Mortician's Apprentice

Sledgehammer Autopsy is a two-man brutal death metal band from North America and they aren't bad at all.

The vocals are pulled off well, a mix of gurgled and burped vocals with low and very full growls, along with the occasional shriek. The drums are automated, but well programmed and with variation when appropriate. Songs that sound more in the style of grindcore than anything else are gritty, short, and sweet, complete with typical samples (though I'm not sure if the sillier ones fit in well). They do well to mix it up a bit, pacing the longer and heavier songs apart. This Is Your War is my favorite; it's length seems just right for the style and the instruments come together the best on this track.

Naturally, the demo is not without its problems. While the several riffs in Entomophobia are entertaining and simple, they are played throughout most of the song. This wears them out fast and the slightly tedious solo comes too late to save the song from boredom completely. This Is Your War is caught in the same dilemma. The longer sludgy death metal songs need a little more variation and progression.

Sledgehammer Autopsy is a brutal death metal band and I think that it would benefit from a much louder bass. The guitars don't have very much backing to play on (this is most apparent on Entomophobia). A fuller and thicker sound is aching to be achieved. The more prominent bass would set the band apart from many other bdm bands which seem to neglect it.

The mix of short fast songs with longer mid-tempo tracks dispels the monotony typically surrounding early releases of other brutal death bands. Mortician's Apprentice is an enjoyable demo with a whole lot of potential. Will this potential be realized in the future? Who knows.