Dying Fetus
War of Attrition

Massive and pissed off, boasting an uncompromising attitude and a political commitment carried out with conviction, Dying Fetus continues to be one of the most valid entities in the entire brutal death scene. A full 4 years have passed between this latest release, entitled "War Of Attrition," and the previous "Stop At Nothing;" the wait was therefore significant, but fortunately, these guys have managed to hit the mark again by offering 8 tracks that reconfirm the state of grace they have been experiencing for several years now.

Little, indeed, almost nothing has changed in our composers' approach, except for a greater contribution of Hardcore elements, refining an already perfect sound. Yet the specter of déjà vu is far from compromising the outcome of the work, thanks obviously to the grand team effort of the band: the ability to compose killer riffs, effective transitions, and the killer groove have remained completely unchanged. The structure of the songs is, as always, complex and elaborated, yet at the same time well-balanced between thrash-core accelerations, grind-style blast-beats, and mid-tempos, making 5-6 minute songs accessible to anyone with a bit of familiarity with the proposed genre.

Tracks like "Homicidal Retribution," "Insidious Repression" and the lengthy "Unadulterated Hatred" (perhaps the best episodes of the album, although it is indeed difficult to highlight one over another) confirm what has just been said; songs that are effective on record become literally destructive live, displaying a truly impressive firepower, and those like myself who saw them in concert at Bologna's Estragon a couple of years ago (along with Skinless and Cattle Decapitation) can only confirm this.

While their masterpiece remains "Destroy The Opposition" from 2000 (or "Killing On Adrenaline" from '98, for those who prefer rougher and dirtier sounds), "War Of Attrition" is yet another bullseye hit by the group, one of the best brutal records of the last 2-3 years and, simultaneously, one of the most successful works within the discography of the American band.

Passed, once again.