Let It Stink

Do you like Mötorhead, zombies and crusted out metal? If so, you need to check out this EP by Death Breath. Actually, you need to check this out anyways because this is preeminent old school in fine form. This is one of the best extended plays to be released in sometime. Entombed alum Nicke Andersson heads this heady line-up that includes Scott Carlson from Repulsion along with Swede grindsters from General Surgery to spill out some dirty death/speed metal. Why this band hasn’t gotten more run is a shame. If Let It Stink don’t make you headbang till your innards are in your throat then you’re doing something wrong. Death Breathe don’t need to be over the top with technical skill and production qualities because this sounds like metal made especially for real metal fans.

Delightful grime and sickness of stench never sounded so good when I heard Let It Stink. I will more than let it, I will encourage it. Limbs fly all over the place and it’s open season for the running mortals. Actually, zombies might be more than hungry for just maybe horny as well. Giving Head to the Dead is the first song and it’s a rip roaring delicacy of maniacal gumption. Scott Carlson belches out great yells of necromantic vigor. I loved his work with Repulsion and this a welcome return to form. Riff-raff chaotic sloppy pounding by Andersson was a real honor to listen to and it’s in the “Philthy Animal” Taylor vein. When you hear His Protoplasmic Worship, you’ll know you are in good hands with this band. Robert Pehrsson from General Surgery contributes awesomely on the guitars for this track. The soloing is frantic and resonates with old fashioned brutality. It’s good to hear the lost art of simple, ratty riffs in death metal again. There is a palpable bass tone that fills it out nicely but what makes this song so great is the revved up doom-ish solo. Maimed and Slaughtered is a fantastic demonstration of old school death metal for short attention spans. It’s a Discharge cover that I liked even better than the real thing. Even though it’s very short, it will still be ringing out to clean your dirty ears. Two minute abs? How about lesson in less than two minute abomination! The song’s length obviously speaks well to the grindcore influences that some of these guys have. Dead But Walking sounds like slow death approaching step by slithery step and devastating raw speed all at once. I recommend you play this song at full blast to get the idea.

When I mentioned a Mötorhead influence, you will know what I am talking about when you hear Lycanthropy which is actually a cover from a punk band called Charged GBH but Death Breath make it sound more towards the former. And then of course there is a cover for Bathory’s Sacrifice. I always thought this song was a great track in obvious service to Venom anyhow. Death Breath does a fine job in churning out this Quorthon classic. The final track Twisted In Distaste is a creepy conclusion to a menacing display of old death metal assault. Those of you who are early Entombed fans will want to listen out to this one because it brings back memories to Left Hand Path with its scattery slow ending. Did the undead just starve to death? I think so once the song ended on such a fatal note of mass destruction.

I like Let It Stink a little better than their last effort Stinking up the Night. I think it’s tighter and the vocals are done better this time around. All the covers are freshly unearthed with charm and they do justice. When your looking for old school death metal done in recent times, this should be one of the first places you look. I don’t know why people are directed more towards Bloodbath when looking for old death. Better yet, I don’t even know why people are still listening to modern death metal period. Take my advice, let your death metal be dirty, nasty, fast but most of all, let that search begin with Let It Stink.

Yes, I know that Death Breath's album, "Stinking Up The Night," got a bad rap. I also know that this probably will, too. But the fact of the matter is, this is old school death metal at its best.

First of all, "Let it Stink" has a more death metal sound than "Stinking up the Night." The drums are more furious, the vocals are more brutal. The riffs are no longer simply just full chords on the guitar like punk rock. I will admit that the first song, "Giving Head to the Dead," sounds a little like "Heading for Decaptation." The lyrics are more or less serious and, if you please, funny in a way.

Secondly, if I were just hearing of this band, I would be moderately surprised at how fucking awesome they sound. The rest of the songs on "Let it Stink" are just amazing, they have a darker sound than anything on "Stinking up the Night."

The videos on this EP's disc are obviously fake, sorry to say. It's obvious that the woman could care less that there is a drunk-looking man standing outside her passenger side window. The colour version doesn't seem any better. In fact, you can almost see the video camera in one of the window reflections.

Other than the videos, the EP is a must-have. If you have never heard anything by Death Breath, get "Let it Stink" as soon as you can.

Recommended songs: all of them!