Long-running Floridian death metalers Monstrosity return with their seventh full-length album, Screams from Beneath the Surface. It’s been eight long years since they released their last album, The Passage of Existence, which was an amazing album, and I loved the artwork as well. The band has made some odd choices in album covers, such as Millennium and Rise to Power, but the music has always been outstanding. So I was pleasantly surprised with this album cover, it’s pretty striking and is gonna look badass on merch.

Since the last album some shifts in the line-up. Old school original bassist for the band, Mark van Erp, returns to the fold. Justin Walker is the new guitarist, and Edwin Webb is the new vocalist, replacing long-running vocalist Mike Hrubovcak. Don’t worry, no drop off in the vocals as Edwin sounds like past Monstrosity vocalists and has an intelligible, gruff delivery that suits the band’s sound. Matt Barnes returns on guitars and drummer extraordinaire, Lee Harrison, has been keeping the band afloat since their inception in 1990 – the dude’s drumming ages like a fine wine, and this is the best drum work he has done.

“Banished to the Skies” opens the album and, at close to seven minutes, is the longest song on the album. Honestly, the way this song opened the album, I was like Monstrosity is really shifting gears on their sound and going the progressive death metal route. After eight long years, I feel the band should have erupted outta the starting gates with one of the more brutal songs on the album, and there are many to choose from. This tune would have been better served in the middle of the album. The musicianship is extraordinary, but it is slow, progressive, moody, and really is outta place as the album opener. The guitar solos across this song are fabulous, and the double bass will destroy you during those mid-paced moments.

But the next song, “The Colossal Rage”, would have been a better song to open the album. Starting with some classic speedy pounding thrashing, this is pretty intense, and the drum rolls are a thing of beauty. There are some short moments of blast beats tossed in, and they are intense AF. Really, if the band wanted to blow it outta the starting gate,s it’s “The Atrophied” they should have started with. Intense opening blast beats, solos, and scorching pinch harmonics usher in their 90’s sound to the fold. The drum roll at the 4:52 part, then going right into the blast beat, is perfect, and Edwin’s vocals are exceptional. Really, from this song until the end it’s intensity with a capital I.

“Spiral” starts with some isolated guitar riffing, bass, and drum thumps, then boom! right into a super-fast blast beat with killer screams. The chorus, over the mid-paced bludgeoning heaviness, is catchy, precise, and well-crafted. More monster drum rolls, almost a bit of a solo, if you will, then into a slower moment. The squealing pinch harmonics are excellent, as well.

“Vapors” is another scorching, brutal song with a plethora of tempo changes, slow, blasting, mid-paced moments, and this song hits you square between your teeth and gives you a knuckle sammich. Rather than end on a whimper, “Veil of Disillusion” closes the album and has monster blast beats throughout this sucker, and the guitar riffing is pretty damn fast. The guitar solo, over the opening blast beat, is well placed. The song gets into a classic 90’s pounding, and the catchy guitar riff starts us up again to signifythat a blast is erupting. The rhythm section is on fire and brutal AF. This is how you end an album!

After a disjointed album opener, the rest of Screams from Beneath the Surface blows the listener outta the window with Gatling Guns blazing. Again, the album opener is good, but placed in the middle of the album would have been more effective. The musicianship, production, and catchiness of this album are stellar, and I have had this album on repeat since I received the promo. I’ve probably listened to this sucker about 15 times already. Monstrosity, thanks to Lee, has never forgotten their roots.

With their 90’s sound firmly in place, the band still sounds modern and the songs all fresh. There is no wuss out here with the intensity and velocity of these songs. There are many to choose from to include in their setlist as well. Monstrosity has returned with a monstrous album, ready to devour you. If you fail to get this album, you will have the “Burden of Evil” placed on you for all eternity.

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