Although there is certainly no shortage of old-school death metal bands keeping the genre’s original, gruesome spirit alive (especially with the likes of 20 Buck Spin plumbing the catacombs for endless new and exciting discoveries), there remains something uniquely thrilling about the current crop of new bloods in that they are able to harness the power of death metals purist form, whilst simultaneously plugging into the multi-layered approach of the modern underground. Buried Deep In A Bottomless Grave may owe a hell of a lot to Autopsy and Left Hand Path era Entombed on first listen, yet just like any other like-minded band of their generation, Witch Vomit are still testament to 25 years of death metal evolution.
There are no gimmicks, no Portal-esque inky fug or hyper-technical flash, the band instead content with tossing their myriad of influences, old and new, into a roiling cauldron and spewing the resulting brew down our lug ‘oles. Tracks such as the breakneck ‘From Rotten Guts’ and ‘Despoilment’ offer as much blackened other-worldliness as muscularity and spite, everything resolutely death metal in conception and delivery with snatches of harrowing doom and vintage Heartwork like melody routinely shattering the stasis. The best is saved for last though, as closer ‘Fumes of Dying Bodies’ slams with the sort of merciless potency to make any of their Swede-death influences green with riff envy, as whammy bar insanity and guttural fire-breathing provide a fiercely intense full stop. Buried Deep In A Bottomless Grave is thunderous, neck wrecking extreme metal served up by bug-eyed maniacs, and provides a thoroughly satisfying riot of unpleasant ideas.
Buried Deep In A Bottomless Grave is released on 30th August via 20 Buck Spin and can be purchased here.
Words: Tony Bliss
