The splicing together of both technical and brutal death metal always makes for an exciting listen. The chugging groove and harsh, guttural vocals of the brutal elements combined with the speed and ferocity of technical metal creates quite the explosive racket. An explosive racket is definitely what four piece Neurogenic have succeeded in creating with their debut full length release Ouroboric Stagnation.
Hailing from Russia, Italy and the United States, Neurogenic’s sound is a very intense one. Obvious references include Gorgasm, Necrophagist and Disgorge, with very loose hints of black metal and grindcore thrown in too for good measure. This is especially true on track 4 Warden Domain, which is so insanely fast that you can definitely detect the grind undertones, and on sixth track Vortex of Uncreation, which is the darkest and most dismal song on the album and firmly brings some grotesque, blackened hints to it.
There are slams and breakdowns on Ouroboric Stagnation, however they’re not overused or tedious by a long shot and there is far more to Neurogenic than just being a run of the mill, chugging slam band. Second track Subdural Bleeding for example is a perfect example of this, with its powerful levels of speed and intricate fretwork being unleashed by guitarist Vlad Melnik, this song is quite the dynamic and energetic listen.
Do not be fooled into thinking that just because Neurogenic are a more diverse band that they have abandoned the slam wagon entirely. Track eight Soul Enthralled and track nine, Spirited Bloody Emesis are the two songs on the album that sit mostly in the brutal camp, with thunderous, chugging great riffs and both possessing beastly slams too. Both tracks will undoubtedly enthral pretty much all fans of brutal death metal into the Neurogenic camp. However if you’re looking for pig squeals then you’re out of luck, as Matteo Bazzanella’s vocals are strictly guttural only on the album, which is never a bad thing.
Overall, Ouroboric Stagnation is a small but very powerful album. Consisting of 25 minutes of 11 snippets of furiously frantic brutality, fans of death metal in any form are bound to love this album. It’s intense pace and intricate fretwork throughout are guaranteed to keep the listener on their toes and satisfied from start to finish. Ouroboric Stagnation should easily earn Neurogenic a spot on one of the many European Deathfests in the near future.
(7/10 Eilish Foxen)
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