Cleveland Ohio’s Kurnugia have been around for several years, kicking up the dust and putting out a few ep’s.  Forlorn and Forsaken is their debut album and just like the ep’s harken back to the 90’s death metal scene and we get 10 songs in 37” and from the beginning the intro has a very eerie 70’s horror movie vibe and then right into “To the Cursed Depths”.

Paul, from Embalmer, is the new throat for Kurnugia and his performance is his strongest vocal performance yet.  Check out the brutality this song creates and the 1.40 slower, groovier part better have you taking toilet paper and paper towels and start a slam pit with those golden paper bastards.  Paul’s vocals are really thick and heavy on this. “Crown of Suffer” is up next with a vintage 90’s death/thrash beat.  The guitars, have a bit of Swedish melodic death metal sound to them.  Therefore there are parts of this album that sound a little European for that matter, not just brutal old school American death metal.  This particular track has an abundance of those moments in the guitar riffing. The 2 minute mark has the isolated guitar riffing and it’s like, hold onto your hats, Christ almighty this is the Holy Shit part and it certainly is as the song goes into a tremendous groove and some great grunts, vocals and a little guitar solo ditty.  Super excellent song.

“Eroded Faith” has a nice yelp type of growl before going right into the vintage fast beat and then right into the slower, groovier moments with some excellent drum rolls.  Paul’s vocals are just lethal on this, with his higher rasps and mid-range throaty brutality.  He really mixes up the vocal tones and they are just excellent.  The slower moments on “Eroded Faith” are great and again the song having that European death metal flair with some Floridian death metal riffing.  This is a quality song through and through with awesome drums, vocals and riffing.  More of the mid-paced moments carry forth.  The drums have that chest cavity collapsing production and not once are TAF (triggered as fuck) sounding double bass therefore they are organic in nature and much more natural.

“Thy Sanguine Altar” has such a massive mid-paced opening, calling to mind vintage Bolt Thrower and some great grunts from Paul.  The song then gets into a little blast beat territory with some layered vocals and growls all coming together nicely.  The song is only 3:42, but has an epic feel in certain parts that had me calling to mind Autopsy in terms of their doomy build-ups and then erupting, which this song does quite nicely.  More vicious double bass and the 2.20 doomy slow down with the otherworldly guitar solos are great.  The song picks up speed and at a headbanging pace-so make sure your head is secured or it may go rolling down a hill.  Super heavy song and then it trails off.

Forlorn and Forsaken from Kurnugia is just what the doctor ordered today, especially as it appears the world is headed into hyper melt down mode this is an excellent album.  There are a few blast beats thrown in, but by and large they are kept to a minimum, therefore when they do erupt it packs more punch.  The songs are more structured in 90’s death metal, with an emphasis on good song writing and solid rhythms.  As I stated earlier Paul’s vocals are incredible and the album cover is absolutely twisted and sick.

Go and like Kurnugia’s FB page, get the album and let the band know how much you like the music.  Death metal for real death metal fans.  Get this today!

[Visit the band's website]

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