tracklisting: 1)All Guts, No Glory 2)As Hammer to Anvil 3)Your Funeral, My Feast 4)Through Cadaver Eyes 5)Death Knell 6)Distorted and Twisted to Form 7)I Rot Within 8)Dis-Assembly Line 9)Necrotized 10)Funereality 11)So Let It Be Rotten....So Let It Be Done
A repulsive review of the rotten, rank and revulsionary! Think my statement was a mouthful? Than you must not be familiar with EXHUMED. Don't feel bad because unfortunately most aren't. Even within the death metal realm they are a (slaughter)cult act, albeit possibly the biggest. Cannibal Corpse, Hate Eternal or Behemoth, they ain't in terms of notoriety, but you would be hard-pressed to find a band that has garnered so much respect from the extreme underground community. And with an 8 year gap between full length albums (not including 2005's disappointing cover album Garbage Daze Re-regurgitated), alot weighs on this album.
Well rest well gore whores! Exhumed is back and, honestly, better than ever. The title/intro track rings clear that you are in for some punishment. It serves as a clear indication of the amalgam of death, grind and thrash that is about to bludgeon you. Which brings us to "As Hammer to Anvil", the first single, and an anthem devoted to brutally beating someone with a hammer. It is an instant death/grind classick. "Your Funeral, My Feast" is a fun wall of sound but feels like it retreads old ground a la Slaughtercult. "Through Cadaver Eyes" cuts like a death metal circular saw and features a "beautiful" and melodic leads that changes up the feel and adds some depth to the killfest in progress. "Death Knell", "Disorted...." and "I Rot Within" speed forth with the grinding precision of a sharpened bonesaw, all with catchy vocal melodies that draw you deeper into the festering wound. "Dis-Assembly Line" takes a step back into the old school straight grind foray. Though far from a favorite, mad drummer Danny Walker pulls off some of his sickest fills in this one."Necrotized" borrows a page from punk during the verses, adding yet another new layer to the gorey barrage, before delving into some Anatomy is Destiny-era thrash inspired goodness. "Funerality" comes off as bland, with nothing totally special to set it apart. Finally "So Let It Be..." caps off the album. It's nothing amazing, but it's damn good deathgrind with a bad ass solo that will make you snap your neck.
Thank the gore-soaked gods that someone finally got these boys some good fucking production! Prior albums were plagued with poor-to-fair sound quality, but with music this intricate, technical and just goddamn fast, you need it to be crystal clear to hear every nuance. The artwork is kinda disappointing honestly. The quality of the work is top notch (as relapse release usually are) but the subject matter itself is slightly old hat. I much prefer the special edition cover. But, hell, at least i could read the fucking lyrics this time.
All-in-all, ALL GUTS, NO GLORY is an incredibly solid album with a few very, very minor hiccups but phenomenal craftsmanship and artistry. The necromaniacs are truly fucking back!
favorite track: Necrotized
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