Visceral Bleeding - Remnants Of Deprivation
2002 - Retribute Records
By Philip Whitehouse
2002 has been a good year for death metal so far... Iniquity have stunned us all with latest platter 'Grime', Vader have reminded us exactly why we started taking notice of the Polish metal scene again with 'Armageddon', Nile are about to unleash their new CD onto an unsuspecting world, and new bands like Visceral Bleeding are stepping up to the plate with releases as powerful as this one.
Remnants Of Deprivation is gut-churningly brutal without forsaking production values and musicianship, technical without resorting to Malmsteen-esque fret-wanking, and structurally complex without introducing the element of confusion on the listener's part that The Dillinger Escape Plan revel in.
During heavier parts (a term that's entirely relative, as this whole album is as heavy as a truckload of Pilsbury dough-boys) of songs such as 'Spreader Of Disease' and 'Gasping...', this album sounds not so much like a band playing death metal as a group of instruments given life and malevolent purpose, battering the holy hell out of each other with military discipline, clinical precision and one heck of a bad attitude.
The solos in the songs are jaw-droppingly impressive without being intrusive, the vocals are raw and intense throughout, and the drumming is of frankly astonishing standard. There's even a space left in the album for a twisted sense of humour to shine through - during charming ditty 'To Disgrace Condemned' (a tale about city boys getting lost in the woods and being raped by hillbillys), the instruments go silent and you briefly hear a southern-fried banjo picking melody, before the nastiness comes back with force. Then, upon the vocalists growled command to 'SQUEAL!', reverbed pinch harmonics provide the appropriate sound effects. I defy anyone not to laugh at this point.
A truly fantastic album from very, very promising newcomers.
9/10
2002 - Retribute Records
By Philip Whitehouse
2002 has been a good year for death metal so far... Iniquity have stunned us all with latest platter 'Grime', Vader have reminded us exactly why we started taking notice of the Polish metal scene again with 'Armageddon', Nile are about to unleash their new CD onto an unsuspecting world, and new bands like Visceral Bleeding are stepping up to the plate with releases as powerful as this one.
Remnants Of Deprivation is gut-churningly brutal without forsaking production values and musicianship, technical without resorting to Malmsteen-esque fret-wanking, and structurally complex without introducing the element of confusion on the listener's part that The Dillinger Escape Plan revel in.
During heavier parts (a term that's entirely relative, as this whole album is as heavy as a truckload of Pilsbury dough-boys) of songs such as 'Spreader Of Disease' and 'Gasping...', this album sounds not so much like a band playing death metal as a group of instruments given life and malevolent purpose, battering the holy hell out of each other with military discipline, clinical precision and one heck of a bad attitude.
The solos in the songs are jaw-droppingly impressive without being intrusive, the vocals are raw and intense throughout, and the drumming is of frankly astonishing standard. There's even a space left in the album for a twisted sense of humour to shine through - during charming ditty 'To Disgrace Condemned' (a tale about city boys getting lost in the woods and being raped by hillbillys), the instruments go silent and you briefly hear a southern-fried banjo picking melody, before the nastiness comes back with force. Then, upon the vocalists growled command to 'SQUEAL!', reverbed pinch harmonics provide the appropriate sound effects. I defy anyone not to laugh at this point.
A truly fantastic album from very, very promising newcomers.
9/10
