Exhumed “Red Asphalt”
Album opener “Unsafe at Any Speed” hits the gas right off the bat. With Ross Sewage’s bass gurgling along to a driving crust punk/death metal blast beast drum section from Mike Hamilton. Delivering that classic Exhumed sound of combining guttural, pitch shifted vocals amongst bombastic drives and chugging riffs that the band has become synonymous with. I loved the slowed down, Carcass-like groove of the riff at the halfway mark into a nice solo. Sebastian Phillips and Matt Harvey really are just delivering a heavy and unrelenting riff attack on the track. Creating a strong and heavy opening track. The title track starts with a more foreboding and ominous sounding guitar intro, into beautiful dueling harmonies and a short bass lead before the gore rises to the surface and the track picks up. Vocals have such layers of deep growls and gutturals, mixed with high screams, that truly get showcases on the chorus. I love the pace change picking up at the halfway mark, almost double-timing into a faster bridge. And the scream and blast beat combo back into the chorus was a nice touch and an awesome transition.
“Shock Trauma” has such an unrelenting opening riff/drum combo that instantly had me stank-facing before the pace quickened. The track has that great goregrind sound in the vocal performance, mixed with hard-hitting drums and a steady and heavy chugging riff. The guitar solo and blasting drums gave me early 90’s death metal vibes, something you’d hear in early Death or Monstrosity in its arrangement and proggy nature. A unique mix amongst the gory splatter of blast beats and growls. A track that showcases the band’s roots on how far they’ve come from their roots on Gore Metal.
“Shovelhead” adds a truly heavy and almost groovy opening riff. Vocals are just unhinged in the delivery and the harsh harmony they create amongst Sewage’s bass underneath. A more technical riff, that again draws comparisons to the OSDM sound that I would get from a band like Obituary, but way more darker in the presentation. Especially combined with the vocals. A more mid-tempo track compared to the faster paced tracks so far, it is a nice switch up and a nice break from the norm and shows the band can still be as violent as a car crash going 60 instead of a 100 miles an hour. At under three minutes, I do wish the song did go on a little longer in my opinion.
“The Iron Graveyard” comes back roaring and homicidal from the opening moments. Sadistic in the vocal/riff combo, this is an instant pit starter when played live. With the riff bringing that thrash/death intensity and a blasting drum section that just keeps stabbing relentlessly and never letting up. And the d-beat drumming under the guitar solo, segueing into the dueling harmonies was a chef’s kiss-esque transition. Right as the riff comes back lower and nastier with pounding snare.
“Crawling From The Wreckage” has such a nasty sounding bass tone, and with the riff coming in beneath it. It creates that sludgy, groovy death metal sound you got from Morbid Angel’s album Domination but with better production and more disgusting vocals. Before the band digs up its goregrind roots and just get hostile for a brief section before the guitar solo at the halfway mark. Instantly giving me that slow headbang feel right into the second guitar solo. Phillips and Harvey really showcasing their skill and paying tribute to the heavy and death metal legends of the genre with their solos. Before they are dragged down to hell for a grindcore-style drum and riff combo to close out the track. I loved the opening scream on “Signal Thirty”. Switching into a heavy as all hell thrash/crossover riff, and with the accenting double bass hit SO DAMN HARD. High octane guitars and fast-paced drumming just shows the band going the fastest they’ve gone on the record so far and flipping the brake pedal the finger.
“Death on Four Wheels” has a nice drum lead that gives off Exodus or Testament in the riff and drum combination, with moments of death metal flurries which I liked a lot. Before shifting to a straight-forward death metal riff, drenched in hammer on’s and start-stop pacing. Taking a “No Frills, Straight Kills” in the band’s performance on the song (which the band has the thumbs up from me to use that quote for something). Vocals hop between screams and deep, almost unintelligible gutturals, mixed with heavy down tuned riffs and a pounding drum section. Musically, a great track that continues to showcase the band’s death metal and goregrind roots beautifully and has a little something for both old and new fans. “Symphorophilia” is sheer unmitigated terror right from the get-go. Continuing the same energy as the previous track, it doesn’t give the listener a chance to breath as the band continues going for the throat. And under two minutes, the band wastes none of the time. Delivering an onslaught of sonic violence and intensity in the short runtime.
The album closes with “The Fumes”. Phillips and Harvey open the track with a definitely headbang along inducing riff. Drums bring that driving, fist-pumping energy while the vocals just sound nasty and demented in its distortion of the other vocal layers. I love the nostalgic feel of the guitars during the solos near the end of the track. Giving off a late eighties/early nintie’s production quality. Right before a bloody gurgle and a bass lead brings the song to the murky depths and the band shreds all hell and walks away from the sheer destruction as the album draws to a close.
Exhumed delivered a record that matches the sheer brutality and violent nature of it’s album cover. Red Asphalt has moments that reminded me of recent records from the band like Death Revenge and To The Dead. While also paying tribute to the band’s classic records like Gore Metal and Slaughtercult. Standout tracks for me “Symphorophilia”, “Unsafe at Any Speed” & “The Fumes” were sheer banger tracks. A solid album that shows the band hasn’t lost it license in brutality with this record and shows the band is just not stopping for anyone, even pedestrians.
SCORE: 4.5 / 5
You can purchase Red Asphalt on the band’s Bandcamp or stream it on their Spotify when the album comes out February 20th on Relapse Records. The band will embark on a North American tour to promote the album with support from Oxygen Destroyer and No/Más!. Check out tour dates below and purchase tickets HERE.
