DISGORGE „Consume the Forsaken”

Here in the UK, it is difficult enough to get hold of underground releases such as this let alone find reviews of them. There is a market for it, so why isn't there any promotion in the magazines? People are missing out on some superb exercises in brutality and sometimes I wonder whether I am the only one who listens to it.

Anyway, I got hold of a copy of this and I'm glad I did. Disgorge (the American band as opposed to the Mexican band of the same name) play ultra brutal death metal the way it was meant to be. The group has come a long way since their previous outing – She lay gutted. The sound is a lot more powerful and the playing is tighter. Each composition is driven by blastbeats and huge amounts of utterly devastating double bass drumming. Good Charlotte this is not. The guitars are up in the mix and churn out a violent selection of head smashing riffs. They manage to keep up with the guitars, only slowing down on occasion to give variation to the structures. Disgorge are effective when utilising these slower riffs as they allow the songs to embed themselves deep in your brain, never to leave once there. Take Perverse Manifestation for example, which starts off at warped speed (how does the drummer play so fast) and then slows slightly, choosing swirling, brain mashing riffs and some vicious double bass drumming to slam its point home. Throughout the album, vocalist A.J Magana growls like a man possessed, providing a perfect outlet for the lyrics. The vocals sound like they were recorded in the pits of hell, such is their venom, but as I have said before, they fit the music perfectly.

It's difficult to tell each song apart, but that's not the idea. The band plays brutal music with matching lyrics and thought provoking artwork. They are not quite as technical as Deeds of Flesh, but the music has the same effect. If you want subtlety, try something else. If you want something to listen to whilst venting your anger after a long hard days work (or simply pissing off those annoying neighbours), this is it.

These guys are highly regarded in the underground American scene and deserve to be recognised throughout the world as they are professionals at what they do. I can just imagine what they are like live.