Though released much earlier this year, the debut full length album from Spain’s Mass Burial only recently found its way into my mailbox, but the wait was well worth it.

Despite hailing from Spain, Mass Burial would have you believe they reside in Stockholm, Sweden… and that’s its 1990. Yup, like country mates Unconsecrated (actually considerably more so) , Mass Burial are one of the many throwback bands from allover the world unashamedly looking to early Entombed, Dismember and Grave for their sound and not even trying to be subtle about it. Want proof? Just go to about 40 seconds into the title track four songs in to hear more than a passing nod to Left Hand Path‘s legendary title track.

There aren’t any other completely obvious references as that , but the rest of the album makes no bones about the love for the Nihilist/Carnage (I’m pretty sure parts of “Intense Genital Punishment”  is culled from “Torn Apart”) based sound with a rough and ready (if sometimes overbearing, washing out some of the faster moments)  mid range Stockholm buzz complete with echo-y up front vocals (that remind me of the bonus tracks “Premature Autopsy” and “Defective Decay”  from Left Hand Path and Like an Ever Flowing Stream respectively)  and possibly intentionally messy but nostalgic overall production. The songs are rough and tumble with a frantic, raw, d -beat pace and a plethora of  scrawly Entombed styled solos and slower moments. A few of the standouts include the aforementioned title track (for obvious reasons)  killer gallop of “Rotten Rise Again”, Nightmare On Elm Street sampling of “Deathlike Dream” and intense “T.T. T.R”. The only thing missing is an actual cover song, though enough concrete homages are buried in their own songs.

That all being said, there’s nothing on Of Carrion and Pestilence that compares to the likes of Entrails, Horrendous, Binah, Revel in Flesh or the genre’s current top dogs. But it’s right  there with the likes of Corrosive Carcass, Winterwolf, Funeral Whore, Brutally Deceased, Undead Creep, Zombiefication, Massive Assault and such as far as being honest and thoroughly enjoyable addition to the genre that has worshipers all over the world.

[Visit the band's website]

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