Brutalism - Solace In Absurdity

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Before we start with the review it must be said that the band has no connection to this site in any kind of way!

Brutalism’s “Solace In Absurdity” brings together all the elements needed to create one hell of a nasty sounding soundtrack to the atrocities of life. Right of the bat you will notice the classic raw approach that the band takes with this material, giving it a very noticeable old school grindcore vibe. Using this element along with those that sum up a brutal death metal style is pure genius as the combination of both styles creates an aura not commonly heard in this genre. This is such a unique approach, but it works all across the board. The riffage of London Howell and Jason Taylor are quite skillful while not making things sound too complicated. The raw approach combined with the semi-technical riffs make for a really awesome aural experience. Also, they complement each other nicely as you don’t hear them trying to out-play each other. Very well-orchestrated and conducted. On drums is Dante Haas and he is really well versed behind the kit. His hand to foot coordination is amazing. I always wonder how drummers like Dante manage to coordinate their hands and feet like they do. He is an absolute beast! His time changes are second to none and his control is impeccable! Bass duties are handled by Ian Dodd, and you will find him creeping around in between the drums and riffs keeping things bottom heavy when needed. Occasionally, he will come to the forefront to drop a few bass lines which pulls you into the sound even more. The icing on the cake here is Cameron Bass on vocals. With the uniqueness of the band’s sound, he has picked a varying pattern throughout the material ranging from squeals to grindcore type vocals and even traditional death metal vocals. He keeps things fresh by not relying on one style of vocals for this album. I was very impressed with his work here.

Put all the pieces together and you have one hell of an album. If you like bands like Dying Fetus, HellBastard, old Napalm Death, Internal Bleeding, Cryptopsy, Exhumed, Gorerotted, Bloodduster, and Carcass, you will more than likely dig Brutalism. It’s good to hear innovative albums like this. Some might think this album is a step back because of how it sounds, but sometimes you have to take a step back before you move forward. However, that is not saying that the band is taking a step back at all.

Hopefully this album will inspire future bands to do some research and check out older bands who influence newer bands. That’s one way to keep extreme metal alive. Brutalism and this album can and have done that. What this band has on their hands is a potentially history making slab of brutal grinding death metal. Contact the band or Comatose Music for more information on how you can obtain a copy of this phenomenal CD.  

5 / 5 STARS