The horrors of existence seem to know no bounds when it comes to putting humanity through the goddamn ringer repeatedly. It’s only natural to go toward macabre thoughts and nightmare scenarios when we try to find ways to emotionally deal with the hand we’ve been dealt, so at this point, the more profane the better.
Australian death crushers Gutless are only too happy to step to the plate with their wrenching new record “High Impact Violence,” their debut offering. Over eight tracks and 26 minutes, the band—vocalist/guitarist Tom Caldwell, guitarist Allan Stacey, bassist Joe Steele, drummer Ollie Ballantyne—conjures death metal that should have you thinking of the formative years in the 1990s, making brutality and bloodshed the goals. You won’t explore space, there are no progressive movements, and all you’ll find is pure death metal that twists your limbs into unspeakable positions.
“Bashed and Hemorrhaging” is a burly gore fest when it starts, growls spat over gnarly chaos, the ugliness spreading along with chugging guitars. The menace continues over bloody power, the leads squealing off into a tire fire. “Beyond the Catacombs” is monstrous, animalistic growls punishing, a mauling force moving forward with reckless abandon. The pace then grows suffocating, the leads wailing amid skull-smashing force, roars crushing any final glimmers of hope. “Scalpel Obsession” dominates, storming in with relentless intensity, roars breathing extra doses of hostility. The guitars sprawl as things get thrashier, growls gutting in a horrifying mist, tearing out guts and leaving them to rot in the sun. “Avalanche of Viscera” mauls as howls belch, and the pace pours on destruction, a total death metal assault that leaves you dizzy. The bass chugs as the thrust further detonates, guitars swelter, and the heat grows unmanageable and thick.
“Galvanized” opens with a quote from “The Frighteners” and then it’s onto muddy rhythm and guitars pouring lava, growls ripping as the pressure builds. The violence escalates from there, guitars spewing heat, lumbering as they blacken eyes along the way. “Carved Into Existence” has a fiery start but then it turns playfully vicious, growls killing as the guitars turn the heat up even further, making the room spin. Body shots continue to land right on the money, and then guitars char, cymbals are crushed, and the last blast removes heads. “Gore God” charges, the growls burying, guitars digging in and then taking off. The brutality works into a lather as a menacing tempo darkens your heart, the carnage slowly mangling, dragging you to a bruising defeat. Closer “Viral Infection” pulverizes, the growls eating into flesh, the battery increasing its power as heated leads wash over prone flesh. Guttural and mashing, the playing adds to the misery, leads squealing as humidity spikes, the strains of a clip from “Videodrome” leading to your ultimate demise.
Now’s as good a time as any to dive as deeply as possible into death metal’s unforgiving confines, and Gutless are more than happy to show you the worst, bloodiest parts of the terrain. “High Impact Violence” is the perfect title for this record as it’s purely that, with no added bells or whistles necessary. This is a complete bludgeoning, one that might be a welcome distraction from the horrors of reality.
For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/gutlessmelbourne
To buy the album, go here: https://www.darkdescentrecords.com/shop/
Or here: https://www.mesacounojo.com/shop/gutless-high-impact-violence-lp/
For more on the label, go here: https://www.facebook.com/DarkDescentRecords/
And here: https://www.mesacounojo.com/
Meat Mead Metal 