As the calendar pages turn fast, as if riffled by a strong wind, we’re now 18 months past the release of Resurrecting Misanthropy, a decimating EP from Abolishment of Flesh, a band born in the panhandle of West Texas. It added to a discography that includes three albums and another EP dating back to 2008, and drove forward the band’s lyrical themes “shaped by war, violence, disease, corruption, and the systematic collapse of human civilization.”
That most recent EP also further evidenced the band’s musical evolution, which now draws freely from ingredients of death, black, and thrash metal and has found a place for melody and groove amidst the carnage of brutality. As a reminder of how good that last EP was, today we’re premiering a video for one of its three songs — “Disavowed“.
Abolishment of Flesh live lineup: Clockwise from top left: Ramon Cazares, Izaak Chavez, Adrian Galindo, Jake Lahniers
The song’s lyrics are eloquent but crushing — a narrative of broken men, hollowed out, filled with prolonged misery, and now “apathetic, hater of life, a mockery and in distress,” entertained only by the suffering of others, begging for death, and “awaiting the cleansing with blood / Adorned with nails and a crown of thorns.”
As dark as the words are, the song is equally dark. From the beginning, harsh and heavy slashing chords and chant-like tones cast a grim cloud, backed by head-moving beats, and the searing intervention of the writhing lead guitar feverishly spreads despair.
When gritty growls come in, the riffing spasms. When the voice transforms to rabid screams, the music slashes again but blazes in distress. The drums blast; the guitars swarm; the vocals wildly channel agony and rage; and quick jolts segment the violence. The darkness is unrelenting, but the song is also exhilarating, and it should appeal especially to fans of Deicide.
In their life to date, AOF have appeared on many stages in many places, and the accompanying video gives us good views of their performance, interspersed with other imagery, including sinister scenes from nature that suit the mood.
EP LINEUP:
Ramon Cazares – Guitars, Bass, Drums, Vocals
Izaak Chavez – Guitar
LIVE SESSION MUSICIANS FOR THIS EP:
Jake Lahniers – Bass, Backing Vocals
Adrian Galindo – Drums
Joseph Howard – Drums
Saul Hernandez – Bass
Resurrecting Misanthropy was produced by Ramon Cazares, and it was mixed and mastered by Andrew Nagorski. The attention-seizing cover art was made by Remy Cooper. It comes recommended for fans of Kataklysm, Suffocation, Deicide, Goatwhore, and Amon Amarth.
ABOLISHMENT OF FLESH:
https://abolishmentofflesh.com/
https://abolishmentofflesh.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/abolishmentoffleshofficial
https://www.instagram.com/abolishmentoffleshofficial