PUTREFUCK: “DROWNING IN THE ROTTED SLUDGE SWAMP”

 

(Vonlughlio reviews the new second album by the Mexican/Spanish due Putrefuck.)

I feel honored to do a small write- up for the new release by Putrefuck, one of my favorite bands in the gore-grind genre. I first found the band thanks to Sick Reviews and some friends like Mr. Aguilera back in 2015 with the release of their debut album Impending Necrophilia In Fresh And Pale Cadavers Arriving To The Morgue.

The project formed in 2013, and the two masterminds behind this sickening idea are Mr. Davila aka Shitter (vocals, guitars) and Mr. Adrian Emocaust (drums). You could say it’s an international group since one member resides in Mexico and the other in Spain. Their love for gore-grind, facilitated by the internet, got these two into Putrefuck.

 

 

So dear reader, you might be wondering, Putrefuck? Really?? I dont blame you, ’cause that was my reaction when I first learned of the band. Somehow, bearing in mind the genre in which they play and having listened to their debut album, their name, the song structures, and song titles all made sense. Seeing their themes, it’s as if you are watching a documentary of an autopsy with their music as the background. After listening, I actually decided to re-watch HBO’s documentary, “Autopsy: Confessions of a Medical Examiner”.

Before and after their debut, the band had released demos, splits, and EPs that basically maintained the fast-paced, in-your-face, raw gore-grind that I love about them. So when they announced early in 2017 that their sophomre album would be released this same year via a collaboration between Grind Supremacy and Sick Records, I was beyond stoked and anxious as well.

That release was to be named Drowning in the Rotted Sludge Swamp, and the cover made me think of B-movie terror from the late ’80s and early ’90s, which enhanced my interest and anxiety even more. Shortly after that, a promo song was released. I remember that at the time I was at work and stopped everything to give it a listen.

 

Talk about a change! That was my initial thought. Not becasue it was bad, it was a very good song, just that it was different from all their previous material. One could hear the death metal influences more this time around. Some liked it, others said it was too polished, to which I say no, it’s a more organic sound than raw, while still mantaining the essence of Putrefuck’s sound.

And then, by the powers of the gore-grind Grinder, I got to listen to the whole thing and was speechless from the first time listening. It’s one of those records that just grabs you immediately and gets more addictive with each listen. They basically pulled a Dead Infection a La Reverse. Yes, think of Dead Infection’s 1993 album Surgical Disembowelment and 1995’s A Chapter of Accidents. Both are classic releases for the gore-grind genre, and they are so different from each other.

Well, Putrefuck just did that change, but the other way around. Putrefuck’s first album was raw and the songs were fast-paced and more gore-grind influenced, raging from 0.49 to 2.48 mintues in length. Their new album has a more natural sound with songs that are more death metal in the structure and not as fast-paced, with durations that range from 1.19 to 4.00 minutes.

For me, they outdid themselves with this release — better production (that more natural sound), more dense, and with the guitar solos generating a creeping vibe. I believe this is their tribute to the gore-grind and death-grind of the early ’90s. Some names that come in mind are Xysma (their early releases), Dead Infection. and early Carcass. If they had created a copy of their first album I would have supported it, but instead they wanted to try something different, and for that I applaud them. They took the time to do that while still preserving their own sound, and they have given us a gem of a sophomore effort.

I loved their first album, and enjoyed the splits and demos, but Drowning in the Rotted Sludge Swamp is above all of them, a timeless effort that most definitely will be in my top 10 albums of the year, That is the fucking reality.

 

So, if you happen to like gore-grind or simply want to explore something new, give this band a chance, and if you enjoy what you hear, buy their album at Grind Supremacy or at the Putrefuck Bandcamp:

Grind Supremacy:
http://grindsupremacyrecords.bigcartel.com/product/putrefuck-drowning-in-the-rotted-sludge-gsr-02-sr333-02

Putrefuck Bandcamp:
https://putrefuck.bandcamp.com/album/drowning-in-the-rotted-sludge-swamp

Putrefuck on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Putrefuck-645211288853906/

 

Here is the “Dead on Arrival” promo video for the new album, and the Bandcamp album stream:

 

 

 

Here is a preview video for their first album: