Defacing
Spitting Savagery

Debut album in 2005 for Defacing, a recently formed Chilean band that made its debut in 2003 with the EP "The Beginning Of Human Cruelty" (practically impossible to find, containing songs that are not on this LP even if poorly recorded).

Now, some of you might be wondering what to expect from a Brutal Death band coming from the Andes mountains; well, if it weren't for the fact that I had already received an excellent impression from their compatriots Coprofago, I wouldn't have given them a chance. In fact, I might have thought I was faced with another Krisiun (gosh!) and another album that would be a bore. Instead, by a stroke of luck, it is not so, and although the style of these Defacing is very different from the aforementioned Coprofago, they churn out a product of almost equal quality; naturally, there is nothing refined or jazzy here, but for a Brutal Death record, it is really not bad.

Considering that it's their debut CD and that these guys come from "chillo paise" (a Portuguese expression for indicating an unknown country to most), "Spitting Savagery" might receive laurels.

Now, you all know that for the past three or four years, Slam (the bread for gueddo666) has been very trendy, a branch of Brutal Death that leans on the most uncompromising sound violence and, in my opinion, inconclusive. Let's say that, just a few years ago you could only find Cannibal Corpse and Deicide clones, now there are only Devourment and company clones around (especially in the underground).

The Defacing, though partially influenced by this trend, manage not to be dragged by the current and generate a Brutal Death that's incredibly heavy but not as stale as slam. The recipe is simple; take a technical yet not excessive riffing and mix it with some crushing passages typical of the Californian school (Disgorge above all). What emerges is a work that does not disappoint traditionalists and satisfies demanding fans.

Referencing specific groups becomes difficult because the inspirations come from numerous other American Brutal Death bands: it's impossible not to mention Suffocation and Immolation, but also Deeds Of Flesh and Disgorge and even in something Cryptopsy. I don’t know if it's just me being influenced by the presence of the cover of "Phobophile" at the end (I already know some of you will be overjoyed), but I sense a certain influence of the Canadians in some riffs and tempos. The riffing, for the most part completely schizoid, often resolves into rocky and rather dark passages: no solos except for some scattered sketches (some lousy tapping), a factor that brings them closer to Slam. The drum parts are great, as I hadn't heard in a while; more than great technique, the Drummer focuses on creativity, offering variations on Blast Beats that don't escape an expert ear and/or those who are fed up with the usual rhythms used by half a million bands. The voice leaves a bit disappointed; a singer a bit more lively would have rendered the work a little more personal, whereas this guy instead flattens it quite a lot with his always the same growl. If you are wondering why I don't talk about the bass, know that I'm not the one who forgot about it but them!

I don’t find it difficult to identify representative songs; the second "Flagellated By Insanity" (in my opinion the best of the album) and, paradoxically, precisely the cover "Phobophile". The paradox is that, although not being their song, the interpretation they give reflects all their way of conceiving Brutal Death metal; after a meticulous start very similar to the original, Defacing transcends into the purest chaos of slam transforming it into a jumble of riffs played at twice the original speed and much more distorted.

"Spitting Savagery" is a record which, since today I'm feeling strict, doesn’t get the highest marks even though in other circumstances it might easily achieve it: a CD that draws from the best of Brutal Death to create a personal style without for this plunging into avant-gardism or falling into anachronism. If you find it somewhere, do not hesitate to make it yours.