International coslamboration ATM consists of members based across three continents and with a huge host of musical experience between them, the majority being in the slam/death/grind scene. Representing the UK, USA, Switzerland and Hong Kong, this 5 piece have certainly stirred up some serious interest in the slamtertainment their debut full length promises, so without further beating round the bush, prepare to be kicked in the groin by what could well be one of the most exciting death metal releases this year.
With the spoof-like Saturday Night Live introduction track “Slamtertainment Tonight” serving to introduce the band, the album and promising music of orgasm providing quality, we quickly shift into the main tracks of the record. It is here where the humour on this album steps aside to play a background role. “Resurrection I – Thirteen Bodies” takes some time to start, its opening thirty seconds are provided by a sample but as soon as the drums kick in with the tight guitar and bass, the death metal begins. A ferocious blast accompanied by some incredibly powerful vocal growls surges forwards and from here things simply go from extreme to extreme. Harsh and hard-hitting guttural sections which are commonplace with slam trade with faster death metal sections and whilst the traditional caveman like lurching pace does surface at points, this opening assault is more akin to an avalanche than a prehistoric titan. One of the many Iconic lines from the Hellraiser film franchise opens up “Leeched” and this is more familiar territory for those who have heard bands like heavyweights Crepitation and Colpocleisis. The unrelenting vocal attack simply powers forwards, propelled by plenty of blasting drums and tightly shuffling guitar and bass riffs. The angular nature of the music has its own hypnotic momentum and the guttural growls and piercing pig squeals add a layer of unhinged madness over the whole affair. Even the slow down, hammer dropping moments in the later stages of the track can do little to outdo the intensity of the microphone work!
“Breeding Violence” is just straight up, in your face, aggressive death metal befitting of both its name and the band’s name. A shifting sequence of low end dominated surges spurred on by the tight rhythm work hits with little restraint. The bass thunders away, locked in tight with the buzzing guitar and the sheer level of noise is just a joy to listen to. Perfectly timed switches from groove laden to blast crazy keep the momentum up and once more, the vocal work is tight as hell. A South Park sample opens up “The Cleansing Of Ignorance”, and whilst both sample and title are aptly paired, the music also matches up with the naming scheme; like a deluge sweeping aside all in its path, this brutal wave just swamps all in its path. Whilst it might follow the same musical approach as previous tracks, the sheer level of intensity simply swamps the listener. Brief moments of pace change can be likened to surfacing for breath but the moment it shifts back to the relentless paced sections, it drags you back under into the brutal depths. “Crimson Horror” has some phenomenal vocals, once again spearheading the incredibly tight and precise musical assault. At times it’s hard to overlook just how big an impact the vocals can have on a track, but here it cannot be ignored. The raw and unrestrained attack adds an extra edge to both the blistering paced death metal and the pounding slam breakdown towards the end.
“Tsuchigumo” is the next track and in Japanese folklore, it is the name of a spider-like demon. It is also a slur used in the past to describe local clans who did not support the emperor of Japan, thought to be derived from the descriptive term’ “Tsuchigomori”; those who hide in the ground. Brief history lesson aside, the above background is relevant to the track because it certainly bears some hellish presence. With rumbling bass and drums, powerful enough to shake the earth like something was bursting forth from it, this precise track hits hard and rather unexpectedly as it slips in and out of heavily technical and downright heavy sections, all again guided by some terrifying vocal performances. Early 2000’s internet legend Salad Fingers introduces “A Satan Rose” and honestly, it follows on from the previous track without losing any pacing or momentum. Another demonically intense slammer which does little to show mercy to those in its path. Rolling blasts and technical guitars pound away with the quiver promising force mentioned in the introduction and there isn’t much else to say but so far this album has been hugely consistent on all fronts.
“Infinite Regression” has a huge focus on the slam and groove approach, the drums doing a superb job with their relentless attack and the guttural noises on vocals help heighten this attack. As it progresses the technicality and intensity of the track takes centre stage, speeding things up but an almighty slam section at the end gives some shatteringly heavy moments before a baroque-esque sample transitions the track into “Ressurection II – Reigning Terror”, a significantly more intense successor to the first track bearing its name earlier in the release, once again providing plenty of slam, groove and furious blasts to keep the power going. “Kanstapated” is the penultimate track of the release and again, it follows on in a similar musical vein. The heavy emphasis on the low end led slam grooves to the blistering guitar buzzing riffs and vocal theatrics provide a solid blue print, but this track has something more to it. Vocally it’s a masterclass in how diverse a skill set a guttural vocalist can have when it’s delivered with serious intent. Piercing growls, long and drawn out squeals and abdomen shattering grunts add more heaviness to this track than instruments alone could and it sets things up nicely for the closing track, “Abuse Of Consumption” which simply carries on, blending some of the powerful guttural work on the previous track with some more traditional death metal approaches whilst delivering some seriously heavy slams to cap the album nicely.
So in closing, Awaken The Misogynist, a slam quintet of international composition deliver the goods. A very niche sub genre, slam is tricky to both listen to and to pull off but when it is done right, the results speak for themselves. The vocal work on this album is magnificent and the bass and drums lock everything together and give the guitars that extra kick so when the big angular riffs come crashing in, you know it’s going to be heavy. If the logistics ever line up and we get some tours out of this project then grab your hammers and get ready to drop them! A stunning debut effort!
(8.5/10 Fraggle)
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