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Los Angeles, CA’s Gore House Productions has one of the most insane release schedules of any of the independent labels I regularly work with. Seriously, they pump out such a constant stream of awesome slam, brutal death metal and goregrind that you’d think this shit grew on trees. The latest GHP onslaught comes in the form of Systematic Mutilation, the second album from Vegas-based one-man wrecking crew Phalloplasty. Taking bits and pieces of all the aforementioned subgenres and hammering them into a bloody slab of brutality, Phalloplasty in many ways sums up everything GHP is about.
The first thing that jumps out at me about Systematic Mutilation is a serious Mortician influence, which is never a bad thing (screw the haters). Granted, Phalloplasty’s drum machine doesn’t seem to be equipped with the “ludicrous speed” setting that Mortician’s does, but with uber-guttural vocals and mechanized percussion, it’s hard not to think of everyone’s favorite NYDM psychos while listening to the album. That said, Phalloplasty is no mere imitator and it’s clear that mastermind Zack Shaw wants to do his own thing, borrowing as he does from each of death metal’s most brutal subgenres to whip up this nasty concoction.
The production is clear, featuring a guitar tone that has some real down-tuned gnarliness to it, but at the same time I wish it was a bit beefier to match Shaw’s pummeling approach to songwriting. Riffs are extremely percussive and tempos tend to be slow or mid-paced, making each song a sludgy, slo-mo beating that will at least maim you even if they don’t quite grind your bones into dust. The vocals are a grotesque grab-bag of growls, gurgles and squeals, and the album features a number of guest vocalists that add much more diversity in this area than one might expect from a brutal death metal album. Canned drums are always tough to pull off, but Shaw wisely keeps the programming simple, using the drums merely to push the song forward in a no-frills manner.
Systematic Mutilation is a promising release; if Shaw can work on diversifying his songwriting and continue to up the production values, he may some day rival Putrid Pile for the title of “king of the one-man brutal death metal bands.” Diehard fans of slam, goregrind and BDM will be all over this, but I suspect casual listeners might have to work a little harder to discern the subtleties. If you’re looking for some sturdy brutality that brings a little bit of everything to the operating table, this one’s for you.
http://www.gorehouseproductions.com/
Filed under: brutal death metal, death metal, goregrind, Metal, Music, Reviews, slam, slam death metal Tagged: brutal death metal, death metal, Gore House Productions, goregrind, Las Vegas, Metal, Music, Nevada, Phalloplasty, Reviews, slam, slamming death metal, Systematic Mutilation, USA Image may be NSFW.
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Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
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