2024 Headsplit Records (CS) / Memento Mori (CD) / Crypt of the Wizard (LP)
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7/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS
This is the 3rd, and eponymous, full length from this California band. It's dark and primitive death metal that reminds me a little of Pungent Stench and a lot of Autopsy. The bass guitar is truly prominent in the mix, acting almost like a third guitar, adding textures throughout. It just sounds huge. They feature, at times, some truly off-kilter riffing that comes as a surprise every time. They took the chassis of Autopsy and really made something unique of it, especially with the horror-movie inspired synths (or guitar effects, maybe?) throughout the record in key places. The guitar solos are quite talented and we get quite a few of them. The vocals are powerful and deep growls that have a cavernous effect on them, giving them a sense of being bigger and atmospheric. The cover art is quite good - in fact, it's a great visual representation of their sound. I couldn't explain the band better than monolith-worshipping cavemen with a possibly cannibalistic bent. It's accurate. I didn't really need a ten-plus minute long song to finish off the record, but we get one anyway, and it's more like several songs mashed together. That's the only real flaw here. Otherwise, it's a fitting addition to their catalog, and one that I would recommend to anyone that needs more horror-influenced death metal in their collection.
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