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There's no stopping the brutal death train anytime soon on this site, so it seems. Last week we discussed Anomalism from Canada and Germany's very own Mental Cruelty. And now, we've got our latest contenders coming right out of Las Vegas, Nevada...representing the brutal death scene of the US of A. Implements of Hell is a band that only recently became active again, having conceived their name straight from a quote made by serial killer Albert Fish. This new album is a follow-up to their last EP in 2017, so let's see what they got in store for us this time.
Released in very early 2019, Sea of Necrophenomena serves as the debut full-length release of the Nevada underground metallers. This dozen track composition takes all of the heaviest and most crushing elements of the slam and deathcore genres in order to make the most unadulterated and vulgar addition that you may have heard in quite a while. The album also saw its digital and physical release on Amputated Vein Records, so you know you're in for some over-the-top material.
To be honest, this album has a whole lot of brutal death cliches in it. From the crazy, sometimes medical-sounding track titles to the atmospheric builds and samples, this one is undeniably slammy to its core. Now, there are a few things that caught my attention from the getgo, such as the few filler/more instrumental-type shorter songs and the inclusion of a couple of guest vocal spots from Don Campan (Waking The Cadaver) & Brandon Smith (Agonal Breathing), but for most of Sea of Necrophenomena's 30 or so minute running time I was purely focused on its relentless and seemingly neverending chromatic riffs, breakdowns and vocals. Hell, even the cover art has a sort of Disfigurement of Flesh or Cerebral Incubation vibe to it.
It starts off with a short build-up track in the form of 'Chapter I: Introduction To Hell', which I don't have much to say about aside from the prog type name or the blaring pig squeals and breakdown that sort of overstays its welcome in the first minute. Then we get to the first actual song: a cacophony of meaty riffs and loud noises. To be frank, I thought the production quality sounded a bit shoddy at times, but then I chalked it up to them going for kind of a blackened or MySpace-era vibe and it grew on me. 'Chainsaw Catheter' as a song stood out for me because of its Waking The Cadaver-esque structure and breakdowns; as did 'Uniform Demise' for featuring Don Campan himself. I really enjoy the video for 'Reverse Immaculation', and the outros for both that song and the Don Campan one are my faves for their endless slamming breakdowns and over-the-top energy.
There are a couple of other tracks I took a liking to such as 'Spinal Digestion' and the final song for similar reasons, but I could say the same for most of the album, save for a couple filler tracks that I could take or leave. It's a crazy and in your face kind of release that does its best to assault your ear drums and doesn't care if the stupidly brutal aspects of it drag on too long or become stale. So I can appreciate it for that reason alone.
In all, while this album doesn't bring much unique traits or innovation to the table, it's still a testament to just how heavy, 'br00tal' and over-the-top this type of music can get. It's slamming chromatic riffs and gutturals/pig squeals galore at its finest with trash can snare blast beats as well as some questionable, if fitting production. If you're a dedicated and avid listener of a lot of the really heavy stuff and aren't too picky, you may be in for a moderately good time here, just don't set your expectations too high and appreciate it for the slammy, ball-crushing onslaught that it truly is.
Fave Tracks: 'Chainsaw Catheter', 'Uniform Demise', 'Reverse Immaculation'
For Fans Of: Parasitic Ejaculation, Vulvodynia, Waking The Cadaver
**This release is available now here!**
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-Review by: Dave Raffy
Musician, reviewer, fan & promoter
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