Hailing from the UK, Hellsworn are an amalgam of members from Sheol, Scythian, Qrixkuor (great stuff), Towers of Flesh, Funeral Throne, Theoktony, Left to Bleed and Haizum. Repulsive Existence is the album in question. This slice of old school Swedish death metal was released a while back, but is now being reissued on CD by Underground Movement. If you have enjoyed our coverage of Gutter Instinct, Gruesome, or Shed the Skin, you will dig Hellsworn.
As longtime proponents of the genre will admit, there's not much new to say other than the usual: it's heavy, it's brutal, and it's a blast. The massive distortion hits like a sledgehammer straight to the brain. I picture a stack of amps that rivals the ridiculous animated hyperbole of Metalocalypse. Riffs chug through a torrent of mucky, decayed corpses; sometimes fast, sometimes slow and doomy. And when sticking to the former, the drummer keeps everything on point. Each strike pierces the mix like a shotgun shell.
Did I forget anything? Ah yes, the "vocals." Remember Dr. Claw from Inspector Gadget? Well, it seems he ditched a life of crime and cats to front one of the most vile 22 minutes of music you may hear in 2016. Between the D-beat-driven violence of the opener and the sludgy groove of "Lifeless," this is a great little album that you should definitely spare that brief amount of time to check out. My personal favorites are the bulldozering title track as well as "From Beyond the Grave" and "In Eternal Darkness." Crusty death metal to you all!