I have to admit, I have been waiting for this album to be released ever since finding this band through their demo and internet coverage on a social media website. Fetus Stench play death metal and this is hard, heavy and of a vintage style but delivering a very modern punch in the face.
This is a Swedish band, but they are no rotten Entombed clone, Fetus Stench are awash with US death metal influences a-la Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel, and Deicide. ‘Brennkommando’ is choppy, groove laden, blast beat possessing…I could go on but in summary, these are essential qualities that appeal via a complete classic death metal sound. The vocals from Andreas Björnson sound a cross between Johan Lindstrand (The Crown) and Anders Sjöholm (The Forsaken) and as ‘The Outer Island’ progresses I really feel a connection to this material. If you raise a pennant for old Morbid Angel then listen to ‘Severe Suffering’ as that is slower in tempo and even melodic in places, but what is particularly pleasing is the power, and of course some excellent lead guitar work akin to albums ‘D’ and ‘F’ of the aforementioned band does hurt matters on little bit.
‘Bashed, Defaced and Disfigured’ has a little Lock Up grind influence, its furious blast beats are mixed with standard 4/4 death metal beats and it is a bit of a monster. In fact, this whole album is, I am not going into the why’s and where’s and what’s of this release, but this IS classic death metal very much modernized and brutalised. ‘Stillbirth’ is classic US death mixed with their obvious Swedish influences, I rarely find albums that really have me intently transfixed to each little intricate piece of music, every guitar note, every breath spouted out in the lyrics, especially from a debut album. Fetus Stench should be at the top of your shopping list, you won’t be disappointed.
(8.5/10 Paul Maddison)
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