Brodequin
Instruments Of Torture

Let's talk again about Ultra Brutal Death Metal.

This genre, carried forward by bands such as Disgorge and Devourment, certainly cannot do without Brodequin. In fact, the band, besides being one of the most representative of the subgenre, is also one of the best. And this amazing album undoubtedly confirms it. We are talking about a very heavy Brutal, with extremely high distortion and a filthy growl to the nth degree.

This album can be defined in some ways as "similar" to Devourment's records like 'Molesting The Deacapitated', but it has its own characteristics. The guitar riffs range from intricate outbursts to more compact slower riffs, the melody is almost nonexistent, and the production tries to highlight the somewhat chaotic spirit of these bands. Equipped with good technique, Brodequin creates a wall of sound with truly interesting passages, the work of the drums is really excellent, with extremely fast blast beats and frightening breaks. The singer-bassist has a very guttural and continuous voice, similar to that of the aforementioned Devourment. The name Brodequin comes from a medieval torture device used to crush the legs of the victim. In fact, Jamie Bailey, the singer and bassist, has a degree in history and is obviously passionate about historical events.

Given that it's Brutal Death, Bailey's lyrics obviously deal with torture, inquisition, rapes, murders, and dismemberments. The preferred era of the trio is the Middle Ages, a dark era where these unhealthy and bloody methods were widely used, just think of the song The Virgin of Nuremberg, perhaps the best on the album, where in the intro you hear a priest reciting prayers in Latin, while agonizing screams of torture are heard in the background. The filthy atmosphere of this album is unparalleled, despite the somewhat raw production that nonetheless captures the atmosphere that reigns in this album dated 2000. 10 songs of pure "Sound Massacre" as we metalheads like to say, of musical violence.

Brodequin is now a reality of the genre, although they remain in the underground, they are a symbol for all the emerging bands playing the same genre, and with this review, I hope I have given them the credit they deserve.