EP REVIEW
NECROSEMINAL SPATTER – Sick Ways to Sodomy
Grotesque Grindcore meets groove-driven Death Metal.
Hailing from Portland, Oregon, NECROSEMINAL SPATTER make their debut with "Sick Ways to Sodomy", a seven-track EP that ventures into the more extreme reaches of the underground, exploring the grimy intersection of Grindcore and Death Metal. Clocking in at approximately 18 minutes, the release embraces the grotesque aesthetic commonly found in underground extreme metal while shaping it around a certain degree of rhythmic discipline. The guitars' dense, choppy riffs collide with the drums' punishing blows, giving the material a character driven less by sheer speed than by abrupt transitions and groove.
NECROSEMINAL SPATTER's musical language brings together Grindcore's brief bursts of intensity and Death Metal's heavier, more crushing approach to riffing. With three of the seven tracks coming in under the two-minute mark, the compositions waste little time getting to the point. Sudden starts, abrupt stops and sections that quickly regain momentum keep the material in constant motion. At the same time, the interplay between guitars and drums creates a structure that remains rhythmically engaging rather than relying solely on high speed. This emphasis on groove is particularly effective in preventing the music from becoming little more than a display of sheer velocity.
Vocally, there are clear traces of the excessively guttural delivery associated with Last Days of Humanity. Alongside this, the performances also feature a more theatrical approach reminiscent of Cartilage's recent output. The combination of these two styles reinforces the grotesque character of the songs while preventing the vocals from becoming confined to a single register. Guest vocal contributions from David Torturdød and Diablo Dopi on 'Casket Cuck' further add to this vocal diversity.
The EP's presentation is just as noteworthy as its musical identity. Dialogue samples taken from television and film productions are interspersed throughout the record, expanding its deliberately vulgar and unsettling aesthetic. The sample preceding 'Pleasures of Prolonged Genital Mastication' is a particularly clear example of how the release plays with the boundaries between humour and revulsion. Rather than functioning as decorative additions detached from the music, these elements form an integral part of NECROSEMINAL SPATTER's grotesque approach to presentation. The cover artwork and layout by J. Stubbs further complement this aesthetic.
Within the underground traditions of the genre, "Sick Ways to Sodomy" bears a close affinity to the extreme end of Grindcore represented by acts such as Last Days of Humanity, Regurgitate and Lymphatic Phlegm. The raw Death Metal character of early Carcass also serves as a meaningful reference point. The label's comparisons to PUNGENT STENCH and ABSCESS further help explain the record's grotesque Death Metal side. Nevertheless, NECROSEMINAL SPATTER are less concerned with pushing the established boundaries of the genre than with embracing the ugliest and most entertaining aspects of this musical tradition.
"Sick Ways to Sodomy" makes no claims to innovative songwriting or to reshaping the genre's established conventions. Instead, it succeeds as a short, rhythmically effective Grind/Death Metal EP that makes no attempt to conceal its grotesque sense of humour. While its occasional reliance on familiar musical formulas places certain limits on its originality, the groove generated by the guitar-and-drum interplay and the theatrical character of the vocals make the record an engaging listen. For those following the more extreme Death Metal and Grindcore output surrounding acts such as Last Days of Humanity, Regurgitate, Lymphatic Phlegm and Undergang, NECROSEMINAL SPATTER's debut is a worthwhile first stop in some of the underground scene's most diseased corners.
https://necroseminalspatter.bandcamp.com/album/sick-ways-to-sodomy