ALBUM REVIEW: Rotten Evisceration – Ancient Grave Ascension

Here I review the debut full length from Death Metallers ROTTEN EVISCERATION! Out now via Guts And Blood Label/Distribution!

1. Ascending From The Putrid Grave opens with some nice creepy Horror sampling that sets a grisly and unpleasant mood, perfect for the ensuing Death Metal assaults. The raw guitars and bass tear through riffs while the pummelling drum beats perfect underlay them. The menacing and furious assaults are full of aggression that is just taken to the next level with the visceral vocals that are incredibly gruesome. Everything fits together really perfectly, in a sort of low-fi and grisly manner. The guitar solo had a really cool old school vibe with whammy dives and warbled shreds, really nice work. An excellent opening track that sets the bar pretty high.
2. Rotten Evisceration follows up by dropping us right into sludgy brutality that regardless of slower tempo is just as forceful. The double kick drums sound killer under the crawling and dismal riffs that grind along. Utter thrashing chaos soon chases up, increasing the speeds and reintroducing the ferocious attack that really reminds me of Deicide, something I am certainly not complaining about. There is a primal nature to the songwriting but beneath that is plenty of nuance and complex musicianship that is really well utilised to create something totally intense. The sweeps in the guitar solo are absolutely gorgeous too! The marching rhythm of the song is really catchy and appealing. Another killer track!
3. Baptised In Semen gives us even more brutality with more modern slamming riffs opening things but soon giving way to blistering and crushingly heavy sections. The built up starting section is perfectly culminated into some densely written and epic Metal fury. The upbeat drums allow this track to just be perfect mosh put fuel. Everything so far has come together really nicely and it is a great balance of modern and old school styles which is showcased beautifully in this track. I like the short bass solo, something Dying Fetus would use that I think works amazingly in Death Metal like this. Absolutely brilliant!
4. The Queen Of Anal Penetration starts off with more eerie sampling, setting a much more cosmic vibe that is actually quite unpredicted from my perspective. The drawn out, monolithic verse is decimating and picks up into some really nice chugged riffing. The vocals are piercingly intense and suit the track perfectly. The drums just pound your skull in while the guitars rip through some really tight riffs. The sheer precision on this piece especially to me is really impressive and nicely contrasted by the whammy madness the guitarist introduces over the grisly attack of the rest of the instrumentals. This track is a headbangers dream.
5. Raped And Headless rips right into things with some amazing, fast paced riffs. The hideous scream and punishing drums that join in are epic. Soon things drop into a fast paced but more reserved, equally pummelling grind. The aggressive and chaotic frenzy of the track is absolutely killer and just tear you apart. The track is actually really memorable to me and the guitar solo was beautifully played! The track was overall pretty atmospheric too, plenty of variation within such a short piece. Great work!
6. The Master Of Vaginal Mutilation shares a similar title to track 4, maybe they belong as 2 halves of a whole? This opens with a nice short sample which is one similarity. The riffs are absolutely stunning, so damn epic. The drums furiously beat away with full throttle while the vocals sound like every possible bit of strength from the frontman is going into them. The gut-churning growls on this track are the most impressive so far to me. The perfectly balanced and skilful guitar solo was blistering as always too! The track just hammers out brutality effortlessly at this point, another really incredible piece.
7. Holy Butchery fires in with more gruelling and dark riffs, while the bass on this track really comes through with even more strength. The battery of the drums has been unrelenting and this track is absolutely no exception to that. The vocals once more punishingly assault us with sheer morbidity and strength. The flow of the songs has been really consistent and well strung together and once more the band deliver, in this track using some awesome Thrash Metal elements too.
8. Exhuming Corpses Of Children finishes things off, while this album has not been incredibly long, I think the band have done a great job of getting their point across without need for filler material or dragging things out which I respect. Coming in once more with sampling, staying true to the horror vibe. The chugging riffs hit hard, the drums pummel away and once more the vitriolic vocals join them perfectly. This closing track does not feel like an outro per se, more just one last chance to force brutality out, which just makes the consistency of the album even stronger. Amazing work!

This is some pretty visceral Death Metal. The furious modern attack met with more grisly old school elements creates something I think most fans of the genre will enjoy. There is brutality, melody and skilled musicians creating something totally awesome. A real underground gem. -8/10