Beneath the Massacre Mechanics of Dysfunction
Prosthetic Records 6561910042-2 February 20th, 2007
By Jason Jordan
Ever since the impressive Evidence of Inequity Beneath the Massacres 2005 debut on Galy Ive been waiting to hear a full-length from this brutal, technical Canadian outfit. Mechanics of Dysfunction, Im pleased to report, delivers on every front that matters: songwriting, musicianship, artwork, etc., etc., etc. So what have BtM achieved with MoD? To put it bluntly, this is easily the first great technical death metal release of 2007, and a tremendous way of beginning what should prove a mutually beneficial relationship between Prosthetic and themselves.
While they dont necessarily sound exactly like anyone out there, this four-piece can be compared to many of their countrymen, and fit in well, I might add. Theyre dense (Cryptopsy), technically intricate (Martyr, Neuraxis), and oftentimes unpredictable in a stop/start rhythmical sense (Despised Icon, Ion Dissonance). Also, most of the guitar leads are of an Arsis/Necrophagist variety, as heard in The Surface, Societys Disposable Son, Modern Age Slavery, The Invisible Hand, and others. The only real breather, however, comes in the form of Untitled, which serves as a relaxed bridge between The Stench of Misery and Modern Age Slavery. The productions solid, of course, though Id prefer less click-happy bass drums. Even so despite the fast and bone-crushing manner in which the material is delivered I must still assert that theres not a trace of emotion to be uncovered. Rather, Mechanics of Dysfunction is cold, clinical, calculated. I felt the same way about Martyrs Feeding the Abscess, but during the course of this 30-minute lesson in asskickery, Beneath the Massacre hooked me hooked me real good.
Again, aside from the utter lack of emotion, BtM wowed me in nearly every possible way. Some may argue that the length is insufficient, but because the songs arent radically different from each other and thus have a tendency to feel same-y as the disc approaches its close, I actually think the quartet benefit from offering only a half an hour blast of blistering music. By the end, youll be a bloody, breathless mess, and theres not a damn thing you can do about it. I mean, why would you want to?
Official Beneath the Massacre Website
Official Prosthetic Records Website
Prosthetic Records 6561910042-2 February 20th, 2007
By Jason Jordan
Ever since the impressive Evidence of Inequity Beneath the Massacres 2005 debut on Galy Ive been waiting to hear a full-length from this brutal, technical Canadian outfit. Mechanics of Dysfunction, Im pleased to report, delivers on every front that matters: songwriting, musicianship, artwork, etc., etc., etc. So what have BtM achieved with MoD? To put it bluntly, this is easily the first great technical death metal release of 2007, and a tremendous way of beginning what should prove a mutually beneficial relationship between Prosthetic and themselves.
While they dont necessarily sound exactly like anyone out there, this four-piece can be compared to many of their countrymen, and fit in well, I might add. Theyre dense (Cryptopsy), technically intricate (Martyr, Neuraxis), and oftentimes unpredictable in a stop/start rhythmical sense (Despised Icon, Ion Dissonance). Also, most of the guitar leads are of an Arsis/Necrophagist variety, as heard in The Surface, Societys Disposable Son, Modern Age Slavery, The Invisible Hand, and others. The only real breather, however, comes in the form of Untitled, which serves as a relaxed bridge between The Stench of Misery and Modern Age Slavery. The productions solid, of course, though Id prefer less click-happy bass drums. Even so despite the fast and bone-crushing manner in which the material is delivered I must still assert that theres not a trace of emotion to be uncovered. Rather, Mechanics of Dysfunction is cold, clinical, calculated. I felt the same way about Martyrs Feeding the Abscess, but during the course of this 30-minute lesson in asskickery, Beneath the Massacre hooked me hooked me real good.
Again, aside from the utter lack of emotion, BtM wowed me in nearly every possible way. Some may argue that the length is insufficient, but because the songs arent radically different from each other and thus have a tendency to feel same-y as the disc approaches its close, I actually think the quartet benefit from offering only a half an hour blast of blistering music. By the end, youll be a bloody, breathless mess, and theres not a damn thing you can do about it. I mean, why would you want to?
Official Beneath the Massacre Website
Official Prosthetic Records Website
