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Ripping Corpse > Splattered Remains > Reviews
Ripping Corpse - Splattered Remains

Deeper, deeper... - 62%

robotniq, September 20th, 2020

"Splattered Remains" sees Ripping Corpse ditching the high-wire extreme thrash of their first demo and opting for a death metal sound. The band never played standard death metal, but the music gradually became heavier, more complex and staccato, and that transition began here. Scott Ruth's vocals are much lower than his (excellent) Chuck Billy impersonations on the previous demo. He combines the standard grunts and belches with some wild screams, and he has impressive range. There are still hints of thrash and hardcore, but the emphasis is on power and complexity rather than pure speed.

On this demo, Ripping Corpse no longer sounded like they were aping other bands. This is recognisable as the band who would record "Dreaming With the Dead". Four of the six songs here would make it onto the album. "Exhumation Day" was actually re-recorded to appear on the album as well, but was excluded (i.e. censored) by the label. All six songs are strong, a testament to the band's consistency. The highlights for me are "Anti-God" and "Sado-Masochists from the Grave" (which would be given the title of "Feeling Pleasure Through Pain" on the album). These songs, along with the hardcore-inspired "Deeper Demons", are near-identical to their album counterparts.

Elsewhere, "Rift of Hate" suffers in comparison to the album version. The key difference is that this version lacks the ultra-slow 'beatdown' section which sounded so heavy on the album. The mediocre thrash riff in its place lacks the same impact. "Exhumation Day" suffers in a similar way. This demo version lacks the sludgy heaviness of the one recorded for the "Dreaming with the Dead" session. Comparing the different versions of these songs is interesting because it shows how the band improved and adjusted their songs over time. The final song, "Stone Garden", is the weakest of the bunch. It is a simple hardcore-esque jaunt with a catchy ending, but little else of note. I feel that Ripping Corpse made the right calls when choosing and upgrading songs for "Dreaming with the Dead".

The sound quality isn't great. "Splattered Remains" sounds much worse than the band's first demo. The reason for this is simple; the first demo was recorded at a proper studio and this one was recorded live. This demo is little more than a glorified rehearsal. The sound is muddy and it is difficult to distinguish the instruments. The bass fares well, but the drums sound boxy and don't do Brandon Thomas any justice. You can still hear his awesome percussive power, speed and accuracy though (during the double-kick on "Anti-God" for instance). Being a live recording, Shaune Kelley couldn't have double-tracked his guitar parts, which is another limitation. This demo shows that Ripping Corpse needed to find a second guitarist; Erik Rutan would join in time for their third demo.

Much as I like "Splattered Remains", I cannot see a reason to listen to it nowadays. The album is better in every respect and I don't think "Stone Garden" is enough to swing the balance. This is the worst of the Ripping Corpse demos, without doubt. Thrash fans might bemoan the band's direction here. They never made a killer ultra-thrash recording to consolidate what they had done on "Death Warmed Over". Personally, I think Ripping Corpse made the right decision to evolve their sound in this way, but they would need another year to make it work.

Still bulldozing toward a record deal - 94%

Gutterscream, March 13th, 2005
Written based on this version: 1988, Cassette, Independent

"We dug up little Cathy today. We dug her up so she could play. We fucked her hard, we had our way with her corpse on exhumation day..."

A year passes since the NJ four-piece's furious '87 demo, Death Warmed Over, and like I said in the review of that slab, they're going to be heard, record contract or not. No line up changes or additions, and expectations of rage dangle from my thoughts. Six searing tracks later and my expectations haven't committed suicide.

Splattered Remains features quite a few songs that would be drafted into their sole lp's catalogue, but the real enjoyment of hearing these songs again is witnessing their original design undisturbed by the three years between demo and lp; "Rift of Hate", "Deeper Demons", "Anti God", and "Sado-Masochists from the Grave" (re-titled "Feeling Pleasure Through Pain" for the lp). What's even more interesting is realizing that some of these original versions are just as good as (and in instances possibly even better than) the reworkings for Dreaming With The Dead.

With "Rift of Hate" all is pretty parallel in thrash intensity until the chorus charges over the hill. While the chorus on the lp version melts down to a super-slow chugger with backing vocal cries and Ruth digging deep for more demonic zest, the demo's chorus only bogs down to a moderate jog with Ruth's usual roar and much less backing vocal ardor. The revamped chorus definitely strengthens the song's overall identity, providing a real stand-out point in the track, yet the original that had already given me whiplash for three years has that flowing simplicity that seems to connect - maybe it's just me, but I think both are formidable.

The "Anti God" versions hardly stray from one another, both maintaining the jackhammer double bass at the start, the weird vocal/rhythm interaction, and Ruth's immense scream (with the one on the lp underscored by a guttural growl that still amazes the hell out of me). Meanwhile, the demo's "Sado-Masochists From The Grave" detonates a slightly larger mushroom cloud than the re-titled lp track does, perhaps a half-notch faster here with unusual lung pitch diversity and a more dominantly refaced chorus.

As far as the demo-only stuff, "Exhumation Day" has always been a high point of the tape and it is a shame it only sees the rays of daylight here. Morbidly humorous gore lyrics, a chaotic main riff, and a doozy of a chorus provide all the nourishment this thrash assault needs, and the wickedly stylish way Ruth sings the line "sodomize your lovely severed head..." is just a treat. The finale on the tape, "Stone Garden", is another whirling onslaught of speed, intensity, and perhaps the most memorable chorus of the bunch.

The production takes a minor upturn from Death Warmed Over, but is still layers away from the mix on their '90 demo and light years from the one on the lp. Being so used to lesser productions on most earlier demos, the muddiness and unkempt form is almost a welcome, if not expected, feature.

Yet again, this will not awaken a record contract for the band. They'll have to wait two more years and a couple hundred screams.