ALBUM REVIEW: Gutter Instinct – Heirs Of Sisyphus

Once again I have found a new release from a band I am unfamiliar with but wish to write about as I discover their new music. Here is the new GUTTER INSTINCT.

1. SATAN WITHIN begins with low tuned, atmospheric brutality. It has a sound to me that resembles Bolt Thrower, a band I love. It is somewhat Doom, Death and also kind of Black Metal too. It is heavy as hell and a badass opening track, with tons of speed and aggression. The sound is somewhat frantic, drive with a HM2 pedal, but it is positively classic Death Metal, and the vocals are so damn great.
2. ZENON has once again a very Bolt Thrower sounding intro, it’s more melodic than the previous and nicely catchy. Following up are tons of blasts, crazy riffs and possessed vocals. The solo is hectic and full of dive-bombs which sound awesome. I really like the angle of gruesomeness this album is going for. The track ends in a sort of more upbeat Black Metal sounding style which was an unexpected and interesting addition.
3. THE ABYSS SPEAKS has a really evil and dissonant intro, with a feeling of it building up to something, That something being a really atmospheric section with a Blackened Doom feeling. It’s really diverse with the guttural vocals and sounds nothing like the first two songs. I really like the mixture of styles the album utilises so far. The song is less raw than the previous and a really awesome, different piece of music.
4. SHOCK DOCTRINE goes back to the more frenzied Death Metal approach, which brings speed and grooves alike back into the mix, a dirty and gritty yet precise mix I might add. It’s absolutely filthy in such a sick way. This to me sounds like if Leviathan did a Swedish Death Metal track in the 90s. The piece has a convulsing attack, it is unrelenting in nature and really a headbang worthy one at that. It has sections of fast noise and slower doom parts, a really cool contrast.
5. UNCREATION opens with some nice drumming, an intro that is not rare with this kind of music and a raunchy distorted bass comes in followed by yet more classy riffs. The aggression and hatred are unparalleled. The distress of this song is beautiful and has yet more chaos as with most of the above. The fast sections coming into complete halt works so well at creating a monolithic and disturbing atmosphere.
6. TIP OF THE SPEAR has a more Black Metal feels as with track 3, a nice back and forth this album seems to have, but the more guttural vocals are reminiscent of Nergal’s. I really like the direction this album has taken of pure heavy extremity, nothing pretty or polished just some original and varied old school Death Metal.
7. THE LUMINOUS DARKNESS features a really nice tremolo picked guitar riff over blast-beats and the more Deicide like vocals continue over this pummelling freighter of Metal force. This song is the kind of song that works as the perfect soundtrack to a frenzied chaotic mosh pit. It sounds as evil as Death Metal can to me.
8. HEIRS OF SISYPHUS is the closing track and from the off has an unnerving atmosphere. It is dissonant, slow and demonic. The slower tempo tremolo picked riffs are tuned low and distorted giving an abysmally drudging and haunting tone. The songwriting and instrumentation is fantastic. The pace picks up into thrashing Death Metal madness for one last bout of attacking the listener.

This album is some of the most unique and varied Death Metal I had never heard of. I am so glad I did find and check out this release, the underground flame of recent has been burning brighter than ever (see plenty of my other recent reviews). Great work from Gutter Instinct. -8/10