December 4, 2009 | , | 3.5

Avulsed, Nullo (The Pleasure of Self-mutilation)

Avulsed: Nullo (The Pleasure of Self-mutilation)

Avulsed have been banging out thundering death gore from their homeland of Italy Spain with reckless abandon for quite some time now. Their fifth studio release, Nullo (The Pleasure of Self-mutilation) is no exception — in fact from what I’ve heard of their past albums, this latest is by far their catchiest, heaviest material to date.

Down-tuned, razor sharp riffing pummel and crush like no tomorrow, as thundering rhythms lay waste to everything in the bands path. Throw in some super slick solo and lead work and the album takes on a much more technical aspect. But have no fear, this isn’t some guttural death prog exploration — Avulsed still lay the gore (check out the song titles) on nice and thick, delivered through mid-range and guttural utterances.

Breaking Hymens
“Breaking Hymens” is surely an indication that no matter how much groove the band throws into this album, it’s still first and foremost about the gore. Hell yeah! The track starts off with dark orchestration as big guitars fill the air. The riffing throughout this album is spot on, crushing skulls with massive chug and off-kilter shifts, yet maintaining one hell of a groove. The chorus on this one is a bit odd and took me a little while to get used to, but the half-song growls are pretty sweet. The lead at 2:50 is nicely incorporated into the churning gore.

Killing After Death
Avulsed keep the groove flowing like cranial fluids from a boot stomped skull with this next song. Rapid fire drums shove the thrashing death riffs down your throat forcefully. The vocals are a combination of mid-range rasps and deep guttural gurgles, working in concert with one another nicely. I love the riffing after the two minute mark, especially as the pile driving drums come in 15 seconds or so after.

Maggotfilled
The build-up at the start of this next track allows you to catch your breath before diving head first in the blasting furnace of thundering rhythms and duel vocal shredding. The guitars on this one keep you on your toes with nicely timed shifts and transitions. Again the two minute spot on this song is sheer brutality with chaotic drumming and flying guitars.

Voracious Backpacker
“Voracious Backpacker” starts off smoothly with a steady beat before descending into the gape maw of madness with churning, swirling guitars and deep guttural vocals. This one has a very dark feel to it. The slower portions of this song are highlighted with well contained guitar squeals. The speed of the track is ramped up nicely around the three minute mark. Man, this song packs a punch.

Nullo (The Pleasure of Self-Mutilation)
Galloping guitars and thundering drums open up the title track with ferocious vocals. This one is amped up from the get-go and never lets off the accelerator through its three and a half minutes. Chugging riffs, catchy rhythms and a memorable chorus keep this one fresh in the back of your mind for while. Speaking of the chorus, the lighter guitar work during those segments is a nice change of pace from the more down-tuned nature of the riffing. The lead at 1:50 is a shredding monster!

Nazino (Cannibal Hell)
“Nazino” starts off with guitars featuring a classical feel before thick, catchy riffing come in with manic drumming and guttural growls. There’s a bit of a melodic feel to this song that’s a bit brighter than the album thus far. It’s catchy and full of memorable guitar work, yet still frighteningly brutal. The chorus is catchy as fuck! The lead at 2:55 is surprisingly light and soaring, adding a great deal of contrast to the overall darker tones of the song.

Fair Flesh Obsession
Rolling drums and technical riffing accompany ferocious vocals for the first 30 seconds or so of this next song before the band shifts into a galloping groove. There are a few production affects added to the vocals here and there (echos and such) that add a little depth to the song. The lead at 2:25 will most likely result in some sort of flesh loss on your part.

Chestblood
“Chestblood” is an evil beast of a song complete with crushing drum shifts, driving riffs and varied vocal deliveries. It’s probably one of the more complete feeling songs on the album. The three minute long song has everything you could want from these guys — churning riffs, creative drumming, bludgeoning rhythms and plenty of aggression. The lead at 2:15 has a nice melancholy feel as it soars above the thick riffs below.

She’s Hot Tonight (In My Oven)
I love the title to this next one. The opening however, reminds me of another band, but I can’t pinpoint who. That said, I do love the guitar work that starts the song off as the band jumps into a death thrash groove. The chorus is evil as hell, but super catchy. The blasting drums just before the three minute mark really get the blood flowing for the trailing chorus.

River Runs Red
Man, there is some seriously thick groove in the guitars on “River Runs Red.” The production, however, on this song seems to be a bit too dense as the vocals get muffled. Overall, though, this song is full of pummeling drums, catchy vocals and down-tuned mosh. There is some nice riffing hidden here and there throughout the song, so be on the lookout.

Foetal Consolation
“Foetal Consolation” is the final original song on the album before heading into 3 cover songs and a re-recording of an older track. And i’ll be damned if it isn’t sheer brutality bottled up just for me. This track is thick and full of devastating riffs, bruising drum work and vicious vocals. Still, the production, much like that last song, is a more muffled than the rest of the album. At any rate, the track is definitely one of my favorites from the disc.

Unconscious Pleasure (2006 re-dissection)
This next song is insidiously dark and plodding as it opens up. The pace changes smoothly around 1:20, building up rapidly to a frenzied attack as the vocals come in. Once into the meat of the song, you’ll be treated with violent vocals, beefy drums and monster riffs. This is definitely a nice add-on to the album.

Piranha (Exodus cover)
The first cover is of Exodus’ “Piranha” and it’s a pretty brutal take on the song. I’m not sure it compares with the original, but it’s a decent effort on Avulsed‘s part.

I Wanna Be Somebody (W.A.S.P. cover)
This is definitely the oddball amongst the covers. Good, but weird hearing it portrayed as a brutal death metal song.

Mental Misery (Gorefest)
The final track on the album is actually my favorite of the covers. Sit back and enjoy.

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Additional Notes:
N/A