Cheerleader Concubine- Tentacle Induced Intestinal Displacement 2016

                                                                                             Released September 16th, 2016



Cheerleader Concubine

Tentacle Induced Intestinal Displacement



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Notes I Took:

• Read a Room. The general vibe of this album is a snug combination of slam and grind. Both the drums and guitar get rather “noisy” from time to time, figuratively and literally. It stuck out to me that the guitars occasionally took on a “twang” pitch in between all the slamming and the drums would sometimes fall into a state of clutter that both attributed to that “noise” undertone I kept picking up on/  These guys weren’t afraid to experiment with timing and tone in this material which I personally think gives it more room elbow to progress in the future.

• Notice Me Hentai. The samples are as expected as they are beloved. This album didn’t let me down with the feature of sexually abusive and humorous. They are worth a mention but not a whole section; good but not the star of the show. 

You Guest It. The real jewels on this crown were undoubtedly the vast array of guest vocalists they had featured in this album; not forgetting about the guest rapper. The outreach of creative input on this album is outstanding.  You can tell a lot of different minds contributed to this project and it shines in the excellence of the material. A real shout out for:

-Guest Intro by Yurunyan

-Guest Rap by Kill Bill

-Guest Vocals by 

                            Meik of Goreputation, 

                            Spetsnaz of Go-Zen, 

                            Jason of Bong Rips For Jesus, 

                            Christian of Beastiality Boys, 

                            Lennon of Decimated Humans/Pestilent, 

                            John of Unicorn Hole, 

                            and 

                            Evan of Jesus Wept

                                                   You all get a gold star from me.

As I've mentioned before I am a huge supporter of musical collaborations in high hopes that the boundaries of genres, along with the human experience, can be explored and exposed.  

Overall. This was a really good fucking listen and a great release for 2016. I like this silliness of this band's demeanor and I like where they are going musically. Personally this album was such a fun listen because each song is so different from the last that it kept my attention the entire time. 

Diarrhea Anointment- Smegma 2016 [Exclusive Pre-Release Review]

                                                                                            Released October 24, 2016


Diarrhea Anointment

Smegma



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Things I thought:

• Out of Charter. On the grounds that I have encountered this band a couple of times now, I feel comfortable remarking upon my initial observation that this EP is different. And that is saying a lot considering this band is no stranger to strange.

• Are You Serious? It feels a lot more oriented and focused, not only in general vibe but also instrumentally. Matter of fact this material is rather melodic. The band takes on new waters in a more serious demeanor. What differentiates this EP from the rest is an element of consistency; a trait not commonly known to the likes of Noise where the band has deep roots.  

• Getting Involved. It was quickly apparent from the lovely intro to the charming outro that there is much more inclusion of drums and guitars to the general compilation. But would good would that be if it weren’t enjoyable? Because enjoy it I did. The drums and guitar were like a featured asset in the material being more a part of the main structure as opposed to being a portion of the background. 

• Your Metal’s in the Mail. The elephant in this room is honest guttural vocals and real blast beats. I am impressed most with the usage of the mild brutality. I thought it was excellent the way intervals of consecutive metal jamming was applied to manipulate the direction of listening flow; very much so a common trait of Noise. Aside from that, I did want to remark upon that the drums and guitar being so clean and polished further allowed me to take the instruments seriously, thus probably being a catalyst for the serious vibe I kept picking up on.

• Can You Speak Up? In addition to the mentioned brutality, this material is a bit more vocal. I like the promotion of the death metal vocal style in the material because it seemed to play a rather large role when looking at the balancing contrast of the EP. When this darker form of vocalism is pitted with a similar style of yelling or shouting, it becomes quite clear to any range of listener what the difference between abysmal grunting and “DEAR GOD HOW DID I GET HERE” yelling is.

• Speaking of Yelling. As I stated before I found this material embodies a serious tone, but not too serious. There are aspects of the EP with their thumb on the scale. The mood is lightened up by the band’s hard throbbing funny bone. The regulation of comedy through chanting and humming is equalizing in the general energy of the material. Simultaneously, the frazzled end of the yelling spectrum was restorative to the core of the noise aspect. In addition, it’s almost needless to say that you can look forward to a healthy dose of lewd. You will hear the word “cock” several times, I guarantee it.

Ultimately. This EP is outstanding even in its own realm. What I mean by outstanding is that it is doing other things and driving in its own lane. It is certainly interesting no matter how you peer at it, especially in regards to a progressive noise band. Personally, I felt like this EP was uniquely avant garde.  

Bong Rips For Jesus- The Last Session Of The Dopified Apostles 2016

                                                                                                  Released September 16, 2016



Bong Rips For Jesus

The Last Sessions of Dopified Apostles


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Notes I took:

• Production was on point. Aside from being well written, this album was well recorded and carefully produced. It shined the most through the clarity of the percussion; I could hear every little beat and tempo switch up. I also like that the bass was mixed more into the foreground of the material giving it a more natural attendance.

• Put that sample in your pipe and smoke it. I loved all the marijuana references and movie samples. The variety of samples was a delight. I felt like the samples were a form of comic relief amongst the slam party; personally which I found to give the material a deathcore feel.

 On a lighter note. I really dig the track titles. I thought it was a solid combination of silly and graphic simultaneously, which was perfect reflection of what the general energy of the album was doing anyway. The titles synced up well with the general concept without over reaching or being too oblong.

• Tokes for Vocs. This vocalist is outstanding to me. He straight up reminded me of a young Bozeman at times, it was that impressive. I was excited throughout the whole album over the vocals. Dude has this murderous guttural matched in perfect contrast with this squelchy throaty high. In terms of energy he ranged comfortably around the slam and deathcore areas; I gave him meaningless point for throwing in the mix a pig squeal or two, and an old school deathcore “BLEEEEGHK”.

• Splifftars. There was nothing disappointing whatsoever about the guitars in this material. They slammed and grooved all over the place. As uncomplicated as slam riffs tend to be, this album was zested nicely with deathcore like nutmeg atop a brandy alexander. There were strategically placed breakdowns that really pushed the boundaries of the general energy of the album.

• BASSically. The material did embody a certain stoner vibe through more than just the obvious playful pot advocacy. The bass brought a heavy beat down feel to the sound that complimented the slams. I felt like it brought a little texture to the party.

Ultimately. This album is a gift to both death metal and the cannabis culture alike. However you feel about pot, this is material is uplifting and lovely. It would be more than appropriate to blaze a blunt or do six dabs to the face to this album. Or just jam it, your call. Hail Satan.

Diarrhea Anointment- Unrelenting Minority Assault 2016

                                                                                                           Released September 5, 2016


Diarrhea Anointment

Unrelenting Minority Assault

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Notes I took:

• Edgy. Without deviating from its primal Noise roots, the album has an obvious edgy factor. The beloved experimental “glitch” like timing alongside impeccable mixing and mastering have been utilized to bring us an almost angry flavored album.

The material gains a notable brutality component not only in energy but instrumentally. There were several times a respectable blast beat was dropped; the whole works. There was even a special guest appearance from Bucket of Cummings. Another thing that really solidified a singular theme for me on the album was constant frustrated yelling. And I don’t mean like melodic yelling, but like as if someone was entirely fed up with their life and desperately needed relief.

• Themed commotion. This band really has a way of making abstract art that is outstanding in its field, and this album makes its own waves by being a little bit dark. Although the material sticks to its elemental Noise core, I couldn’t help but pick up on a constant agitated demeanor. I mean, with an album name like “Unrelenting Minority Assault” featuring track titles like “Christopher Reeves's Pet Squawking Nigger Beast”, I leave it to the individual listener to exhibit some artistic license. After all, this may be too Avant Garde for you; this album has this strange 1990’s grunge noir thing going on to me.

Overall. This was a fun listen. I personally dig this type of work because it is truly unpredictable by every sense of the word; this material left me with a peculiar feeling. Like, if I were to imagine this album as a living person I picture them pissed off and wearing a flannel, wishing they had a cigarette.

Infecting the Swarm- Abyss 2016

                                                                                                Released September 9th, 2016
                                                                                                       Lacerated Enemy Records
Infecting the Swarm

Abyss


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Notes I took:

• Level: Expert. Right off the bat it was apparent that these musicians were not beginners.  One of the most prominent things was the intent placed in this album. Each member sounds clearly well practiced and comfortable in their craft which resulted in a richly substantial album. 

• Attend ability. There was something about this album that made it really moshable.  I felt like I could see myself in this pit. Aside from the flawless delivery of this material, the material itself is highly interactive itself. By that I mean, it does make you want to move around and get buck. This material isn’t very breakdown oriented and that nonstop live wire energy makes for a outstanding show.

• Blended. I had picked up early on in the album that there was more than one thing going on with this taste profile. It was complex but not unbalanced. However it wasn’t so complex it was bitterly obscure in anyway. Musicians are people at the end of the day and we all have different interests, so with that in mind I started to pick up on each personality. They all had a mutual level of brutality and they all brought their own personal dishes to the studio potluck. There were a couple obvious genre energies that were consistent throughout the album: brutal death metal, thrashy grind, and slam. The album as a whole is easily comparable to the harmony of high end blended whisky, like that of Dimple Pinch. 

• Vocals. The catalyst to the “expert” demeanor was the vocalist. He sounded very natural on the mic, like he was right at home. The slam aspect of the material I kept noticing was undoubtedly from the front man. The real big thing to catch my attention was the unmistakable growl. His guttural was as deep, or abysmal, as they come; he stayed comfortably in the low range of the duration of the album. Coinciding with his tone was his excellent line delivery. He kept it slam with pure angry chanting and long earth shaking growls.

• Guitars were a trip. I was in love with them the whole time. Adding to the dexterity were displays of solid technicality between shredding scales and time switch ups. They ranged from grind to thrash in tone the whole album. The grind to trash motif continued with the guitars in timing as well bouncing between fast chugging and charming little riffs. Majority of the energy in this album is generated by the guitars restless and fast thrashing and chugging. Even during bridges there wasn’t much of a break in pace. Personally, I can dig it.

• Drums. The other big contribution to the “expert” outfit was percussion.  The timing was immaculate from start to end, he sounded very well practiced. The drums are where I was picking up this deathcore vibe, it could have quite possibly been the dedication to perfect hummingbird double kicks. It was also more blast beat centered too, and that could also be what was giving me this deathcore feel.

• On a separate note, I did want to mention that I thought that the drums could have been a little more present. All the mixing and mastering was quite on point the entire album, I just personally thought the drums didn’t pop like they could have.

Overall. I thought the album was solid. I was very impressed by the diversity and more impressed by the execution. For being so busy they manage to tie it together in such a lovely way. Like I said, I would love to see this material preformed live. 

Diarrhea Anointment- Not For Polite Company2016

                                                                                                              Released August 4th, 2016

Diarrhea Anointment

Not For Polite Company


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Notes I took:

• This is busy. There are a lot of energies being utilized in this material. This album is like a chef went into the kitchen and decided to experiment with all the peculiar herbs and spices they found interesting. By that I mean it touches upon a broad spectrum of genres such as but not limited to industrial, hip hop, mathcore, and even some lounge. There were cultural stints like South East Asian singing and an acid rock guitar solo that caught my attention.  

• Balanced like fine wine. This material is a flaming example of real substantial Avant Grade. It is complex without taking itself too seriously. The highly artistic element is not only preserved but exalted by this wacky or tangy tone that rides throughout the whole album. The dynamic factor of this album derives from the experimental blending of several different energy levels, thus what made it most impressive about this was that the merging of all the sounds didn’t become intangible at any point; avoiding self-defeat.

Referring back to the kitchen metaphor, it is really easy to ruin a dish by doing something as simple as adding a little too much salt. The same could be said about over saturating your sound with too much of one instrumental component. Noise bands specialize is being experimental in general so it’s important to have an uninterrupted balance and a smooth contrast; which this material delivered both.   

• Drums and strums. First and foremost, I personally loved the drums. There were double bass kicks that were not disappointing. There were also some blast beats that showed a little spunk too. As I mentioned before there was a particular mini guitar solo that struck me as very acid rock like which I found to obtrude, even in the midst of all the manic energy. Ultimately, I thought the choice of instruments was interesting and certainly turned out well for the listener. It was obscure without being unapproachable.   

• The vocals + special guests. One of the variables I liked most about this material was the vocals and samples. There was an extreme range of things happening in terms of vocals from what felt like just excited yelling to downright slam gutturals. The samples also came in unexpected waves that brought the whole piece together. The unpredictability of the vocals and samples is what made this album inherently interactive. The incalculable yet comfortable nature of the vocals and samples is ultimately what makes this noise band stand very far out from its counterparts in that neck of the woods.There was a highly experimental factor coming from the vocals that reinforced the ambiguity of what genre one would be comfortable calling this. 

• Transition Fluid.  This material really rose above and beyond with its sense of transition. The album only grew more dynamic with its successful switch ups between all the different energies, instruments, and samples. It was as graceful as someone juggling flaming chainsaws while smiling.  What I found truly impressive about all the shifting is that it wasn’t stressful to the ear. Despite all the commotion, the clean etiquette of passage movement made this album sincerely outstanding; especially in terms of noise bands.

• Rhythm. This material is very percussion oriented; there is special attention paid to the detail of timing, which was wise when managing an arsenal of distinctive energies. I personally felt like the meticulous sense of rhythm was a strong point in the album; it was a contributing factor to the overall balance. There was extraordinary off beat timing throughout the whole album. It really portrayed a primal and sporadic “stop and go” signature.  Aside from that, I wanted to make note that the dedication to pattern in this material speaks incredible volumes toward the notion that this material is a conscious decision; this album was no accident. 

•  Production. Off the bat I wanted to remark upon the fact that this is well mixed and mastered. The vocals and samples in particular sat perfectly in the mix, and that alone made me take the material more seriously. There was especially wise use of layering, not only the vocals and samples, but of the instruments themselves that really made this material shine; it resulted in well-proportioned madness.  The way the material was arranged made easy for the listener to agreeably ingest, which is rather important in this case since we are talking about a noise band after all. The sheer mindfulness of assembly placed in this material is easily recognizable from start to finish; this is high fashion.

Ultimately: I was really into this, the album left me with a feeling of euphoria. It was personally an adventure through my own musical tastes that was only address because of the fickle direction of flow. In the end the material resembled a powerful contemporary art sculpture that had everyone in the room thinking “I don’t know what it is, but I really like this". 

Good job Diarrhea Anointment, you're doing good

Infectology- Innards of Misanthropic Embodiment

                                                                                                                              August 12, 2016

Infectology

Innards of Misanthropic Embodiment

Gore house Productions

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Notes I took:

• The sample. There was a sample of a man in a sort of panic then screaming in fear that I figure is from a movie, I just didn’t know which one. I like the fact that it was a man screaming; the lady is rather common, almost expected. So, the switch up was nice.

• High Tension. This album is a live wire. It’s stuffed the gills with indiscriminate aggression. The best part is it remains high energy from beginning to finish. The nonstop high energy makes the material prime mosh music; one couldn’t ask for better mosh weather. I would see this band live any chance I was given just for the pit. 10/10 would mosh. 

• The Vox. The vocalist gave the album a sort of “classic” brutal death metal vibe from his general tone and solid delivery. There was a certain presence about the album that gave it a “time-honored” vibe. Putting the spot light back on him, he did have impressive depth range. There were also times he let out notable high notes that swirled well with the chaotic chanting that made up most of his vocal delivery.

• The guitars crunched. The guitars definitely made their mark in the material. They ranged from thrash to grind, sometimes in a matter of moment. There was a lot of energy coming from the guitars especially in tone and tempo. In addition to the vocals, the guitars were really shred oriented and that is one other reason I kept picking up on this “classic” brutal death metal feel.

• Well, hello snare. The drums were all over the place and I loved it. There were clear things that stuck out to me like special trade marks. The snare was the most distinctive part of the drumming alongside the symbol. Both attributes made waves and kept the party going strong. In terms of style, this is very blast beat oriented. There was not of a lot of slow points or breakdowns in the material as a whole but that is one thing that certainly sets this apart from the rest.

• Crisp but not clear. The production over all was quite pure however I did want to express that I felt like the vocals sat weirdly in the mix, giving the material a disproportionate vibe. It felt like the vocals were sitting behind the rest of the band, resulting in the listener being mercilessly overloaded with just straight guitar and drums.  I felt like if the vocals would have sat more in the foreground it would have made everything else pop like your favorite stripper’s purple lipstick.  

Ultimately This album was enjoyable on all fronts. It was well written and well recorded. One last warm thing I did want to mention was that I could tell that the band members play well together. There was an unmistakable harmony in the material that revealed that the mates are tight knit. All in all, for being a little short of a half hour this album’s perpetual high energy makes it a loud work of art. 

XavlegbmaofffassssitimiwoamndutroabcwapwaeiippohfffX- Gore 2016

                                                                                                   Released July 31st, 2016

XavlegbmaofffassssitimiwoamndutroabcwapwaeiippohfffX

Full Band Name:  Acidic Vaginal Liquid Explosion Generated By Mass Amounts Of Filthy Fecal Fisting And Sadistic Septic Syphilic Sodomy Inside The Infected Maggot Infested Womb Of A Molested Nun Dying Under The Roof Of A Burning Church While A Priest Watches And Ejaculates In Immense Perverse Pleasure Over His First Fresh Fetus

Gore

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Notes I had taken:

• My first impression of the material in general was “this is fun”, and I mean it. When the albums starts it feels like you just stumbled upon a secret underground party. It’s an energy mine field.

It was impossible to ignore that there was a lot going on in this EP. To be forward about it, it displayed aspects of several different genres ranging from metalcore shouting, thrashy guitar riffs, and deathcore composed drumming. It was a fucking trip. It felt like time travel with all the grind and slam, but the high quality production made it feel like you were in a high tech state of the art space craft.

• The vocals were a spectacle. They touched upon many different styles of vocalization in this little EP that was nothing short of impressive. There was everything from rugged metalcore shouting to well refined slam gutturals.  It was apparent that this vocalist knew their way around a mic booth. The entire EP was sopping with raw rhetoric but what really stuck out to me was how long homeboy could hold a note.

• The guitars were restless. They were sweeping and shredding every chance they saw, however they weren’t shy about heavy chill grooves. There were obvious elements about the album and it was clear that was meditated by the guitar.

• The drums were having a blast, pun intended. The musician really has stamina. It was striking how long he could hold a blast beat and a solid double bass kick. Personally, the drums were so free flowing and tight knot that it gave the EP a killer jam session vibe.

• The timing of this album was comparable to that of a free form jazz album. I have to confess that the timing was one of the most noticeable things about this material. The switch ups really made the whole thing interactive, like a chaotic pop-up book.

• The production of this little EP is clean. This was mixed and mastered with the love and care of a full length album. For only being a handful of songs it had some crystal clear clarity that was to die for.

Good job whomever you are, you’re doing good

• This is a very very short EP. There are only 4 songs but each one is prosperously uppity. It’s a strong opener for being a debut, despite only being a good 12 minutes and some change. It’s sure to leave a lasting impression on listeners of all musical inclination.

Overall: This is a goliath of an EP. It hit all the walls for me. It really did feel like I was at a twilight zone party with all these different metal energies from between the years 2007-2015. Thanks for the trip guys. I look forward to a full length album if you ever feel so inclined. Just please don't pull your dick out. 

Myconith Enviroglutton 2015

                                                                                            Released September 26th, 2015

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Notes I took:

• Diminutive production.  I couldn’t get past the production to fully ingest the album. Specifically, the overall sound was fuzzy or muddy; one could even call it “garage” like. However, that did give the album a sort of “classic” brutal death metal aura.  I could have easily have mistaken this material for any death metal album from 1989; respectively.

• Hoarse vocals. The vocals were throaty, like a mean dry growl. He was not only limited to just the guttural however; he had a really nice throaty high that was a complimentary contrast to his lows. Although, I would have been able to appreciate them better if the vocals themselves didn’t sit weirdly in the mix; it was occasionally drowned out by the other instruments from time to time.

• Out of sync. The beat was hard to pick up on at times. Apart of me felt like perhaps the musicians weren’t all on the same page or something. No matter the case, they did keep the gig going strong and did commit to some grooves and did coincide well during breakdowns.

  

• Simple slams. The guitars wisely played it safe while having fun with it. I want to note that I thought the mini solos were great. The drums on the other hand were rather tame. I wouldn’t call them absent but they certainly weren’t the center piece of the album. I would like to make an endearing generalization that the guitar and drum were of equal precision and aptitude. It was clear the musicians forged this album with sentiment and taste.

In the end: For being a pint-sized debut EP weighing in at around 13 minutes, I personally thought it was a work of pride and passion. It was full of sincere craftsmanship and constructed with outspoken effort. I do look forward to the next chapter from these guys. I'm in your corner. 

Infant Annihilator- The Elysian Grandeval Galèriarch 2016

                                                                                                  Released July 29th, 2016



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Notes I took:

• Panic. One of my first impressions of this album off the bat was that it has a strong deathcore outfit. The material encompassed a lot of characteristics that predominantly define deathcore when it came to general feel. It held a perfect balance between this “fight or flight” anxiety sensation and slow angry crashing waves.

• The violins. As the album began I was greeted by a soft gust of violins. I found it quite an artistic touch and a wise use of ambiance; especially, in comparison to the unnerving sobbing baby that seamlessly faded into rabid grunting. This album embodied a lot ominous orchestra undertones from start to finish.

Deathcore as a genre is no stranger to the likes of such things as violins and pianos. It’s my personal observation that since the rise of deathcore in the early 2000’s that bands have always been open to experimenting with obscure directions (for the genre, I mean) like orchestra and even choir. This album here featured incredible lady choir during a breakdown that I thought was brilliant.

• The samples were well placed. I couldn’t make out where any of the lines were sampled from and I almost like it that way. They were as interesting as they were intoxicating. I wanted to make special note that they used both male and female dialogue samples, in separate tracks, on this album and that stuck out to me for some reason; both were equally as haunting.

• The vocals. RIP Me. The front man is wildly talented on several levels. I was blown away by his broad pitch range. His versatility further extended beyond just his highs and his lows, his line delivery spoke volumes toward his confidence on the microphone and with his own abilities. I loved that he played around with different singing patterns and really contributed his own flavor. I even sensed subtle influences of slam/beatdown in some of his choruses.

Composition is more than apparent in this album and the vocals are a shining example. It’s clear to me that the vocalist really took the time to construct each verse, and largely, each track; this is no casual weekend jam session. Aside from homeboy’s obviously gifted growls and shrieks, you can tell he used every ounce of poetic license in his bone marrow for this album. I was taken back a few steps by his capability to fully express a story. The whole album felt like a giant evil folklore and each track he was telling us more and more of this dark chronicle. The story telling style fit well with the general atmosphere, I thought it was rather to intriguing and fresh. Personally, I also couldn't help but notice that all the biblical folklore gave the album a slight black metal tone.  

I also loved that he kept using nasty words such as clitoris, cunt, and cock. However, these words are considered gentle when held up against the subject matter happening in the rest of the material.  In deeper remarks of the lyricism, they were certainly driving home a singular point. The album entirely consisted of a sole theme addressing the disturbing horrors of pedophiliac traditions practiced by religious figures in our society since the very beginning of organized theology. In addition, with a band name like “Infant Annihilator”, you bet your sweet fucking ass there is baby murder, baby cutting, baby castrating, and all sorts of baby rape saturating this album.

• Guest vocals. I was extremely happy they had four guest vocalists roll through on the album. I heavily endorse the idea of artists collaborating with each other as much as they can. I would love to see where death metal can really go when people put their creative energy together. I really enjoyed the contribution these dudes individually made to the material they were working with. It was a legitimate pleasure to feel them come on and really show out their best for this Infant Annihilator, I felt like it brought the whole thing together in its own way. I also enjoyed getting to hear the distinctive differences in each vocalist, it really shed light on the defining factor vocalists have in their bands.   

*Special Guest Vocalists:

 Chris Whited- Lost Fortune

 Bryan Long- Dealey Plaza

 Dillon Becker- AnimalFarm

 Tyler Shelton- Traitors

• The guitars are so technical it hurt. I was seriously impressed by the guitars in this album for their attention to precision. The riffs were mindfully structured and decisive at all times. They left no stone untouched between all the frantic gallops, fine point solos, and merciless breakdowns. I took personal note that they did not skip out on the breakdowns one bit in this album. It also stuck out to me that they were not afraid to play around with odd timing, which I think certainly worked in their favor.

I’ve observed that in the last five or so years that deathcore bands have been really experimenting with this off timing and using it to channel this sort of suspenseful vibe to supplement the already present panic/anxiety vibe that the genre naturally takes on. Personally, I can dig it.

• The drums meant fucking business. Each beat was set in stone from the moment it was struck. The whole album derived its defining hyper technical demeanor primarily from the drums. The incredible speeds the drums were hitting were absolutely mind blowing. On the opposite end of that spectrum I couldn’t help but notice that the drums did attribute to the undertones of slam and beatdown I was sensing throughout the album, especially around breakdowns and bridges. I personally loved the slow influence in this material because it really added to the unholy ominous thing they were going for.

• The bass was more than present. In this album, the bass made a statement too. The bass was just as technical as the rest of the dudes. Something I noticed within the first few minutes of the album was that the bass was no whisper. It came in crashing like beautiful black waves. I must also remark upon the observation that the bass did have a “slap” element to it in places, further contributing to that slam/beatdown feel I kept sensing.  There were neatly placed long deep notes that added this dismal factor to the complimented precision of the rest of the bass tracks.

I give a real shout out to the producer for how well the bass sat in the mix. It was apparent that there was special attention paid to the bass tracks. From the clarity of the bass tracks I could just tell they mixed them to sit in the foreground of the sound and I think that was a smart decision. I feel like giving the bass more of a voice in the album only reinforced that sludgy beatdown presence.

Jesse Kirkbride of Kirkbride Recordings, you're doing good. 

Overall: This album was nothing sort of a masterpiece and don't let anyone tell you otherwise, kid. The attention to detail and the bleeding heart dedication to the music is just breath taking. The album was a glowing spectacle of harmonious duality on all fronts from the collective vibe to each musician’s individual performance. When I finished the initial listen of the material, I genuinely had a “proud parent moment” for them. Then I wiped the blood from my eyes.

Good job Infant Annihilator. You’re doing good.

Pestilent- Purgatory of Punishment

                                                                                                             Released July 21st, 2016
                                                                                                                 Transcending Records
Check them out yourself:

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Notes I had taken

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•             The intro murder/rape scene sample. It’s very generic but loveable nonetheless. I can always tell that the album is going to be a banger when it starts with a desensitizing and almost uncomfortable vibe set up by the skits. I suppose the purpose of the now called skits is to really high light the brutality factor of the band, like a dog baring its teeth, while at the same time getting the listener mentally prepared and excited up for the actual music. This album is no exception.

I can’t help but notice the elephant in the room. These skits are very similar. They all seemed to be set up based on the same formula of: a long drug out deep note that is broken up by the buzz of flies and dying florescent lights (this tells us we are in a gross dark place). Then the skit always goes into some variation of evil perverted man rage and a lady dying of sexual humiliation and torture for what could be a whole minute. And I guarantee you there is frothy man grunting, frightened lady screaming, and the squelching of ripping flesh. Hell, there might even be some gurgling and splattering too.

I personally have always dug the murder/rape skits at the beginning, or end, of an album. It is nothing new, I remember sitting through an entire album including the intro/outro sample scenes back when I used to actually have to buy the album because I wanted to hear it in full (the internet wasn’t quite a thing just yet). The skits remind me of the regal and elegant demeanor a carefully placed wax stamp crest gives a pretty envelope. It sets the mood.

• The samples. This album harmoniously harbored fun silly samples alongside cryptic dark samples; a balanced duality. It had some comical bits like a guy explaining he has had too much Jaeger Meister and another where a guy is hollering about a “bowl of slams”. However, through all the fun and games they retained some seriousness with a haunting sample of crows cawing in “Crows Feast upon Your Carcass” (Purgatory of Punishment). 

I love a good sample, that’s an idea I can co-sign. I equally like a perfectly placed satirical sample as much as a gritty ass movie one liner right before a breakdown, just like in the song “Diaries of Dismemberment” (Purgatory of Punishment). It really emphasizes the heaviness of the moment in terms of a breakdown or bridge. 

I also get a kick out of samples because it is a clear connection between the metal and pop culture. It’s almost a delight to be listening to an album and suddenly a line from a well-known movie is slipped in and it sets the whole song off. Aside from adding some sass to the mix, it’s evidence that these musicians are people who live in the same relative mainstream as everyone else. I mention this to shed light on the fact that this tiny little accent has the fantastic ability to break up the ugly blood soaked outfit that metal naturally has for a brief moment of clarity that these metal musicians are very much so fellow humans. I think people tend to forget that small fact in the wash of all the blast beats that we all live on the same streets.

•        The vocalist went hard as fuck. The true depth of his gutturals was really worth remarking upon. I particularly noticed the magnificent contrast between his lows and his highs, which only strengthened the fact that he is a talented vocalist. I also tip my hat kindly to homeboy for throwing in the beloved trademark “cricket” screech in there once or twice.

Many factors define Slam as its own subgenre, but really sets it apart from the rest is the vocals. This is certainly not your grandma’s death metal. Slam is known for a couple of vocal trademarks like the pig squeal and the cricket, but the real signature here is the deep pitch dominating guttural growl. As soon as I hear that abysmal “from-the-bone-marrow” growl my heart just knows its Slam.

On top of being really down pitch, it is uniformly down tempo; one could even call it groovy. Because of that, slam vocals hit the same way too.  It’s like slow demonic chanting swirled with unforgiving stretches of just solid guttural. Personally, I eat that shit up.

•  The drums were not fucking around. I thoroughly enjoyed this album and a good third that credit goes to the drummer. He hit all the walls for me. I was impressed with his double kicks, and believe me when I say that I fucking love a real healthy ass poly bass kick. Everyone was definitely doing their part but the drummer’s little technicalities were the bourbon soaked black cherry on top of this album for me.

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•              The guitars came in orgasmic waves. A slam is a slam is a slam. And boy, did it slam. The guitars kept the pace going all over the place. Another fine duality for the album between perfectly timed grooves and chaotic riffs. But let’s be brutally honest, pun intended, and address the notion that it isn’t rocket surgery to play slam riffs. Just keep it simple and easy does it. Regardless of the uncomplicated nature of slam guitar, I found homeboy to be on point and did nothing short of deliver. *I am not disparaging the talent of any musician of any band whatsoever in the slightest    

Ultimately: 

This is a very solid album, what they have here is certainly something to be proud of. Despite only being a short 26 minutes, and some change, it featured quite a lot of hits; have to admit I was impressed with that. The year 2016 has been full of good releases; Purgatory of Punishment has easily joined the ranks.

*Update: fun fact, the vocalist (Lennon O'Donnell) has just explained to me that the intro is a bunch of Mortal Kombat X fatalities compiled together; created personally by him in two hours.