The Rotted at Myspace / Gorerotted at Myspace

First God made metal. But the metal was without gore or splatter, and so God said, “Let there be brutal death”, and then there was gore and splatter. And God saw that the gore was good, and God made Gorerotted. And he said to Gorerotted, “go and make some really sick brutal death metal, you fucks”. And so it was, and the children of God were happy, and it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, and time passed, and God’s children lost faith in Gorerotted, because nothing could ever beat ‘Fuck Your Arse With Broken Glass’, so why carry on? And they told this to God. And God went to his bedroom and listened to Napalm Death and had a bong, and read his book of puns. And God said, “Let there be a new band, and let it be called ‘The Rotted’. And let it mix hardcore punk elements into the brutal death metal stew, but let it do so without being lame”. And God’s children doubted his word, because everyone knows what happens when bands try that shit, but they held tight and regularly checked Myspace. And after a while, God gave the new album to his children. And it was the dog’s bollocks.

‘Get Dead or Die Trying’ sounds nothing like Gorerotted, really, so it’s no surprise they changed the name. Listening to Gorerotted, you could well imagine they recorded each album in one take. Not that it was sloppy or anything, far from it, it was just fucking raw. The Rotted are an entirely different affair – This is sleek, refined death metal, without being at all pretentious. Every instrument is given just enough space to breathe, every riff is carefully calculated and perfectly timed. It even borders on sounding ‘Death & Roll’ at points, although the speed keeps it from straying too far into those iffy waters. The harsh vocals are loud and thick, delivered with a rumbling force that Gorerotted’s stuff lacked.

The punk influences really add something cool to the mix. I’m no hardcore kiddie or anything (fuck that shit), but I think any metalhead worth his salt should appreciate at least some punk. And, evidently, so do the guys in The Rotted, since this album really embraces the punk aesthetic (check out the album cover) and sound, while remaining unmistakably death metal. Each song has an undeniably catchy punk vibe, to such a degree that I wouldn’t be at all surprised if its music videos end up on Kerrang. Which is strange, because a death metal band with that level of commercial viability would normally be totally gay. But this is really good.

So, in conclusion. This album is a fucking great surprise from the ex-Gorerotted boys. I fully approve of and support their new musical direction (as long as they’ll still play old Gorerotted songs live) and I hope it makes them rich and famous. You should buy it. You can stream it in its entirety by clicking here if you need more convincing.

Sarpanitum at Myspace

Okay, let’s get the Nile comparisons out of the way immediately. Sarpanitum lyrically deal with the mythology of Mesopotamia (not quite Egypt but close enough), there’s a song entitled ‘Seducing the Phallus Throne’ and Nile is definitely one influence among many for these boys. That’s not all they are about though, not by a long shot. Birmingham’s Sarpanitum play brutal death metal which takes in the aforementioned savage technicality of Nile, the dark unruly power of Immolation, the impassioned brutality of Origin and the slightly blackened assault of modern day Behemoth.

Yes, the drummer is thundering, the guitars shredding, the music generally brutal, and it is worth a purchase, but as much as I enjoy listening to ‘Despoilment of Origin’ at the time and as much it is quite a superb début, It doesn’t yet have that special ingredient that keeps you coming back for more and more spins of the record. In time I’m sure they will get there, and it is the one of the best death metal débuts in Europe this year. This is death metal of the highest quality if not originality, but despite that is doubtlessly an effort that all fans of Brutal Death Metal should at check out at least.

Gortuary at Myspace

When it comes to brutal death metal, I’m not very hard to please; it just needs to be fast, heavy, guttural and sickening. Immediately when I think of bands that possess those traits I think of Disgorge, Abysmal Torment, Execration, and so forth. However, here I sit listening to new-comers Gortuary and their Sevared Records debut, “Manic Thoughts Of Perverse Mutilation“, and while I know it’s going to be full of blastbeats and blistering riffs, I wonder – Can this album do more than just quench my hunger for brutality?

When the first introduction kicks in and I start hearing this psychokiller’s ramblings, I wonder when the hell the music will start. Then, with a climactic stabbing sound effect, I begin to realize why “Manic Thoughts Of Perverse Mutilation” was chosen as the album title. When the band swings into full-gear, I constantly found myself wondering what, exactly, is Oscar babbling on about? However, it really doesn’t matter what Oscar is growling, because I’m too busy sending myself to an early grave by headbanging violently. When I get that certain urge to throw my back out and snap my neck at the same time, I know I’ve stumbled upon something special, and little did I know how brutal this rollercoaster called “Manic Thoughts Of Perverse Mutilation” really was.

I’ve noticed that Jae Vizcaya (bass guitar) really stands out and again, this is very rare to see on an album such as this. You can really tell that the man sports some sick bass chops and isn’t afraid of leading the onslaught of gore straight into your ears. His role is very reminiscent of Erland Caspersen (Blood Red Throne, Emeth, Deeds Of Flesh) because of his ability to sort of roll right along with the riffs yet not completely overpower them. In a way he’s sort of like the Grim Reaper on this album, in the way that while sometimes you can’t hear him, you know he’s there, just waiting for the right moment to start tearing your ass apart and take your soul to some other netherworld.

If I could only choose three songs off the album to really show somebody what Gortuary is really made of, then it would easily be “Mutilation By Double Penetration“, “Hereditary Retardation“, and “Meat Grinder Homicide“. Each one of those tracks is the perfect embodiment of what brutal death metal is, all while keeping your attention focused on the music throughout its entirety.

Now, we all know that no album is without its faults, and while it’s very hard to find any on this record, I’ve managed to come up with two complaints. Oscar does a great job on vocals, but in some ways I wish he sort of mixed up the vocal patterns a bit rather than always following the riffs just to play it safe. The second complaint I have isn’t with the music itself, so it’s merely just a track issue. Six of the nine tracks were already on their 2006 “Splatter Fecal Matter” demo, so if you’ve already heard the demo, then you’ve heard about 70% of “Manic Thoughts Of Perverse Mutilation“, which just leaves you to explore “Mutilation By Double Penetration“, “Hereditary Retardation” and “Pedophilic Manipulation“. Lucky for me I heard this album before I checked out the demo.

I really can’t even begin to dissect each part of the album without sending praise to the five men who created this masterpiece. If there’s one thing they did right, it would have to be making nearly every single element of this album being memorable and some parts even catchy while not compromising their brutality. It is incredibly rare when both of those distinguishing traits join forces, and in a world where most new bands who try their hand at brutal death metal suck at it, this is an large breath of fresh air. If you’re a fan of the genre, then do yourself a favor and pick this album up post-haste.

Abysmal Torment at Myspace

Abysmal Torment hail from the most brutal country in the world: Malta.

This album is crazy. The vocals are all gurgly and the riffs are all chuggy and the drums are all like BRAP BRAP BRAP and it makes you want to hurl yourself through your bedroom window and start headbanging in the street, showering everyone in blood and bits of broken glass.