Flesh Consumed, Mutilate, Eviscerate, Decapitate
It’s not often that you come across a brutal death metal band that incorporates more than one vocalist, let alone four. Just about everyone, and then some (guest growlers) in California’s Flesh Consumed tackle the guttural growls throughout the band’s firt full length release through Sevared Records. Mutilate, Eviscerate, Decapitate is more than just your standard brutal death metal release. Aside from the multiple vocal sources, Flesh Consumed take the genre in a slightly different direction when it comes to delivering riff after technical riff.
Guitarist (and lead gurgler) Corey Athos along with rhythm guitarist Leanard Atalig don’t just slam riff their way through the nine tracks on this album. The riffs and leads they produce are bit more technical than your average death metal riff and, at times, are down right catchy. Bassist Phil Perez and drummer Alex Colon pulverize bone with thick rhythms and hammer blow drum work. With regard to the vocals, you can only imagine the variety of growls and gurgles that four dudes and a bunch of guest vocalists can produce.
Schizophrenic Slaughter Frenzy
The album’s first track begins with some background growls and noise to set the appropriate mood. At just about the one minute mark thick riffs and pummeling drums open up a world of hate with completely indecipherable vocal growls and gurgles. Aside from the two band members that provide vocals for this track, Blue Jensen from Guttural Secrete also pays a visit. It’s nearly impossible to tell who’s who, but that’s fine by me. Don’t forget to check out the catchy as hell riffs at the 2:10 mark.
Disinterment
Staggered riffs get this one going along with machine gun blasts from the drums. I’m digging the guitars around the one minute mark as the vocals take a brief break. The guitars at the 1:40 mark and beyond are pretty goddamned sick, which is quickly followed by another series of catchy riffs. Man, Colon is unleashing hell on the drum kit at teh 2:30 mark.
Cast into the Pit
A veritable who’s who of brutal death metal appears in one form or another as guest vocalist on “Cast into the Pit.” Aside from the band, Blue Jensen (Guttural Secrete), Hideath (Infernal Revulsion), Shawn Whitaker (Viral Load) and few others lend their growls to the Flesh Consumed cause. The track opens with some wind sound clips and a fairly memorable series of riffs. After the first set of vocals pass the riffing is pretty catchy and head banging ensues as the next set of growlers come into play. The lead at the 2:20 mark is nice as is the heavy handed drumming. There are so many layered vocals throughout this one it can only be described as the demonic growls of the devil himself.
Human Abattoir
A bunch of sound clips start this one off properly before a massive wall of death metal hits with the brute force of a sledge hammer to the side of the skull. Some more catchy riffing keeps the momentum flowing like bile from a punctured abdomen. The drum work on this one is pretty damned impressive.
Flesh Consumed
After the abrupt end to “Human Abattoir,” Flesh Consumed get right back to the bludgeoning with a track named after themselves. Featuring Hideath of Infernal Revulsion on guest vocals, this one is a slithering, meandering bit of death metal that’s got strictly timed riffs and drumming. This one is probably the most technical sounding track on the album. There are some real nice moments of chugging brutality throughout this song.
Lynched with Entrails
A quick, rolling start to “Lynched with Entrails” is accompanied by a long growl. Some seriously technical work is getting done on the guitars throughout this track. More chugging madness and tempo changes (see the 2:20 mark) puncture the track here and there.
Sadistic Incineration
The sounds of flames fill the air as this next track gets rolling. Big, sludgy riffs dominate the beginning to this one as loads of double bass are reeled off the drum kit. The vocals are actually understandable and can be followed fairly well throughout “Sadistic Incineration.” The lead at the 2:15 mark is sickeningly evil.
Locked in the Crosshairs
The story of a sniper picking off targets from a distance is delivered upon gurgling vocals and rolling riffs. Drummer Alex Colon mimics the gun fire of the intro during some heavy handed drum work at about the two minute mark. The track fades slowly.
Harvesting Humans
The final track on the album, featuring guest growler Obie Flett (Inherit Disease), begins with light guitar work for the first 25 second or so before big riffs and crushing bass pulverize it to dust. I love the head banging riffs at the first minute mark. This one is a high paced attack on the listener with some crazy, technical guitar wizardry and unrelenting drums.
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Ever since hearing a few tracks last fall that hadn’t been fully produced yet, I’ve been itching for this album. Luckily one came my way and I’ve got to tell you that this is one hell of a release. Featuring brutal death metal with a technical flare, Mutilate, Eviscerate, Decapitate surpasses all expectations that anyone may have had for the band after a few splits and demos. Crushing riffs and diabolical drumming add to the beefy wall of death that emanates from your speakers whenever this one is spinning in your stereo.
Favorite Tracks:
All of them
Additional Notes:
N/A