Dead, Rotten and Hungry

Dead, Rotten and Hungry does not seem the sort of album that would take four years to release, but by the time it showed up the Swedish retro death metal movement was in full swing, no longer the province of a few artists who were lovingly paying tribute to themselves or their countrymen, but a bona fide fad harboring the masses of the creatively lacking. Apart from the slight zombie nod, another trend that has gotten completely out of fucking control as we neared the Teens of the 21st Century, this was aesthetically a direct continuation of Bloodred Hell, albeit with a few production tweaks that brought it more in line with the pure Dismember/Entombed worship and a few nods to the mighty Bolt Thrower. It's almost an enjoyable experience if you've not already become jaded with the style, which is much more likely today than in 2008 for anyone paying attention to the myriad records coming out that sound like this. Facebreaker nearly succeeds by the seat of its maggot-jacked underwear, but has a weaker second half, and ultimately doesn't leave an impression beyond a few quickly healing bruises.

The guitars here are definitely a little uglier as they reach even further into the legendary Swedish playbook, but I also think they've got a more built-in appeal to the masses of retro worship, not to mention all the Entombed-core bands at large that have also taking this cruddier tone into extreme music at large. They're not as gruesome or dirty as Mr. Death or Tormented, but enough that this is the sort of album kids are gonna pick up for the production without even caring about the quality of songs. As for the riffs themselves, they're quite a bit like a blend of later Bolt Thrower meets early Dismember, with nothing really sticky about them, but the tremolo picking just feels so huge here that it's easy to get into, and the meatier chords come off as as a potent counterbalance. Spurious, infectious little leads break out here or there but not often enough, and I also felt like the track list got a little more redundant and uninspired as the record progressed. The first half feels more repulsive and powerful and the latter lapses into a semi-lazy arrangement of tunes you might find on any random Rogga Johansson record circa Ribspreader, Paganizer or Revolting, big grooves and 'authentic' atmosphere to those seeking the re-Swedening, but nothing compelling beyond a handful of listens...in fact, if not for 3-4 lacking tunes, this would be closer in quality to Bloodred Hell.

Otherwise, it's basically 'Double Bass: The Album', because Jesus Christ...double bass. A fortress of brick flinging, always in time, reminding me again of how Bolt Thrower used to do it only ramped up on 'roids, and only disappearing when it just wouldn't make any sense to continue the barrage. 'Robban' Karlsson's vocals have a little more sustain this time around, but once more he's rather indistinct when you compare him to death metal frontmen at large...a little Karl Willetts, a little Steve Tucker, and nothing that would stand out if you had him in a lineup. That said, his growling definitely hit me in the mid-section for the first 15 or so minutes of the record and the production is just excellent, layered upon with a few higher pitch snarls that seem like paeans to Carcass and Deicide, but never dominate that lower end. The bass guitar 'shows up' and collects its pay, but never does much to distinguish itself beyond achieve the raw sewage appeal while sniffing along the guitar progressions. Facebreaker also adopted one of those logos which looks to have that tough guy US hardcore font, only a bit more grotesque because this is undead fuckin' death metal we're talking about, and yet it largely has the same effect as pissed off, highly produced 21st century hardcore, a zombified beatdown with nothing necessarily creepy or malevolent included, just locker room death metal that you'd pump before the big game.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

"...Blood and gore, I will cut you up; expose your maggot-infested brain; a pill of skulls and bones, a smell of rotting flesh... dead, rotten and hungry".

Oh, how lovely! Finally the second FACEBREAKER album opens its rotten doors! But if anyone expects any drastic changes from “Bloodred Hell” debut, then he’ll be disappointed. “Dead Rotten and Hungry” simply walks the same path the first CD did. It’s based on similar idea of playing cool, aggressive, simple death metal songs. No bullshit here; no waste of time for useless crap. From the start, till the last second you’ll hear pure Swedish death metal! And I have to say FACEBREAKER really reminds me BLOODBATH more and more. The feeling of the music is so similar that you may feel dissociated. If it’s a fault or a value, you must judge it yourself. What I care is that I like it a lot.

The album is opened by a fast fucker called “Slowly Rotting”, a brilliant tune, with few absolutely catchy and banger’s friendly riffs, played in fast tempo. Then the title track makes me think of the gods from the mighty BLOODBATH a lot! This track easily would fit to the “Resurrection Through Carnage” LP, even the vocals are similar. This track also has a great chorus, surely it’s one of the most memorable songs from the album with its cool vocal lines. “Night of the Burning Dead” seems to me to be more melodic, maybe because of really cool solo; it’s also slower, more epic song. “Walking Dead” is one of my favourites... brilliant headbanger with bit slower and melodic chorus. “Unanimated Flesh” is a classic Swedish death metal song, while “Devoured by Decay” is very simple, with one main riff going throughout the entire song; easy, but effective and brutal shit.

Uff, what else can I say? I love the sound FACEBREAKER has on “Dead Rotten and Hungry”. The guitars are aggressive and really Swedish, drums work and sound is top class and as overall it has that old school feeling, but not necessarily primitive. It is professionally produced, but brutal at the same time. Maybe “Dead Rotten and Hungry” doesn't bring anything new into neither FACEBREAKER style nor Swedish death metal as overall and to some point it’s almost predictable and typical, but who gives a damn, if the music is actually killer? I don’t at all. I love that album and am proud that there are still such death metal acts able to kick the ass so hard. Recommended!

Facebreaker may not be the best name for a death metal band as it sounds like something a metalcore or deathcore band would come up with. Don’t be fooled though as this is pure death metal. In the past few years numerous bands have been cropping up with a sound returning to that of the early 90s that was so characteristic to the Swedish scene of this time. Facebreaker do not return to this sound that was established with albums such as Like An Everflowing Stream, Into the Grave or Left Hand Path but more so off what Dismember and Grave sound like today.

The production on this album is very much in your face with the grinding guitar riffs at the forefront that sound like a chain saw gnawing away at your skull. The production is quite bass heavy with everything sounding at a good level in the mix.

The riffs are mostly midpaced groove that sometimes speed up into thrash territory. They tend to be quite catchy when done right and easy to bang your head to. The drummer is fairly competent without sounding flashy or drawing attention to himself. The triggers come across a tad clicky during the blasting, though nothing too obnoxious so I can let it slip. The vocalist is a pretty standard growler sounding very similar to Ola Lindgren of Grave. He gets the job done well though at times sounds a bit forced or just lacks his own identity.

The main complaint I have is the songwriting. Very few of the tracks are memorable and tend to just plod along without sounding distinctive from one another. The album opens up nicely with Slowly Rotting bludgeoning away at your skull and then the mammoth title track comes in with a very memorable groove to it including some excellent hooks and a cool chaotic solo. Unfortunately this is pretty much where the album peaks and the rest of the songs just don’t even come close to the quality of the first couple of tracks. Some of them have their moments such as the first half of Walking Dead, or the slower plodding sections of Soul Eater but that really is about it.

If you are looking for more standard death metal and are already familiar with Dismember and Grave then you may want to pick this up; just don’t expect anything extraordinary.

...or is it the latest Ribspreader? I get all these Rogga Johansson projects mixed up.

What's that you say? Rogga ISN'T behind this album? Never been involved in Facebreaker at all? Get out. No seriously, get right out. You're clearly lying.

...OK, enough sarcasm. Onward to the review! Facebreaker's "Dead, Rotten, something something Zombies" is a facelessly heavy and competent chunk of retro Swedish death metal. It bludgeons away at you but never quite wears down your resistance - unless you have no resistance to begin with. In which case it will just have its exhausting way with your limp, spineless body. If you do have resistance though - if you have any kind of sensors in your ears and/or brain that seek out originality, complexity, inspiration, all that good shit - you're going to have a hard time with this one. Because you won't really find much of it here.

What does it sound like? You know what it sounds like, but I'll humor you. The guitar tone is thick and abrasive, a vain stab at getting something like the old Sunlight evil guitar tone of death; it flies wide of the mark, of course, and results in a good, heavy, workmanlike sound. The drums are standard to a fault. I think there's bass in there, not too sure. And the vocals are Rogga's Paganizer/Ribspreader/Demiurg vocals exactly - a meaty growl with a slightly weird quality that is distinctive but not especially appealing. The general sound is Stockholm circa the early 90s: chunky riffing, thrash beats without much blasting, the occasional groove or doom passage for variety. The only things missed that would make this a true facsimile of "Left Hand Path" or "Into the Grave" is an occasional melodic gleam peeking through the dense, down-tuned gloom - maybe a soaring lead or a horror movie-inspired keyboard or something.

Or fuck that - maybe what's missing here is just any sense that this wasn't color-by-numbers stuff you've heard 800 times before. Something to stand out and announce that hey, this ain't just a lukewarm plate of dismembered nihilistic leftovers from the grave. (...of carnage. Sorry, couldn't stop myself.)

Facebreaker does nothing particularly wrong here, but they also do nothing particularly right. This is background death metal for people who love the style and just want another release to play when they're tired of hearing "Like an Ever-Flowing Stream." In that sense, it may as well be another Rogga project. Just like them, it's perfectly fine, and yet mostly uninteresting.

(Reviewer's footnote: If you are looking for modern-day stuff like this that feels more like the real thing, I would urge you to check out Bombs of Hades, Miasmal [who just released a great demo], Bastard Priest [who just released one of my favorite demos of the last few years], Nominon, or Fatalist [whose soon-to-arrive debut will hopefully expand on the promise of their self-released EP]. Or maybe just buy the last three Dismember albums, which were all varying degrees of awesome, and absolutely slay anything Facebreaker or Ribspreader have done.)

I sure am.. and I didn't come up with a good start of this review to save my life. Facebreaker's sound is easily comparable to the last couple of Grave albums. They play the same catchy, solid kind of oldschool Death Metal with similar vocals and riffs. Headbangable music basically.

The tracks on here range from damn good to decent. "Dead, Rotten And Hungry", "Unanimated Flesh" and "Soul Eater" are definitely the top three, featuring solid riffs and giant hooks. I dare any Death Metal fan to listen to the title track without chanting along to the almost 80's styled oldschool chorus. "Soul Eater" utilizes some Dismember groove and delivers another singalong chorus.

Speaking of choruses, one of the best attributes of this band is definitely Robert Karlssons voice. It's not unique but this guy sure knows how to growl. His very raw, angry oldschool tone fits well with the guitar sound that has a total Sunlight vibe. Much like Bloodbath's "Resurrection Through Carnage" (not a good comparison when it comes to the music itself though) the guitars are powered by the Boss HM-2 and when the 80's pedal once again meets high quality production it's nothing but bliss.

Since I'm trying to make a good review here I have to point out some negative sides as well. Much like most oldschool Death Metal made since well.. actual oldschool Death Metal it's lacking in the originality department. This disc really is nothing new despite how much I like it. This might not be the best album for a full listen either as the songs are pretty similar despite the mix of fast and slow tracks.

Luckily I can't get enough of this kind of music anyway. "Dead, Rotten And Hungry" is the epitome of a good album and grinds away just enough for any Death Metal fan to like it.

Let’s face it! If Facebreaker had made this an Ep or a mini CD with just the following tracks, it will have been a great release: Dead Rotten and Hungry, Walking Dead, Consumed, and Soul Eater, just take the album, only play those tracks and you’ll see how good “Dead, Rotten and hungry” could have been. Instead they decided to add 7 uninspired songs in addition to those great tracks. And is not like the rest of the songs are crap, because they are not, is just that they sound like a bad copy of the other four, like a B side selection that made it through the last recording sessions, because they were out of time and needed this to be a full length; this are all “conspiracies” on my behalf of course, but nonetheless there is some truth in my words by saying that “Dead, Rotten…” is an awesome Ep that got stuffed with a lot of un-necessary minutes.
Slowly Rotting could be re-consider as to be a part or not of this hypothetical Ep, been a first track it accomplishes what an intro track should do, slap you hard and fast, to realize that this is a more “brutal” Swedish death metal approach than the widely known mellow sound.

There are two great assets that Facebreaker has, speed and catchy tunes; the problem comes when they slow things down, going into a sort of Obituary death metal that comes out very plain and boring (just check out Night Of The Burning Dead).

“Dead, Rotten and Hungry” has some of those memorable Dismember/Entombed moments, but they are too short and too spread apart, is not like I wish every band emulates a certain way of playing, but to deny what sounds certainly truth and include some mid tempo sections when their riffs are so obviously better played fast is a shame.

Originally for: www.leviatan-magazine.com