San Diego death metal unit Putrescine are a ferocious group on The Fading Flame, the band’s second release and first full-length album. Though varied in their musicianship and ideas, Putrescine are single-minded when it comes to delivering an intense, memorable death metal album that sets them up as a band to watch.
Guitarists Trevor Van Hook and Zachary Sanders are busy on The Fading Flame, serving up a never-ending barrage of riffs flows from one to the next. Songs like “Outsider” and “Profaned Failure” appeal to the knuckle-dragging side of the genre, featuring some of the record’s most-bulldozing riffs, lots of blast beats and Marie McAuliffe’s vocals that range from blackened shrieks to guttural growls.
The trio conjure dizzying riffs and moments of dissonance elsewhere on the album, like on “The Abyss” and “That Mountain,” showcasing their ability to keep things fresh without deviating from their core sound, influenced by bands like At the Gates, Morbid Angel and Carcass (seriously, just look at that Bandcamp URL).
Lyrically, The Fading Flame keeps a foot in two worlds. There are songs about the fantasy universes of Dark Souls and Bloodborne, but Putrescine don’t shy away from serious topics; tracks on the album tackle imperialism, communism, gay rights and surviving trauma.
There’s no doubt that American death metal is having something of a resurgence or a rise in popularity right now and with The Fading Flame, Putrescine make it clear that it’s not too late for new bands to join the party. They’re set to release the album in full on March 26 via Tridroid but the album is streaming in full via Decibel right now.
