Fleshbore - Embers Gathering (2021)

What sort of world do we live in when a record like Fleshbore's full length debut Embers Gathering goes virtually ignored? I always talk about the embarrassment of riches in metal music, and I know that a lot of the genre can feel flooded and redundant, but perhaps the millions of us heshers need to do better to get this stuff out in the conversations. This Indiana quintet's material is a bit deceptive, while it fully aligns with the popular brutal/tech aesthetics common for a lot of labels and scenes, they also have throw in some of these moments of ambiance, atmosphere, jazzy and busy little bass-lines, or floods of emotion created through a sheen of ebullient guitar chords. These moments really round out what might otherwise be seen as more generic, and those explosive, blasted sequences also have the advantage of holding your attention and reminding that Fleshbore lives up to its name and can throttle that brutal end of their spectrum.

I'm reminded a little of Fallujah or Rivers of Nihil, not that these guys sound exactly like those, but in how they have that musical subtext to their impressive technical chops. It's never really about showing off, but about hitting the listener with a contrast of intensity and calms. That just happens to be carried out with a lot of finesse that should sate fans that require the ceaseless technical, melodic onslaught of a band like Inferni, but I never find that they go over the top, there is never too much, they are always reeling back to offer you a more interesting, dynamic rhythmic vista. The bass performance here is consistently incredible, as are the spiraling rhythm guitars when you hear a cut like "Careless Preacher" where they just burst out of control and then back into the choppy, hammering patterns that get the neck strained. In "The Scourge", they complement a lot of chugging, complex undercurrent with some ringing, atmospheric notes as the momentum continues to crush and suffocate, and then "Embers Gathering" itself clotheslines you with melodic tech spasms that will dizzy you before once more pounding you relentlessly on the slab.

It's the tech death record for those who want more than just that, and thus has proven an adventure as I continue to listen through it. The production is the same polished perfection you'd expect from this style, and sort of necessary so you can make out everything that's happening. The cover art is quite compelling, some knights and philosophers on some existential journey, representative of the music itself, which is thoughtful but also armored in technique. A very strong debut that I've heard too few talking about, if you want modern technical death metal that combines a whirlwind of performance with an added layer of depth, or perhaps you want to tech a slightly more brutal, intense step past a band like Revocation or Obscura, this is your jam.

Verdict: Win [8/10]

https://www.facebook.com/fleshbore/

The Wakedead Gathering/Ecferus split EP (2017)

I, Voidhanger records had already impressed me with a split release earlier this year, between the enigmatic Howls of Ebb and Germans Khtoniik Cerviiks, so when I saw the pairing for this next one, two of the label's talents from the Midwest US, I automatically assumed it would be another tasteful, complementary match-up which could very likely cross-over fans who hadn't been exposed to one or the other sides. Aesthetically, The Wakedead Gathering, one of the best American death metal acts to emerge over the last decade, might not seem a fit for the evolutionary black metal of Ecferus, but having been exposed to the minds of these creators on several occasions in the past, I knew they'd find a way to make it work.

I didn't know they'd make it work THIS well.

Now, to be clear, the two bands maintain their stylistic distinctions, so there's a clear divide in its presentation; one is death metal, the other black metal. It's obvious; not one of those instances where they blend the styles together in pure collaboration. But I soon got past that, because the tunes here are just SO freaking good that I almost feel sad that the tracks might not gain the same exposure they would otherwise, since in my experience splits don't always get an audience as large as full-lengths. At the same time, it offers a chance for the artists to experiment a little further, which I felt was the case for Wakedead's "The Blind Abyss", a sprawling, 11 minute sequence of roiling, hypnotic death metal patterns contrasted against bleak, minimalistic clean guitars which segment off some of the separate, Cyclopean riffing sequences. Andrew Lampe's gutturals narrate the rhythm guitar swells like text being dictated off twisted flesh, and the riffing selections vary from a crescendo of more mystical, open chords, to churning old school Floridian tremolo-picked morbidity, and some evil grooves that force the head to slowly start banging as it succumbs to the aural oblivion.

Ecferus, on the other hand, deliver three tunes, which in conjunction, amount to roughly the same length as "The Blind Abyss", and Alp does what he does best, scathing traditional black metal threaded with a more introspective and interesting lyrical inclination, not to mention the great balance of melody and savagery that he compels by keeping the riff progressions varied enough that they never lapse into endless, dull repetition. The leads are great, with an Eastern feel as in "Author of Destruction". As I mentioned on reviewing his prior full-length Pangaea, he can really tap into the primal nature of the cosmic and terrestrial themes he navigates, through that noted variation, even though a lot of the actual guitars themselves are inspired by bands like Darkthrone, Satyricon or the mighty Emperor, which some might consider fairly conventional influences. Nonetheless, he adds just enough spark of atmosphere and creativity, topped off with his raving rasps, that I think fans of thorough, elaborate black metal which hasn't flown off into total avant-garde territory should track his records down. Of the three tunes, I couldn't even pick a favorite. All well done.

And the same could be said for the split as a whole. Clearly you'll have no issue here telling the two apart, but I do feel like the material they chose works together on a listen-through, as they both tend to tap into the same visceral, primal forces for their genres and extrapolate similar shadows of the ancient, the mythological, the obscure, the cataclysmic. Production is tight all around, but never so polished that it would turn off underground extremity vultures. Another feather in the prodigious and eclectic cap that is the I, Voidhanger lexicon. Two US bands that continue to deserve your attention and support, who have great things behind and ahead of them. So why are you still here reading my flowery, meaningless scrawl? Go fetch.

Verdict: Win [8.5/10]

https://www.facebook.com/thewakedeadgathering
https://www.facebook.com/ecferus/timeline

Ecferus - Pangaea (2016)

The way I see it, there are really two ways one could approach a conceptual album about the sprawling Pangaea. One could use the music to represent the seismic aspect, shifting and rifting of land masses in either the formation or dissolution of the supercontinent. Or perhaps one might be more privy to a fantastical interpretation, built upon mythic civilizations, prehistoric creatures and feats of derring do by primitive demigods, the glories attributed to heroes of distant legends that span millions of years. Either would entertain me, but Alp of Indiana's Ecferus sides pretty heavily on the more accurate historical and scientific details, not only of the physical place but the evolution of life and civilization. Akin to what the Canadian thrashers DBC once evoked with their sophomore album Universe, only applied on a more directly terrestrial scale, with more poignant and elegant lyrics, against a black metal background.

The most notable trait of this disc, however, is its rich and textured guitar playing across several levels, which actually conjures a balance of both aesthetics I mentioned earlier. The instability and frenzied component is delivered with the constant rhythmic transformation, between the more traditional tremolo picked passages, dissonant and neurotic chord progressions, and willingness to explore a substantial swath of moods and tempos. But there is that sense of lost majesty and glory too, that 'legendary' element, which is serviced by Alp's commitment to writing chord patterns and tremolo lines that don't constantly conform to a thousand you've heard before. There are always subtleties, ebbs and swells happening across all the tracks that keep the ears affixed, especially when you add over these his multi-tiered snarling and rasping toned which give the impression of some primordial corpse painted shamans watching the world take shape. Enough direct lineage here to the Scandinavian masters of the past, but he's just not copying their notes verbatim, so Pangaea has a sense of freshness to it which has held up through a number of repeated plays.

Melodies and leads are fragile, atmospheric and constantly elevating the riffing subtext, while the beats place an appropriate emphasis on thundering bass that might shake the walls of creation if you could loudspeaker the whole planet; but also cognizant of interesting grooves at points where the aggression cedes to a more jazzy, progressive post-black panorama. Alp is also not immune to the lure of further experimentation, with some dark and throbbing synthesizer driving "The Human Transition", a fascinating opener to what is by far my favorite tune on the album, "Reciprocity of Despair", an onslaught of excellent guitar lines and turbulent, tectonic structures which carries all the best hallmarks of melodic black metal and Morbid Angel-like Cyclopean rhythmic tumult in roughly equal measure. The metal tracks are substantial, ranging from about 8 minutes on up, but there are only four of them, so I never felt like I was becoming exhausted or having my patience beaten out of me. Pangaea is perhaps not universally consistent, and some might not appreciate the vignette pieces as much as the wealthier full-bore compositions, but for just one musicians this proved a formidable introduction, and I look and listen forward (or backwards) to more.

Verdict: Win [8/10] (the animals do grow and change)

https://www.facebook.com/ecferus/timeline

The Lurking Corpses - Workin' for the Devil (2014)

The Lurking Corpses are one of those fondly spoken-of bands deep in the heart of the US scene that I've taken far too long in getting around to check out. Not that the results of doing so have proven all that fruitful, but these guys definitely have a party metal atmosphere about them which rescinds any real effort to take them too seriously. Which leads to an obvious question: 'If they don't, then why should you?' Frankly, I doubt they want you too...this is a band which plays campy horror death/thrash for fun, imbues it with a healthy heaping of punk, rock & roll and traditional heavy metal aesthetics and then use their lyrics as paeans to the classic horror films and stories which inspired them. 'Death' in the Nunslaughter/Deceased sense, not exactly Morbid Angel or Bolt Thrower. Band members have handles like 'Cousin Eerie', 'Friar Frightengale' and 'Lord Vladimir von Ghoul'. Really, this is fit for Halloween keggers, apple bobbing with just the hint of a razorblade...maybe being in there...somewhere. Thrash for killer clowns, or Addams Family fanatics. Better yet, The Munsters.

What manifests musically is some very stripped down, semi-meaty death/thrash/heavy metal circa King Fowley's October 31, but with tendencies to swerve off directly into Misfits-land, like in the verse of "The Leech and the Worm", or the chorus of "Tonight", where the simple punky chord progression is festooned with Lord Vladimir's best Glenn Danzig drawl. In other places like the opener, "Workin' for the Devil", there are higher pitched shrieks which I can only guess are an attempt to scratch a King Diamond itch, but these are an exception to the rule. Von Ghoul isn't just strictly trying to bite off his inspirations, though, so he throws in a more churning mid-ranged growl, or a ghastly growl like in "The Legend of the Swamp Hag". Variation isn't exactly a problem, and he strives for at least some charisma, but I often felt like the vocals felt too impromptu sounding, lending the record a loose and 'live' vibe, which isn't in of itself a flaw, only I just never found many of his lines convincingly catchy. More like goofy and serviceable, which mirrors my impressions of Workin' for the Devil as a whole, an album that is probably decent for a few cruises through the neighborhood on Halloween night, spraying some pumpkin spice confetti on the unwary Trick or Treaters, but not much valued beyond that...

The riffs are alright, but all pretty safe and stockroom for punk, thrash or even the proto-power metal sequences, to the point that I can't point out a single moment that impressed me. Leads are present but disposable, lacking the emotional impact they generally require to stand out. Lyrically, it all tends to vie for the rhyme scheme, with plainspoken imagery linked directly to the films they celebrate (like The Gate). Production is vivid and never lacks in punch, and the cover art colorful without completely stepping into comic book caricature land ala Ghoul. There are also a considerable 15 tracks, of varying lengths and styles, including a cover of Slayer's "Tormentor" to top it all off; yet this actually doesn't end up working in the album's favor, because it feels like too much average material for too long. A myriad of decently placed samples throughout the songs help shape the kitschy horror theme, but without strong, explosive riffs or highly atmospheric moments to capitalize on them, they seem almost like an afterthought. We know silly masked bands are capable of also producing some excellent music, hell just listen to Scumdogs of the Universe, We Came for the Dead or Destroyer....this album just doesn't seem to strive for much. But, despite these many critiques, I didn't actually hate this at all. It's aware of its limitations, consistent in its formula. Promises and delivers a little whiff of nostalgia, parties hard, and then flies off on a broom. A B-movie you'll throw on for mood, never for story.

Verdict: Indifference [6/10]

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Lurking-Corpses/199078861463

Gorgasm - Destined to Violate (2014)

Snatching a satisfactory brutal death metal album out of the ether has become an increasingly rare commodity for me in recent times, so it often falls to the old standbys to get it done; and in terms of a US field clogged and constipated with technical djent deathcore, I generally feel forced to rely on someone like Gorgasm, who have delivered in the past with their Masticate to Dominate album in 2003. It's been over a decade since that time, with one reasonable full-length in between, but Destined to Violate, if nothing else, does manage to capture some of that enthusiasm of the later 90s and the last decade. It has its flaws, many of which stem from its inherent redundancy in the wake of a hundred other albums, but I don't think anyone will question the Indiana quartet's jubilation for punishing aural exercises in misogyny and murder...

To be quite exact about how this disc sounds, it's sort of like the clinical death/thrashing aesthetics of Pestilence's legendary Mallevs Maleficarvum, with the requisite tremolo picked surgical implements, clad in the armored brutality of mid-90s Suffocation grooves and set upon a killing spree which is reminiscent of Cannibal Corpse's Corpsegrinder-era pummeling uptempo passages, in both the pure punctuality of the riffing and the guttural syllabic meter employed. The guitars eschew the polished and over-processed tones of many of the band's younger, more technical peers, for something that feels belligerent and mildly raw, only clear enough to capture all the considerable notes being spewed forth from the team of Damian Leski and Ryan Saylor. Riff structures run the gamut from banal and predictable breakdown brevity to surprisingly interesting muted melodic barrages (like the intro to "Corpsified") that really want you to remember them before they cede their respective tunes to a more average compositional strength. Drums have an airy, forceful kick sound which I enjoyed, and there are loads of fills flying around to keep even the less interesting riffs excitable, and once again the band errs on the side of the lesser polished than making them sound like a computer program.

You've still got horror samples inaugurating a number of the tracks, from all manner of slasher films (I think there was one from Identity but I could be wrong); a practice as old as this sub-genre, often targeted at 'whores', but I did not find a lot of them incredibly effective leading into riffs that were not among the record's best. Likewise, the gross-out song titles like "Funeral Gangbang", "Mouthful of Menstruation" and "Lubricated in Vomit" are squeamish enough, but not particularly yucky or eye catching for anyone who wants their death metal truly over the top. The bass playing is solid, but I do wish it had been a fraction louder since the mechanistic colon rupturing of the rhythm guitars seem to steal the attention away from anything loitering beneath them. At the same time, it's really those rapid, precise riffing patterns that are going to attract or repel the average brutalitarian, so it's probably best that they be hung out on display like the corpses of victims in some taxidermy lab. I've never found the Gorgasm vocals to be particularly distinct for their field, and that hasn't changed, with the guttural barking and belching adequate but never entirely convincing beyond its genre specific function.

Destined to Violate is largely a run and gun sort of record; it does feature a few pure, forgettable mosh motivator grooves, but for the most part it snaps along at a pace slightly too swift for your headbanging to follow without ingesting a lot of sugar (or drugs) in advance. Ultimately, a few moments stand out from the rest, but it's neither a step forward or backward from 2011's Orgy of Murder. Decent to sit...or survive through for a number of spins, and continuing to wield the flesh chewing chainsaws of the band's legacy, but I have to say it: a little innovation here or there, or just a broader net of variation in structure, would do better to catchy my ear. Gorgasm seems to sit too comfortably in that late 90s era where None So Vile was this massively inspirational work that rubbed off on hundreds of other bands, where they clearly have the talent to surpass themselves. Anyway, if you're a loyal fan of Lividity, Cannibal Corpse, Severe Torture, older Cryptopsy, Suffocation or Prostitute Disfigurement, you'll find this is chasing you right up your alley with a meat cleaver.

Verdict: Win [7/10]

https://www.facebook.com/AnalSkewer

Gorgasm - Orgy of Murder (2011)

Judging by the band's revolving lineup history, it wouldn't have been a stretch to guess that an eight year gap between releases would likely mean an entirely new lineup for Gorgasm. Only the the band's central creative figure, guitarist/vocalist Damian Leski returned after shelving the project for years, but it's almost remarkable how Orgy of Murder seems like a pretty direct continuation of Masticate to Dominate, with only a few difference aesthetic choices that help to better place it in the modern brutal death metal context, a scene that's become thick with 'slam' death acts and other extensions of the 90s sound. Well, this time he surrounded himself with 3/5ths of the fellow Lafayette Indiana act Sarcophagy, all of whom also played in Human Filleted (I've written a few reviews of their albums), and certainly this is the most tight and professional roster he had yet assembled, though how much of this can be attributed to performance vs. studio wizardry is anyone's guess.

In fact, were I to judge Orgy of Murder simply on its technical merits, then I'd have no choice to but to assign it some high grades. The production is cleaner. The new members perform together with an insane level of almost mechanical precision. It's occasionally a bit faster than prior material, and though I'm not sure I'd cite it as more 'technical', one could make an argument for that descriptor. I'd hazard that, at least for the first half of the disc, the songwriting is actually somewhat catchier than a lot of what I heard on Stabwound Intercourse, Bleeding Profusely, etc. Kyle Christman's drumming isn't necessarily standout in such a wide field of bands performing at the same speeds and ability level, but it's effortless, all-purpose blasting and rabid kick speeds which are basically mandatory when playing music of this nature. They've always had some good bassists in this band, but Anthony Voight's performance here might be hands down the most technically efficient, especially when he gets a nice, wavy fill going as in "Exhibit of Repugnance". The vocals implement a lot of atmospheric, sustained growls which are often panned against one another to create a more cacophonous haze above the instrumental punishment.

Usually, the samples used on such albums provide just a few seconds of silliness to help emphasize the irony of the lyrics, but here, Gorgasm actually created some genuine freakout pathos with the opening sequence of "Cum Inside the Carcass". Just think about that, some killer cannibal telling you you're pretty soon just going to shat out of his body? Hideous (and effective)! I also dug that there was a continued sense of musicality in the faster riffs. Sure, you've still got your obvious hat tipping to Suffocation or Cannibal Corpse, but a few of the more melodic structures reminded me of Death's progressive material in the 90s, or the very clinical and unforgettable sense of riffing you got off the Pestilence debut Mallevs Maleficarvm. The songs have largely returned to shorter, 2 piece vignettes, several of which feel as if they're all over too quickly, but on the whole it's got a comparable duration to the prior album, and not quite so harried as I felt with Bleeding Profusely a decade before this. There's also a good deal of variety here, and it's possibly the most difficult of their albums to pin directly to particular influences...it's not 'unique' or 'unusual' for this niche in death metal, but it's fairly well rounded and hints at self-identity.

If there's one factor here that holds it back behind its predecessors, though, it has to be the breakdowns. Gorgasm was no stranger to implementing slower palm muted hooks to maintain the moshing furor of their audience, but on Orgy of Murder they feel rather forced and uninteresting. Almost as if they wrote an album with some decent faster material and then decided it wasn't slamming enough for the fan base they'd be facing in the 2010s. As such, many of the progressions seem unfit and bland, the sort you'd find chocking up the entirety of just about any second rate slam death metal record in the past few years. They're not really 'terrible' or anything, it's just that they don't add much to the flow of the other note patterns, and so they come across as pandering and unnecessary. It's not entirely a deal breaker, but I just feel as if I've heard them all before and that Gorgasm is simply more fascinating playing at a higher speed; and they transform what otherwise might have been a damn solid effort into one that just barely scrapes by.

But, hey, there are worse crimes than being just a 'good' death metal band, and Gorgasm have definitely established themselves in that classification for well over a decade now. Through all the intensity and the technicality, you still get those delicious hints of old school tremolo riffing and authenticity that date them back to their influences, and for nearly a decade of absence (other than one demo), it's impressive that Leski can snap the project from its hibernation and back into shape. Worth hearing if you're into their earlier work, or any of their peers on the Brutal Band imprint, or if morbid and misogynistic subjects like "Infection Induced Erection", "Axe to Mouth", "Third Degree Taste" and "Erotic Dislimbing" even remotely intrigue you...the lyrics to that last one...god DAMN, Gorgasm. You have soiled my spirit and scarred my psyche forever.

Verdict: Win [7/10]  (carve a smile from ear to ear)

https://www.facebook.com/pages/GORGASMofficial/141398662565879

Gorgasm - Masticate to Dominate (2003)

The few times I've rolled through Indiana, likely en route to some Midwestern metal festival, it always seemed like a pretty peaceful place. Golden fields all around, nice people, tranquil roads... Masturbating corpses, torture cellars/cabins, and bloody, bursting wombs never crossed my path, but I bet it was all just a 'show' those folk were puttin' on. For, lurking in the rank corners and back roads of the Hoosier State was Gorgasm, a quartet of merciless murder mavens who were at that very moment thinking up perverse means to mine own end, in the form of Masticate to Dominate, their second and best full length effort wrought upon Unique Leader Records, and judging by the sound of the thing, I'm not sure it could have found a more suitable home...

The formula here was not an immense deviation from Bleeding Profusely, but perhaps why I hold this in higher regard is that it really finds the perfect balanced between the genre's penchant for brutality and the more musical, melodic tendencies Gorgasm wasn't shying away from on their older releases. That's not to say they evoke any 'warm' or 'tingly' feelings through their selected note progressions, unless depravity and necrophilia are your thing, but clearly these guys were never just content with plugging away uselessly on the same forgettable chug to blast patterns beaten to death by scores of undergrounders. That said, I did feel that Masticate to Dominate was a slightly more 'typical' sounding brutal death effort than its predecessor, little more than a smorgasboard of ideas previously manifest through Suffocation, Morbid Angel, Deicide, Deeds of Flesh, Malevolent Creation, Cryptopsy and the first few Cannibal Corpse efforts helmed by Corpsegrinder (Vile, Gallery of Suicide, Bloodthirst). Fortunately, that doesn't hinder the material from slurping your entrails out through a gaping puncture wound and then stomping on them while you watch.

A few carefully timed splatter/smut samples. Loads of start/stop tempos used to set up blasted patterns with their staccato streams of surgical muted rhythm guitars. Thicker, chugging breakdowns which hurt so bad you can feel them on your own palm. Guttural verbal secretions with a syllabic punctuation somewhere in between George Fisher and Lord Worm, with a slight tendency to return to those toilet bowl intonations the guys used on the older material. Muddied, acrobatic spikes of classical-guitar influenced scaling patterns pop up in places like the bridge of the title track, also paid forward from the earlier works. Gorgasm acquired not only another drummer here (their third in three records) in Terrence Manauis, but also a new bassist in Paul Garcia, so basically an entirely new rhythm section. But they pull it off, keeping the beats organic and rampant, the bass lines audible and instinctual against the rapid churning and spitting of the rhythm guitar.

It's neither rocket science nor the most complex material of its field, but the run and gun riff progressions and incessant hostility were a sadistic satisfaction guaranteed for the record's intended audience. Novelty and nuance are rarely felt through the composition, and it lacks some of the incendiary lead work that provided a number of the highlighted moments on Bleeding Profusely, but all in all the balance of riffing and tempo variation here is superior. Not to mention that they draw out the tracks to a more palatable duration of over 3 minutes, so the listener is given more time to actually 'get into' the contrast of blasts and grooves. I even felt a bit of giddy, gruesome, mortuary slab fun here in "Concubine of Despise" that reminded me fondly of the post-Carcass West Coasters like Impaled and Exhumed, though the vocals definitely remain loyally in the gurgling category without the growl/imp interchange you'd expect.

Admittedly, I wasn't immensely fond of the production here. The rhythm guitars are punchy, but both they and the melodic sequences feel a bit dry, especially in unison. Some added reverb, chorus, or other effects would have given Masticate to Dominate a more engrossing atmosphere, but at least it feels functional, and you can make out all the grunts and bass notes if you listen closely enough. The lyrics are grotesque, sexual perversions upon both the living and dead, zero political correctness, 'peaking' with the closer "Deadfuck" which is as accurate a summation of the entire experience as you'll get here. Jon Zig's arwork was easily identifiable and the best Gorgasm has yet used, but not something you'd want to show off to your Sorority sisters and their mothers at the next sponsorship gala. Masticate isn't perfect, and I've long crossed my fingers for the leads, atmosphere and maybe even an occasional synth line (as on the debut EP) would take a more prevalent role to balance out the brutality, but this was definitely an entertaining onslaught that they could be proud of. And MAYBE their moms and pops...but I doubt it.

Verdict: Win [8/10] (scream if you like)

https://www.facebook.com/pages/GORGASMofficial/141398662565879

Gorgasm - Bleeding Profusely (2001)

Bleeding Profusely is seemingly innocuous on the surface (cover art), perhaps a bit of a letdown if you're looking for something sicker. But then, I'd urge you to think back on the Stabwound Intercourse image, and then back to this, and somewhere in there lies a connection, intentional or not... uh, yeah... Of course, the continuity between that earlier EP and this debut full-length is more than skin-deep; the very bones and organs of the music seem lifted directly from the aesthetics of their older material. But once again there is just enough musicality and exploration, especially on the latter part of the disc here, that you get a nagging feeling Gorgasm were intended for more than they've ever gotten. Granted, they also carry forth some of the flaws inherent to the more middling bands of this style; only this time, there's enough explosive, dynamic musicianship and replayability that I can qualify the product as a success, if not a smashing one.

Like the 16 minute EP, Bleeding Profusely is extremely goddamn concise, clocking in at 24 minutes for 11 tracks (including a re-recording of "Disembodied"), which average about 2 minutes exactly. I am serious, when writing these things, the Indianans kept durations dangerously close together, and that right there gives a strict uniformity to the album. On one hand, it means you can probably listen to the whole thing during your daily commute, one direction. On the other, the brevity and precision of the practice doesn't generate a wide level of variation. These pieces are tight, and the band throttles you with as much as they can within their bounds, but a lot of the better riffs zip in and out before you really get a chance to let them sink into your mind and leave an impression. It would certainly not have damaged the pacing and flow of this record to incorporate a few 4-5 minute cuts with a few added repetitions of the better guitar progressions, since some of them deserve more space to breathe and beat on the listener, but at the very least no one could accuse Gorgasm of wearing out their welcome. This is wham, bam, thank you ma'am entertainment...even if that might seem a poor choice of words to describe an album containing "Fisticunt" and "Lesbian Stool Orgy".

But despite blowing its wad faster than a sexually repressed sailor pulling into a brothel after months at sea, there's a lot to admire about this record. The leads are intensely well constructed, and there are moments like that mean solo bridge at around 1:00 in "Severed Ecstasy" where the writing is so harried, dense and evil that they could compete with anyone else in the business. Gorgasm learned pretty quickly that brutality does not necessarily have to eschew musicality (despite what some of the mentally challenged, perpetual 12-year olds haunting the genre's fan base will tell you)  and Bleeding Profusely is flooded with tasteful arpeggios and classical shred inspired licks that constantly engage the imagination; a musician's dream. They've got their share of generic 4x-16x chug and bait-the-tremolo patterns, but even when they hit rock bottom with some banal palm muted progression, they're quick to shift up the playbook to something more satisfying. I found that a number of listens through the album helped me pick out some of the more flavorful details, and there is overall a more robust sense of technicality and flair than Stabwound Intercourse.

Not exactly more atmospheric, other than the improved lead/bridges and the use of more samples, but the rhythm section here is simply fucking insane, with the bass flying along a thousand miles per hour, and yet another mechanically taut drum performance, this time from Dave Culross (Malevolent Creation and now playing in Suffocation). I think the sole caveat here was that I found the vocals rather bland. They're the same assortment of grunts, toilet swish gutturals and snarls that they were using before, but for some reason the mix seems a bit dry, and though they attempt some charismatic, punchy staccato lines which feel more acrobatic, I didn't come away with as ghastly an impression. Which I guess is fine, because the lyrics to pieces like "Morbid Overgrowth" and "Fucking the Viscera", among others, compensate with enough of a gruesome jungle of splatter and disgust that you don't come away from Bleeding Profusely feeling in any way unsoiled. It's like a short slasher film in which all manner of debaucheries occur in just a brief span, leaving you ample time to vomit your popcorn into the nearest latrine, woods, or, if all else fails, date's lap.

This isn't their best album, and it's nothing amazingly unique, but definitely a step over the EP in structure and quality, a sadistically pleasurable way to kill 20 minutes or so...again with my shitty choices of words! I'd recommend it to fans of Cryptopsy's None So Vile, or other seasoned murderers like Deeds of Flesh, Lividity or Malevolent Creation; just don't expect the 'Mona Lisa' of brutality here.

Verdict: Win [7.5/10] (I won't stop until I am caught)

http://www.facebook.com/pages/GORGASMofficial/141398662565879

Gorgasm - Stabwound Intercourse EP (1998)

As relatively redundant as their style might have seemed, even by the late 90s when the whole 'brutal death metal' thing as its own self-sustaining evolutionary entity was but a few years old, one has to grudgingly admit that Gorgasm knew how to make an entrance. With one of the most provocative band names and titles, and 'evocative' cover images, at least to those low down dirty sick fucks who gorged upon this niche, you were not forgetting Stabwound Intercourse anytime soon. Add to that a spiffy production job and tight, technical musicianship and you had one of the more explosive young acts to come along post Deeds of Flesh or Cryptopsy, and one of the Midwest's most punishing sources of pure pathology alongside names like Fleshgrind and Lividity.

Truth be told, beyond the elevated level of lyrical sickness built upon the Cannibal Corpse blueprints, there was just not a lot of nuance or distinction in what Gorgasm were writing here. The punctuality and phrasing of the guitars is highly redolent of Deicide's first few records, only amplified to the level of aggression that New York's Suffocation brought to the field. Tremolo riffs are affixed to an impressive double bass drum performance by drummer Derek Hoffman (who later played on Fleshgrind's mediocre Murder Without End), and you've got plenty of palm muted frenzies and a few well timed breakdowns to help break up the bursting momentum like energy beams splitting asteroids for space miners. The leads are hardly adventurous or interesting, but at least they're there, tearing off the central riffing structures. The bass is just as dextrous as the rhythm guitar, with a lot of treble-heavy, farting propensity to make itself noticed, and I would have to think pretty hard to summon forth memories of another rhythm section that was so tight and professional so early on in a brutal death metal act's career...

Not to mention, Gorgasm made one of the most efficient, earliest uses of the toilet bowl, sustained gurgle guttural vocal that initiated a competition within the genre that persists today: who can create the deepest, butt-muddiest flushing tone?! Your prize?! A crate of obscure scatological Euro-porn?! There are a few occasional wretched rasped lines which remind me of Glen Benton's 'higher range', but in general you're getting this persistent, porcelain god pummeling that really feels fit to the strenuous performance across all the instruments. Unfortunately, where Stabwound Intercourse failed me was in the sheer quality of songwriting. Only a handful of the riffs across the six tracks of the EP really stick out, and the rest are forgettable within moments of hearing them. It seems that wherever the Indianans 'branched' out to explore a range of options they grew exponentially more interesting. For example, the classical structured death/thrash riffing break in "Coprophiliac" or the excellent use of the horn-synthesizers during the bridge of "Horrendous Rebirth", in which they cling dreadfully to the surgical sounding guitar progressions.

Otherwise, it's really just more of the same chugging, squealing and banal composition we'd already come to expect from the second tier of bands, and which sadly continues on through the 21st century. With lyrics about mutilating female genitalia, eating human waste, and initiating sexual intercourse with the posteriors of the deceased, there's a sense that this would 'sate' your average inbreed who jacked off on such sadism and misogyny, with is all well and good (if you're one of them), but it's just not an effort which stands up to long term scrutiny; largely because its few inspired moments of brilliance too easily trump the remainder. In hearing this after so many years, I just know that the Gorgasm members were capable of more curious atmosphere and musicality, and wish they had infused that influence more often. That said, if this is your thing, you could certainly do a lot worse. The 16 minutes of material certainly never lets up its onslaught (save for a sample), and for 1998 it was, if not unique, at least ahead of most of the flock to follow.

Verdict: Indifference [6.5/10] (with masochistic bliss)

http://www.facebook.com/pages/GORGASMofficial/141398662565879

Visceral Throne - Omnipotent Asperity (2012)

Though I've been a guitar player myself for over 25 years, I must admit that I find myself a little envious of all the sweeping, technical oriented brutal/tech death metal acts out there consisting of members younger than I. Not that this approach always results in memorable albums or strong songwriting, or would be the niche I would wish to participate in; but at the very least they create dextrous, surgical riffing sequences that are fun to follow. By all accounts, recent Brutal Bands acquisition, Indiana's Visceral Throne are another strong contender in this field, even if they offer little we haven't heard before. The performances are tight, the action intense, and you don't walk away from this without some feeling of having been punished, though results will vary for those not fond of the clinical efficiency and polished production usually associated with particular style.

There's not a lot of atmosphere or melody present on Ominpotent Asperity; it's more of a practice in pummeling and precision that swerves between simpler, chugging grooves and walls of nihilistic tremolo riffing. He'll occasionally fire off some striking, dissonant passage with simpler chords, but most often the guitarist keeps things kinetic and intricate, even when laying down a rhythm behind a frenetic lead sequence, and I definitely picked up a strong mid-to-late 90s Suffocation influence along with a lot of hints of Canadian brutality circa Cryptopsy and friends, only ramped up in speed to the appropriate levels you'd expect of West Coast frenzies like Decrepit Birth, etc. A few passages hinge on the slam side of the genre, with more minimal note progressions condensed into palm mutes, just often enough that it creates a nice contrast against the squeals, arpeggios and solos in which the listener can breathe. The drums are equally meticulous, with double bass rhythms clicking along so fast that they simply can't stop to make themselves more forceful, and a resonant, hollow feel to the snare hits which lends the blasting some gravity. The bass is fat and dense to counteract the more precise punctuality of the guitars, but it's not always as adventurous as what you might hear in other acts like Beyond Creation or Augury.

In terms of vocals, I didn't find the performance all that striking, but the deep, blunt amphibian growls are definitely streamlined to fit the highly percussive nature of the riffing patterns, and the guy's got a nice sustain to his gutturals when he barks out a phrase and lets the end syllable ride over a chord shift. The lyrics are neurotic, metaphysical explorations of mankind's failures, barbarity and the darker aims of religion (with a few biblical references), and even if this isn't the most unique subject matter some though obviously went into their composition. Blow for blow, Omniponent Asperity is not the most aggressive, frightening or proficient record of its sort, but there's no question that homework has been done and it deserves a passing grade in any classroom. As seamless and skilled as the performances are all around here, and as level and balanced the production, I did get the feeling that Visceral Throne's biggest hurdle is that they're not highly distinguishable from many others in the field. The riffs seem fluid and formidable when you're in the moment, but they don't often stick to you. But then, if you're a sucker for the rosters of labels like Sevared, Unique Leader, or Brutal Bands you've probably got schematic preconditions for what you're expecting, and Visceral Throne fit that mold just fine; and fans of Inherit Disease, Abnormality, Severed Saviour, Birth Through Gore, Spawn of Possession, Visceral Bleeding and other comparable acts should at least give this a go.

Verdict: Win [7/10] (the monolith rots)

http://www.facebook.com/visceralthrone

Human Filleted - Blunt Force Embludgeonment (2010)

Though I thought the earlier Human Filleted records were decent in their own right, certain flaws in production and the fact that they weren't really lavishing anything distinct or interesting on the brutal death metal spectrum held me back from further admiration. More or less the same lyrics, song titles, gruesome imagery and sound we'd heard from about a  hundred other USDM acts through the 90s and earlier 21st century, and no sign of surpassing their peers in either songwriting or extremity. Both Hideous Sculptures of the Dead in 2008, and the belated Packaged Human Meat were nothing special, if nothing too shabby either. With their third record, the vile Indiana quartet decided to beat on us with what is perhaps their most accessible and entertaining album overall.

Blunt Force Embludgeonment doesn't entirely up the ante, but it both looks and sounds better than its predecessor, its gruesome and colorful cannibalistic ghoul scenery provided by the prolific Italian Marco Hasmann, whose credits include cover art for groups like Fleshgod Apocalypse, Beyond Creation, Vomit the Soul, and his own band, Blasphemer. This is a very percussive album, with a bucket tone to the kick and snare that isn't exemplary, but still better overall than Packaged Human Meat. Hyper pummeling crunch mutes are delivered at high velocity, lapsing in and out of old school tremolo passages, and the level of precision and polish here give me that 'live autopsy' feeling of punctuality and menace that some love and others hate in most modern, brutal tech/death. Human Filleted doesn't perform anything too perplex in terms of rhythmic dynamics, they just keep the riffs flowing below the guttural chug of vocalist Kyle Christman (also of Gorgasm). The punching bass lines are unfortunately not much of a selling point here, and the drop of a dime rhythmic transitions don't allow for much depth or dimension the music, but some of the faster old school riffs are definitely sinister and incendiary.

As for its production, this is not a massive leap forward, and still sounds quite amateurish when you consider just how processed and polished many other bands in this niche are, in particular that burgeoning California scene with groups like Pathology, Inherit Disease, Severed Savior and so forth. Those who hate that sort of modernist sound sculpting might see this as a boon in general, but probably not in this case, since the guitar tones have a fraction too much buzz, the clap-can drums lack character and there just isn't much of a robust low end to Human Filleted which allows the listener to really dig into the breakdown grooves. Christman's vox also border on the mundane and monotonous, so it was a good decision to feature guests like Damian of Gorgasm and Shaun from Putrid Pile to help vary it up like some Serial Killers Anonymous meeting. In the end, though, while Blunt Force Embludgeonment might inch past its predecessors and offer a few thrills for fans of Deeds of Flesh, Lividity and later 90s Cannibal Corpse, the lyrics and music of Blunt Force Embludgeonment are derivative of better albums, and it lacks the atmosphere, composition and engineering to make much of an enduring impact beyond its grisly exterior.

Verdict: Indifference [6.75/10] (nothing left to recognize)

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Human-Filleted/198594526443?sk=wall

Yellowtooth - Disgust (2012)

While I can't vouch that the band has adopted the most unique style in the history of sludge and doom, Indiana's Yellowtooth truly knows how to kick off an album with a mix of hilarity and crushing riffs that smash you mightily on the jaw, extracting the two teeth that they've placed in their logo. A relatively new band with a few demos to their name prior to this debut full-length, the ranks here nonetheless boast a number of old schoolers, most notably bassist/vocalist Peter Clemens who you've possibly heard in some other US acts like Invasion, Skullview and Nocturnal Torment. Stylistically and thematically, though, this is a pretty far cry from those other projects, more of a crude knuckle sandwich of beer swigging, bong hitting brutality borne of a simpler, stoner rock foundation.

Once the opening sample cedes to the massive, lumbering riffs of "Wizard Dust" you get a nice taste of the band's straight forward songwriting. The guitar patterns have a bit of an old school 70s rock feel to them, maybe something like Down or Black Label Society might pen, albeit more swollen and sinister in both intent and doomed delivery. The molasses-thick bass is just as prevalent as the guitar, both so enormous that at times they seem to almost drown a few of the drums, but what I found most impressive here was the use of the more filtered, gruff death metal style vocals. When the Neanderthal inflection collides with the weight of those chugging or grooving rhythms, it's like some unholy union of old Godflesh with the Black Keys, perhaps the most innovative component of this entire disc. They seem to draw more on the death metal influences of some of his other works, or perhaps their death & roll forebears like Entombed, than the nihilistic rasping or agony you'd expect out of a group like Bongzilla or Eyehategod, but the results are just as heavy.

A lot of the riff progressions remind one of usual suspects like Sabbath, Cathedral, Orange Goblin, or Trouble, often pretty minimalistic and predictable, but there's enough of a wailing verve and bluesy authenticity to them that the listener's still going to be slowly banging his head through "John Wilkes Booth" or "Prophetic Ramblings". Even though most of the 4-5 minute tunes only have a few dominant riffs, they are spun out with enough variation that they never feel tired or repetitious. Grueling, slower paced sequences are set against the more up-tempo barroom bravado, and Disgust feels pretty fresh and developed overall, though there are a handful of throwaway riffs. The raucous mix of the album is heavily guitar-oriented, and I wouldn't have minded a bit more cranking on the drums to balance it out. Also, the vocals, while themselves adequately churning and aggressive, would not suffer from more of a dynamic range. Otherwise, Yellowtooth has itself a decently fun debut here. The trio is well aware of its parameters, functions effectively within them, and has fun doing so. More than a few black eyes are just waiting to happen to this album.

Verdict: Win [7.25/10]

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Yellowtooth/216048345074088

Nocturnal Torment - They Come at Night (2012)

An evolution bridging two decades of absence, Indiana's Nocturnal Torment once took the form an obscure Midwest thrash act called Termination. From there they parted ways, spent about 20 years performing in other projects (the best known of which is likely the war metal battalion Invasion) and now renew their collaboration with a sound decidedly more brutal. It would come as no surprise if you've experienced Invasion records like Berserk Artillery Barrage and Orchestrated Kill Maneuver that these guys are heavily on the old school revival, but it's to their credit that They Come At Night is not just the latest in a string of Incantation knockoffs or Swedish throwbacks aimed at 1992. No, Nocturnal Torment draws upon a wider foundation, and thus their debut overcomes the 'fun but it's been done' classification thanks to the strong dynamics at play.

I'm hearing a lot of Floridian inspiration circa Malevolent Creation, Deicide and other usual suspects, but more interestingly a strong Dutch connection to the formative sounds of Sinister and Pestilence circa Diabolical Summoning, Crossing the Styx, and Consuming Impulse. This manifests not only in the constant, percussive pulverization of the rhythm guitars but also their tendency to rip out these excellent dual surgical lead guitars like the great tremolo sequence in "Forever Eternal Darkness" or that haunting note progression that permeates "Cycle of Life". Where a lot of similarly motivated bands falter in slugging out one familiar riff after another, the nocturnal tormentors ensure that there's always something tantalizing that awaits within the bridge and lead sequences of the songs, and thus it's nigh impossible that any of the material here could ever become boring. Couple this with resonant, brute cookie monster gutturals that evoke a hybrid of early 90s Barney Greenway and Glen Benton's lower register, and a rhythm section who perform with both the technique of Suffocation and the blunt consistency of England's Benediction during their heydays...

...and you've got yourself an irresistible neck breaking formula. However, it's important to note that Nocturnal Torment never seems to be merely paying tribute to the record collections of its constituents. There is more at work on this record than simple nostalgia, and the songwriting hurls itself straight for the jugular with a corpulent, domineering guitar tone that feels as rabid as the old Sunlight sound without coming close to aping it. A lot of the lower strong rhythm riffs draw upon their thrash roots, and some fairly close to the crushing battlefield fortifications that dote the Invasion discography, but in general they never sound 100% like any one other artist. With its dark, unruly production and acrobatic, practiced level of aggression and ability, They Come at Night should see many happy returns for these long-timers. It's not perfect, and not all the riffs or vocal patterns hang forever upon the scaffold of the mind and imagination, but I think it should very well please fans of the latest records from Godless Rising, Abominant, Blaspherian, and the simpler Cianide; or, really, any of the influences I name dropped above.

Verdict: Win [8/10]

http://www.myspace.com/eternalnocturnaltorment

The Gates of Slumber - The Wretch (2011)

Perhaps the most formidable faculty of The Gates of Slumber is the band's ability to completely absorb you into its world of leaden and dark nostalgia. Like (70s) Black Sabbath or Cirith Ungol before them, they are so adept at establishing pace and controlling the listener's metallic metabolism that one cannot help but become transported directly into their tales of barbarism, vice, myth and fantasy. Their albums are like being immersed in a virtual reality tank in which the stories of Robert E. Howard and H.P. Lovecraft collide with the Biblical books of Revelations and Genesis, the fables of various European pantheons while an endless soundtrack of Psalm 9, Master of Reality, Be Forewarned, King of the Dead, and Born Too Late is spun out ad infinitum. Yes, that equates to awesome.

In fact, I don't think these Hoosiers have released one bad record to date. Perhaps not the sort of masterworks to which they themselves pay tribute, but I can't name The Gates of Slumber album to which I've felt no inclination to break out my mead horn, pipe, twenty sided dice, Viking helm and broadsword to face off squarely against some sea serpent or another. And The Wretch, their fifth full-length proves no exception. Karl Simon's husky, smokey tones channel Osbourne into a lower, more workmanlike register, while the guitars lurch along with just the right level of understated distortion to reflect a 70s rock purity. Much of the riffing architecture mirrors Tony Iommi from the first 4-5 Sabbath LPs, but what I find remarkable is just how humble and real this band comes across, as if they were performing for you right in the middle of your washroom or garage. Clean like a Cream or Zeppelin outing decades before its time, but just lowdown and dirty enough to escape any taint of excess pop polish.

I will say that The Wretch does not start out on its strongest foot. "Bastards Born" is arguably the most boring track of this bunch, but it still has a decent, central riff and some stops and starts with the vocals that recall something like "War Pigs". Once "The Scovrge Ov Drvnkenness" and "To the Rack With Them", arrive, though, it's GAME ON, the former a sweltering, foot thumping barrage of beer soaked bedlam bisected with some bad ass blues (forgive the tongue twister); the latter an incredible barrage of stolid grooves in which one can feel his or her stomach quake to the sheer volume of the butter churning crunch of amped up distortion and the cruddy curvature of the bottom feeding bass. Yet the album gets even more engrossing the deeper one travels, with the slow, suicidal swagger of "Day of Farewell" and the baleful, cautionary "Castle of the Devil" and it's bass-driven bridge and Ozzy counter-vocals standing out as personal highlights of the experience.

Through it all, with the possible exception of "Bastards Born" or a few less impressive moments in the 12+ minute "Iron and Fire", The Gates of Slumber evades the sense of derivative ennui that pervades so much of the modern and retro doom this past decade. The Wretch feels like a record that could have been cut in 1978, and it's that stripped down return to primacy which is so ultimately compelling in much of their work. Granted, the influences are laid bare on the guys' sleeves. No one is going to accuse this band of being highly original, and that's not what they set out to be, but instead masters of the past who offer you gifts of nostalgia in a delicious haze of drugs, dragons, demons and damnation. Along with the mighty Italians Doomsword, who have an admittedly busier, brighter sound to them, The Gates of Slumber have this corner of the stony market locked down.

Verdict: Win [8/10] (three sisters confess to the god below)

http://www.facebook.com/thegatesofslumber

Maax - Unholy Rock & Roll (2011)

There seems to be no shortage of younger bands out there infusing the vintage realms of speed, thrash and heavy metal with a more aggressive, 'current' black metal edge in the vocals and atmosphere. Thankfully, they tend to draw upon such a wide palette of influences that very few feel quite the same. For example, Midnight feels little like Kvelertak; Speedwolf little like Gravehill, and yet they all seem bound for a similar audience. Enter Indiana's Maax, who wear all this 'black & roll' on their sleeves, with logo and album artwork that would literally make for an eye catching tattoo, and offering a blend of similar aesthetics to those you'd find in the aforementioned acts. I wasn't quite so taken with the previous release I had heard (their Six Pack Witchcraft EP last year), but persistence has clearly paid off.

I might not be singing or remembering Unholy Rock & Roll a few months hence, but at least it is fun while it lasts, and there are at least 2-3 genuinely good tunes that make up for any of the filler. As hinted, there are a wide array of influences on the album, from the filthier side of the NWOBHM spectrum (Venom and Motörhead) to the formative Teutonic black/thrash of Sodom, Kreator and Destruction; with a healthy helping of Kill 'Em All or Celtic Frost. This manifests in a good deal of variation between individual songs, so you'll have something like "Fight With Fire" which feels like a mix of old Metallica and Kreator's "Riot of Violence"; or "Do What Thou Wilt" which incorporates a smudge of straight old Judas Priest trad metal with the blacker, barking vocals; or the band's namesake "Maax" which is pretty much barroom punk metal bred for broken glass and morning after regrets. Curiously enough, my favorite track here was "Overthrone", which is a mix of driving, tremolo black metal with these ominous, churning death metal breaks.

The point is: with Maax, you've got options. Perhaps none of the constituent sounds going into this record are so pronounced or volatile as you'd find them in other places, but they tend to handle everything well enough in this mixed punchbowl of punishment. Almost as if someone hurled a bunch of vintage metal tees and denim jackets into a cauldron, added a whole lotta whiskey and absinthe and then stirred the shit out of it and handed you the ladle. I enjoyed the deep, dark fuzz of the guitar tone and the bruised bluntness of the vocals, and in general the riffs hang with the ear, even if they don't really fashion into the most striking of patterns. But it's not as if the band set out to write Powerslave or Det Som Engang Var. This isn't 'deep'. No, this is meant to kick in the ribs of the opposition, spit or urinate on its victims and then hit the road in a high speed motorcycle escape from the local authorities. To that extent, there's nothing wrong with it. Unholy Rock & Roll, just as was advertised.

Verdict: Win [7/10]

http://www.myspace.com/maaxmetal