Culture Killer’s debut, Throes of Mankind (Metal Blade), is a potent mix of Floridian death metal and hardcore, with the emphasis on forceful, pummelling riffs, written with the pit in mind, and meant to be played live.

For the first half of the album – after taking a few minutes to kick in from the standard eerie intro music – the guitar riffs of Trevor Kopp and Hunter Young are low, atonal and chug along like an asthmatic Thomas the Tank Engine, giving a fairly simplistic feel, broken up with the occasional flash of fret board gymnastics. It is a simplicity that gives a tight and focused feel and an approach that allows the album to showcase one of its real strengths: the rhythm section.

Right from the opening track, ‘Blindfolded Death’, the bass sound from Colin Townsend in particular stands out, and at nearly every opportunity its malevolent down-tuned snakebite rattle menaces the low end, working well in tight conjunction with the rumbling drums of Dylan Blow.  The drums don’t focus as much on raw speed and power but work with the bass to create an oppressive and relentless rumble, mingling with old school blasting and more obviously metallic patterns. Mixed with this, throughout, we are treated to a strong and versatile vocal performance from Ian Campbell, switching from low spoken parts on ‘Inhuman Nature’ to yells on the hardcore laden ‘Hellbent’ before switching things up on stand out track ‘Flesh Empire’.

By the time we hit ‘Cloaked in Deceit’, itself a touch unremarkable, it’s all starting to sound a bit too samey, and fortunately, the album starts to break formula once we move into the second half, as marked by ‘Throes’, which blends nicely into standout song ‘Justice Through Retaliation’, and begins to incorporate a more noticeable buzz-saw feel to it, weaving it’s way alongside the now less obtrusive, chugging riffs.

Some albums which are made to be musical journeys and works of art in their own right and there are albums which exist purely to get you into The Pit.  It is clear what the intentions are of this album. This is music which needs to be seen live, to be pitted to hard.

7.0/10

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