Crungus (a name given to an AI-generated creature – I’ll let Wikipedia explain this one further) is a Texas-based death metal band that happens to feature a former writer for this very site, Kris Allred, who performs bass here on the band’s second album, their first on a label.

So now that’s out of the way, I have to be very objective here, considering the link to a person I still have contact with. Well, luckily, there is no need for objectivity, as Hollow kicks all sorts of ass, and I say that indeed to be completely objective.

Crungus covers all sorts of modern death metal realms here, but the nearest comparison I can lock onto is Cattle Decapitation (listen to the riffs in “Hollow”, “Abomination” or “Lost”), especially vocally, as there are hints of black metal, grindcore, old school death metal, new death metal, and a little experimentation. I mean, for starters, opener “Dead Tree” has clean vocals. Didn’t see that coming from a band called Crungus.

Then there is the swampy southern ooze amid “Collapsing”, which also features a nasty little groove at the 1:07 mark. Or the clean vocals that again appear for the sludgy/stoner-y metal “Shapeshifter”, which could be Crowbar riffs with death metal vocals, or the tremolo-picked black metal furor that  fills “The Fear”.

But groove is certainly the main focus of the band, despite all the inherent blasting Floridian and Texan death metal influences at play. Tracks like the aforementioned “Collapsing”, “Undying Ritual”,  “Lost”, and massive, doomy closer “Massacre” are full of nifty little lumbers and grooves amid the death metal blasts, that bring grins and seat-based moshing galore.

A solid, solid effort, and I’m happy Kris and co got signed to a label and are getting some exposure. I guess his years of reviewing death metal at this very site paid off….. just kidding. Check these guys out.

[Visit the band's website]

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