Vomiting Skulls Self-titled Demo Review
by Matt Hensch
.
As expected, a name like Vomiting Skulls features a lot of vomit, a lot of skulls, and a lot of skulls that vomit. This Finnish faction thinly balances between the dimensions of black metal and death metal in both songwriting and genetics, an authentic mixture that the band clearly restrains without any sign of struggle. The style they display is anything but newsworthy, yet the gentlemen featured in Vomiting Skulls nail the juxtaposition with the four songs provided on their self-titled demo with violence and precision. There's really no sense of an overbearing strength guiding the group's vehement onslaught, but they simply remain consistent and powerful as a unit, hardly ever dropping the ball.We got the usual stuff found 'round this neck of the woods, with all the primitive guitar work, rough drumming, sharp production, and deep growls that sound like a rupturing demon to boot; pretty much the works for any proper black/death metal faction. The demo itself runs just under fifteen minutes, but the pieces are in place for a good listen. The opening "Slaughter" explodes in a diabolical fury that could get even the hardest of heads to bang, and the following "Old Ones" takes a different approach than most of the release, using heavy atmosphere and chilling guitar work instead of the bloodthirsty bombardment the remaining tunes showcase. Things really pick up with "Altar," a striking homage to old-school black metal that roils in an exercise of gnarly riffs and rocking beats until the listener's neck snaps. They continue the metallic fusion throughout "Kill for his Glory," another ripping, sadistic slab of fierce black/death metal rolled up into an explosive ball of smoldering fire. Vomiting Skulls really demonstrates their sheer ability to dominate throughout the demo's second half; there's nothing in the world that won't stop a loyal metalhead from thrashing like a frenzied lunatic. The other tunes are a little pale in comparison, yet I'm still not sulking. Originality clearly doesn't play a staunch role, but these Fins make hay by altering the demo's tempos while generally flexing staples of an enjoyable nature. It may not satisfy some, but hey, there's overall little to refute the sheer knowledge and potency of the black/death metal mixture featured throughout the group's self-titled demo. Definitely something to check out if it sounds up your alley, but don't expect the world.
Vomiting Skulls Self-titled Demo Rating:7.0
tell a friend about this review
.
...end |