DETRIMENTUM

When the subject of British metal comes up, my first thoughts are invariably ones concerning blinding insanity, teeth-rattling noisiness, and dangerous levels of psychosis. That's because over the last couple of years I've been reviewing albums by the likes of AKERCOCKE, BIOMECHANICAL, and BURNING SKIES, all acts that fit the aforementioned bill to varying degrees, albeit not necessarily for the same reasons. Recently, I contracted a disease called "Embracing this Deformity" from England's DETRIMENTUM. The band's full-length debut is brutal death metal with some tasty flavorings.

Were DETRIMENTUM sticking solely to the style of death/grind extremity heard quintessentially from labels like Tennessee's Unmatched Brutality or, of course, the UK's Grindethic, "Embracing this Deformity" would be an easy recommendation for fans of the style. The horrifically guttural vocals and sewage squeals that join blast beats and jagged/jolting riffs, not to mention the overall compositional calamity, make for a mighty good listen, at least for those that believe fist fucking is a form of foreplay. But guitarists Jon Butlin and Paul Wilkinson, bassist/vocalist Eddie Ruffles (INFECTED DISARRAY),and drummer Jon Rushforth (GOREROTTED, INFECTED DISSARAY) take thing a little further. Woven into the bludgeoning mix are elements of actual tunefulness. Attention-grabbing leads, darkly melodic riffs, and well placed vocal changeups all contribute to some interesting arrangements. At 51 minutes, it is not as though the casual death metal fan will be able to sit through it all without hitting the pause button a few times for a smoke break, but there is some depth to these arrangements that tends to bring one back for repeat beatings.

My only issue with the disc is that the guitars sometimes get lost in the denseness of the mix. The booming low-end is nice to hear on a DM release, yet it also makes it more difficult to hear the intricacies of the songs. But after the first couple of songs I find that I tend to forget it about, so it's not overly troubling either. "Embracing this Deformity" is a sure bet to bring to tears anyone within earshot that prefers serenity and meditation over pit violence and head banging. Word on the street is that the boys know how to decimate a stage. I'll be keeping an eye on this rabble.