These Czech Brutal Death Metallers have been around for nearly a quarter of a century though I have not heard of them making their record label name strangely accurate.

This is the bands 6th album and the third in 6 years, so they have been pretty prolific of late.

Once I have steeled myself at the frankly awful band name I am pleased to blast my ears with some nasty Tech tinged Death Metal.  Opener Xenomorphic Annihilation: Earth Ravaged opens with a thrashy riff and some thunderous blast beats then starts firing off some proggy guitar leads and even a few spacey lazer effects as well. They work to good effect and certainly take nothing away from the brutal riffs and dual vocals that swap between deep throats roars and higher pitched screams. I am guessing that these are provided by main vocalist Jirka Krs and guitarist/vocalist Vitlaij K Novak.  The pair (if it is they) bounce well off each other throughout the album.  The band have certainly honed their craft well over the last couple of decades and they write some chunky groovy riffs.  “Human Protein Concentrate” and “Descent into Torment of Abyssal Whispers” are pure TechDeath bangers like the opener and had me shimmying in my seat. Luckily for me there is still enough big chunks of nastiness in there to keep my hammer swinging hand happy.

The band have sought to add in some new elements to their music – I am going by the accompanying blurb as I have not heard them before. They have added some eerie and atmospheric elements to some of the tracks which opens them up and offers further shade and light to the brutality.  “Repeated Intersexual Misunderstanding” begins with a creepy twanging guitar and straight rock drum beat before dropping into a dirty caveman metal riff and growled vocal with the twanging guitar returning for an avant-garde addition that took me back to the Cardiacs album I was listening to earlier. What follows is sections of sci-fi technical death metal backed with symphonic synth sounds creating a free form jazz opera of nastiness. Do I love it? Not sure. Can I ignore it? Certainly not. I want to listen to it again though, and again.  It itches my brain and ears in a good way.

There is plenty of straight up face bludgeoning Death Metal on here, “Code of Zuurith” blasts a long at a great pace with some melodic guitar parts that piqued my interest but did not hook me in enough to stay in the head after the track faded.

“Sarkam’s Wrath Unleashed” layers on synths and a “demonic” voice (or is it an alien – not sure) amid some Deathcore style chops. It lacks the hooks and grooves of the other standout tracks.  “Amanda” that follows throws in some atmospheric Black Metal riffs and some eerie melodies that pulled me back in. The guitar lines mixed technicality and emotion and the synths feel more organic here and help build a sense of romance – if a bloodied battered hand clutching a rose.

“Last Supper” gives me some Cradle of Filth vibes and there is a little boogie riff in there too whilst final track “Spawn of Vathus” is a mid-paced straight up tech death standard.

There are hints of real innovation on this album and I am intrigued to hear where they go next, and will also research where they have come from. Definitely one for the tech death heads amongst you.

(6.5/10 Matt Mason)

https://www.facebook.com/CutterredFlesh

https://cutterredfleshband.bandcamp.com/album/love-at-first-bite