Despite the fact that I go on about how open minded I’ve become with music and my recent misdemeanours in the falser tones of Metal I still crave what is true. Of course the true/ false debate is an ever changing and evolving thing, equally it has become so ludicrous between me and my friends that it has almost become a parody of itself with us openly mocking the ideals which we once held so dear. Yet that said I cannot deny a certain love for the untainted in the world of Metal, the sonic battering that shakes the foundations of Metal and become the pinnacle with no sense of trend.

One such band whom stick true to their ethics are the Spanish Brutal Death Metal newcomers Strappado. Formed only one year ago in 2018 the band have quickly come up with their debut record Exigit Sincerae Devotionis Affectus. This is our focus today, a new slab of what promises to be traditional Brutal Death Metal at its finest. With the backing of Comatose Music can this new deviant delight prove to us that the ways of old aren’t dead? Surely enough in a world polluted by Deathcore infused Brutal Death Metal there is a place for the dare I say old school.

Upholding tradition from the word go the sampled shrieks of The Rack open proceedings making way for further traditional infused barbaric riffs and rapid fire drumming. Vocally the album becomes a guttural anguish of perfect disgust paying homage to the earlier era of Slam and Brutal Death Metal. The album whilst totally destructive isn’t lacking in powerful riffs, amid the bubbling bass tones sits memorable yet very Brutal riffs, Plastered Anus even injects some pinch harmonics and Slams into the mix adding further flare to this already gore laden monolith. Speaking of Slams that is something I actually really enjoyed on this release, the fact that there isn’t this huge build up or progression into Slams. The slower moving sections simply happen and it wasn’t until hearing this record that I realised how much I missed those natural crushing transitions.

Charging into the second half of the record like the four horsemen we come to Death By Sawing another crushing tome of purist Brutal Death Metal destruction that is truly refreshing and old school. The drums in this track are perhaps the most impressive, total all out machine gun carnage that puts many in the scene today to shame. Speaking of drumming we even get an almost Grind inspired blast in the speedy Twenty Fingers. The final push comes in the form of Abbey Of Painful Screams another traditional banger bookended by samples and rife with true Brutal Death Metal delights from down tuned riffs to slapping bass.

Overall I would like to commend Stappado, their idea of no messing about Brutal Death Metal is truly impressive and exciting to hear. Often we can lose sight of the very thing that made us fall in love with a genre, and alas I fear I have fallen to this. As previously mentioned my horizons are now broadened but this sort of Brutal Death Metal takes me back to my first indulgence of the genre and fills me with Slam happiness. If you’re someone whom has perhaps fallen off of the cart with Brutal Death Metal then Strappado are surely there to pick you back up and toss you back atop the festering bodies.

(8/10 George Caley)

https://www.facebook.com/StrappadoBDM

https://comatosemusic.bandcamp.com/album/exigit-sincerae-devotionis-affectus