Gory Blister is one of many metal bands on the bustling Italian scene, and definitely one of the most interesting acts hailing from that part of the world, and now they are ready to punish your ear-drums with a new release.
After an intro that sounds more like something from a hard-edged 80s AOR-album, the title track of the album kicks in, revealing the true style of Gory Blister's Earth-Sick - namely, prog-tech death metal of the more brutal kind – without really being all out brutal death metal, I think (to be honest, Gory Blister's brand of death metal is much better than your average typical brutal death metal release). Technical indeed and even progressive, the tunes on this album are, however, not overly noodling like some other tech death metal, and stylistically, I think they have more in common with the likes of Atheist, Death, Sectu, and Neuraxis than with, say, Obscura, Necrophagist, or Brain Drill. Drawing on complex song structures, Gory Blister insert several shifts and changes into each track on the album, combining blasting brutal death with grooves, aggressive thrash elements, the occasional old school death metal reference, and dissonant chords into their own style. Moreover, a track like "Dominant GenEthics" even takes a symphonic direction. So, yes, this is an incredibly dynamic album, which, while varied, is also very consistent and focused.
One thing that I really like about this album is, apart from the dynamics and technically advanced yet contained playing, is the nature of the guitar solos. Rather than being all out chaotic and shreddy, as is otherwise typical of death metal, the guitar solos often have an almost rock-ish and classic metallish feel to them, which is often combined with advanced and impressive solo techniques, often bordering on being virtuous. Indeed, the istrumental aspect of this album is monumentuous. On the other hand, I am not a big fan of the style of growling used on this album, but I can definitely live with it, as it does not detract from my positive experience of the music itself.
A massive prog-tech death metal effort, Earth-Sick is recommended to fans of the likes of Death, Atheist, Sectu, and Neuraxis. It is challenging. It is technically advanced. It is dynamic. And, still, it is quite accessible to fans of death metal in general who might not be into the overly technical and noodling variety of death metal. In other words, this is simply quality death metal!
Track listing:
1. The Breeding (intro)
2. EarthSick
3. Plague and Pray
4. Decanted Embryos
5. Dominant GenEthics
6. H.I.V.
7. World Damnatomy
8. Soul-Borne Maladies
9. Serpent Verse
10. Voices From the Sea
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