Reviewing the new Fulci album seems natural. I’m a huge fan of Italian horror in general, of course including Lucio Fulci. I rock a Tropical Sun back patch on what I’m certain is the greatest battle jacket ever created, I saw them live last year, and I learned seminal Italian words like “pizza” and “spaghetti” from them. Add in the fact that they’re brutal death metal, with some twists and turns, and I’m wondering; “How could I not like it?”

Well, I do. I forgot to mention they’re now on 20 Buck Spin, which is now known to me as the label that puts out only bangers.

Of course, by the name of the album, one can ascertain the New York Ripper subject matter. The first track, “Vile Butchery” begins with a sample from the movie, then into the brutality. In a taut 3 minutes, Fulci brings brutality, with some growls deep enough to sound like burps. Halfway through, they get slow for something like 3 seconds. Fiore Stravino carves quite a menacing presence.

It wouldn’t be a Fulci album without a TV Crimes interlude preceding the next track, “Fucked with a Broken Bottle.” I understand the infamous Seth Putnam did this to someone at one of the local, now closed venues. Anyway, this is another short blast, with once again only a small slow down section, and otherwise furious, heavy riffs. This leaves me wondering how great a Fulci death doom album would be, but I may never know.

Later in the album is a short track called “Knife,” which I’ve seen several critics pan. I however enjoy it because of the rapping, not in spite. Once it ends and Fiore’s vocals take over with 30 seconds left, the juxtaposition makes them sound far heavier.

What would it be if there weren’t longer tracks? Well, not a Fulci album because none of those are here. On the title track, “Duck Face Killings,” that formula remains. There are some “brees” and typical low-slam vocals, which make up the fast parts until a little over a minute left. A slower section once again doesn’t last long until the chaos erupts, but it’s all over in less than 3 minutes.

“Stabbed, Gutted, and Loved,” as we all desire, is the second to last track. This time there’s a short guitar lead about halfway through. It does slow down slightly after that for perhaps the longest section on the album. Even when the double bass starts, it stays slower and sort of fades out.

“What in the hell’s diversity,” you may ask? Perhaps it’s an old, old wooden ship used in the Civil War era, or perhaps it’s the saxophone ending the last track.

Regardless, this is a banger. You already knew that if you’ve listened to even one track from any of the band’s previous albums. I never used to be much into the slam genre, although I still had favorites. That has changed over the last few years because of bands like Fulci and Laparotomy, who don’t rest on what some consider the confines of the genre. I’m not just spewing hyperbole when I say Duck Face Killings is the band’s best and most complete release so far. I need to come up with my ending phrase to let readers know they need the album. For now, I’ll just say “Get this fucking shit NOW!”

 

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