Coordinated Mutilation

When a band releases their second full-length, they should have found their style somewhat. No problems here with that. Volturyon, from Sweden, bash out violent death metal with absolutely no tendencies towards other genres. A uniform disc of brutality and demise, “Coordinated Mutilation” sounds very mature. And, despite the harsh delivery, a little dull around the edges. Let me explain.

First, imagine a clear and massive production. Enter musicians that know what the fuck they are doing, tight as you-know-what. Press “play”. Guitars pound your skull with sledgehammer riffs. The drums alternate between two-beats, fast kicks, furious blast beats (that always kick in lots of energy) and slower battering. The vocalist barks like a madman, maniacally growling for more human flesh to chew on. Have you heard this before? Yes. Yes, you have. There’s one band specifically that Volturyon have borrowed a lot from, but I’ll try to not namedrop ‘em as I’m sure the Swedes are bored to death of being compared to them. (Cannibal Corpse.)

The energy level is high on “Coordinated Mutilation”, and Volturyon sound best during the most relentless moments of absolutely no compromise, when the momentum is being driven into your face with merciless fury and conviction. Album opener “Bloodsoaked Solution” is clearly the best track, and I had very high hopes for the rest of the album after hearing it, so I’ll recommend you to start there. Especially the breakdownish riff at about a minute in and the awesome shifts to blasting created a major wish to headbang the shit out of myself and my dog, had I owned one. Dogs are awesome. I should get one.

Sadly, after the first track, the spell wore off and I started to yawn at the conformity of the album. Ironically, the brute force Volturyon flaunts is dulled by them over-using it. More hooks inserted into the riffs might have helped. The apparent lack of innovative nerve also annoyed me. If your music is filled with the same old, same old, the quality has really got to be top notch for your dated stew to taste any good. And though “Coordinated Mutilation” is a very well done disc of death, it holds nothing mind-blowing.

For genre aficionados: this will satisfy your sick and twisted needs once in a while, but don’t expect any miracles. Jesus ain’t coming. My dog ate him.

Frankly, I'm shit at spotting influences and/or blatant ripp-offs, which, with the lack of novelty of most bands/records floated my way by Birkir, our pre-eminent blog editor, generally gives me a hard fucking time reviewing stuff for this site. Anywho, it took me far too long to spot where VOLTURYON (a sure sign we’re fast running out of viable band names) are coming from.

But then it struck me the album titled should have tipped me off); Fucking Cannibal Corpse! And man do I hate Cannibal Corpse. Obviously, if your content to sound like someone else, why not make it the best selling act in your genre? The aspect that most hits home with Cannibal Corpse is the vocals, the over-reliance on that simple beat, you know the one I´m talking about, the one that´s neither fast nor slow and employs just on kicker (I´m sure our editor/ drummer can name it for us in an editors note), and the riffs with the screechy endings, oh, and the gore/violence themed song titles (and there are even solos).

Not to say that VOLTURYON is a complete ripp-off. For one, the drumming is more creative and the song structures more technical and diverse, but not nearly up to par with what most modern Death Metal bands aspire to. Which in and of itself is a nice point of differentiation in this day and age. Yes, this is passable, even enjoyable, but far from thinking outside the box like Cephalic Carnage/latter day Gorguts or ridiculously relentless like Origin(Angelcorpse/Krisiun. What this is is middle of the road, dare I say it, “easy listening” old school Death Metal, with a little modern twist to keep the kids interested, even if it is for just a minute. - Bogi Bjarnason

Originally published February 13, 2011 on http://www.halifaxcollect.blogspot.com

If you enjoy the George Corpsegrinder era of Cannibal Corpse, or the great Dutch band Severe Torture, than I can wholeheartedly recommend the sophomore outing of Sweden's Volturyon with open praise, because it scratches the same itch you'd expect from such artists. Varied tempos, dense semi-technical riffing and brutal vocals that shift from the expectant grunted bluster to a snarled decay. Coordinated Mutilation is a sliver more dedicated and more brighter toned than its predecessor Blood Cure, and the title is only too fitting, because this is one group of men who tightly execute their various instruments with mirth and glee, so much that it's impossible not to get caught up in the enthusiastic butchery on display.

No time is spent fucking off, as "Bloodsoaked Solution" immediately embarks on a hustling slew of rhythms that recall Gallery of Suicide/Bloodthirst-era Cannibal Corpse. In other words, it's pretty awesome, if derivative. "Savage Gluttony" answers with a perkier, choppy structure that continues to barrel forward with thrashing, twisting force. From this point on, the level of excitement on the album curbs a little, but only because the band experiment at different tempos, like the swerving trudge/groove of "Euphoria Through Execution" and the title track, both of which are still quite well built. Deeper yet, there is the even deeper groove of "Sadistic Molestation" and the mighty closer "Intense Convulsions" which much rank among my faves on this album, both intensely fashioned with precision chugging, squealing riffs that fondly rekindle a lust for old school, technical death metal.

The mix and mastering of Coordinated Mutilation is clean enough to sate the modern death metal fanatic, at the risk of alienating those that hate the style, but it's level and professional, with the drums really popping out at you and the guitars incredibly balanced. Unlike most of their Swedish peers, you'll hear almost no influence from the godfathers (by now grandfathers) of that scene, just very Americanized brutality with a hint of the Dutch greats (Pestilence, Sinister and so forth). No, this is more in the vein of peers like Spawn of Possession, Visceral Bleeding or Deranged, if not as technical as the former two or blunt as the latter. The content here isn't exactly 'ace', that is not wholly memorable, but it's easily enough recommended if you enjoy US bands like Suffocation or Cannibal Corpse, or perhaps even the new wave of Californian death metal that garners similar interests to the next level of extremity.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com