ALBUM REVIEW: Eviscerating Desolation – Devastrosity
Brutal death metal has seen a resurgence over the past few years. whether you’ve been a fan since SUFFOCATION pioneered it in the 90’s, or with the new wave of bands like PEELING FLESH, it’s hard to say that it has been making somewhat of a comeback in the metal underground. A genre that focuses on the heavier and faster side of metal always gains its fans as there is a niche market for it.
Enter DEVASTROSITY with their debut album Eviscerating Desolation. Hailing from the underground scene based in Kediri in Indonesia, they began work on it back in 2022-2023. For them, it’s a labour of love, taking their time to make sure the album they’ve worked on is, in their eyes, a perfect brutal composition.
When you hear brutal death metal, you know you’re not getting choruses to sing along to. You’re not getting a song you can dance to with your family. You’re getting hurt, whether by listening to the bludgeoning on record, or if you go to a live show and get in the pit. And one thing that DEVASTROSITY has a grasp on is sheer brutality. Consistent blast beats from drummer Billy. Signature guitar buzzing from Roby. And a bellowing bass tone from Ardian. And really, that’s where it ends. The album is nine songs in total, clocking in at just over thirty minutes, which is the perfect time for an album from a band in this genre. Any more and you’d be bored senseless, assuming you’d have any senses left that is.
Nine songs of constant blast beats where the snare sounds like it’s being held together by duct tape and was stolen from 2003. It’s a hectic jaunt through the album, yes, but there’s no real structure to it. It feels empty and devoid of any care. The guitar work could be admirable but you wouldn’t know, because as soon as the drums kick in, you can’t hear any of it. It’s a wall of noise, and the band members are battling to see who can be louder, with the drums taking centre stage and drowning out any semblance of musicianship.
Human Depravation is the first song you hear on the album. A dramatic build up that leaves you on edge. And for the first ten or so seconds the band play, you have hope that it’s a neatly balanced album. But then it really kicks in, and the drums drown it all. When vocalist Roby makes his voice known, he sounds like a frog with a throat infection. While yes, there is a market for this music, it begs the question of ‘How far can this genre be taken?’ The answer is unknown at this point, because DEVASTROSITY do have a fan base in Indonesia, and possibly further throughout the world.
This album, however, is just completely unlistenable. If the production was balanced and turned down enough to let the guitar actually be heard, it would possibly be a different story. While DEVASTROSITY do have a handle on the brutality, they need to refine their production and vocal delivery. And for the love of everyone’s eardrums, turn the drums down to let the instruments be heard.
Rating: 1/10
Eviscerating Desolation is out now via Comatose Music.
Follow DEVASTROSITY on Instagram.