Ok, Happy Fourth of July. You know, like, it’s that day and all.
GOATWHORE release Constricting Rage of the Merciless. Let’s not really discuss the title, as I don’t know what it means. Produced by Erik Rutan, this definitely has a full sound, full of clarity and definition without losing any teeth (or beak, in this case). There are your usual things here that are native to a Goatwhore record: blackened thrash abounds. There are some stylistic differences, though: blast beats, although not a prolonged section, appear, which is a little unnatural for them. They also kind of try their hand at some like boogie-woogie type of swing that settles into a nasty groove; this is not surprising considering their geographic location. All in all, this is really close to Blood for the Master, which some hail as their best, but has some songwriting differences without straying from their overall sound. 7 Fucking Pecks.
Are you Cursed to See the Future? Well, Brooklyn three-piece MORTALS do. This is kind of hard for me to really bond with. There’s a blackness, a darkness, but I can’t really seem to pigeonhole this. It has a black metal sort of feel, kind of like Gallhammer, but better? More precise? There are elements of sludge, doom and even the odd moment of hardcore thrown in at times. Even though the recording is pretty good, the production feels claustrophobic, and not in a good way. It really feels squashed within an inch of its life, and leads me to believe that this would be a LOT better live. I do have to say that they create a hell of a racket for a three-piece, and the filth on here has an underlying needling feeling. I guess I should add, even though it’s not relevant, that Mortals is three ladies. So, yeah, this is an admirable first effort. 6 Fucking Pecks.
I’ll be quite honest: I’ve never been a huge fan of ORIGIN, and their new record Omnipresent is no real exception. It’s not bad, but like I said, I’ve never been a huge fan. I DO have to say that the Colin Marston mixing job is impeccable, and the record has a really good tone, as some of these types of releases tend to be squashed to all peck. This is techy sort of death metal, for those of you that don’t know, and this album has more diversity than any of the preceding releases. I really don’t want to hate this, but I gotta be honest here: It’s just not my thing and I pecking can’t dig it. For those who like this sort of thing, you will not be disappointed, and I think it’s one of their better releases. It’s just not for me. The bass sounds cool and the drums sound amazing, and they can play. So, you like this? Buy it. If you’re like me, this won’t change your mind. 5 Fucking Pecks.
