Having honed their craft since 2007 in the UK metal scene, Scordatura have unleashed their first full-length (originally self released but picked up by Blast Head Records), and this thing is an impressive debut. Jumping from the gates following a horror movie sample, “Necromantic Disposition” gets the show started, and the brutality starts to flow from there. After the second track you get what is truly the standout on this album, “Neurotic Aberration”. It’s the shortest, but also the best song on this album with its stop start, punching guitar groove that is bound to blow the pit up during a live set.

“Back to Crack” sees the band bleed a bit into grind territory, and shows they can up the intensity even further when they need to. The dual guitar attack consists of mainly palm mutes and scale runs throughout the whole album, but they’re varied just enough to keep this one interesting. You get a few pinch harmonics sprinkled throughout, but no solos or anything really of note. They’re happy with guitarists Owen McKendrick and Dave Coia exchanging punches back and forth with us as the audience gleefully absorbing every blow.

Vocalist Daryl Boyce fits this band perfectly, and his barking growl delivery will remind many of Corpsegrinder (Cannibal Corpse). He’s got a strong commanding presence on the album, and his roar on the opening of the first track is almost a dead ringer for Glen Benton’s “Where is your god now?!?” iconic intro shout on Vital Remains’ Horrors of Hell. Drummer Tam Moran shows off some wicked fast double bass (check the end of “Visceral Disembowelment”), but also knows when to back off and complement the guitar grooves. It also shows that this band has benefited from playing together for so long (all but the bassist were founding members), as there’s a cohesion here that keeps the sound firmly rooted in brutal death while also paying attention to songwriting so the whole album isn’t one big chug-fest.

This one doesn’t break the mold, but continues the phenomenal outputs that continue to pop up from the underground scene. Well done and highly recommended.

[Visit the band's website]

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