DYING FETUS

War of Attrition

Relapse
rating icon 8 / 10

Track listing:

01. Homicidal Retribution
02. Fate of the Condemned
03. Raping the System
04. Insidious Repression
05. Unadulterated Hatred
06. The Ancient Rivalry
07. Parasites of Catastrophe
08. Obsolete Deterrence


This is going to be a short review. If you know American death metal, and you're not retarded, you know DYING FETUS. If you know them, you know they were arguably the hardest-working band in American death metal for years, culminating in a deal with Relapse and 2000's "Destroy the Opposition" — an album that raised the bar for undiluted, state-of-the-art death metal delivered with barbaric precision. You also know that after that album, the band's lineup splintered, and that 2003's "Stop at Nothing" seemed a little less intense, a little less… I dunno… DYING FETUS-y.

It's been a long four years since "Stop at Nothing", and while extreme music has edged closer to the mainstream, DYING FETUS has had to wait on the sidelines as many of their peers or former touring partners have gone on to wider acclaim. Finally, they return to reclaim their throne… but is "War of Attrition" worthy of their legacy?

At least one person has remarked that "it's 'Destroy the Opposition II'," and while it could be argued that there are minor cosmetic adjustments, the fact remains that the FETUS trademarks — the dual vocal assault, the punishing blasts, those guitar sweeps that add, if not melody, at least some tonal variety, to the band's attack — are in full force. And the breakdowns, holy hell, it's nice to be reminded that no one can ignite a frenzied, bloody pit quite like DYING FETUS. Most importantly, that feeling is back — that indefinable intensity that seemed slightly lacking on "Stop At Nothing", the adrenalized viciousness that makes listening to this band a visceral, almost physical experience.

Eight songs, thirty-six minutes, but you know what? Some albums don't need to be long. Any more music on this record would be redundant, and probably harmful to the average listener. The band's "kill 'em all, let God sort 'em out" lyrical stance will probably fan a few flames, too, but what else are you gonna sing to music like this? It's supposed to be controversial, and it's supposed to be brutal.

It could be said that DYING FETUS are coasting here, but the sheer vein-bursting pummel of it all says otherwise. Besides, after this long away, "War of Attrition" is exactly what the band needed to release right now – a strong, intense, unflinching and unreservedly brutal statement of intent and purpose. There can be no argument that the band is back, and as murderously focused as ever. What else do you need to know?

Author:
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • reddit
  • email

Comments Disclaimer And Information

BLABBERMOUTH.NET uses the Facebook Comments plugin to let people comment on content on the site using their Facebook account. The comments reside on Facebook servers and are not stored on BLABBERMOUTH.NET. To comment on a BLABBERMOUTH.NET story or review, you must be logged in to an active personal account on Facebook. Once you're logged in, you will be able to comment. User comments or postings do not reflect the viewpoint of BLABBERMOUTH.NET and BLABBERMOUTH.NET does not endorse, or guarantee the accuracy of, any user comment. To report spam or any abusive, obscene, defamatory, racist, homophobic or threatening comments, or anything that may violate any applicable laws, use the "Report to Facebook" and "Mark as spam" links that appear next to the comments themselves. To do so, click the downward arrow on the top-right corner of the Facebook comment (the arrow is invisible until you roll over it) and select the appropriate action. You can also send an e-mail to blabbermouthinbox(@)gmail.com with pertinent details. BLABBERMOUTH.NET reserves the right to "hide" comments that may be considered offensive, illegal or inappropriate and to "ban" users that violate the site's Terms Of Service. Hidden comments will still appear to the user and to the user's Facebook friends. If a new comment is published from a "banned" user or contains a blacklisted word, this comment will automatically have limited visibility (the "banned" user's comments will only be visible to the user and the user's Facebook friends).