Every time I think Italy has rendered the most brutalist of brutal albums, it seems to quickly get superseded by something else. Whether it’s Hour of Penance to Blasphemer, to Hideous Divinity, then to Logic of Denial, Antropofagus  and recently Daemusinem . Well, Devangelic is here to try and stop the buck.

However, the best term I can come up with for the band’s second album, is ‘unimaginatively brutal’. To some extent, Phlegethon does indeed deliver some total and unmatched gurgling brutal death metal, but it’s relatively uncreative in its sheer blunt force trauma.

The vocals of Paulo Chiti (who recently joined Antropofagus and is close to becoming the vocal equivalent of drummer David Billia) are down right sick, coming cross as classic, early Chris Barnes on steroids and the complete package of guitars, drums and bass are what you’d expect from a brutal death metal band from Italy residing on Comatose Music.

But it’s often brutality for brutality’s sake, and its not until Devangelic slow down a little bit you can appreciate how truly brutal they can be. Tracks like opener “Plagues of Obscurity”, “Manifestation of Agony”, “Of Maggots and Disease” and “Abominated Impurity of the Oppressed”  are standouts due to some short lived pacing and hefty slams amid the expected brutality. Other wise tracks like “Condemned to Dismemberment” (even with a short little slam tacked on the end), “Malus Invictus”, “Mutilation Above Salvation”, “Decaying Suffering”  and closer Asphyxiation upon Phlegethon” just kind of bleed into one long, indistinguishable,  downtuned, tippy tappy, gurgle fest, which there is nothing wrong with, but I like my broodle with some semblance of memorability here and there. Only piece meal interlude “Wretched Incantations” breaks up the monotonous but effective savagery.

Still, a worthy and expected title added to Comatose’s brutal library, I mean what was I seriously expecting?

[Visit the band's website]

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