To the untrained ear, death metal probably sounds like the foulest, most deranged form of music ever dreamed by human beings. Depending on who that person is exposed to, that’s not necessarily the wrong way of looking at things. But those of us who practically bathe in death metal’s blood know that’s just not true, which is no knock on the style.

But now and again, you do get a band that makes even the hardest, grimiest listener take cover, which is always the case with Philly manglers Pissgrave. You know everything you need simply from their name, as they pay off with gore, blood, puss, and other fluids smeared all over the surface of their music. They’ve made a horrifying return with “Posthumous Humiliation,” the band’s second record that comes four years after their debut “Suicide Euphoria,” which easily has one of the grossest album covers you’ll find. Not that the one adorning the front of “Posthumous” will do any great tricks for stimulating your appetite either, and the music you confront on these nine tracks really won’t make you feel any better. The band—guitarists/vocalists Demian Fenton and Tim Mellon, bassist Brad D., and drummer Matt Mellon—ply/have plied their trades in other bands such as Oak, Serpent Throne, and Abhomine, but what they do here snuffs them all out in sheer shocking violence and smothering misery.

Things get started with “Euthanasia” and its utter death chaos, with growls so marred in noise they almost sound inhuman. That continues through the entire record, by the way. The riffs drive you insane, though melodies swim in and cause confusion, as the band dive bombs you, and feral chaos brings the song to its end. “Canticle of Ripping Flesh” has riffs crushing before a blast furnace of blood gushes right at your face. Hellish vocals and playing that twists muscle arrive while riffs cascade, the pace thrashes, and the soloing blinds before the track ends in a hell storm. “Funereal Inversion” has melodic guitars that barrel into a cavernous assault before the growls are unleashed. Sinister riffs and a blast of noise rush in, with the fires raging, speed maiming, and the track being devoured by acid. “Catacombs of Putrid Chambers” has dissonant riffs and gurgling growls, feeling as if the song comes from another dimension. Riffs encircle while beastly growls spit skin and bone, and the track continues to build its momentum before the track comes to a blurring end.

“Into the Deceased” explodes with rage with wild howls scraping and the music practically twisting your guts. The guitars sprawl all over with furious huffs, marring riffs, and the track bleeding to death. The title track arrives in a drone cloud, with guitars charging the atmosphere and the growls slaughtering. The track seems designed to bring insanity, as the guitars drill and the fires consume all. “Emaciated” is audio torture with the playing blistering and the growls boiling and sending off steam. The track hits the gas pedal and gets lightning fast, with the song stabbing away and you writhing in endless hell. “Celebratory Defilement” is tricky and violent right out of the gate with the vocals muffled like they’re being smothered and the music getting tornadic. The track then trucks and stomps harder than ever, with complete annihilation delivering nightmarish effects. “Rusted Wind” closes the album with a clobbering assault, the music charring, and the vocals sounding like they’re belched through acid and plasma. A rapid-fire beating makes the bruising even worse, while the roars attack, dreary leads give off thick smoke, and the track ends in a heinous noise bath.

Pissgrave is not an easy band to get to know, and they don’t make their welcome very warm and cuddly on “Posthumous Humiliation,” a record that’ll be hard to top when measuring the vilest and most disgusting of the year. But if you’re into that thing, you’re going to find ton to comb through with these nine gut-shredding tracks that will make you feel filthy once you’re done with them. This is death metal with a tangible stench that isn’t here to make friends and only wants to leave trails of blood and, well, piss behind.

For more on the band, go here: https://pissgrave.bandcamp.com/

To buy the album, go here: https://profoundlorerecords.merchtable.com

For more on the label, go here: https://profoundlorerecords.com/