PEELING FLESH

It might be stretching it a bit to suggest that any death metal band has been the victim of meaningful hype, but PEELING FLESH have certainly risen from nowhere to somewhere in a relatively short period of time, and "The G Code" is one of this year's most keenly anticipated releases as a result. Coming straight out of Oklahoma City like a runaway van full of serial killers, they have made a name for themselves by simply being unapologetic about their deviations from the slamming brutal death metal norm. Their debut album is full of weird, funny and sinister sampled dialogue, perverse detours into murky rap, abrasive videogame scree and, most importantly, some of the most ignorant and ugly riffs and beatdowns that death metal has produced in years. "The G Code" is anything but subtle, but even in a populous scene with countless great bands, PEELING FLESH stand out for the full-throttle way they go about their business.

There are corners of the death metal realm where smiling and jokes are definitely not allowed. PEELING FLESH subscribe to a more contemporary view: that extreme metal can be serious and entertaining at the same time. "The G Code" plays out like some crazed mixtape, with movie quotes and other inexplicable intrusions interspersed between the band's monstrous outbursts. Just to make sure that purists are spitting teeth, "Shoot 2 Kill" strides confidently towards rap-metal, with vocalist Damonteal Harris spitting grimy bars over the most excruciating breakdown imaginable. Likewise, "Perc 3000" is a pulverising death metal tune with turntable wizardry from DJ MRD that blends seamlessly into the blastbeats and infernal grooves.

After the abrupt hammering of "CONCRETE CURB ENFORCEMENT" (which sounds exactly like a song called "CONCRETE CURB ENFORCEMENT" should),"FULL OF LEAD" steps deeper into those bleak, urban hip-hop shadows, again with DJ MRD scratching like a badass. Another slow, heavy riff augmented with deftly spat lyrics, "SKIN BLUNT" is an audacious blending of disparate ideas and a supremely convincing death metal instrumental with a morbid streak a mile wide. None of this should work, but all of it does, not least because PEELING FLESH have the authentic death metal chops to back up their wilful dismantling of tradition.

Determined to pack as much into their first album as possible, PEELING FLESH have thrown everything at this. When they stick more rigidly to the brutality script, they have more than enough savage charisma to justify their rapidly growing reputation. "Barbarianism" is a nasty bit of out-and-out violence; "The Fuckening" takes 60-seconds to smash everything in the room, your face included; and the title track — practically an epic at five minutes — drags DESPISED ICON fromtmen Alex Erian and Steve Marois into the madness, and conjures one of the death metal songs of the year in the process. A bloody pileup of pus-covered riffs and oddball embellishments, "The G Code" sounds like the unexpected, unhinged riot at the end of an otherwise perfectly pleasant house party. The more measured and punishing slow-burn of "CREEPIN' OUT THE CUT" calmly sets fire to the curtains on the way out.

Sometimes, bands get a lot of attention simply because they're really fucking good. "The G Code" is a generous consignment of good old, disgusting fun. Play it loud, break the furniture, and allow yourself a smile or two.