Get ready, folks: brute ‘n roll is upon us!

Progressive yet brutal Death Metal deviants Afterbirth, formed in 1993 but put on hold for two decades, are primed and ready for the world to hear their brand of bellicosity. 

In But Not Of (Willowtip Records) is brilliant in its ability to give the listener more than just pigs and piss, as tends to be the case in this genre. Armed with more than enough heft and vitriol, the record is tinged with moments of calculated groove and attractive compositions. 

Alright, so there is still wild-boar shit (hat tip to Will Smith and his full-throated bombast). “Devils With Dead Eyes” riles up the barnyard but also alternates between brutal and measured, even featuring Cody Drasser effectively mimicking Iron Maiden’s dueling (trioing?) guitar lines. 

“Tightening The Screws” allows bassist David Case to open the record with a thick fill and “Vomit On Humanity” is gaudy, merciless and bubbling. In other words, a twenty-year hiatus only further stabilized Afterbirth. 

The instrumentations and moving atmosphere are on display (“Autoerotic Amputation”, “Vivisected Psychopomp”, and the title-track) and ‘Angels Feast On Flies’ stands out for its meaty, hardy, guided disposition. The group even has time and space to include “Hovering Human Head Drones”, an eloquent, inquisitive montage intro that develops into a sufficient number.

With Keith Harris on drums and percussion, the Long Island-based four-piece round out into a delectable bunch of like-minded musicians. Afterbirth have emphatically put themselves back on the map and in doing so have crafted quite the unique version of brutal death metal.

And use In But Not Of as evidence that a two-decade break from anything can (and oftentimes does) result in a polished, thought-provoking opus. 

Buy the album here:

https://afterbirthnydeathmetal.bandcamp.com/album/in-but-not-of

8 / 10

MATT COOK