Delve into the swampy undercarriage of Philadelphia—don’t mind the smell of boiling piss, that’s normal ’round these parts—with Thrive or Starve, the debut demo from death/doom trio Bone Weapon. Featuring members of Demo:listen and Decibel live event alumni Blood Spore, Bone Weapon’s first effort is as primitive and gnarly as the tool that inspires the band’s name.
Containing three mid-length songs, Thrive or Starve is a complete proof of concept. Opener “The Hunt” sets the tone for the demo, combining blast beats, mid-tempo grooves and raspy screams. Each song is progressively heavier, ending on the crawling “Death of Lurking Eyes.” Thanks to the production job, Thrive or Starve sounds like it was excavated out of the dirt somewhere, aiding the primitive-sounding nature of the songs.
If you like your death metal a little gnarly and a lot influenced by the likes of Autopsy, Rippikoulu and Coffins, tune in to Bone Weapon’s Thrive or Starve.
