TITHE

Portland power trio TITHE has been marching to the beat of their own drum since their inception nearly a decade ago. Primarily known nowadays as a dissonant death metal band touching upon grind and doom, their initial EP encompassed blackened death informed by crust and powerviolence. Not surprisingly, then, they don't shy away from political commentary. That initial self-titled EP, in fact, was so direct that its cover art depicted Trump sitting on the lap of a muscular man. TITHE's sociopolitical passions remain intact; however, with its evolution toward harder hitting death metal, the messaging seems more covert. Now, poised to unleash their third album, "Communion In Anguish", a seven-song banger that builds upon the band's foundation, TITHE weave a web showcasing hypnotic, pummeling death metal.

TITHE isn't breaking new ground by melding crust, grind and doom into a death metal format, but their approach is individual. "The Fruits Of Spiritual Apartheid", one of the release's focal points, is bursting with the manic rage of early primal grindcore, filtered through the prism of modern dissonant death metal. Reflecting their heartfelt convictions, the song is about the timeless tale of mankind justifying genocide, war and racism with religious doctrine.

Earlier on, the album starts off strong with "Nostrum". Driving up-tempo death metal riffing matches the intensity of drummer Kevin Swartz's frantic, wild percussive pummel throughout the song. And the dueling vocals add a manic quality that might make listeners feel as though they're in the midst of a bar room brawl.

An obvious development from previous efforts is the addition of bassist Alex Huddleston's growled, low-end death metal vocals, augmenting the band's staple bellowed, hardcore-influenced singing courtesy of guitarist Matt Eiseman. The trade-off vocals lead the charge, layered atop a savage and relentless unfurling of death grinding fury. "Communion In Anguish" is chock-full of interesting moments. It's straightforward without being simplistic. The abundance of detail may have listeners coming back for more. And while the constant tension building does find release, the expected high points are anti-climactic. "At the Altar Of Starving Children" is explosive and visceral, but just when it seems like the tension will lead to a dramatic transition, the energy is lost like air seeping out of a balloon rather than bursting violently. And while "Shallow Grave Of Karmic Retribution", the album's marathon running nearly eight minutes, is jam packed with belligerent movements, though some of its transitions are forced and lifeless.

TITHE, and "Communion In Anguish", are worth the attention of extreme music fans who are bored with generic bands that aren't even attempting to have their own identity, and their passion overflows here. Its numerous twists and turns seem prime for the live setting. And yes, the band's take on dissonant, dark death metal is fearless and sprawling, but it somehow feels incomplete, falling short of the band's potential. The Oregonian trio deserves praise, however, for side-stepping the formulaic death metal that continues to flood the underground.