I’m a sucker for gimmicks and the paranormal / weird, so the band we’re talking about today tick a lot of boxes for me. Basically, I probably know more about totally useless UFO history than I do real world history. Which is quite embarrassing but also funny. My love for the strange defiantly hit a peak when for Christmas one year my wife bought me a ‘diploma’ in Cryptozoology course, I’m still working on it but one day I will display that hilarious certificate with pride.
So, to the band in question Troglodyte. This Missouri based Death Metal act have one focus and that is the mighty Sasquatch! Yes, finally a Death Metal band solely focused on the elusive king of Cryptids himself. A band who I’m very shocked I have only just discovered in fact being that they formed in 2005 and have pumped out a few records since. These include their stunningly titled debut Welcome To Boggy Creek (mental note for you guys, check out The Last Podcast On The Left episode about this legend). Basically, I love the idea behind this band, but how does their fourth full length The Hierarchical Ecological Succession: Welcome To The Food Chain match up to the rest of the Metal world?
Well talk about off to a speeding start, What’s Eating You crashes in with aggressive Death Metal splendour. Vocally it is somewhat reminiscent of Dethklok, yet less playing on atypical Metal troupe, it’s also not a discredit as I’m rather a fan of Dethklok. Basically, imagine Melodic Death Metal but there is less focus on fancy riffs, make sense? Essentially, it’s hyperactive Death Metal with a niche concept and memorable lyrical patterns and flow, perfect for my ears. Songs are short, sharp and to the point. Is this album innovative? No not really, in fact if it wasn’t for the Sasquatch themes it would be pretty atypical, save for the excellent vocals. However, it is overall a fun experience and the Cryptid theme is something I’m all over.
Dyatlov opens the second half of the record with much of the same primitive Death Metal bashing. There are some more sluggish tones in this song, something which works really well with the whole theme of the band, however a notion which I oddly enjoy less from them, give me speed! Keeping things catchy though is the not so memorably titled Assault By Cleft Foot Malformation Trampled Under (Big)Foot, a slower but more impactful song it has to be said. Getting that speed back up though is the awesome Thin The Herd, quite literally killer stuff. Finally, to round off this fun record is Meat Your Maker. It’s a rampant, swamp ridden barrage of further stomping Death Metal annihilation which I have a lot of time for, some of the nastiest vocals on the album can be found in this closing number.
Okay so in conclusion this record really isn’t all that genre-defying, however its saving grace is that the vocals and memorability are enough to hold it together. Look at it like this, Cannibal Corpse have pumped out the same album since day one and every time it’s a success because the formula works. I’ve talked about it before but there’s a reason why Pop music is so, well, popular and that’s because it’s catchy, easy to follow and gets stuck in your head. I sometimes get fed up of Metal bands who seem to think this is somehow a false, sell out concept when in reality music is there to be enjoyed and part of that enjoyment is going back time and time again for more and having a good sing a long. Hats off to Troglodyte for making Extreme Metal memorable and I wish many a happy Sasquatch hunt for them in the coming years, great stuff.
(8/10 George Caley)
Leave a Reply