Organectomy - Existential Disconnect

Angry Metal Guy 80

The Summer of Slamcore and Other Slammy Things continues for this guy right here. So far, my choices from the promo bin failed to impress or rapidly soured after the initial bout of Shiny New Thing Disorder lifted. But there must be light at the end of the tunnel. As soon as I saw New Zealand’s very own modern slam juggernauts Organectomy peeking out from under all of the mediocre black metal dreck littering the place, I knew I had found that light. Their debut Domain of the Wretched reigned with debilitating riffs and gutturals sourced from the bowels of hell. Will they raze the ground once more with merely a year’s time to assemble a fresh army of riffs? Or will they join the droves of inferior adds that seem to plague me without end?

I can answer with one word: HUZZAH! Once again Organectomy demonstrate their merit for a spot next to Dysmorfectomy, Analepsy, and Vulvodynia as one of the most unstoppable forces of brutal death slam-core around with their sophomore effort Existential Disconnect. Sam McRobert and Ashton Moore pack so many awesome riffs into the material that it’s impossible to absorb them all in a single spin. Alex Paul’s insidious gurgles flood the record in fine fashion, somehow maintaining consistent form and versatile character simultaneously. Yet, this new entry embodies a different personality than Domain of the Wretched, dispensing with some of the deathcore breakdowns and hardcore screams and transfusing more brutal death metal intensity in their stead. Listeners familiar with Alex’s one-man sloom¹ project Rendered Helpless will also detect traces of such, though it’s more successful here than on Suffer Seraphim.

Existential Disconnect by Organectomy

Organectomy accrue major points instantaneously by starting the album off with a casual clearing of the throat before demolishing whatever you mistake for a spine. “Severed from Humanity” is an excellent cut of modern slam, containing oodles of riffs bursting with energy. The best is still to come, however, with SOTY contender “Where Pantheons Lie II – Conviction.” This cut perfectly encapsulates the album’s domination of the genre simply by being one hell of a song. Yes, the slams slam their slammiest and the gurgles gurgle their gurgliest. However, there is an unexpected vein of blackened melody that elevates the material far beyond my own expectations, bolstered by an incredibly tight performance across the board. As if unwilling to leave anything to chance, Organectomy further prove themselves worthy of the score below by refusing to recycle note progressions or drum patterns (within an acceptable margin of error, of course) across forty-eight minutes. From the groovy “Antithetical” to the doomy “No Solace in Ascendance” to the tech-y “Anguish in Lamina,” every song takes a life of its own as a direct result of the band’s immaculate attention to detail in songcraft.

If I could, I would keep the gush-fest going and tell you how awesome Alex’s performance is on “Unending Regrowth” or how the riffs on “The Agony of Godhood” expertly service the fretboard instead of blandly assuming a single position and repeating ad infinitum. Alas, I do have three gripes that I must allot precious words to describe. One, this album is fucking loud. There aren’t enough bricks on the planet to build the leviathan of sonic masonry that is this production. Luckily, I experienced no fatigue or headaches in spite of that, but others might. Two, considering how professional both Levi Sheehan’s kit work and Tyler Jordan’s bass performance are, I would’ve loved to hear them given more breathing room by the individual behind the mixing board. Three, though I appreciate “Where Pantheons Lie I – Malfeasance” as a tension builder for the satisfying outburst of “…Conviction,” I would have cut it anyway. It’s nonessential.

Time for the shortest conclusion ever. If Organectomy doesn’t make my Top Ten for the year, then my account has been hacked and I’ve been replaced with an absolute idiot. I don’t care if Existential Disconnect is loud or whatever. It slams harder than *insert NSFW joke here*² and that’s all I ever wanted.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 4 | Format Reviewed: 1411 kbps wav
Label: Unique Leader Records
Websites: organectomy.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/organectomy
Releases Worldwide: June 21st, 2019

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