Disgorge
Cranial Impalement

We return to talk about Disgorge. More precisely, let's discuss their first album titled 'Cranial Impalement'.

The band, as I already mentioned in the review of its successor 'She Lay Gutted', is devoted to a Brutal Death Metal that is much heavier than classic bands; the guitars are tuned down, the drums play even faster, the bass follows with almost slapped rhythms, the growl is much deeper and filthier. Disgorge forms the Ultra Brutal Death Metal and remains, in my humble opinion, one of the best groups of the genre, with textbook technique and ideas that are less overused than many bands. Just think of the stylistic and technical evolution in their latest album, 'Parallels Of Infinite Torture', reviewed by my colleague and master of brutality Tepes.

This 'Cranial Impalement' for the time it was released is a truly violent album, starting immediately with a deep growl from the singer, one of the filthiest my brutal ears have ever heard. After that, it kicks off in full Disgorge style. Being their first album, the band might be a bit unripe regarding sound but showcases all the characteristics of what they are now. The guitars are incredibly intricate, as harsh as chainsaws, weaving into complex riffs making wide use of harmonics, but above all shifting from slow riffs to much faster ones. The drummer does the same, the true leader of the band and today the only remaining original member, who varies from inhuman blast beats to tempo changes, exploiting the entire drum set, a true master of his instrument. The bass, unlike many bands, doesn't just serve as an accompaniment instrument, but rather often stands out with fast and substantial breaks, surely using calloused fingers to play with such aggression. The vocalist gurgles in a deep, dark, filthy, and ongoing manner, in full Disgorge style.

It is important to say that, following many Line Up changes, the singer has changed several times in the band, but the vocal style wanted by the group has always remained the same. The lyrics of this album, as usual, speak of Ultragore at full blast, but, as I have already repeated in the other review, in a less crude and vulgar way. The texts are very long and appear, let's say, more mature, always speaking in the realm of Brutal Death. From this 'Cranial Impalement' begins the musical movement of Disgorge, defining their musical style and their technical prowess.

An important album indeed. Brutal regards.