Though some may consider The East coast and Florida the main stays of US death metal, but for the home of technical, brutal death metal, you need to consider that in California there are such amazing death metal acts as Deeds of Flesh, Vile, Brain Drill, Decrepit Birth, Odious Mortem and Severed Savior, who after five years have finally released the follow up to Brutality is Law.
Personally, I thought Brutality Is Law was a pretty standard Unique Leader affair, but on the Willowtip released follow up, Severed Savior have appeared to make a Decrepit Birth like development and evolution in their already technical brutal sound. Like Decrepit Birth, Severed Savior also recruited an Odious Mortem member to help out, vocalsit Anthony Trapani, he along with the addition of Mike Gilbert on Guitars to the core of bassist Murray Fitzpatrick and drummer Troy Fullerton appears to have added some flare and memorability to Servile Insurrection.
Like Psycroptic’s Ob(Servant) earlier this year, and Decrepit Birth’s Diminishing Between Worlds, Servile Insurrection simply raises the bar for what can be done with technical/brutal death metal nowadays. Stupefying complexity melds with pummeling brutality and even some unexpected tangents (i.e end of opener “Questions”, “Servile Insurrection”). However, while the band has musically evolved and developed some truly jaw dropping music, and even melodies, the lyrics not penned by Trapani appear to revert back to 8th grade (“Fecalphilliac”). Musically though, the likes of “Inverted and Inserted”, “Rewards of Cruelty”, “Fuck the Humans”, “Acts of Sedition”, “Spoils of War” and the closing title track are at times, simply jaw dropping in their execution, heaviness and complexity. Even interlude “Intervallo del Tradimento” is superbly done. And whereas some of Ob(Servant)’s tracks overstayed their welcome, Severed Savior keep all their assaults in the 3-4 minute range.
The only downside to this spectacular addition to 2008s already superb death metal releases s that, partially to the punishing but familiar Zach Ohren production and the swapping of members, some of these bands sound a little similar, and frankly playing this side by side to say, Odious Mortem’s Cryptic Implosion, it was difficult to tell which was which.
Not a bad problem to have though….
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It’s funny how all of these “unique leader” type bands have really upped the ante this past year from some of their previous material. I am glad for it, especially in the cases of the new releases from DEEDS OF FLESH, DECREPIT BIRTH, ODIOUS MORTEM(last year, I know), and this new SEVERED SAVIOR album. I just hope it doesn’t become the new band-wagon for some these youngsters to jump on to and then kill with their, “imitation is the greatest form of flattery”, oversaturaion.
on Dec 20th, 2008 at 19:07Love this loads, so so so good!! Sweet review Erik
on Dec 21st, 2008 at 04:05you know I liked Odious Mortem’s Cryptic Implosion when it came out but now returning to it months later, I find that there’s little to grab onto. songs are really fractured and chaotic which is ultimately why I hadn’t thrown it in for a long time, as compared with Anata or Gorod. had the same problem with the last Spawn of Possession as well. but I’ll give this one a shot anyway.
on Dec 21st, 2008 at 20:21very cool disc. Brutality is Law was awesome and so is this. However, as mentioned, some of these lyrics really hurt it. I almost wish you couldn’t understand any of them in “Fecalphilliac” because they are wretchedly bad. I actually find myself skipping the track because I just can’t listen to it. A minor flaw though, when compared to the great music.
on Dec 23rd, 2008 at 12:25