Flayed Alive!

From the name of the band, to the album cover, to the song titles, I was expecting something between Brodequin and Last Days of Humanity from this EP. Instead, we get some pretty good BDM riffing with some parts that drag the quality of the EP down. Firstly, I'm not a fan of the vocals. They're mixed way too loudly and the layered unintelligible gurgles are annoying, sometimes to the point of being comical. Also, the guitar work is above average, but when slow, chugging riffs are mixed with fast drum patterns, it falls out of time and sounds sub-par for anything other than a demo. This is especially prominent in "Brazen Bull," where the hook just isn't passable, and could've been re-recorded in a few minutes. Also, it may just be a downtuned drop tuning on a cheap guitar, but a lot of the time the chords sound out of tune, but I guess that isn't much of a problem for a release bordering on goregrind. Also, why can I hear mouse clicking at the end of a lot of the songs?

Complaining aside, this isn't bad. There's definitely enough variety throughout the short length of the tracks to keep you interested, and the frequent time changes prevent it from sounding one-note to the point of boredom. Breast Ripper has a pretty interesting groove that definitely sounds on par with the brutal death metal bands from the late 90's and early 2000s, such as Devourment or Disgorge (US), minus the technicality. I can't tell if the drums are programmed, which isn't a problem for me personally, but they sound tight in most parts, especially during the blasts or quick double-bass sections. Molten Gold in particular would be a great track, if the guitars could keep up with the drums.

There's definitely a lot of Sanguisugabogg reference on here, with many pinch harmonics and broken chords creating dissonant riffs. If there's a standout track on here, it would be Intestinal Hanging, which opens with a pretty catchy groove that cuts in and out under a blast beat. Overall, is this something that's worth your time? Only if you're interested in some really obscure death metal with a short but consistent runtime. Changing the irritating vocals and re-recording the guitars for most of the songs would make this a strong EP. Apart from those factors, which most extreme metal bands suffer from when they're just starting out, Flayed Alive is a good release, if generic.