Verdelgh & heersch

The Netherland have a great history when it comes to metal and death metal in particular. Some acts like Sinister or the van Drunen bands made quite a few waves and are still going strong. Menschwalsch are a pretty new outfit as they have only been formed in 2016. After a demo in the same year it took them a bit of time to finally release their full length debut “Verdelgh & heersch”, and while I have no idea what this could mean it sounds pretty grim. Generally speaking the lyrics are kept in Dutch, and like most of the time when it comes to this language for me as native German speaker this aspect gives the whole music an extra portion of brutality. Not only the band name and the album title but also tracks like “Graffenwaffel” or “Perschvleesch” (it is probably better to not exactly know what this might be) might get you into the right mood for 40 minutes of destruction – and this is exactly what you get.

This album has a rich, thick and heavy sound, complex but not fussy, with superb US death metal influenced guitar work, with a node to bands like Immolation or Morbid Angel, but also an extra portion of European directness thrown in for good measure. Slightly technical, subtly progressive in places with noticeable blackened elements, but also highly melodic at the same time, this is very traditional death metal at its core. That being said there are also some more modern patterns and guitar harmonies, adding a fresh edge to the music. Most of the members have also been active in other projects so each of them knows how to handle his instrument.

Menschwalsch have put a lot of emphasis on technical perfection and a nice mixture of straight forward and hammering grooves and more complex arrangements, while never losing the focus on creating an unsettling atmosphere, reflecting the themes covered by the lyrics. While sometimes using more experimental ways to express their art proper riffs keep finding their way to the surface amongst the assault, and although you are going to find quite a few tempo and rhythm changes in songs like “Graffenwaffel” there are always pretty straight forward mosh parts to keep the music groovy and easy to get into. Some of the best moments come with those mid-tempo parts, which most of the time end up in another onslaught of furious accords and blasts.

The trademark chords are complemented by superb work from the rhythm section, well considered patterns that enhance the outstanding guitar work. On top of the hammering beats you get the ultra-brutal vocals by M, who is giving his all. His approach is a mixture of classic growls and a few more screaming parts, overall mirroring the directness of the instrumentation. The songwriting is on point and you are going to find quite a bit of variation over the whole album, although some of the tracks are stronger than others. In the end “Verdelgh & heersch” might be a bit too consistent, as weird as this might sound. However, in case you are looking for a tightly played and well-constructed piece of groovy old school death metal with a punchy and modern production this album is definitely worth a look.