Fungus – Predatory Harvest
Well I have to say when I was sent the file for a new album to review and I saw the band’s name was Fungus my first initial thought was “oh here we fucking go!” But I was pleasantly blown away, because Fungus has delivered an awesome slab of modern Death Metal. Serves me and my snobbery right!
It is often a gripe of mine how pigeon holed metal has become of late, where Death metal for example can go off down different path’s sound wise. While it may all sound the same to an outsider a Death metal fan can clearly hear there is a world of difference between Suffocation and Entombed. Yet today we have Technical, Melodic, Black and even Brutal Death Metal for god’s sake. What Fungus have managed to do on this their debut full length is take the basic archetype of Death Metal and branch off into different areas while ultimately sticking on a well trodden path. Not innovative by any stretch but brilliantly executed.
"Predatory Harvest" takes for example the straight ahead brutality of Cannibal Corpse but mixes elements of technicality similar to Origin or Decapitated. However they add just enough to up the ante of the song and it never becomes an over egged pudding. There is also this dark, dystopian and biomechanical feel to the atmosphere of the album which brings to mind Decapitated’s Organic Hallucinosis album (my favorite) or even early Fear Factory. Just listen to the opening track 'Computered Humanity' this track sums things up brilliantly, it’s fast and precisely played and has tons of hooks, I also love the dirty bass just before the first verse of 'Nuclear Induction Of Cannibalism' it brings to mind Napalm Death. Also the melodic lead solo on 'Dead Soul Creation' is just awesome it’s not long but it is just thrown in there and adds a whole different layer to the sound.
It’s nice and short at 31 minutes it just hits the spot and leaves you intrigued enough to want to play it again. Stacks of potential are on display here. A great, balanced delivery of brutality, technicality and atmosphere. This band is definitely one to keep your eye on. One of the best debut albums of the year.
Now about that name……….
It is often a gripe of mine how pigeon holed metal has become of late, where Death metal for example can go off down different path’s sound wise. While it may all sound the same to an outsider a Death metal fan can clearly hear there is a world of difference between Suffocation and Entombed. Yet today we have Technical, Melodic, Black and even Brutal Death Metal for god’s sake. What Fungus have managed to do on this their debut full length is take the basic archetype of Death Metal and branch off into different areas while ultimately sticking on a well trodden path. Not innovative by any stretch but brilliantly executed.
"Predatory Harvest" takes for example the straight ahead brutality of Cannibal Corpse but mixes elements of technicality similar to Origin or Decapitated. However they add just enough to up the ante of the song and it never becomes an over egged pudding. There is also this dark, dystopian and biomechanical feel to the atmosphere of the album which brings to mind Decapitated’s Organic Hallucinosis album (my favorite) or even early Fear Factory. Just listen to the opening track 'Computered Humanity' this track sums things up brilliantly, it’s fast and precisely played and has tons of hooks, I also love the dirty bass just before the first verse of 'Nuclear Induction Of Cannibalism' it brings to mind Napalm Death. Also the melodic lead solo on 'Dead Soul Creation' is just awesome it’s not long but it is just thrown in there and adds a whole different layer to the sound.
It’s nice and short at 31 minutes it just hits the spot and leaves you intrigued enough to want to play it again. Stacks of potential are on display here. A great, balanced delivery of brutality, technicality and atmosphere. This band is definitely one to keep your eye on. One of the best debut albums of the year.
Now about that name……….
- Computerized Humanity
- Nano Execution
- Bulimic Breed Consumption
- Nihilarian
- Dead Soul Creation
- Tumorous Narcosis
- Nuclear Induction Of Cannibalism
- Magnetic Compliance
- Trapped In Delusional Psychosis
- Predatory Harvest
