Devourment
Butcher The Weak

THE REVIEW

"What is this stuff?" the newbie metalhead unfamiliar with semi-underground brutal sonic extremism may ask, as soon as they let Devourment play on the stereo. Indeed, the brutal-musical offering of these THREE Americans is somewhat unique. There are also three peculiarities that can be discerned.

Without a doubt, the first is the voice, among the lowest and filthiest imaginable; a mix between the sound of the breath at the bottle opening and a frog. However, it doesn't keep rhythm, doesn't make you headbang, it basically functions as a sick and confusing background. The guitars don't produce riffs. And if they do, you can't hear them as they're so muddled. Occasionally, some classic slowdown (zuzzuzzuru-zuruzuzzuzzu) reminds us that it is still Death Metal.

Practically, the only instrument you hear is the drums, to which voice and instruments provide accompaniment in the long solo of blast beats and tempo changes throughout the record's duration. But even the drum sound has something unconvincing: the bass drum (obviously a double) is almost inaudible, and the ultra-fast parts (real sonic hurricanes) are entrusted exclusively to the snare (or some other drum, I'm not knowledgeable about drums) and the cymbals. The eight tracks, not exceeding 4 and a half minutes, all deal with serious and stimulating themes, such as anal electroshock, fellatio on knives, and similar delights. In any case, there's no way to understand the lyrics unless you read the booklet.
So far the description.

This "Butcher The Weak", although it has its own structure and rationality, is not convincing. It seems to me not gloomy enough, poorly mixed, or anyway mixed with little attention to the bass. I've had the chance to listen to the previous "1.3.8.", and it's a record of a completely different caliber, a real truck in the face. This doesn't reach the same level. It might be the growl of the new singer, little growl and a lot of howling; it might be the production, which being cleaner, conveys little discomfort and little charm.
Since the release of "1.3.8.", Devourment set the standard. There's no denying it. They play Death Metal, but with a Grindcore attitude: no big riffs and no solos, sonic storm and free burp. They can disgust (and who could blame the disgusted?) or please a lot. I don't mind them. If you're going to listen to them for the first time, however, get "1.3.8."

Rating: 3.5