positive punk: DYING FETUS

"make them beg for death"

Year: 2023

Country: US

City: Baltimore, MA

Label: Relapse

Format: CD, LP

Tracks: 10

Time: 45 min.

Genre: rock

Style: Death Metal

Entering the supposed twilight years of a lengthy career, Baltimore death metal legends Dying Fetus show no signs of losing their edge or slipping into a set-and-forget comfort zone. If anything, the veteran trio, consisting of band leader John Gallagher (guitars/uber low vox), Sean Beasley (bass/mid-low range growls), and Trey Williams (drums) have been on a tear since consolidating their slimmed-down power trio set-up back on 2009’s Descend into Depravity. Since launching their 1996 debut LP Purification of Violence Dying Fetus have long cemented themselves as big-time players, especially within the brutal death/slam field of thuggery. Overcoming a litany of line-up shuffles and finally consolidating a consistent line-up in later years has reaped dividends. The trio sound tighter than ever, the songwriting is still punchy and impactful. However, has six years in recording wilderness dulled the band’s well-worn killing blades?

2017s darkly visceral Wrong One to Fuck With was an immense follow-up to 2012’s outstanding Reign Supreme, with its main issue being album length dragging past the band’s usually concise platform. It was by no means a major flaw. The album still crushed and remains one of their stronger releases since 2000’s seminal Destroy the Opposition. Dying Fetus continue to work within the boundaries of their long-established and slickly executed brutal death/tech/slam formula. The rugged tone and slimmed-down runtime, clocking in at a tight thirty-seven minutes, finds the band in a particularly fun, slammy mood, more akin to Reign Supreme than its immediate predecessor. It’s meaty, thrashy, and blessed with trademark hooks and accessibility. Artfully combining slamming grooves, technical proficiency, and an effortlessly catchy streak, with thick-necked, beefy brutality that never skimps on the blasts, speed or intensity, Make Them Beg for Death is a gritty, back-to-basics throwdown, mixing classic old school vibes with refined modern tweaks.

Blazing opener “Enlighten in Agony” sets the tone early; a blasty, thrashing corker, bolstered by William’s authoritative percussion and punishing grooves. The ripping dual vox of Gallagher and Beasley, approaching classic Carcass levels of guttural harmony, lend the album a tough, vicious edge. Check their sick tradeoffs on the crushing, riff-fest of “Compulsion for Cruelty” for one example of their awesome work. Make Them Beg for Death may lack surprises but doesn’t want for killer songs. Shrewd melodic licks and endlessly chunky, hooky riffs collide with sweetly executed tempo shifts, technical tidbits, and an abundance of headbangable grooves and curb stomping slams. “Unbridled Fury” is an instant classic modern Dying Fetus tune, propelled by Williams’ thrashy, violent rhythms, hurtling bursts of speed, and a mix of Gallagher shred and moshable groove. Though not as manically unhinged as early classics “Killer Your Mother/Rape Your Dog” or “Pissing in the Mainstream,” the ultra-short, grindy rush of “Throw Them in the Van” is a tasty throwback nonetheless.

Gallagher is an imposing figure in the brutal death world and the dude excels in unleashing a spirited batch of top-shelf riffs and technical sweeps, knowing the precise moment to inject a scything melodic lead or shredding solo into the fray, such as the slashing solo that cuts through the muscle and bone of “Feast of Ashes.” Par for the course, Dying Fetus don’t muck around, preferring to get straight to the point, leading to a short, punchy album that goes hard from go to woah. Solid front to back, it is perhaps a tad front-loaded, with the second half featuring some belters (“Raised in Victory/Razed in Defeat,” “Hero’s Grave”), but also a couple of solid, fairly stock tunes that don’t quite match the album’s better moments. The production features trademark clear, crunchy tones, and a snappy snare, though could use a little more low-end oomph. Otherwise, it’s a neat package and fun listen, with the hooky writing, thrashy pulse, and melodic sensibilities also serving as a decent intro for the uninitiated.

Make Them Beg for Death may come up marginally short against their past couple of albums yet remains another distinguished slab of modern Dying Fetus quality, finding the band still punching out killer tunes and operating in fine form. As Gallagher proudly exclaimed, “let’s make it moshy, let’s make it slammy.” Dying Fetus succeed again in this regard, with a crunchy, addictive batch of rugged, no-frills staples to continue their hot streak and appease their legions of devotees. It may not be your favorite Dying Fetus album, but it’s a hell of a good time regardless (*Review by Saunders ).

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