ALBUM REVIEW: Ruin – Spread Plague Death

Californian Death Metal mob RUIN return with their 3rd album of fetid barbarity. Out via Nameless Grave Records, Goat Throne Records and Death Metal Cult on August 27th. My journey with this band started after blind buying their “Drown In Blood” on tape in a Parisian record shop wherein it looked like the most vile article in the place, thus making me want it. A decision I do not regret.

The intro to this album can certainly be described as jarring with a blend of juxtaposed chants and sampled oddness, giving an appropriate sense of incoming unpleasantries. This instinct served me correctly as a bludgeoning display of festering guitars gurgle into life atop chiming cymbal work that adds a delicacy to the Neanderthal riffs and whammy dives, fans of grotesque Death Metal the verges on Death-Doom will certainly be in for a treat. As necrotising as the instrumentals are, their full potential is truly reached when the drums drop into hammering mid-tempos with cavernous riffs drudging alongside them, tied together by the gut-mutilating vocals that drench the stomping music in a putrescent layer of filthy snarls. The smooth grooves drop into blast beats to give some immense intensity to the release while the band clearly sit best in a thumping mid-speed hook, wherein they deliver blow after blow of crushing heaviness. That said, Ruin is not a band whom concoct flaccid music. These guys have phenomenal dynamics that lull you in with atmospheric doom moments before blistering leads and pulverising drum assault take the song into overdrive before bringing back the primitive grooves. This remains unpredictable and volatile yet with a solid ability to actually string the songs and ideas together.

A recurring thing is the use of samples, which with some bands can become incredibly annoying. Thankfully Ruin use them to give things a sort of pretence while not making us endure too long clips as to ruin the momentum of the songs themselves. Here we see concise segments tie triumphantly into rotten cascades of musical offal in a way that few bands have achieved to such great effect. Hammering forth with those savage drums continually remaining a violation on the cranium as bludgeoning riffs then dissect the grey matter within as the spewing lyrics mercilessly execute a sadistic final blow. This is not just brutality for the sake of brutality, this is invasive and punishing Death Metal that seeks victims rather than prisoners. For those who might be fooled into thinking this kind of rancid music becomes repetitious, Ruin drown out such incorrect thoughts in a sea of ichorous soundscapes that may use a blunt impact but do so with grace and actual atmosphere. It is easy to overcomplicate music to the point of becoming self-destructive, but Ruin know when to spice things up and when to stay on a stripped-back and simplistic path of chugging vitriol. Whatever they are doing, they do so with conviction and utterly monstrous precision without feeling polished or weak. This is total decay in sonic form.

Prepare to choke upon the gore-ridden morbidity of Ruin’s latest offering upon the altar of all that is macabre. This is blundering, cacophonous and yet superbly crafted Death Metal with its own identity and inarguably punishing execution. Consistent without becoming mediocre is a hard line to walk but betwixt sluggish offal and intrusive blasting frenzy, there is more than enough diversity to keep ones attention on the mangled music for its 45 minute running time.