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Over the last several years or so, we have had a massive influx of underground and extreme metal acts that came out of Russia...many of which were of the brutal death and slam variety. Very recently, a new band of the slamming death variety named Manifesting Obscenity arrived onto the scene with a glowing guttural presence. This two man project peforming under Inherited Suffering Records released their debut full length album in the latter half of the previous year. Does it stand out or does it get drowned out in the countless other slam releases out there? Read on to find out.
Doppelganger serves as a sort of "ice-breaker" first release for the band, and for listeners to warm up to these guys and listen to what's in store. The eight song release isn't too long at all, with its running time clocking in at about 25 minutes. Additionally, the guitars and vocals are provided all by the two aforementioned members of Manifesting Obscenity, and with presumably drum programming in place. The cover art was created by Lordigan, who has worked with other brutal acts such as Analepsy and Mental Cruelty among others. Now, without further ado, let's get into the thick of it.
This album is pretty typical, brutal, fast paced and over the top slam, albeit with some little technical riffs and minor standout moments. It starts off with a short instrumental track that serves as ambiance and build up for what's to come. Once those two minutes are up, Doppelganger immediately kicks it into high gear and goes right into the tech brutal death realm.
I must say that, throughout most of this album, the instrumentals definitely show a lot of promise in regards to the guitar lines. These aspects are a bit above average when it comes to the genre at times, mixing and blending high solo notes with chromatics, tremolos and other such riffs. Hell, even the bass is incredibly audible and powerful for the majority of Doppelganger. The vocals are pretty typical slam gutturals for most of the time; however, they are still very well executed and unsurprisingly fitting for the music at hand.
The tracks aren't too long either, so the album is a subtle length. Not much to say about production quality other than the fact that the guitars and vocals are pretty clear overall. In all, the slam sections are pretty epic when they're there...and the fact is that they are in there quite often, which is a treat. The concluding self-titled track feels a bit long, though. I still wish there was like a solo or two thrown in there or some more sly bass lines. But Doppelganger definitely delivers on the slam and some of the technical aspects, though.
In conclusion, as far as slam and brutal death go, Doppelganger ultimately does not disappoint when it comes to delivering the slammy, over the top goodness. Manifesting Obscenity know what they are going for, they know what they want their music to be and who am I to fault them for that. This album is fittingly destructive and strange, with some technical aspects making the background. Doppelganger doesn't give a damn and I'm perfectly fine with that.
Fave Tracks: "A Reflection of the Generality", "Intestinal Division"
For Fans Of: Sickening brutal death and slam akin to Organectomy, Traumatomy, Vulvodynia, etc.
**This release is available now on Bandcamp and Inherited Suffering Records!**
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-Review by: Dave Raffy
Musician, reviewer, fan & promoter
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