It doesn’t always happen that when you hear a band or a record, you feel like what you’re experiencing purposely is declaring war on you and your mental well-being. That probably sounds like a turn off for a lot of people who don’t like when music makes them feel uncomfortable, but we’re not always guaranteed comfort. Music that reminds you of that fact can make the adrenaline spike in an uneasy manner.
Death metal crushers Vitriol always find a way to dig into your brain and jam the buttons that make the anxiety burst. On their ferocious second record “Suffer & Become,” the band—guitarist/vocalist Kyle Rasmussen, bassist/vocalist Adam Roethlisberger, guitarist Daniel Martinez, drummer Matt Kilner—pours acid and unforgiving trauma on these creations, 10 tracks that eat away at you and turn up the audio violence to such a massive level that your mind is left racing for security. Crazy enough, the band weaves a sense of optimism into this record, which is a stark departure from 2019 debut “To Bathe from the Throat of Cowardice,” and it’s also like trying to find a needle in a bloody haystack considering how dark and scary this all sounds. But look hard, and you’ll find it.
“Shame and its Afterbirth” feels hostile and disorienting from the start, the guitars mixing your brains inside your skull, the carnage fully flattening. The guitars go off in an acid reflux, mercilessly landing savage blows, the insane assault finally relenting. “The Flowers of Sadism” melts and slashes, the vocals feeling vicious and mangling, heavy dissonance making it impossible to gain footing. The violence multiplies as the roars gut, the monstrous attack beating you into submission. “Nursing from the Mother Wound” is an outright barnburner, clobbering as the vocals maim, smearing terror from end to end. Hell engorges as the chaos dares you to stare back, slamming your face into the asphalt. “The Isolating Lie of Learning Another” is storming and warped, the howls destroying as the speed increases, marring and tearing psyches apart. The band leans more progressive before a violent spasm twists spines, the howls incinerate, and only ash remains. “Survival’s Careening Inertia” brings cold guitars and a chilling front, the guitars exploding and carving into your flesh, fiery and sizzling pressure making their presence felt. Strange synth create a noxious cloud, putting an apocalyptic touch on this instrumental piece.
“Weaponized Loss” is sinewy at first and then acts as a battering ram, tangling and dragging everything in its reach to hell. Demonic growls and speedy guitars create a terrifying team, and the pace trudges and draws blood, ending in abject heaviness. “Flood of Predation” is an immediate assault, the growls retching as sounds glaze, spitting fire. The drums pummel as the soot collects, crushing to an instant finish. “Locked in Thine Frothing Wisdom” unleashes delirious leads, guttural growls, and ridiculous heaviness that leaves you gasping. The shrieks menace as the guitars act like a flamethrower, incinerating everything unfortunate to be in their path. “I Am Every Enemy” batters with raspy howls and maniacal force, the playing charging with ill intent, hellish fire licking limbs. The drums turn up the destruction as an acidic pace splashes and leaves disfigurement. Closer “He Will Fight Savagely” is an instant burst of power, blinding and gutting, turning rivers into blood. The shrieks peel away at flesh as a cacophonous racket shreds minds, a synth fog compromises vision, and a dramatic finish drowns in noise.
There’s nothing easygoing about Vitriol as every second of “Suffer & Become” demands every ounce of your being, the idea of mercy the very last thing on anyone’s mind. These 10 tracks are exercises in torment, and while there may be tiny rays of hope hidden in the din, they don’t easily make themselves evident. This is a menacing, devastation collection, a record that’ll stick with you log after it’s over because of the deep-rooted bruising left behind.
For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/vitriolwarfare/
To buy the album, go here: https://centurymedia.store/
For more on the label, go here: https://www.centurymedia.com/
Meat Mead Metal 