HM 2 pedals have started to pop up in the unlikeliest of places it seems. From right here in the US/Indiana (Psychomancer), France (Nuisable), Venezuala (Nocturnal Hollow), Russia (Wombripper, Pyre), Greece (Abyssus, Wreckage), Australia (Earth Rot),  Croatia (Herzera) and now Belfast, Northern Ireland of all places by way of Marty Robinson and his one man project Fleshwolf.

Now while certainly not a top notch release in the style of the genre, as mantles owned  by the likes of Entrails, Gods Forsaken, Gravestone, and Just Before Dawn are certainly safe, Fleshwolf is a worthy, energetic and authentic delivery of the style , and even more impressive is that except for the drums,  its from one person (Robinson also has a one man doom project called Serpent’s Eve).

The 8 tracks all deliver classically styled Swedish death metal culling from the early efforts of Entombed, Dismember, Unleashed and so on, and makes no bones about it (opener “The Rot” even has a distinct nod to Left Hand Path’s seminal notes from Phantasm). It’s a bit rough around the edges, as the guitar tone is a bit gravelly and raw, if still definitely HM2 inspired, but you can tell Robinson is a fan of the classics and passionate about the style.

The material is largely focused on the classic, more grooving trot and gallops of his primary influences as heard on “Transcend”, hefty “Deathstare” and more controlled “Into The Night”. Robinson has a more throaty shout than a traditional growl and throws in plenty of solos to complement the more trundling gait that combines for a solid if unspectacular homage to the style.

[Visit the band's website]

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