Monstrosity : "Screams From Beneath the Surface"

The 7th album from this long running Floridia death metal band finds a blend of brutality and technical prowess being balanced. They are not just looking for the best riffs to solo over, but care about the songs. The riffs areever shifting, but not so much that the hooks get lost in the shuffle. The vocal apporach is very simple, but articulated. They are not so technical that things get lost in the ever-changing time signature, but are beaten by an extensive riff arsenal. They know when to lock into a chug. The bass player is the secret weapon here as the bass lines are everflowing, but not rechnical for the sake of being so. 

"Fortunes Engraved in Blood" often reminds me of what a more refined Cannibal Corpse might sound like, in other words, Paths of Possession. Not as many melodic guitar harmonies and more empahssis place on the syncopation of the drummer. The influence of thrash on what they do is obvious; the riffing is very tightly chugged, and they are not hitting you with a blunt barrage of blast beats to get the point across. "Vapors" is almost anthemic in places. Their songs tend to fall along the three-minute mark, though they make the most of each minute. It makes sense why these guys are on Metal Blade. Half the album was recorded at Morrisound Studios; thus, the classic Tampa Death Metal feel is captured. 

There is a powerful march to "The Thorns." Lee Harrison's drumming is top-tier, though it has to be to play this caliber of death metal. "Blood Work" is the first high-speed, hyper-aggressive blast, though even then it is giving itself room to breathe in more melodic passages, and never is there just a mindless blur of sound passing you by in the name of brutality. Things get more deliberate for "the Dark Aura".  Harrison's double bass is played very tastefully to shift the dynamics and the guitar solos are approached similarly. The last song has some cool riffs, but conforms more closely to what you expect from Tampa death metal, which is still really well done. I will give this album a 9.5, and see how it grows on me.Dropss March 13th.  

pt81