The Pitch: Willowtip presents 10 more tracks of brutal, technical death metal from Malta band Abysmal Torment. FFO: Dying Fetus, Carnal Decay, Manipulation
What I Like: With sickening grooves worthy of deathcore, but a technical prowess that is death metal through and through, The Misanthrope brings us the absolute best of both worlds. We come for the earworm, blackened guitar hooks and sludgy bass tone, but we stay for the relentless drumming and dizzying, squeeling leads. If you dug the direction of Dying Fetus' Wrong One To Fuck With, this should be right up your alley. And despite the overall consistency, you get a decent amount of variety along the way. Some tracks are unremitting ragers ("Strains Of Brutality"), others are ominous, blackened builds ("The Pessimist"), and still others are packed with headbobbing grooves that threaten to bring down the house ("Worship None"). Through it all, Nick Farrugia's dominating, brutal vocals drag you kicking and screaming like a hapless teenager in a horror film.
Critiques: A few points off for lacking originality, but everything else is right on point.
The Verdict: Abysmal Torment seriously deliver the thrills and chills with The Misanthrope. It's everything you look for in a modern tech death record: heavy, engaging, and consistent. Nothing more, nothing less.
Flight's Fav's: Second Death, Squalid Thoughts, Dread
- Review by FlightOfIcarus
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