Mangled, Hollowed Out and Vomit Filled

Canada has oft been known for it's wildly off the wall death metal/grind acts. Bands like Deuterium, early Kataklysm, Cryptopsy, Zuckuss, Thorazine all utilized very unique and unconventional methods of bringing forth crushing deathgrind to the masses. Enter Putrescence, a band more notable for it's insane song titles, funny stage names, and guitarist from Fuck the Facts, than for it's music.

That aside, Putrescence shrugged off negative connotations and for their first public act, decided to produce a somewhat conventional deathgrind album. The album itself was a monument of how hard work and straightforwardness can get you recognized. Guitarist Grimmgore of Fuck the Facts, certainly proved his merit during the length of the album. Guitar patterns most notably influenced from his earlier days can be found on "Reach Around Hacksaw Throat Slashing At a Nuclear Explosion" and "Agonizing Horrendous Gastrointestinal Self-Defilement." As is true with many deathgrind acts, the vocals were multifaceted, tipping both the high, and medium-low scales, fitting the music very well. However, two outstanding problems really marred this album from impressing anyone with any interest in deathgrind.

The first problem is, the production, while understandably less than perfect, was absolutely dismal. The drums, guitars, and vocals while meshed together seemingly over-clocked the recording system and created a terrible hissing buzz throughout most of the album. Now there is decent places where the instruments pull back into a groove section, notably on "Coffin Electing Hearse" and "Ebola Infected Plane Crash Victims Raining on a Church Picnic", which allows for the distortion to let up and the band to really shine. These sections were very few and far between, however.

The second main problem was, no matter how hard these guys tried, they just sounded like a poor man's Machetazo. There's absolutely nothing that stands head and shoulders above their competition, and rather seems to just be complacent with following quietly in the shadows with nothing new to add. There's a good reason these guys aren't signed to Razorback Records, there's already 5 bands on Razorback that sound almost identical to Putrescence yet better. Why eat a grease burger when you can dine on fillet mignon?

These factors, compounded, really doomed this album to a life of obscurity. Deathgrind completists will want to pick this album up, purely for the fact that there is some decent riffage and instrumental sections on here. Though, if I were inquired about a starting point for deathgrind, this album wouldn't be it. Hell, it wouldn't even be in the top 100. Let's hope the next offering by Putrescence can rise out of the burger shack, and into the 5 star restaurant of deathgrind delicacies.