums being the notorious clincher for many bands – especially for one that's altered its line-up quite so drastically as this – risking all on a mix that fails to demonstrate the full nature of the compositions is just unnecessary.