Released around the same time as Malfeitor‘s Dum Morior Orior and on the same label, Intestinal are also an old school Swedish death metal band who are actually from Sweden currently enjoying the genre’s resurgence. This is the band’s second effort after 2010’s Human Harvest, which I have not heard. And while I enjoy The Rottening, I don’t have an uncontrollable desire to go back and hear the debut.

Obviously armed with the distinct Swedish guitar tone, though here presented in its filthier, grimier (and less hefty) form, Intestinal don’t go for the obvious Entombed, Grave or Dismember influence but instead go for a sound that recalls a lot of Rogga Johansson’s bands -namely Ribspreader, Paganizer, Bonegnawer, The Grotesquery and Revolting– that’s to say a more simple, groove laden and mid paced style that rarely stupefies but will certainly satisfy fans of Rogga’s many projects. Just don’t expect anything ground breaking.

Throw in lyrical themes that have more in common with Johansson’s B movie imagery and Cannibal Corpse and you’ve certainly got something to sink your teeth info if you absolutely need another fix of this kind of metal. Personally, I do like Johansson’s projects, but hardly crave them. I enjoy the simple chug and lurch of the bulk of the material, but feel its a little too simple, repetitive and watered down, especially compared to some of the better acts doing this resurgent style (Entrails, Revel in Flesh, Binah, Crtyptborn, Evocation, etc) . And with Intestinal the pace is even more reigned in with a plodding pace that rarely even breaks into a mid range gallop.

Not that I don’t like The Rottening, I enjoy the primal simplicity of “Vaginal Vomitation”, “Torture”,”Reborn in Gore” , “Slaughter” (two tracks that pick up the pace just a little for short periods of time) and “Eating Your Inner Organs”, and of course it’s played in a style and production that I simply cant get enough of. But, it’s not the first album I reach for when craving this kind of death metal. in fact its probably pretty far down the list.

[Visit the band's website]

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