To Prevail in Disgust

...Reads the note on the teabag around the toes of the wimps foolish enough to take this offering lightly. What Sepsism have done here is surprise me with an offering that chocks enough br00tality to gag a particularly fortuitous maggot, and enough technicality to satisfy my tech death tooth (which is particularly difficult to satisfy), into one extremely entertaining album.

A note for future listeners, the guitars aren’t going to wow you with virtuoso style offerings, nor are they going to surprise you with range or versatility, so don't be looking for apples on a pineapple tree. However, what you have in this offering, is a steady grinding, chugging variant of tempo changes that will leave you enthralled as to how anything this raw and ill-toned can be brought together so nicely and leave your skull bruised from massive embludgeonment via stop tempo riffage. Do not get me wrong, there is metamorphosis displayed in the murky grinding depths of this album, very subtle changes that remind me of the brash, tattered feel of the New York Death Metal scene portrayed perfectly by this California group.

Stand-out Tracks: The Bitter End, Advanced Mental Collapse, Torn From Innocence, Deadly Enigma

Sepsism really are a spectacular band, and although thier previous records were all filled with excellent riffing, it is here, in To Prevail In Disgust that Sepsism really demonstrate the full extent of their potential.

Although everything that comprises your average brutal death band is here; guttural vocals, stomach churning breakdowns and sawing riffs, and fast, blasting drums, Sepsism have a very distinctive and primal character that sets them apart from the generic third tier. The most obvious quality here is riffing; it is frequently catchy, heavy as hell, always sinister, and features a good variation between heavy chugs, blazing tremolo picking and intricate, almost technical riffs. The only thing lacking are solos, but it is definitely not in the character of this particular band's music to break the lurching grind with melody or virtuoso. Backing it up is a bass that's somewhere behind there; the mix is heavy as hell while remaining clear, so the bass is everywhere and nowhere at once. It seems to work however.

The vocalist does an excellent job; guttural vocals are accomplished, the higher-pitched vocals are a real gem though. The most apt comparison would be to Daleks. Yes, the higher screams actually sound like something that would have enamated from those freaky plunger wielding tin-cans, but surprisingly, not only does it sound refreshing and original, it also sounds psychotic.

Lastly, the drumming while going all-out at times and having a good dose of blasts, also is distinctive in its own right. For one thing, this isn't a blastfest; Sepsism revel and excel in the Devourment-esque bowel-squeezing mid/slow-paced grooves and grinds, and the drumming highlights this suitably. The other good thing is floor tom usage. How many brutal death bands really make a point of using their toms for aesthetics? Sepsism do; the drummer's rolls frequently utilize the nice bassy, hollow tone of his floor toms, and complete a sound that I can only describe as, if somewhat hesitantly, tribal. Yes, that's what Sepsism sound like; on top of being all of brutal, fast, churning...they sound tribal. There is nothing fancy in this psychotic whirlwind of death metal; it's stripped down, percussive, sadistic and primal...and it sounds utterly unique to these ears, which is frankly a miracle given the ease with which many brutal death bands write themselves into mediocrity.

It really is a shame that Sepsism have practically no press or following; they're one of the best heavy hitters in death metal and they deserve recognition for it.

I just found out about Sepsism recently and I'm soo fucking glad I did. This is pure fucking brutal,Grinding Death insanity. Sepsism beats the fuck out of you nonstop for 35 minutes. The production is very thick,clear and punchy. The drumming is amazing with killer fills,blasting and double bass work. Their overall sound kind of reminds me a little of Dying Fetus mostly because of the vocals which go back and forth from a deep guttural growl to a high shrieking Metalcore scream. The lyrics are sick too with the song "The Bitter End" being about a drug crazed murderer who only kills while intoxicated. Fans of Dying Fetus,Pig Destroyer and true Brutal Death Metal will eat this release alive(or dead) and come crawling back for more and more.