Fuck... I'm Dead vs. Engorged

I sometimes wonder if this release should have been just a Fuck I'm Dead EP. Their songs might only tally up about 10 minutes or so, but it would be 10 minutes of awesome and not 26 minutes of awesome followed by mediocrity. However, I was not familiar with Engorged prior to hearing this and now I know all I pretty much need to about the latter band, which saves me time.

Fuck I'm Dead provide the goods, of course. Every track is ferocious, battering and fast with vocals that sound inhuman and riffs that challenge you to keep up with them. The drums might be programmed but that doesn't stop them from sounding good. Tracks like Ruthless Aggression and the fantastic Gore Ridden effectively summarize what this band is about - smashing your head in and making you enjoy it. Closing track Force Red Brutality neatly ties it all up while still leaving you hungry for more.

Engorged on the other hand provide nothing memorable. Indeed the only highlight was the Halloween 6 sample from Death Metal Attack 2000, which is unsurprisingly also the best song they had to offer on this split. The rest of their contributions are generic and not engaging, with the exception of some fairly decent guitar solos. Too bad, they sound like they could provide something worthwhile if they put more effort into it (having not heard anything else by them, for all I know they may have).

I suppose it goes without saying this split is really only recommendable for Fuck I'm Dead. Engorged are best background music but I have the feeling most listeners will be turning it off before they start. Can't say I blame them. A well-deserved 96% for Fuck I'm Dead, a generous 32% for Engorged.