Much like technical death metal (see my Kamikabe review for
more details), brutal death metal is one style of metal that I struggle to
comprehend. In general, it sacrifices songwriting for brutality. Ironically,
these bands often fail to sound as brutal as the innovators of the style,
Suffocation and Cannibal Corpse. The vocals are so low that they are comical,
and the riffs lack any sort of memorability. Despite this, I always really
enjoyed Pathology’s “Legacy of the Ancients”. I picked up Abominable
Putridity’s “The Anomalies of Artificial Origin” mainly because it shared the
same vocalist, Matti Way. This guy doesn’t do anything out of the ordinary, but
he avoids sounding ridiculous, and he somehow inspires slightly better
songwriting around him.
“The Anomalies of Artificial Origin” is a perfect example of
what brutal death metal has to offer. It features relentless blast beats, an
endless barrage of vocals that discuss pseudo-intellectual topics, and
low-tuned slamming guitars. There are moments that get extremely technical;
however, in general, the band relies on standard tremolo picking and slower
groovy chugs. None of the musicians do anything that would make them stand out, but they are more than competent given the style. The songwriting is largely forgettable, but there are enjoyable
moments throughout the album. Huge fans of brutal death metal will probably love this
record, but for the average metal fan, this is nothing more than a decent
summation of the genre. Definitely check this one out, but it probably won’t
top your year-end list if you aren’t into excessive brutality.
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Highlights
All/None of it
Final Rating
3.5/5 or 70%.
Written by Scott