(NCS contributor Vonlughlio reviews the new album by Debridement from Northern Ireland, which will be released on August 23rd by Rotten Roll Rex.)
The music of the band that’s the subject of this small write-up is just pure and filthy fun. Yes, you read that correctly, and why do I say that? ‘Cause it’s Slam/BDM done right, and that is intended to make you smile (even though you shouldn’t) and enjoy the music for just that: It’s fun and entertaining.
That band is a one-man project called Debridement, run by Mr. Brown (guitarist from the band Oncology) from Northern Ireland. I discovered this project back in 2016 with their EP Reduced to a Pile of Putrefying Slop and thought to myself, with a big smile, this is indeed filthy and disgusting, and sloppy (production-wise). It showcased the musical ability of Mr. Brown, who performed all the instruments, while envisioning how this style of goregrind should sound. It was 18 minutes of pure entertaining, horrible music, executed precisely and leaving the listener wanting more.
A year after this came the release of Debridement’s second EP, Vomited Forth from the Earth, and ohhh boy, this was even nastier, more in-your-face, with a musical execution that gave us an even broader spectrum of how talented Mr. Brown is.
Moving on to 2018, we received the announcement of the debut album, entitled Drowning In a Cesspool of Malform and Malady, with the cover done my Gruesome Graph, set to be released via Rotten Roll Rex on August 31st. That got me all pumped to discover the next evolution of the project. So when I was given the opportunity to write about it, I seized it right away.
I’m glad I did, because this album has a perfect balance of slam, BDM, and even punk in the right sections of the song structures. Also, the intros are perfectly placed to enhance the fiendish fun of listening to this release.
Again, the purpose of this is just to be entertained. There’s no hidden occult message or philosophical learning. It’s just a form of relaxation for twisted minds who never really relax, a way to smile and forget your daily struggles. The riffs’ styles and the movements of the songs are so tastefully done that there is no dull moment while you are listening. I even thought this might be the unofficial child of Internal Bleeding and Hemdale??? ‘Cause there are some evident influences in this work.
I like the fact that the production is natural (at least for me) instead of raw. In this case, the mode of production helped, especially in the slam parts of the songs. Vocally, Mr. Brown does a decent job; my only small complaint is the wish for more variety in the patterns.
My favorite overall aspects of this album are the tasty riffs that just make you want to mosh your guts out and fill you full of rampaging energy, as if you could take the crowd (but I’m old and probably wouldn’t have much chance of that). They’re just wonderfully entertaining (there’s that word again) from start to finish.
Overall this is a great debut album, and I hope you can give this project a chance, with the wish that you will find it as much fun as I did.
Bandcamp:
https://rottenrollrex.bandcamp.com/album/drowning-in-a-cesspool-of-malform-and-malady
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Debridementofficial/