The debut long-player from death metal band Vomitheist is filled to the brim with ill intent, NekroFvneral.
From Switzerland, Vomitheist has been haunting the earth since 2013. They have never been in a hurry to release recordings, waiting five years to issue their initial EP, Graveyard Flesh Orgy (2018), followed by a demo and a spit with Funeralopolis. Fans have waited and at last they are rewarded with a full-length album. The band is Gubler (bass, vocals), Yänä (guitars), and Wöhrle (drums).
There are eleven tracks on the new record. Let’s start at the top. For a song titled “Strangled by Entrails,” the musical construction is surprisingly jaunty, at least at first. The tone turns more serious, and certainly the growling vocals do not carry many light moments. There is an undeniable groove, however. Sometimes it is beneath the surface and sometimes it is the driving force, but it is always present, and it has a branding effect on the band’s music. “Epidemic Disembowelment” begins with doom, like the tolling of death bells. The guitar line that enters is a narrative itself. Vocals do appear, but this song is perhaps best understood as an instrumental. “Horrific Bloodshed” is a short bit, less than two minutes in duration, with fantastic riffs and hooks. Great piece. The set is shaping up to have a delightful variety to it, and all the songs are very well-written. Clearly, a great deal of work was put into their construction.
Other stand-out tracks for me are “Putrefaktor.” It is almost silly to say I like the riffs in this song because they are all so good throughout the entire album, and yet this one does stand out. “Tormenting Fungal Infestation” has an engaging pestilent grind to it that is quite memorable, and then there is the long anchor song, “Carnivorous Cult,” clocking in at over twelve minutes. I am a sucker for doom, aren’t I? The big riffs that start this piece lured me in and kept me listening long after they had themselves passed away. This record is my first hearing of Vomitheist and I am very impressed. Recommended.
NekroFvneral is out on Friday, May 19th through Transcending Obscurity Records. Have a look at Bandcamp (or the label’s US store) for variants and the usual impressive line of merchandise.
Links.
Bandcamp, https://vomitheistdm.bandcamp.com/album/nekrofvneral
Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/Vomitheist
Transcending Obscurity Records, https://transcendingobscurity.aisamerch.com/
© Wayne Edwards
Flying Fiddlesticks Music Blog 