Detrimentum - Embracing This Deformity
Grindethic Records
Brutal Death Metal
10 songs (51:08)
Release year: 2008
Detrimentum, Grindethic Records
Reviewed by Goat
Album of the month

We often retreat into our imaginations, we specimens of Homo Metalheadus, rejecting the trials and tribulations of modern life in search of a better world inside our heads. Of course, what exactly we want varies from favourite genre to favourite genre: Power Metallers seek dragons to slay, castles to conquer and princesses to win. Black Metallers desire a utopian world dominated by Satanic, Pagan or Nazi beliefs, depending on who you ask. Thrashers just wanna have mindless fun, and most ‘Core kids want a good kicking. Such things are obvious. Yet those of us devoted unto the dark pit of slime that is Brutal Death Metal, we stand out. This is simply because we don’t want a better world, are not after some hyperborean homeland, some way of making our lives better through the escapism that Metal does so well. No, we recognise the world for the dark, miserable, evil, brutal place it is, and we revel in it. We love it.

In recent years, the technical explosion in Death Metal has brought it back from its decline in the late 90s and made it one of the most exciting forces in extreme music. There are far too many bands doing great things to get namedrops here, but the likes of Gorod, The Monolith Deathcult, Benighted, Origin, Defeated Sanity and Wormed are all worth your time if you’ve not already checked them out. This week, it’s one band in particular that is providing the aural accompaniment to the end of the world: Detrimentum. Hailing from Northampton, England and featuring a member of Death Metal legends Gorerotted on drums, this is the four-piece’s debut full length despite having being formed all the way back in 1996.

From the first blasts and grunts you’ll be enthralled – this is Brutal Death for the thinking man. Of course, where mockers of the genre have traditionally seen simple noise and ‘burr-burr-burr’ vocals, those with a little insight see much more, but even detractors (read: wimps) will find it hard to criticise Detrimentum’s progressively minded assault. For a start, there’s a considerable range of influences here, including Doom and Black Metal, giving a depressive atmosphere to proceedings. Next, there’s the very impressive technical skill of the band itself, with enough twists and turns to keep the most mathematically minded of moshers in headbanging heaven. Each and every track is an immense barrage of riffs, diverse blasts and sick, sick vocals, guaranteed to destroy. From the twisted, epic darkness of Negativity Flux that recalls Nile at their best then stomps all over those rubbish pyramids with some of the best Death Metal riffs ever heard, to the Akercocke-meets-Corpsing tirade of The Flesh Elemental, which manages to outshine both of those bands – and considering the genius that those two possess, this is saying a lot.

Fear not, however, ye true acolytes of the brutal path: this band may widen the route but it sticks to it resolutely, and will kill your body before your mind has caught up. No, don’t come into Detrimentum’s world expecting an easy ride, O seekers of progressive thrills – you’ll be locked outside its damp, slimy walls for the first few listens, without a clue what’s being done to you. As with most albums of this complexity, there’s a price to be paid, yet once you’ve gotten to grips with the dark majesty of the music, once you’ve embraced your deformities and become one with what is offered (a dark room and headphones might help, but be prepared for some serious headbanging) you’ll realise the brilliance that flows for fifty beautiful minutes. It’s clear that Detrimentum have spent those twelve years honing their art to a razor’s edge, and the results are spectacular. Here’s hoping that the follow-up will be here long, long before 2020.

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Killing Songs :
Album as a whole kills
Goat quoted 90 / 100
Other albums by Detrimentum that we have reviewed:
Detrimentum - Inhuman Disgrace reviewed by Goat and quoted 86 / 100
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