Voracious Contempt

Slamming brutal death metal is a very popular genre in the underground extreme metal scene. Known for its obnoxious grooves, slam riffs, and gurgling vocals. It is a genre that I wasn’t particularly interested in a first. But now I’ve grown to love it. However, one band I’ve always loved since I first heard them is motherfucking Internal Bleeding. One of the first bands to lay the blueprint for slamming bdm. They managed to release a few demo releases before unleashing their debut album. An album that is not only one of my favorite slam albums. But quite possibly the grooviest death metal record of ALL TIME in my eyes.

This album front to back is some of if not the most grooviest piece of death metal I’ve ever heard. Each song flows in such a groovy and brutal manner that I can’t overstate it enough. This album is seemingly designed to make you dance, to make you bang your head to the simple but effective flow. This album laid the blueprint for what slam was going to become. This band took the sounds of bands like Suffocation and Pyrexia. And took it to groovier and heavier territories. Each song has a groove to dance to or to mosh to. It’s mean, mindless, and extremely fun.

One thing that makes this album special and groovy is the production. The bass tone in particular makes this album all the more brutal and groovy. It has this perfectly smooth and poppy tone that can be heard in each song. The guitars are drenched in this fuzzy mess and sound very punchy. The drums sound nice and raw when it comes down to the mix. The kicks drums in particular sound fantastic along with the snare. And of course, the vocals sound great. Nothing is drowned out and everything sounds fucking gnarly.

Now it’s time to delve more into the masterwork that is the guitar work on here. While there were bands that were flirting with slam riffs and breakdowns here and there. This band to me is what truly set the bar for the genre. There are tons of nasty tremolos, pinch harmonics, and breakneck rhythms. This band just knows how to make excellent groovy riffs and bouncing rhythms.

Each song has fantastic transitions and a good flow. Sometimes they speed things up, sometimes they throw in some mid-paced chromatic riffs, or they just slow things down for a pummeling breakdown. No matter what they’re playing it’s ear candy, and each song and each composition is so satisfying to listen to. It’s a beautiful blend of tasty grooves, hardcore elements, and pure brutal slamming death metal.

As great as other vocalists that have played in this band are. My favorite Internal Bleeding vocalist will always be Frank Rini. Not only does he have a nasty voice and help spawn frog-like vocals. He also has fantastic enunciation and vocal flow. He flows perfectly along with each drum beat and riff. He has a lot of these nasty snarls and gutturals, along with some more shout-laden vocal styles. Overall he’s got a fantastic voice and has great vocal cadences.

On to the drums. Jsut like everything else about this record it’s all about them motherfucking grooves. And slam riffs of course. Bill Tolley (RIP) does a perfect job here. He has tons of fantastic double bass grooves and drum grooves in general. His blast beats are precise and he beats the shit out of his drums. Each instrument including the drums all flow together in harmony. They hold on to the main groove of a riff or a beat and never let go of it. The drums are exceptionally heavy during a slow breakdown.

When it comes to favorite songs it’s hard to pick. But one is “Despoilment of Rotting Flesh”. The ending groove/slam is a fantastic example of just how groovy this album is. It’s a simple but powerful rythmn that I can’t help but tap my foot or bang my head to. “Humanicide” and “Reflection of Ignorance” are also perfect songs. But if I had to pick a favorite favorite it’s easily “Anointed in Servitude”.

I absolutely adore this album. For me if I want something to dance and groove to. I always put on this record. There is nothing bad I can say about it and I’ll always hold it up as Internal Bleedings best record. If you want infectious grooves, slam riffs, breakdowns, and fantastic vocals. This album is for you. If you’re looking to get into slam this is a great pick. Because of its simplistic nature and the vocals are also easier to digest. So check this masterpiece out if you for some reason haven’t already.

FFO: Suffocation, Skinless, Dehumanized, Pyrexia, Repudilation, Entorturement, Vomit Forth