Fleshrot, Traumatic Reconfiguration
I’m not wholly familiar with this merry band of maniacs from Great Britain, but I can safely state that Fleshrot‘s take on brutal death metal is pretty God damned, well, brutal. Pulling in influences from the likes of Disgorge and Devourment, the UK four piece lay down the law with bruising, moshing riffs, thundering rhythms and guttural vocals straight from the sewers.
Traumatic Reconfiguration isn’t just another skull on the brutal death metal mantle. The band’s blend of traditional elements with a more technical aspect gives them a bit more of a unique presence in the brutal realms of the more extreme and often perverse death metal spectrum. Delivering nine bludgeoning songs with a ferociousness that rivals many of the band’s peers, Fleshrot are sure to be a force in the future.
From The Abyss
“From The Abyss” starts the band’s Deepsend debut with technical riffing, pounding drums and deep, guttural vocals. The pace is fairly unrelenting and menacing. There are some nicely layered higher end screams which give the overall vocal delivery a nice bit of depth. I’m digging the rolling drums and catchy riffs around 2:25 right before the band shifts into breakdown mode. Not a bad start to the disc.
Essence Of Decay
I got nothing. I suck. Apparently, my promotional copy was either lacking this track or I fucked up and lost it on the computer. I’m sure it was a killer track though — if the rest of the songs are any indication that is.
Purging Impurity
Getting back on track, the third song on Traumatic Reconfiguration erupts out of the gate with vicious, layered vocals and skull pulverizing drum work. The guys hit a high paced groove about 30 seconds in with fairly memorable guitar work and some guttural destruction on the vocal front. There’s some technical riffing throughout the song that doesn’t get too cerebral. The first lead of the album (at least I don’t recall catching one on the opener) appears at 3:12 and shreds nicely.
Dispossessed
The opening few seconds of “Dispossessed” show that the guys know when to reel it in a bit and let riffage breathe instead of clobbering you over the head with a constant barrage that could become monotonous without a respite here or there. That said, the guys don’t waste much more time before exploding your orbital socket with a rust pipe in the form of slamming riffs, manic drums and growling vocals. Staggered tempos and rapid fire drums keep this one entertaining through to the end.
Expanding The Void
Fleshrot keep the blood flowing with this bestial song as it explodes out of the speakers right form the start. Technical riffs compounded with manic drum work and layered vocals make for a dense, active sound. Man, the vocal work right before the two minute mark is aggressive as hell. The guitars even take on a slight melodic touch at this point as well, but it’s nearly lost in the down tuned distortion. Another sick, technical lead can be found at the three minute mark.
Venatic Perversion
Frantic drums and quick fingers on the fret get this next song off to a pretty technical start. The trading vocals are a nice touch that give the track a more unique feel (instead of layering the growls/shrieks as the previous songs have done). “Venatic Perversion” is an unrelenting beast of a song with barbaric drums and technical guitar work. I’m also digging the mosh at 2:40. There’s nothing wrong with simply, brain cell pummeling head banging to get the night going.
Traumatic Reconfiguration
If you’re not paying attention the title track will sneak up on your like some back alley lurker. The song nearly transitions smoothly from the previous song. “Traumatic Reconfiguration” as a topic of discussion sounds like it would be a bit painful and not nearly as enjoyable as listening to this so named song. There are plenty of tempo shifts to keep the onslaught from stagnating in mediocrity. I don’t know if I’d call it the strongest song on the album, but it does have some seriously bruising riffs and rapid-fire drums (as seen around the 2:30 mark).
Inherent Perdition
A bit of a slower start breaks up the ferociousness of the pace the band has been setting. The riffs that get this one going are infectious (I’ve played the opening 20 seconds or so a couple of times now before actually letting the song progress — I’m a dork like that). Once the guys to get into the meat of the track there are some great outbursts from the rhythm section, gurgling growls and frantic guitars. There’s a slick lead around 1:48 that seems content on staying in the shadows.
Oblivion
The final track opens with a sweet riff that’s got a bit of Chaos AD-era Sepultura vibe to it, but it’s quickly overcome with grinding drums and layered, nasty vocals. This song is dense as fuck and carries a powerful overall feel. It’s also chock full of great opportunities for you to try and separate your head from your own shoulders. This was definitely one of the better songs on the disc and ends the album solidly.
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Additional Notes:
n/a