Blunt Force Trauma -- Vengeance for Nothing (review)

Band: Blunt Force Trauma
Album: Vengeance for Nothing
Genre: slam death metal
Year: 2012
Label: Macabre Mementos Records

Made up of the former members of slam weirdos Jenovavirus, Blunt Force Trauma is slamming brutal death metal straight from Japan.  The one thing that seems to get thrown around when talking about these guys is their stark similarity to Dying Fetus.  It is obvious these guys took influence from the death metal icons (they're named after a Fetus song).  Despite these similarities, Blunt Force Trauma have engineered their own unique sound.
Upon listening to this album, a few things become apparent to the listener.  The first is the guitar tone.  It slices through your ears, and it's nice and heavy.  The drums also have a very powerful sound (especially that thumping kick).  Vocals are handled by all three members.  As a result, there is distinct variety with some vocal lines being somewhat intelligible and others being more primal and guttural.  The last thing that stands out is the sheer number of slam riffs that this thing packs.  The second half of "Forgotten Absolutely" is a slam riff extravaganza, and tracks such as "A Terror with Armed Intervention" and the closer "Inconsistency Politics" are merely vehicles used to deliver a plethora of slams to the listeners' ears.
One thing that really sets these guys apart from most slam bands is their fine-tuned sense of groove.  This album grooves harder than most in the genre.  "Blackboard Jungle" and "Live for Nothing or Die for Something" feature infectious rhythms, but "Exploitation of Humankind" tops them all with its furious grooves and rap-inspired vocal lines.
My only issue with the record is the "Intro" track.  I skip it every time, as "A Terror with Armed Intervention" serves as a better opener for the album.  "Intro" is good, it just should have been part of another track.
By the end of this album, I feel I can safely say that this is more than mere hero worship.  Blunt Force Trauma manages to slam and groove through ten brutal tracks resulting in a solid release.  You can give it a listen here.


Rating: 5 / 5
Top Tracks:
Live for Nothing or Die for Something
A Terror with Armed Intervention
Exploitation of Humankind
Forgotten Absolutely

Crepitation / Splattered / Gorevent / Stillbirth -- Worldwide Slamicide (review)

Bands: Crepitation, Splattered, Gorevent, Stillbirth
Album: Worldwide Slamicide
Genre: slam death metal, brutal death metal
Year: 2018
Label: Rising Nemesis, Amputated Vein

Prior to listening to this 4-way slam masterpiece, I knew of each band and was thoroughly familiar with Crepitation, but I wasn't really into any of these guys.  And then I listened to this monster.  Four bands, four different takes on slamming brutal death.
Starting off with Crepitation, the band I was most familiar with (I highly recommend their full-length, The Violence of the Slams), this shit is hot.  I know these guys for their fast slam attacks, downright sick sense of humor, and nutty vocals.  Let me emphasize the kooky, crazy dual-vocal performance.  The listeners ears are drenched in a torrent of spittle and vomit from start to finish.  I guarantee there are few vocalists out there with this much variety (if any).  It's totally whacked out.  The songwriting is just as crazy with sudden changes in tempo and shifts between riffs.  Of course, the slams come first in the scheme of things, and there's plenty to snap your neck to.  The quintet top off their wildly unique sound with samples of a dark, humorous nature.
Next up we have Splattered, who turn out to be my favorite of the bunch.  Beforehand, I had only heard a three-track promo, but their display on this split leaves me wanting more!  They start off with "Antediluvian Horror" which features almost straight groove riffage.  These riffs are punctuated with brief leads and coated with thick guttural secretion.  The song closes out with a crushing breakdown which highlights the punchy production.  "Gutted" continues the aural assault with one of the heaviest slams on the whole release.  This is quickly followed up by another slam and a blazing guitar solo.  Splattered close out their section with a pounding cover of Abominable Putridity's "Entrails Full of Vermin", a fitting homage to the slam titans.
Gorevent fills the next slot with three raw slabs of slamming death.  For those familiar with the Japanese slam kings, these tracks originally appeared on the Human Garlic Baking EP, which, I will admit, I originally wasn't a fan of.  This time around they are fucking amazing.  Tons upon tons of primitive slam riffs heaved upon the listeners' bleeding ears.  If you like old school Devourment and Cephalotripsy, you will love Gorevent.  This shit was made for knuckle-dragging cave dwellers, and it is worth every last primitive note.
Finally, we arrive at Stillbirth's three tracks.  The most modern sounding (alongside Splattered), Stillbirth mix pummeling brutal death metal with groovy slamming deathcore.  The tracks feature numerous tempo shifts and a multitude of breakdowns and slams.  The vocals are split between two vocalists and are a cross between standard deathcore and brutal death styles.  What stood out the most to me were the production values.  The guitars are very polished, and there are a number of strobe effects utilized throughout.  They manage to pull this off without overdoing it as many bands are wont to.
Overall, this is a massive split and, dare I say, album of the year (at least so far in my ears)!  Highly recommended to anyone looking for good slamming brutal death metal.  Give it a listen and pick up this death machine from the Rising Nemesis bandcamp.


Rating: 4.5 / 5
Top Tracks:
Crepitation -- Gelatinous Interdimensional Spunk Trumpet
Splattered -- Antediluvian Horror
Gorevent -- Kill
Stillbirth -- Hypnotized by Lies

Human Parasite -- Proud to Build the Insidious Catastrophe (review)

Artist: Human Parasite
Album: Proud to Build the Insidious Catastrophe
Genre: slam death metal
Year: 2010
Label: SFC Records

To be honest, I was not expecting anything particularly great with this record, but this thing stomps pretty damn hard!  Human Parasite marry the styles of Dying Fetus and early Devourment into a slamming beast that stops at nothing.
The album opens with a sample from the 1987 film Predator (if I'm not mistaken) before the band comes roaring in.  Filled to the brim with blast beats and crushing grooves, Proud to Build the Insidious Catastrophe is the perfect album for those seeking unadulterated slamming brutal death metal.
For the most part, Human Parasite feels like Dying Fetus, just without the overt technical wizardry.  The grooves are very reminiscent of Fetus's earlier output (early 2000s), but these French deathbringers manage to bring some variation to the table.  The album is dotted with heavy slam riffs reminiscent of Devourment's heyday.  The title track and "Spreading Pain..." both devolve into pulverizing slams that are sure to force the listener to bang his or her head until their skull splits wide open.  The album closer (which is listed as a bonus track for some reason) feels like straight Devourment worship to me with slam upon slam upon filthy slam.
One unique feature of this band is the vocals.  Performed by an individual called "Trash," I would describe his style as the middle ground between John Gallagher and Wayne Knupp.  To my ears, they sound purely inhaled and pig-ish, like a wild hog ready to charge.  Trash's vocals definitely stand apart from the low gurgling of most slam vocalists (variation is a good thing, guys).
All in all, this album may not be perfect, or even the best slam album, but if you are looking for some crushing grooves, give these guys a listen on YouTube here.


Rating: 3.5 / 5
Top Tracks:
Proud to Build the Insidious Catastrophe
Tormented by Psychopathic Soul
Spreading Pain and Cum As an Evangelical Way

Dying Fetus -- Destroy the Opposition (review)

Artist: Dying Fetus
Album: Destroy the Opposition
Genre: brutal/technical death metal
Year: 2000
Label: Relapse Records

This year marks the 17th anniversary of the release of Dying Fetus's third full-length, Destroy the Opposition.  This album stands as one of my personal favorites in the death metal genre, alongside such classics as Leprosy and None So Vile.
Dying Fetus are a brutal death metal band from Baltimore Maryland.  Formed in 1991, the band has released album upon album of grade-A death metal.  Each release is jam-packed with memorable riffs, technical fury, and crushing grooves, and their 2000 outing is no exception.
The opening riff of "Praise the Lord (Opium of the Masses)" is an infectious groove that hits like a train without brakes.  The band wastes no time getting to the point as they sling riff after riff at the listener, supported by Kevin Talley's rapid-fire blast beats (I might add that the drum production on this album is among the best).  The title track follows, and closes with a cataclysmic breakdown as Gallagher and Netherton command the listener to, as they so eloquently put it, "DESTROY."  The trade-off vocals are signature of Dying Fetus's style.  Netherton bellows in a fashion reminiscent of the Florida scene while Gallagher delivers a more guttural growl akin to Frank Mullen of Suffocation.
The band's lyrics are easily some of my favorites.  Vicious and dripping with social commentary, Dying Fetus step away from the stereotypical gore lyrics of most brutal death (not that I have anything against such themes).  The lyrics to "In Times of War" detail the aftermath of nuclear Armageddon, while "Praise the Lord" criticizes those who use religion as a justification for violence.  The band leave few stones unturned as they tear modern society to pieces.
Tracks vary between blistering attacks ("Born In Sodom" & "Pissing In the Mainstream") and groove-driven chugfests ("Epidemic of Hate").  Every riff and breakdown is expertly crafted and executed with precision.  Nothing seems out of place with this record, and every track packs a deadly punch.  I encourage everyone to give this record a spin.  You can listen to it on YouTube here.


Rating: 5 / 5
Top Tracks:
In Times of War
Praise the Lord (Opium of the Masses)
Justifiable Homicide

Slaughterbox -- The Ubiquity of Subjugation (review)

Artist: Slaughterbox
Album: The Ubiquity of Subjugation
Genre: technical/melodic deathgrind
Year: 2011
Label: Amputated Vein Records

My introduction to this band came from my interest in finding the world's fastest drummer.  A number of forums pointed to Slaughterbox, specifically their song "Fit for Human Consumption."  I checked it out, and it's safe to say that this was not a letdown.  Pete Chavez is an absolute machine behind the kit.  Whether or not his playing is legit or computer-aided is up for debate, but the speed of this album is, without a doubt, undeniably insane.  Tracks like "Arrogance and the Loss of Human Dignity" and "The Head Table" showcase the band's ability to play highly-technical compositions at (nearly?) inhuman speeds.
Slaughterbox is first and foremost a tech-death band in the vein of Viraemia, but they manage to bring in unique elements (aside from their ridiculous drummer, of course).  Each track showcases a powerful melodic section that shifts the pacing from a violent wank fest to an emotional, equally wanky one.  The title track even makes use of clean guitar parts combined with buzzing double bass rolls.  These passages set Slaughterbox above their contemporaries in my books.
One last feature that sets this album apart is the vocals.  They are a combination of pig squeals and high-pitched shrieks, and they're all done by the drummer!  His vocals definitely take some getting used to, as he often sounds like he is about to completely blow out his voice, but with time the vocals seem to meld nicely with both the technical and melodic sections.
I highly recommend this album to fans of Brain Drill, Viraemia, and Origin.  Definitely not the kind of music that can be appreciated on the first listen, but this album is a real treat if you give it time.  You can stream the album on YouTube here.


Rating: 4 / 5
Top Tracks:
Fit for Human Consumption
The Ubiquity of Subjugation
Manifest Destiny of the New World Order