ALBUM REVIEW: Diorama Of Human Suffering – Bastard Grave
Sweden’s BASTARD GRAVE take many of their cues from the old-school death metal stylings of their home country. But to pigeon hole the band as nothing more than an outfit revering and regurgitating the likes of ENTOMBED and DISMEMBER would be unbecoming. Yes, since their formation, BASTARD GRAVE have taken plenty of inspiration from their countrymen and many of their hallmarks channel the glory days of the old-school death metal scene in Stockholm, but there are plenty of intricate and impressive elements in their sound, from technical flourishes to a far punchier hardcore influence. Take their latest record for example; Diorama Of Human Suffering comes close to four years since the release of their debut full length, and although that classic sound is there, there’s certainly more than meets the ear with BASTARD GRAVE.
Drowning In An Ocean Of Bile opens Diorama Of Human Suffering with as a thick, mid-paced monstrosity. It’s got that classic Swedish, HM2-heavy sound that gives it a murky sound and helps to make a memorable, familiar sound right off the bat. Next up, Diorama Of Human Suffering‘s title track builds upon the sound laid down in the first song, combining tight drumming, bubbling bass hooks and energetic guitars to make a monolithic wall of noise that is punctuated by driven lead guitars that inject plenty of riffs into the proceedings, utilising more haunting, hypnotic sections and a few sparse harmonies to create a sound that is as intricate as it is caustic. Transubstantiation Into Feces is a quick blast of bestial death metal leads, gruesome gutturals and a few slam elements thrown in for good measure. At little over two minutes, it manages to be a fierce track, and leaves it’s mark in spite of its relatively brief running time.
Life In The Sewers brings in cleaner tones, giving this song an eerie and engrossing sound that gives way to a massive, booming affair that surges froward like a tank, with plenty of great, crushing leads which make for a muscular and imposing piece of music with some ethereal flourishes, which separate this particular song from the ones that have preceded it. Translucent Visions is another sharp shock of rabid, cacophonous old-school death metal interspersed with a smattering of punishing bursts of rhythmic ferocity that leaves an impression on the record as a whole in little under three minutes. Madness Of Creation is one of Diorama Of Human Suffering‘s more adventurous offerings, at least as far as the guitar playing goes, with the lead guitars in particular ranging from robust, groove-laden hooks and more technical and dizzying ones, which makes this song all the more interesting and catchy.
Non-Functioning Pile Of Rot really amplifies the groove in BASTARD GRAVE‘s sound, carrying an infectious swagger and some very focused guitar playing, with more animated and frenzied vocal performances coming into play as well, making this penultimate track not only one of the Diorama Of Human Suffering‘s more feral and primal, but also one of its best, leading the listener into the final song extremely well. Stench Of Infection is a darkly epic offering that slides out of the speakers at a crawl, gradually building momentum as the song progresses, eventually launching into a dense and monolithic slab of demented death metal. With thunderous, steady drumming, a booming bass that underpins the entire sound incredibly well, and some vile and hellish vocals, this proves to not only be one of the albums better tracks, despite its lengthy running time, but also one of its more eclectic, making use of different tempos and more diverse guitar playing to keep the music interesting right to the very end of the record.
To purely write BASTARD GRAVE off as a tribute to the classic Swedish death metal sound doesn’t give them the credit they deserve. Diorama Of Human Suffering has a sludgy tone that it’s hard not to love, and the music itself is excellent in its own right. Shifting between groove orientated tracks to more rabid and chaotic ones, with a few technical and hardcore elements peppering the sound throughout, Diorama Of Human Suffering has a very eclectic and impressive approach to composition. BASTARD GRAVE have clearly tightened up their sound since their debut, and it’s clear that there’s plenty of potential for their third record to be good enough to be regarded as a modern classic.
Rating: 8/10
Diorama Of Human Suffering is set for release August 16th via Pulverised Records.
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