I have weird beliefs about inconsequential and thoroughly apolitical stuff. For example, I sincerely think that extreme music should have an element of danger to it. I’m not talking about life-or-death stuff like old school Mayhem, but extreme music should feel unhinged and out of control and live shows should feel the same way. Apologies to tech death enthusiasts, I don’t like stuff that feels too controlled. Too surgical.
For example, PeelingFlesh opened for for Jesus Piece in Montreal last spring that It was fucking Babylon in that pit for about 30 minutes. There were fights, knock outs and occurrences of human bowling. That's my definition of a fun evening.
Slam (or slamming brutal death metal for the uninitiated) should always be organic and volatile, like a festering wound or a rotten piece of slop forgotten under a July sun. Quebec City trio Onchocerciasis Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (don’t ask me to pronounce it, I’m copy-pasting) is doing slam the right way and their new EP The Fallen Lament is going to elicit some nasty, primordial feelings in about ten minutes. It’s a simple, but jagged and gnarly record that’ll make you want to bathe in the blood of the innocent.
But I’m sure you’ve guessed only from their name that they were doing it right, have you not?
The Fallen Lament has four songs that range from eighty seconds to three minutes and a half. The opener The Fallen Lament, Paralytikus Ascends sets the tone with the greasy production, tin can blast beast and sweet, sweet, muddy mid-tempo riffs. The slam gurgles of Jesse Agiomamitis have some range and putridity to them. I love also how that song has a weird, inexplicable sonar sound effect randomly tacked on at the end. It added a cinematic element. There’s a Dying Fetus guitar lick hidden in there as well (and it's the only one on the record). I love how much chaos and unpredictability the band packed in such a short runtime.
Warmth of the Womb explodes right off the gate with with a flurry of blast beast and chaotic riffs only to slow down into a grinding crawl about about twenty-five seconds in and transition into pulverizing breakdown featuring creepy guttural and machine gun drumming. Not sure if all the drumming on The Fallen Lament in real, but some of it sounds programmed. Once again a terrific vocal performance where Jesse explores every nuances of gurgling-wet vocals. Otherwise, odd sound effect (it’s nice to have a slam band actually UNDERusing samples) and unexpected songwriting pirouettes really create the hallmark of Onchocerciasis Esophagogastroduodenoscopy’s sound.
The party continues on Stult Carnality where we get our first pitchshifted goregrind vocals! It’s another highly unique track for you slam aficionados that stands out through subtle tempo changes, an awesomely overblown production and long, wet and absolutely fucking disgusting gutturals. This song just fucking bulldozes you through rough terrain. The closer and pre-release single Facial Gutting is another awesome, oozing slam/goregrind hybrid that shows no regard for any nothing of order, beauty or taste. It’s sluggish, monolithic and driven once again by Jesse Agiomamitis god-tiered weirdo vocals. Although I love all the songs on this EP, Facial Gutting as my least favorite one as it’s the least groovy and most blast beat happy. I love my slam to make me want to dance as much as it makes me want to decapitate strangers!
Onchocerciasis Esophagogastroduodenoscopy’s The Fallen Lament would not work as well if it was any more long than it is. It’s a quick, but vicious onslaught of groovy, muddy slam with goregrind influences. It’s brutal as fuck, but it’s also explores the entire bouquet of sick creativity extreme music has to offer. The Fallen Lament is fun. It’s violent and it loves to blur boundaries between already scummy, disgusting genres. An acquired taste for sure, but it's a taste I have acquired. It is dangerous sounding music at its finest.
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