Released July 21st, 2016
Transcending Records
Check them out yourself:
Notes I had taken
-
- 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 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.
*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.
