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Dying Fetus

Grotesque Impalement EP (Reissue)

Written by: EW on 24/04/2011 22:05:20

Listening to this reissue of Dying Fetus' 2000 EP "Grotesque Impalement" is akin to listening to the sickening painful birth of 1001 abhorrent, bone-headed, chug-fest death metal bands such has been the influence of the early days of these modern legends. Of all the American bands that reached their peak following the scenes initial fluctuation Dying Fetus and Nile are by far the most important, yet it is these Marylanders with the greatest legacy left on others. In the title track and "Streaks Of Blood" (actually a Baphomet cover) is the development of the guttural, triggered, beatdown heavy version of death metal that in many ways is so different to the likes of Morbid Angel and Death from before them. The precision, brutal riffing of the bands more recent days is not particularly evident through this collection of tracks, with only moments of invention being found among the greater mass of standard fare which becomes even more exposed in the reissue bonus section where we are 'treated' to a couple of piss-about tracks and 2 fairly unremarkable unreleased/live numbers.

The most unfortunate aspect of DF's legacy is the trail of one-man bedroom bands such as Putrid Pile and Insidious Discrepancy for whose absence the world would be a much better place. Such acts must have modelled their lifeless, drained production techniques on what is found here; the drums in particular reeking of massively dullness and under-production, in the end sounding as if they were recorded 10 minutes before the EP's budget expired. Taken for the original "Grotesque Impalement" element of this release there is an average EP lurking in their somewhere, but let me recommend you 2009's brilliant "Descend Into Depravity" if you want Dying Fetus at their blistering best.

Download: Tearing Inside The Womb
For The Fans Of: One-man DM bands, Suffocation
Listen: Myspace

Original release date: 2000
Reissue release date: April 2011
Relapse Records