I’m known to some as the Slam King, probably for some good reason too, I love Slam. That said I can’t say it excites me like it used to, for a new Slam band to really hit me they have to be amazing. I guess that just comes with listening to the genre for over ten years, you become a grumpy old shit about these things. That said I can never say no to a little bit of hammer wielding action and as such any review that comes my way, I’m thankful for.

Back in 2019 the Canadian Slam/ BDM band NecroticGoreBeast dropped their self-titled debut and I was lucky enough to be able to review it at the time. It received some high praise from myself and I was eager to see where the band would go next. Cue their second full length Human Deviance Galore, once again put out through Comatose Music. Will it have the same impact as before though or is a tired concept? Let’s have a listen.

Deviant Primitive Debauchery has a little ambient intro, which I’ll forgive given that there isn’t a set aside actual intro track. However, it pretty swiftly gets into some pounding drums, super downtuned guitars, pinch harmonics and totally guttural vocal filth. This is basically traditional BDM and certainly something I can enjoy, especially the more Slam infused moments. As Grotesque Pathological Anomalies and Obstetric Anthropophagic Feast roll in however it’s abundantly clear that NecroticGoreBeast aren’t reinventing the wheel here. Caveman is certainly a way to describe this music, and I say that with praise, although I do already listen to like a million bands like this and a lot are kind of better. Excremental Haemorrhage Fisting at least gives us a cheeky little sample for added 00s Slam authenticity, but you can’t build an album on samples alone (unless you’re Mortician of course, maybe Lividity too).

As Blood Clot Climax rolls in I’ve pretty much switched off, it’s super basic BDM without anything that pushes the envelope and even when it feels authentic it’s still a little lacklustre and drab. I really appreciate what the band are trying to do here but I just don’t think they sell it particularly well. I honestly think if you’re in a Slam or BDM band today the best way to survive is through excess, a mass amount of Slams to the point of ridiculousness. This is trying too hard to be viewed as ‘good’ Death Metal and not hard enough to just be a bit dumb and have some fun. Transcendent Martyrdom has the atypical longer finale (it’s still only about five minutes) and it’s just another throwaway BDM track really, not bad just not mind blowing.

So what does this album get right, well there’s no time for bullshit which I appreciate, I like the samples and overall the band’s sound is inoffensive to me. That said it’s all a bit one note and even though the album is under the forty-minute mark it feels a lot longer. The best way I can summarise my feelings for this release is as such. If I heard a single from this record I’d be like ‘damn these guys have got it’, sitting here for a whole record though it wears thin quick, go listen to some Kraanium or something, it’s much better.

(6/10 George Caley)

https://www.facebook.com/Necroticgorebeast

https://comatosemusic.bandcamp.com/album/human-deviance-galore