REVIEW: Vomit Forth – Seething Malevolence [2022]
Artist: Vomit Forth
Album: Seething Malevolence
Usually, when someone tells you “what you see is what you get,” they say it with a shrug, almost implying a negative. Meh, the intonation imparts, nothing more than meets the eye here. Sometimes, that’s true—you get what you get and it’s underwhelming—but sometimes, the exact opposite turns out to be the case. Enter Vomit Forth, a relative newcomer to the extreme margins of death metal, and their visceral, horrifying full length release Seething Malevolence.
…And what you see is exactly what you get.
Seething Malevolence is a masterful outpouring of oppressive death metal with twists of hardcore and brutal death both. The result is a relentlessly riff-heavy, ravenously aggressive release that rips the listener limb-from-steaming-limb, practically soaking the scene—whether it be a basement, living room or mosh-pit—in wet, hot putridity. Vomit Forth draw from a variety of influences to create a vicious experience that captures the finest elements of death metal and give it an energetic twist without sacrificing the core components of their fundamental genre.
When it comes to death metal, words like filthy, putrid and vile get tossed around all the time—sometimes they deliver, sometimes they’re just dime-a-dozen adjectives people use to describe heavy music. When it comes to Seething Malevolence, they don’t even come close to doing it justice. Every aspect of Vomit Forth’s sound is coated in a dense-but-dynamic coat of wretchedness that practically reeks through the listener’s headphones. A thick, plodding kick drum that sounds like a caveman taking a club to rotting meat contrasts sharply against a cracking snare and splashy cymbals. “Eucharist Intact,” as well as the title track see the band’s percussion oscillating from dizzying speed to a devastating, smoldering candor, excellently amplifying the booming, raunchy bass. Together, the two provide a comprehensive low end that seamlessly transitions from a pummeling, quick pace to an immolating, steamrolling one. This ability to transition effortlessly and smoothly leaves even more room for the band’s resident riff smiths to wreak havoc on the listener’s sanity. Truly every song on Vomit Forth’s barbaric full length release is home to at least one riff that rends flesh from bone. “Pain Tolerance,” as well as choice cut “Predatory Savior” exemplify the band’s ability to transition from razor-sharp leads into slams that reduce bone to dust. Similarly, more metallic anthems like “Unrecognizable” play up the band’s death metal roots while still leaving enough bitter aggression to keep fans of the chug satiated. Whether it’s the breakneck drumming, brooding bass or blistering fretwork, Seething Malevolence showcases death metal instrumentation with a flair for the brutal in a fashion that demands top marks.
Seething Malevolence does not compromise—it certainly doesn’t where its eviscerating instrumentation is concerned, and similarly, it does not relent in regards to the band’s vocals, either. Every song Vomit Forth offer is home to an unrelenting assault of gritty, raw growls and shouts that hammer home the band’s rough-around-the-edges dynamic. “Predatory Savior” is outstanding evidence of that—but truthfully, the entire record is remarkably consistent in terms of vocal intensity. Vomit Forth are vicious in their assault, combining roaring shouts with unyielding riffs and grisly barks and bellows with blistering breakdowns and spine-shrinking slams. While there is little outside of the standard death metal range to enthrall the listener—spare some scattered sinister gurgling lows—what Vomit Forth do provide on Seething Malevolence is some of the strongest the genre’s contemporary outfits have seen in some time.
Seething Malevolence is a fantastic amalgamation of death metal, hardcore, slam and a little something else—something putrid—and Vomit Forth have proven themselves masters of malevolent aggression by crafting it. Vomit Forth are relentless in delivering the devastating nature of their craft to listeners at any point in their journey down the heavy music rabbit hole—and the only question left is to ask how they’ll manage to continue adding depravity to their dynamic during their next release cycle.
9/10
For Fans Of: Undeath, Internal Bleeding, Weeping
By: Connor welsh
