ALBUM REVIEW: Barn Burner – Embludgeonment

Brutality is a difficult line to walk sometimes. On the one hand you have a decimating sound that can freeze listeners in their tracks, and on the other, you can create a putrid mess of noise that only the most deranged fans will accept. Being able to walk the line and balance the terrifying power with the uncontrolled carnage results in some punishing works, but it’s not something that EMBLUDGEONMENT is able to do as elegantly as some of their stable mates.

It seems to be a theme throughout the latest instalment of EMBLUDGEONMENT’s brand of brutal death metal, entitled Barn Burner. The band swerve from moments of gory glory to dull and over used tropes of extreme music throughout the record, and the momentum and energy of the record suffers as a result. The opening Transfixed Impalement eventually descends into slow, sluggish chords behind rippling double bass, and true toilet-bowel vocals. It’s not a nice start to the record and reveals the weakest elements of the EMBLUDGEONMENT sound early.

As the album progresses this dichotomy of quality-on-the-verge-of-collapse continues. Neanderthal, whilst possessing a powerful rhythmic heart at the beginning falls short when you realise it’s just the same three chords mashed in quick succession, and it’s here that you begin to really see the pitfalls that are throughout Barn Burner. The last thing you want your death metal record to be is boring, and forgetful as a result, but there are multiple moments when the brutality slows to such a dawdling pace that it causes time itself to slow as well. And when jumping directly from passages of such promise to these moments means that Barn Burner extinguishes as quickly as it lights up.

EMBLUDGEONMENT do defend their honour with ample ferocity throughout Barn Burner despite these deep-rooted issues. Gruesome Mortification kicks off with hammer blasts that are a welcome transition from the repeated drum beats, and here the vocals are also at their most devilish and brilliant. The vocals remain a double edged sword throughout the record, as they stray from being horrible for the right reasons, to the wrong. Too often they descend into the demonic bowel movement range, and it doesn’t serve the music any favours most of the time.

The biggest, and most unfortunate, issue with Barn Burner is that remains a forgettable experience by the time it ends its nine track run time. With few stand out moments, it makes returning to the rotten ground difficult without a real incentive too. Instead, take this record for a spin once if your in the mood for some truly disgusting death metal, even if to make a bad day seem slightly less shit.

Rating: 4/10

Barn Burner is out now via Comatose Music.

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