Devourment
Unleash the Carnivore

What a year. Seriously, new albums by Suffocation, Dying Fetus, Cannibal Corpse is one thing in a year, but when the underground is also churning out slabs of equally if not more ferocious material then it shows that the good times truly are a rolling.

Now for a band that’s legacy was built on a single full length, demo and then stray recording (Babykiller) to have gained such obsessive infamy throughout the world is hugely impressive, it also adds a mountain of pressure on the shoulders of these Texan maniacs. Predecessor Butcher the Weak was therefore a resounding middle finger to anyone that doubted Majewski and Rosas for resurrecting the band, and what’s more as a four piece as it was a brutally assured as its legendary forefather. In turn stripping themselves of an extra guitar was a brave move, especially as the deep chugs founded on Molesting the Decapitated benefited hugely from two rather then one guitarist but on Butcher and now Unleash that lack seems to mean little.

The band have stated themselves that Unleash has bought back the disgusting heaviness from Molesting, and they weren’t joking, from the moment the storming title track bursts from the speakers its clearly evident. Barely a minute in they confidently flex their greatest strength, that all conquering, all devouring, all obliterating slam which punches through the speaker with such resonance and power that its amazing (mine at least) that they don’t explode from the sheer weight of the band’s sound.

That alone is one of the salient factors that makes Devourment so feverishly addictive, their sound has always been about overpowering the listener to the point where you simply have to submit and let their sonic pounding engulf you. That’s one factor consistent with their predecessors, another is their uncanny knack of writing proper, memorable songs that stick in your brain and which you can recall rather then having two or three homogenously glue themselves together and which you cannot pick apart unless you revisit the record.

Not saying that these are pop songs with hooks and what not, far from it, but it shows craft and genuine skill to make music so overly brutal and over the top that’s also memorable, addictive and that also has longevity and depth to itself. Of more interest and intrigue is the darkened atmosphere that stalks the album, there was talk of a gloomy Immolation influence lingering through this new album and you can certainly hear the moody echoing of those New Yorkers lurking on Unleash.

As stated above its been a stellar year for death metal, the old guard seemingly able not to be committed to the sanatorium just yet (unlike Slayer if their new tune is anything to go by) and the underground rapidly mutating and spewing forth plenty of gems to keep our ears blasted for many years to come.

[Visit the band's website]
Written by Benjamin DeBlasi
August 10th, 2009

Comments

  1. Commented by: kevinmalebolgia

    good cd and i concur, this past year has been great for DM.


  2. Commented by: Reignman35

    Killer brutal death metal. And the new Vomit the Soul is just as good if not better than this. Both stellar records…


  3. Commented by: dr_neo_cortex

    cannot wait to hear this!


  4. Commented by: dr_neo_cortex

    excellent review too


  5. Commented by: Tim

    The artwork is fucking awesome…


  6. Commented by: faust666

    i hope the reviewer was aiming for satire… terrible album to the extent of being almost unlistenable.. and don’t start with the ” this is devourment’s brutal wall of sound elitist death metal ” nonsense.. no matter what disguise it tries to hide behind , shit will always be shit..


  7. Commented by: Mark

    the new Vomit the Soul is damn good.


  8. Commented by: slaveborn

    Way bored of the desolate landscape covers flooding artwork in death metal the last few years. Give the guy that did the art for Unblessing the Purity some work.


  9. Commented by: xbenx

    Thanks for the comments everyone. I ordered the new Vomit the soul, cannot wait to hear it. Faust, was not aiming for satire in the slightest on this one, but fair play I can fully understand how people can find Devourment unlistenable, I know a lot of my mates find them that way.


  10. Commented by: Chris S.

    I haven’t heard this yet, so I will try not to judge to much, but this is probably the same case as many other bands. Own one album/release and you have them all, everyone knows what I mean. Granted, Devourment could have changed enough to make this sound different from their other stuff but I doubt it. Quality death metal lacking originality is most likely what will be found, but I suppose there are only a handful of truly original albums each year.


  11. Commented by: C-plus

    You either “get” Devourment or you don’t. If you don’t, don’t worry about it. This record fucking crushes.


  12. Commented by: krustster

    Lolol great review. I liked Butcher the Weak but this one puts it to SHAME. the “heaviness” factor is increased by over 1000% on this release, and that’s saying something. “Fed to the Pigs” is diarrhoea-inducing.


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