Pyre - Human Hecatomb (2014)

Human Hecatomb feels like the obligatory full-length version of its predecessor, the Ravenous Decease EP, with the same sort of raw production and a lot of DNA from the same influences. Obviously it's got a lot more too it, and the mix of the instruments seems as if its gotten a little more under control, but if you're a fan of the more disheveled bands that have come out of that Swedish style throughout the last few decades, whether Repugnant or Bastard Priest or Katakomba or LIK, this one's going to sit well with you because it's very well done and sticks the landing on most of the tracks. That flesh-ripping guitar tone and the brash mix of the instruments don't hinder it whatsoever, but give it an eternal freshness, like grave-dirt that's being constantly flipped over with a shovel to expose new generations of worms.

Again, the music isn't just d-beat rock based, they love the huge, doomier, evil chord patterns you often encounter in death metal, and then to trade those off with some vile propulsion. There's a better sense of melody you'll hear on this album, with some cool leads or harmonies vaulting across the dense hostility of the rhythm guitars. Vocally it still sounds like someone spliced John Tardy's sustained gutturals together with the carrion tones of Martin van Drunen, but there's a ton of genuine pain and carnage in there so that it never sounds like some dull doppelganger. The guitars are pretty much Ravenous Decease with a bigger toolbox to work from, and they pull off a lot of great chugging patterns here which wouldn't sound out of place on Clandestine. That simple, immediate catchiness that has you headbanging and doesn't ever seem to let up, they just don't make poor choices when writing material. All the songs here are good, with a few personal favorites being the chuggy "Flesh to Poles", the perky "We Came to Spill Thy Blood" which is one of a couple with a more death & roll vibe, and "Possessed" with those evil, slower rhythms and narrative/samples and all.

All told, Human Hecatomb is a step up and forward, perhaps not the first example of this niche you're going to grab for, but an extremely reliable one if you're into the Swedish tones. I'd say musically this one has a little less of the US influence in the actual songwriting, but it's the vocals that bridge that Atlantic gap. It's a Russian Clandestine 20+ years later with a bit more unhinged mix and a vocalist yanked right from The Rack and Cause of Death. Fun songs, timeless production thanks to its lack of polish, and a focus on actually putting enough ideas into its material that it's never some dull, redundant slog. And to think, this is probably my least favorite of their full-lengths!

Verdict: Win [8/10]

https://pyredeathmetal.bandcamp.com/