Vomitous (NI) | ‘Devoid Of Divinity’

You’ve got to commend Alan Gill’s persistence. Most people would have given up on death metal done the 1991 way in about 1994. But not Alan. He’s busted his balls to keep on delivering it with almost no changes whatsoever - and it’s a joy to listen to.

The last Vomitous demo tape was an excellent if all too short exhibition of Suffocation-esque pounding, and that’s precisely what this is too. Pick any of the ‘ation’ bands, in fact: Immolation, Malevolent Creation, Incantation, Infestation and even Deicide-ation by the time highlight ‘Entrapped In Stench’ comes round. This band wear their influences proudly on their logo’d longsleeves.

Suffocation’s belter self-titled come back album could be said to be the closest sonic marker here. Pinch harmonics, crunching riffs and innumerable cymbal snaps are where it’s at. Now we all know this got very boring a long time ago. We also know though that when it’s done well, it’s untouchable. Vomitous do it very fucking well, and bring a clarity and directness to it that even their better competitors in this country sometimes lack.

‘Entrapped In Stench’ really stands out from this pack because of its sense of chase - the same sort of feel that Cannibal Corpses ‘Devoured By Vermin’ had. Great death metal is all about blasts, breakdowns and real songs. It’s a talent that you either have or you dont. Vomitous are showing here that they’re a band suffused with it. On the basis of this tortuosly brief demo, their album should be absolutely amazing.

There’s a great middle ground in death metal that is neither too clever, nor too pig gruntingly stupid. It’s the middle ground of great songwriting and sticking to death metal basics that Morbid Angel, Cannibal Corpse, Deicide and Suffocation made their names on. Vomitous have got it too. You’d be a fool not to pick this up.

-Earl Grey ::: 29/06/09