This one’s an assbeater. French brutal death dealers Embrace Your Punishment are slated to drop their third album, Made of Stone, and Decibel has the exclusive advance stream. Initially catching my eye for its features—Crowbar’s Kirk Windstein, Misery Index’s Jason Netherton and Benighted’s Julien Truchan—Embrace Your Punishment earned their keep with riffs that balance between brutality and technicality, a jackhammering rhythm section and good, concise songwriting.
Most listeners will likely gravitate toward “Made of Stone Pt 1,” which features Windstein. The track stands out because Windstein molds himself to the track, not the other way around, his trademark roar finding itself right at home with the hardcore-influenced death metal. “Oppression” serves up some of the rowdiest slams this side of Dying Fetus, “Exterminate the Threat” puts the pedal to the metal and “Unconquered” brings out Netherton’s best.
Made of Stone is a meat and potatoes album as far slam and death metal go, which is a good thing for Embrace Your Punishment. Their singleminded desire to make a good, heavy-as-fuck brutal death metal album means that Made of Stone is a satisfying listen. Check it out below and grab it from brutal death metal experts Lacerated Enemy on Friday.
