Over a half-month into the new year and already, excellent albums are spilling out (Iced Earth's 'Plagues Of Babylon' being one great example) and Amputated's newest brute-fest is no exception. For those who don't know Amputated, they're a mix between old school Death Metal in vain of Cannibal Corpse, Suffocation and Dying Fetus and also the ever-growing Slamming Death sub-genre. Originating from the UK, where Death Metal is propping up everywhere, the band only seem to get more intense with every single new release. There are some changes here but one thing remains the same... the song titles. With album names such as 'Gargling With Infected Semen' (2006) and 'Wading Through Rancid Offal' (2009), you can only guess what their song names are like. And the song names on 'Dissect, Molest, Ingest' are no different. In fact, I think this album has some of the best song names in the genre.
Fans have had to wait a long time for this release, even pushing the release date back further than the band wanted to BUT damn, is it worth it! There are a lot of good underground Death Metal bands out there but Amputated are definitely at the top of the pile. The music here is consistent and thoroughly enjoyable with every song being as good as the previous one. It's rare to find a band that can do such a thing but these guys make it seem both easy and fun.
To start off the album, the band uses samples talking about death, rape and gore. The intro lasts exactly one minute and is entitled 'Body Of Work'. It's a good little intro that really sets the mood of the album and what you can expect the lyrical subjects to be about (although with their band name and the name of this album, it's not exactly like you should be expecting happy-go-lucky commercial pop...) but then the music thoroughly kicks in and to say it feels like you've been kicked in the private parts is an understatement. 'Gorging On Putrid Discharge' is straight to the point. Fast, heavy and intense. Even by today's standards of heaviness, this is enough to make your anus prolapse. Fact. It has every thing a great Death Metal song should have. The riffs that alternate between fast, heavy or memorable (or even all three at once), the drumming that is never over-done and accompanies the songs, making them even more enjoyable, the bass that has it's own unique tone so it is easily recognisable amongst the destructive force of the guitars and then the vocals makes God want to gorge his own eyes out they're so ferocious. But yet, with adding the best elements of Slamming Brutal Death and old school Death, the band creates something just that little more unique, that smidge more exhilarating to listen to.
The album continues its assault on the senses with tracks like 'The Local Flavour' (the first song they released for the album and one of the most memorable Death Metal tracks in a long while), 'SkullFuck Lobotomy', 'When Whores Meet Saws', 'Dissect Molest Ingest' and ending on the excellent 'Toolbox Abortionist'. I told you the names were some of the best in the genre. The last track is one heck of a finale, proving that this band has some of the meatiest stuff around. It pounds your face in without any intention of stopping. With all the tracks on here having there own little elements that makes each one as good, if not better, than the previous one, it's no wonder that the band has started to garner more attention than ever. They blast, slam and destroy their way through this album at a pace unlike anything I've heard released by a Death Metal band in the past few years. Explosive is an understatement.
How could I sum up what has to be one of the greatest pieces of Death Metal since the 2000's? It's difficult. The whole album is fantastic, start to finish. There are no filler tracks here, just solid track after solid track. This band can produce some of the most insane songs out there. I genuinely believe that the guys in this band sat down one day and created the ten best Death Metal songs in ages and said 'Screw it, let's make that our next album!'. And what an album it is. Imagine being pounded in the face. That doesn't even compare to how heavy this album is. It's like... being 'Raped With A Jackhammer'. Seriously, if you love heavy yet memorable stuff, check them out! It's well worth the money and you'll be supporting one of the best Death Metal bands out there. These are amongst only a small batch of great underground Death Metal bands (others being Strychnia and fellow UK heavy-hitters, Ingested) and are a band to look out for. Amputated, for this album, I adore you. I think for this review, we're turning it up to 11! Keep it up guys, you're doing amazing. 11/10
- Asa
