Lean and Filthy
The sophomore LP from Vasaeleth was easily one of my most anticipated albums of the year. But when I got the promo, I was initially disappointed. Only 19 minutes long? This isn't grindcore--that's not supposed to be long enough to make a full-length. After repeated listens, I got it, and disappointment is no longer a concern.Crypt Born & Tethered to Ruin was a bit of a sleeper hit back in 2010. The band's ultra-filthy Incantation-inspired death metal was rightly recognized as some of the best the old-school death metal revival has to offer. It didn't hurt that the album's centerpiece "Gateway to the Cemetery of Being" spreads like gangrene from your ears into every part of your central nervous system. All Uproarious Darkness--a more appropriate album title there never was--continues in that infected vein.
Riffs alternate between a mid-paced chaotic muddle and a fast-paced chaotic muddle. The riffs are mostly obscured by the unglamorous production, but subsequent listens allow you to unravel the threads. Raunchy pinch harmonics serve as signposts, or impaled victims set up as warning.
And after unraveling this tangle of organs, it becomes apparent that every last bit of excess was removed. It's short, but every moment is worth hearing. While there may not be a track on the level of "Gateway," there isn't a mediocre track either, and that counts for a lot.
The Verdict: 4 out of 5 stars
I wasn't able to find an embeddable studio version of anything from this record, but this live take gives a surprisingly good idea of what you'll hear on the record.
Profound Lore
I've been wondering about this one. Sounds like it'll be worth checking out.
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