It’s been 5 years since Las Vegas Brutal Death metal act Cordyceps released their debut, Betrayal. And while I feel like they missed the boat by not releasing this album a little sooner, at the same time as The Last of Us TV show (where the Cordyceps mushroom is the cause of the apocalypse), as Hell Inside is still a vastly improved follow-up.

Main man and founder, Rafael Gonzalez has put together a full band after releasing the debut as a duo with bassist Robert Jarman, who is no longer a part of the band. And with members and live performers from bands like Incinerate, Godless Throne, and Noctambulist, the output is far more varied and enjoyable than the debut, which I found a bit dull.

Playing the form of brutal death metal normally released by Comatose (I actually had to check and see who the label was), Hell Inside, seems to lean a little more into the slams and slower beatdown sounds, and the slightly beefier, less clicky, lower end, production, now handled by the band, allows those moments to hit. I mean nothing on the debut hits as hard as say “I Am Hate”, “Diseased Mind”,  “Murder All”, “I am the Plague”, or “Regret”.  And honestly, nothing about the debut grabbed me, but I sure am giving Hell Inside a lot of listening time.

Of course, plenty of the material is still those blasting, Suffocation-y pinch harmonics (“I Am Hate”, “Suffocating”, “Flock of Sheep”, aptly named, furious closer “Obliterate”), that filled the debut, and are still well done. As with the debut, there are even a few short atmospheric lead-ins and fade-outs. That all said, Cordyceps just hits much harder when they slow it down.

Amid all the deathcore, every so often, Unique Leader drops a brutal death metal album just to remind us of their roots, and Hell Inside is a perfect example of that.

[Visit the band's website]

---

Comments