Genre : Death metal
Released : February 3th, 2023
Label : Century Media Records
FFO : Cannibal Corpse, Cryptopsy, Tomb Mold
Lately I kept seeing the name Sanguisugabogg pop-up every so often on my socials and every time I saw it pass by I felt like I was having a mini seizure reading out this band's goofy ahh name.
Eventually, curiosity took over (as it often does) and I knew that listening to their new sophomore album "Homicidal Ecstasy" was unavoidable, both to satisfy my own curiosity and in order to fulfill my blogging duties of spreading the gospel of quality underground heavy music.
A quick background check makes two things very apparent about this band.
For starters, they don't take themselves too seriously and kind of take the piss out of the whole over-the-top gory imagery and themes typically found in death metal and grindcore ; The album does open with titles such as "Black Market Vasectomy" and "Testicular Rot" so that's the vibe sorted out for ya.
Secondly, despite being a very recent band, they already have a solid reputation for making some tastefully disgusting death metal that leans in more towards the sub-genre's origins while still being in touch with a contemporary approach.
I think my favourite thing about "Homicidal Ecstasy" is the way it has been produced and engineered.
Don't get me wrong, the songwriting is fantastic and is just as brutal as it is entertaining and diverse with a great sense of groove and even catchiness, at least as much as death metal allows it.
However, the way the guitars feel so condensed and punchy really gives this record a sense of pummeling claustrophobia.
Everything sounds both absolutely filthy and murky but also really clear and audible which is paradoxical and yet here we are and it sounds phenomenal.
The way the drums are engineered kind of reminds me of that signature sound you would find in 90's nu or alternative metal; think Korn's debut or Nailbomb's "Point Blank" or even Helmet's "Meantime".
The drumming in itself is definitely a standout on "Homicidal Ecstasy" and very often the driving force behind stylistical changes that occur within the songs.
While all of this hammering and bludgeoning is going on, the vocals sit very clearly in the front of it all, making "Homicidal Ecstasy" a record that is very easy to read sonically and that isn't often the case when it comes to "old-school" style death metal in my opinion.
This all makes more sense once you know that none other than Converge's Kurt Ballou was in charge of mixing duties given how he's responsible for making some of the filthiest sounding bands and albums in recent years (Full of Hell, Cult Leader, The Armed...) sound pristine while also being able to preserve all of their primal, raw sonic aggressiveness.
There's definitely a major hardcore influence in Sanguisugabogg's style of death metal and Aaron Heard's (Jesus Piece) presence on track two "Face Ripped Off" confirms their ties to the hardcore scene, and that influence is more often than not the origin behind the grooviness of their clobbering caveman riffs.
I know it's still the start of the year but I feel confident in saying, "Homicidal Ecstasy" will go down as one of the most enjoyable and standout releases in the genre this year.
If you've yet to get acquainted with these guys, don't let their odd, ludicrous name put you off, especially if you're fond of the more "traditional" side of the death metal spectrum.