Unlike Necromance’s last batch of 2 releases I reviewed (Bolu2 Death and Absenta) which were completely different, the labels next pair of releases is at least in the same wheelhouse. While both hail from Spain,  Blinded For Lies is a classic old school take on US metalcore and Goddamn’s debut, More Human Than Us is a sort of modern metal, metalcore, groove metal, djent hybrid. Also, More Human Than Us has one of my favorite album covers of the year.

What they both have in common if utterly fucking devastating guitar tones and productions. Look no further than second track “The Flesh of Gods”, or the completely crushing start of “H.U.M.A.N”, or “State of Mind” and turn up your stereo and watch your filings fall out of your mouth. I don’t know what is going on in studios in Spain, but they are killing it with this, Blinded For Lies and Bolu2 Death‘s huge guitar tones.

An easy comparison is a sort of Gojira/Meshuggah, but 10 times heavier, if not as well crafted, as Goddamn are straight up bruisers. The music is a stuttering, staggering monster, with an array of screamed and deep/growled vocals, but not nearly as poly rhythmic or complex as those two . Maybe think A Life Once Lost on steroids as well. But the band also has a pretty good knack of groove and heft, so the guitar tone isn’t just window dressing. Throw in a consistent theme of disgust at mankind’s wanton ecological devastation of the earth, and you get more than just noise.

That said, the production can be pretty overwhelming as there were times when listening to this for review, I simply needed a break as my ears and head hurt. I guess that’s a positive in metal, and I should not bitch about a album being ‘too’ loud but goddamn, do Goddamn bring the goddamn thunder for the album’s entirety. Only opener “Blackened” and “Collateral” offer any respite in the form of short acoustic intros.

This along with Blinded For Lies‘s Unity is a pretty hefty Spanish duo that I rather enjoyed and I look forward to see what the Spanish label has to offer going forward.

[Visit the band's website]

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