With a line-up which has been a constant since 2007, and a recording history which goes back 30 years to their first debut, there are no surprises when it comes to Dying Fetus who have long been straddling the death metal genre in their own distinct style. “We put our own twist on Death Metal,” explains co-vocalist/guitarist John Gallagher. “We were like most bands, starting in the garage, drinking beer, having a little fun on the weekend, finding the right amps through trial and error. We blended aspects of bands we liked – Suffocation, Obituary, Deicide, and Cannibal Corpse, among others; the dual vocal approach of Carcass – and made them our own. ‘Let’s make it moshy, let’s make it slammy.’” Alongside Gallagher is of course Sean Beasley (bass, vocals) and drummer Trey Williams and here they continue from where the last album left off, 2017’s ‘Wrong One To Fuck With’. Yes, it has been six years between drinks but there was a global pandemic to contend with and I am sure I am not the only one who was excited when this was announced.

They are tight in a way which only comes from playing together for hundreds if not thousands of hours, all three locked in, and they understand exactly what they want to achieve. The tempos are mixed, often within the same song, with guitars and bass acting as one while the drums are far more than just something to play against but instead keep driving the others forward, continually pushing. More than that, somehow within the aggression and over the top nature of the material there is a level of commerciality which means this is never a difficult album to listen to, even though they throw doom in against slam, blast beats against standard 4/4, gruff and overpowering vocals to the max. This is death metal, pure and simple, but being delivered by guys who have grown within the scene and having nothing left to prove and can go very much their own way, not constrained by any expectations apart from what they expect of themselves. It may not be as raw as it used to be, but it is certainly something which needs to be played very loudly indeed, and thoroughly enjoyed.

Rating: 8/10

Links:
https://www.facebook.com/DyingFetus
https://www.relapse.com/