Grotesque Monument of Paraperversive Transfixion

WOW Epicardiectomy! You guys really hit the ball out of the park with this album. Everybody knows that Epicardiectomy is Cephalotripsy worship (with the band's personal little twist of course), and they managed to make the one of THE most beautiful and perfectly crafted slam albums of all time right here.

Grotesque Monument of Paraperversive Transfixion is a continuation of Cephalotripsy's iconic album Uterovaginal Insertion of Extirpated Anomalies. That's definitely what I'm getting from this. Uterovaginal Insertion part 2!!! This is what slam has been needing and searching for, the ideal album and sound; we've finally found it, thanks to Epicardiectomy and their awesome songwriting and slammage.

First of all, this is BALLS HEAVY. WOW. Milan's drumming is still up to par, still with the feature of having no toms on his set; can't forget his trademark ways. The snare is as hard and solid as ever, way more solid as it's ever been on any of the band's past releases. Also quite clanky too, the clankiest the snare has ever been in an Epicardiectomy release. The snare sounds like you're hitting the bottom of large pot that has about 15-20 stacks of paper on it with a drumstick, sounds exactly like that and it's amazing. The kick drums are clicky and loud, but at the same time pretty slimy and nasty, if that makes sense. I don't know anything about drum triggers (yet), but I'm pretty sure they're triggered, and they could not sound any damn better. The guitars are fucking magnificent and they're also very heavy, which is what makes the album as a whole 'heavy', aside from the sexy drums. The guitars sound like they're being recorded through a fan, it distributes the vibe of a crazy and slightly unsettling jam-packed bitchin' slam record. It's really the best thing ever and my favorite feature of the album other than the drums. They finally have a bassist and transformed into a 4-piece, no longer Serge doing all strings alone. Stan did a pretty great job, although the bass is inaudible and makes little to none lone appearance(s), it's very very obvious that without him, this album would NOT be as heavy as it is. This is the heaviest album the band has put out, and it cant be finished without the bass, obviously. And with slam, those heavy, slow chugs NEED to be backed by bass, which Stan has beautifly done. I appreciate you Stan, welcome to the band!

The vocals....I cannot describe how absolutely AMAZING they are. New vocalist Andrew Benc joined back in 2015 after the departure of Tom Vysoký, and he is REALLY good. He's basically another version of Angel Ochoa; nonstop meaty, gurgly, wet burpy gutturals. Anyways, Andrew's work is absolutely magnificent. Grotesque Monument is all about heavy slams, a mucky atmosphere, and grooviness; and Andrew's nasty wet vocals are quite the match and fit the album perfectly. You hear the violent slamming guitars, the machine gun kick drums and blast beats, all accompanied by this man's repugnant burping gutturals. Think of Cephalotripsy but a slight bit faster, and heavier. That's exactly what this album is, and what it's all about. Even though Andrew is ideally and obviously better, both of the vocalists of this band are awesome in their own ways, I cant choose one favorite because they both compliment their era's albums in their own ways. I love them both a lot. Tom had his own style that you can easily immediately spot out once you hear it, how could you not praise him for his time? I can't do my man Tom like that. Andrew is an improvement and a better fit; although both guys are great, I like the slight new direction Epicardiectomy took with this album, mainly the vocals being the newest thing, aside from the heavier feel this album has compared to their other full lengths.

The songwriting has slightly improved, with more focused sections that have slower parts and more intricate drum fills and blast beats, also has a bunch of end hooks. It's most easy to see what I mean by "end hooks" on the first song at 00:24 seconds in. Little parts like that where the vocals burst out led by a drum kick or snare hit when the beat drops, that's what makes the album more amazing than it already is. Catchy things like that are the reason why Grotesque Monument is so heavily praised by certain individuals. The classic Epicardiectomy is still to be heard here, but they also improved, improvised a little, and threw in some awesome new stuff. When you grow as a band, you have to implement some new features; Epicardiectomy evolved yet again, and they didn't disappoint as expected.

The production is top notch as hell too, the guitars are so clean that I can hear every note and strum perfectly, the drums are as straight up and in your face as possible, the vocals are perfectly loud enough; the overall feel is very "out there" and extremely noticeable to the ear. This record has some of the best production that I've ever heard, which is another one of the biggest reasons why it's so good.

Each track is crafted with excellence and filled to the brim with mucky, heavy, catchy slams. I cant seem to find a single boring or un-entertaining part of this album at all. The best song is the very first one, Compulsory Autophagous Lacerations. It starts off with a kick drum hit and cymbal choke, and keeps repeating that same pattern while the guitar goes on a rugged frenzy, while Andrew is pretty much rapping in-between every pause, except they're disgusting gutturals. Guttural rapping, awesome. Then all madness is loose, and the blast beats and exaggerated dragged-out burping vox last out for a bit. It's beautiful as fuck, and most slammers love the shit out of this stuff. Most people worship Cephalotrispy in the first place, so of course this album would get some attention as well. Some songs start with fade-ins, gravity blasts; the variation is pretty awesome and distinct although this is a slam album. One of the most groovy parts of the whole album is the beginning of Prurience in Putrescence. The guitars repeat a slamming pattern over and over while the drums are in a catchy pocket beat, and then switches to some mid-paced double kicking, back and forth to the pocket and double kick a few times. After that, the song gets more developed and intense. Now this is how you open up a song, especially a slam song. All of the songs have their own little parts and sections that are super cool and catchy, which is why every song truly is very very good just as great as one another. Quality is very dominant here. It's best to have a standout beginning to a song before it goes all out into it's main parts. Blast beats are great, yes; but sometimes you have to tone it down a little bit and throw in some improvation, just like how I mentioned earlier. Every single song has it's own groove and way, creds to Epicardiectomy for making new music that simultaneously grows and grooves on it's own, and gets better and better with time. Slam, but with more spice and improved qualities which make it very very enjoyable. All the songs are perfect and great one after another.

In conclusion, this is the perfect slam album for a committed slam fan, the best that anyone could ask for. Agonal Breathing's Pure Agony is up there on the same level as Grotesque, as both albums are almost pretty much as good as each other. There are multiple perfect slam albums, but this one is a huge standout on it's own as well. Pure heaviness, nastiness, slamming guttural bitchin' brutality, straight up. If you're looking for something heavy, fun, catchy, and also serious; look no further than Epicardiectomy's latest album Grotesque Monument of Paraperversive Transfixion. I have so much fun whenever I listen to this. There are no flaws. If you like slam and haven't heard this, then get off your ass and check this out, what are you doing with your life? And if you're seeking some slam, try this out. You'll possibly like it. This is EASILY their best album, even though I always go back and forth between all their albums because they truly have a flawless discography; I always come back to this one in the end. it's simply too good, very entertaining. This is Epicardiectomy at their finest; at their peak. A slammer's gold mine right here. Easily the best album of 2018! PERFECTION.

Best Songs:
Compulsory Autophagous Lacerations (#1 on the album)
Prurience in Putrescence
Grotesque Monument of Paraperversive Transfixion
Repugnant Hemicraniotomical Ingurgitation
Chamber of Excruciation

ALL of the songs are 10/10 and amazing, but Compulsory Autophagous Lacerations will forever be the best one.