EP REVIEW: Back From the Grave, Straight in Your Face – Innards
Lisbon’s INNARDS may have only formed a mere three years ago, but they are a band that looks poised to make a significant impact upon the death metal scene. Comprising of some of the best musicians within the Portuguese extreme metal underground, the band has a sound that ties together a great, old school death metal sound and a murky, raw production, making for a sound that is as aggressive as it is oppressive. For evidence, look no further than the bands debut E.P, Back From the Grave, Straight in Your Face, a record that, in spite of its brief running time, leaves an immediate impression and lays down some incredibly solid groundwork for some truly fierce and bestial death metal.
Intro – Night of the Anthropophagous, with its dark and foreboding opening moments, quickly gives way to some excellently tight and aggressive death metal that has both feet planted fairly firmly in the old school sound. Blending razor sharp tremolos and slick melodies with thick grooves and frenetic, chaotic moments, the drums and guitars create a crusty, visceral wall of noise that immediately draws the listener in. The vocals add to the intensity of the music, punctuating the music with a dense, guttural roar that makes everything on offer sound utterly monstrous at points. Enlightenment Through Hate is another strong outing, and is notable for two things; the appearance of MASSACRE front man Kam Lee and SODOM‘s Frank Blackfire, providing vocals and guitars respectively; and a much more focused, rabid musical approach than the opener. The lead guitar hooks, coupled with the sludgy rhythm guitars and energetic, dancing drum patterns, make this an instantly catchy and memorable piece of music, with the demonic growls of Hugo Adremon and the harsh rasp of Lee proving a great contrasting back and forth that works extremely well here. It’s a varied track from start to finish, bringing in a diverse range of tempos and playing styles, including an intricate and prolific guitar solo, to make an engrossing and brilliant slab of primal, ferocious death metal.
Album closer The Fog makes great use of descending leads with a slight, jarring element to them, giving this song a controlled, yet cacophonous, feel right off the bat. Once again building the bulk of the sound on chunky rhythms, notably some dizzying bass hooks and machine gun precise drums, this song brings together the best aspects of the first two songs, from the feral aural assault ofNight of the Anthropophagousto the polished and expert musicianship of Enlightenment Through Hate, giving a song that manages to be as impressive as it is intense, and bringing this album to a close on an incredibly high note.
When it comes to make a great first impression in a scene that is overflowing with great bands, INNARDS has done a great job of setting themselves apart from the pack and establishing a solid and memorable sound on their very first release. Although the notable guest contributions on here are likely to turn heads, it would be doing the band a great disservice if this was seen as the records main selling point. The music on offer sounds fantastic, taking the intensity and venom of the likes of DEICIDE and VITAL REMAINS, and blending it with a dirtier and crushing production not unlike early Swedish death metal bands, a combination that works brilliantly here. It’s a great start, and it sets some fairly solid foundations upon which the band are sure to build some really impressive and savage death metal in the future.
Rating: 8/10
Back From the Grave, Straight in Your Face is out now via Transcending Obscurity Records.
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