BRUTALISM

This is an interesting split release EP, 6 tracks divided equally between bands on opposing sides of the ocean. This release is currently formatted as an old school tape/cassette, pro covers, and severely limited to a mere 500 copies. Initial reviewing duties lead me to conclude before you read any further that this is a worthy proposition. 

Writhing have an old school Morbid Angel sound and delivery in the opener ‘Indomitable’, mainly due to the palm work on the bridge. There is an element of blackened death, some of the howls seem Scandinavian, especially some of the open picking heard towards the end of the track. This is rather a cool style, half brutal old school death metal, half soulful melodic blackened riffs with eerie chords structures, Behemoth maybe? ‘Death of Your Dream’ follows a more basic death metal approach, heads are going to roll and necks are going to be sore with this on full volume. Enticing plenty of head banging during some fat chunky death groove, this really encapsulates you, if begs for acknowledgement, then the band slow down immensely for their closing track ‘Prey’…or so I thought. Massive melodic black metal tantric screaming begins a charge of the four horsemen of the apocalypse; again, the clever transition into some thunderous death groove is applied with deft precision and delivers a classy recording. (4) 

Ad Patres also cut a move, but these French chaps tend to have a little more brutal death about them, if the opener ‘The Lock’ is anything to go by and it’s cluster bomb double kick drums. Ad Patres groove like Aborted, albeit with a disappointing pig squeal here and there, but they are mainly reliant on more of a guttural vocal delivery that  makes the recording sound dirtier than it really is. Ideas are plentiful but they tend to fall into “heard it all before” category. Playing sounds and structures like this you have to be proficient. Ad Patres are this, their speed and tempo increases on the second track ‘To the Fathers’ and actually delivers something more palatable mainly because the vocals manage to refrain from genre hopping. ‘Scorn Aesthetics’ goes for more brutal death/groove, entertaining it maybe but is just has not got enough of a wow factor to be an outstanding listening experience however amazing it has the potential to be. (3)

This is a perplexing EP as the US band sound European and the European band sound American! As a package, this is well worthy of your cash, but for me Writhing move that bit closer inventive in their arrangements, plus I prefer Writhing’s style more than Ad Patres’. Both bands slay, both bands need more recognition, go buy this!

Note: 
These tracks appear here together as one release, but are both available as direct individual releases from both bands. The Writhing material is available as their ‘Indomitable’ EP, also released this year. Ad Patres’ tracks appear on their 2010 demo EP. This official split release is a great introduction to both bands.