This is a pretty grim time to be alive, though obviously it’s not the first time that has been said. But shit is volatile right now. Humanity has grown in such strange directions that it’s hard to say what we’ll even be like as a species centuries from now. If we’re still here. That’s what really should turn our stomachs and give us a reason to writhe in terror.
Croation death/doom maulers Decrepit Tomb aren’t necessarily consumed with that on their debut EP “Egregious Defilement,” but that title certainly would describe how we’re treating our surroundings and how power structures are aiming to crush. This is three tracks full of misery and suffering that the band—vocalist/bassist Vitan Bukvić, guitarists Matej Pećar and Denis Balaban, drummer/guitarist Matej Kiš—crafts and unleashes on an unsuspecting world. It’s a brutal, unforgiving display that twists flesh and muscle and makes you realize the pain and misfortune that plague so many.
The Festering Depths” starts with water dripping before chilly eeriness sets in, notes falling as the doom hammers crush. Growls lurch as the guitars have a dizzying effect, soot crowding the air as the pace rots and carves. A psyche sheen spreads as the band mauls with ferocity, howls retch with disgust, and the final drops bleed into “Beckoning of the Moss-Ridden Tomb” that snarls right away. Doom smokes as the playing drubs, growls crushing as the sweltering tones make breathing harder. The guitars get swampier and dizzier, disorientation spreading like a fog, the bass clawing nails from fingers. Closer “Fields of Flayed Skin” (don’t forget to plant yours in the spring!) stomps through dirt as a hulking pace makes way for glowing leads and a slow-driving menace that strengthens its grip. Guitars ring out as elements of sludge work through tired veins, the growls level, and vile torment becomes a heavier factor. The final moments feel like auditory torture, stretching your will to survive until everything fades into infinity.
Decrepit Altar make a mangling, devastating impression on “Egregious Defilement,” an EP that’s as physically draining as a full-length but in half the time. This death/doom concoction is deadly and suffocating, leaving no room for light either than a pin prick here and there. This is a promising offering, one that might pave the road for grislier actions and more traumatic beatings in the future, for which we will be here.
For more on the band, go here: https://decrepitaltar.bandcamp.com/
To buy the album (North America), go here: https://www.mesacounojo.com/shop/decrepit-altar-egregious-defilement-12/
Or here (Europe): https://ddmsuo.eu/
For more on the label, go here: https://www.mesacounojo.com/
Meat Mead Metal 