It took its sweet time, but finally, the UK is finally churning out quality, quality metal. Granted, there’s not the level of innovation that graced this island in the 80s and early to mid 90s but, there is a high volume of quality but more importantly, diversity. What’s more, it’s not just simply hordes of confused poster children openly pillaging their myspace idols (its been said a million times, but let’s say it again, that means YOU, Bring me the Horizon and the legions of acolytes that imitate you), but people that actually know what they are playing and more importantly what they want to play.

Ingested are a hallmark of that factor.

There’s absolute no pretence here, the name, album title, artwork, song titles, the whole aesthetical package, suggest and affirm one notion, slamming death metal, and Ingested are simply that of the highest calibre. ‘Skinned and Fucked,’ could not set it off any better, its just utter perfection, a rattling barrage of blasting beats backed by Jay’s guttural shriek. That serves as the foundation for the transition to a glorious, albeit brief chug before picking up change again as they shift the gears and lock into fast picking and buzzing, piercing riffs akin to the more classic, mid 90s style of DM. At two minutes it begins to get nasty as they seriously dig into that chug going down a sub frequency lower each time it seems.

In all honesty the opening gambit reveals what you can expect for the next 30 minutes, but its all gravy, albeit a gory, blistery one reeking of misogynistic/misanthropist putrefaction. Each piece follows in ruthlessly clinical fashion and seriously, I don’t know what gear they rolled in for the recording sessions, but the chug is seismically deep (not Sunn O))) like levels, but pretty damn low), its sumptuously captured and its highly, highly addictive. It unfolds most tectonically in the opening of ‘Cremated Existence,’ in which again, the chug seems to be digging so deep into the frequencies that the guitars of Sam and Sean seem to resonate more like spades then regular musical instruments.

However, despite this level of quality in terms of songwriting and playing there are several factors that would be and more the likely will be raised to be pick at Ingested and again the slamming death metal epidemic/phenomenon (delete as best you see fit).

Firstly, most will argue that if you own the catalogues of Suffocation, Dying Fetus and Devourment, then why the hell would you invest in a band that worships at all three of those demigods. Next is the vocals. Jay shifts easily from gutturals to shrieks and to a more decipherable bark that most purists will cry as being too “core.”

This brings us to the final and most tangible talking point, the “core,” element that is rooted in Ingested’s sound. For instance, all the breakdowns to be found on Surpassing are the kind to incite riots at hardcore shows, what’s more, the playing style and tempo is distinctly core sounding (I definitely hear a UKHC influence in some of these breaks). Yet, you cannot deny the fact that this band, is death metal, pure and simple, and not a horrid myspace creation tailor made to conquer hot topic with more colourful merchandise the music.

Lest we forget that not that long ago British metal was a totally horrid embarrassment. I’d much rather be snapping my neck to this racket and seeing Ingested and their peers/contemporaries sticking around and making more music, especially when you consider the shite that was passing for British Metal 10 years ago (Kill II This, Pulkas, Defenestration, Raging Speedhorn? No thank you).

Seriously, if you can’t find anything to like in the likes of ‘Condemned to Rape,’ and ‘Arial Evisceration,’ (aside from the former’s awful title) then stop reading and stop listening to death metal.

[Visit the band's website]

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