Human Mincer - Devoured Flesh (2005)

One of the finer Spanish death metal institutions alongside Avulsed and Machetazo, Human Mincer have seen a steady improvement thus far through their three full-lengths. Though the 2005 sophomore Devoured Flesh has little on its own successor Degradation Paradox, it was nonetheless a riffy, refreshing dose of decimation with dynamics in spades to keep even the more jaded extremists' expectations from growing dulled in its wake. Unlike their aforementioned neighbors, who possess more of a carnal Carcass craft to their sound, these Spaniards lunged into the faster-paced USDM side of things, inviting comparisons to acts like Morbid Angel, Suffocation, Nile, Cannibal Corpse and Deeds of Flesh with perhaps a tint of Decapitated and Krisiun.

This is characterized by an enormous display of kinetic, often hyperactive riffing which flows in and out of the band's choppy, brutal breakdowns, but most importantly, they're often writing (or at least attempting to write) some really catchy grooves or tremolo riffs which give the impression of a mashup of Morbid Angel's 1993-95 material. Vocalist Carlos Mejias has a guttural that integrates Vincent, Tucker, Rutan and perhaps Alex Camargo into an apt bludgeon which is even more potent when multi-tracked to beat in both your ears. The guitars are so rampant and acrobatic as they carouse through pinches, squeals, harmonics and sheer battery that the bass is often difficult to detect, but it's there if you listen just beneath the surface, and once in awhile curves out more boldly into the mix. The drummer David has to be one of the strongest in Europe at this style, with impeccable double-bass work, blasting on a dime, and great fills that are constantly up to the challenge of the explosive guitar progressions. There are only a few tints of atmosphere provided through the dark ambiance that inaugurates, say, "Devoured Flesh" itself, but the music is so incredibly busy that it adequately tucks the listener away into its envelope of fear.

The production is also quite high end here, with a level, bludgeoning mesh of drums and guitars that create this incredibly consistent vortex of confusion. It's not so polished as other unduly processed modern tech death records, but most of the instruments are clean, and the guitars have this great punch when they lumber into some spastic, mid-paced rhythm to set-up a volatile tremolo pattern. Seriously, songs like "Dirty Remembrances" and "Eternal Ways of Devil" are stunningly athletic and brutal, and any serious fan of groups like Hate Eternal, Morbid Angel or later Behemoth will shit him or herself in glee. Does Devoured Flesh present anything truly nuanced or intensely memorable? Perhaps not, since it's fueled by a formula common even by the year of its inception. And yet they've got this 'whole package' approach to the music that soundly balances musical proficiency and aggression into actual songwriting rather than some tedious display of their mutual prowess. A tight, beastly, effective outing, well worth the listen if you dig entries like Winds of Creation, Domination, Conquering the Throne or Conquerors of Armageddon.

Verdict: Win [7.5/10]

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Human-Mincer/47373745641

Human Mincer - Degradation Paradox (2008)

Album number three for the Spanish brutes, and while I was expecting more of that middle of the road, throwaway guttural death I was pleasantly surprised by the whirlwind of razor edged chaos that was Degradation Paradox. Though the band has its fair share of chug and blast alteration, it also has a refined sense of the old school and a torrid of intensity to the songwriting which easily maintained my attention throughout the eight tracks.

"Flask Copper Deglutition" evokes the first holocaust with savage blasting accented by some Morbid Angel style crunch and squeal under a flurry of brutal grunts and snarls, which sound pretty fucking amazing in the crisp mix of the album. "Sculpturing Himself Atrocity" has some sick spurts of intense chugging with evil riffing to cap them off. The title track hit me like an 18-wheeler full of ballast-toting zombies. "Dyskinetic Martyr Modification" (what a name) just flat out leveled my brain, and then the album just continues to get even more intense and complicated as on "Scaphocephaly Status Error" and "Macromutation Overflowed".

Did I mention I love how they name their songs? Truth be told, there aren't a lot of extremely catchy riffs to be found on the album, yet it doesn't even NEED them, because it's such an intense ride that will have you banging your head for the very short time it takes until your neck snaps and you don't have to worry about catchy riffs anymore.

Pretty goddamn awesome, one of the best death metal albums I've heard from the Spanish scene. Recommended.

Verdict: Win (8/10)

http://www.humanmincer.com/