Putrified - Spawn of the Dead (Dybbuk Records 2011)

Review by James Goatfukk.

PUTRIFIED is another Swedish band, amongst a million others from the same country that play Death Metal. Does it ever get redundant? Depends what you consider to be redundant; what makes you tick and what does not. With me not being such a Swedish Death Metal fan, I would not hoard out absolutely everything that comes from this Scandinavian country – and not disregarding the classics. I will say this though: there’s no denying the supreme quality coming from Swedish territory and PUTRIFIED is nothing short thereof.

PUTRIFIED don't follow in the footprints of the typical Swedish Death Metal sound, instead they opt for a sound more akin to the old Dutch scene, taking hints from the likes of ASPHYX, SINISTER, GOREFEST, etc. I should note that their sound is not completely devoid to its country peers; and you'll be able to find (if I can recall correctly) touches of old ENTOMBED. Another band, sounding much like PUTRIFIED, would be none other than the Polish beast known as THRONEUM.

Initiating the madness, "Zombie Priest" opens with a piano interlude that subdues your spirit for about eleven seconds...before you find yourself being slammed into the dirt like a sewer wench by some otherworldly beast.

A really great riff makes itself known around the 00:53 mark that recollect BLASPHERIAN at their most prominent moments.

After experiencing that ferocious beating, "Fucked by the Dead" throws you back into the putrid gunk yet again to torment you even further. Decent, heavy, bulldozer-type riffs with fast and simple(yet effective) drum fills.

The vocals are excessively abrasive, stupefyingly loud and is also accompanied by tones that set off a pissed off vibe, which is all exactly what makes it so brilliant. Everything barring the bass flows somewhat melodically in a sense and were the bass to become less discernible, a replacement need be seeked.

Track number four, "Spawn of the Dead", is among one of the highlights on this particular album, a rather hostile number enhancing PUTRIFIED's vibrancy and forcefulness. A small taste of their lyrics follows:

"Vicious penis suffocation

Mouth filled with infected zombie cum

Awaken yet again to penetrate

And with the dead repopulate"

Now is that not indeed charming? It is most certainly poetry of such a nature to attract that girl you love.

All the songs flow at a upper mid-pace to faster, more deranged parts.

“The Shape of Death To Come” has a melodic, Gothenburg-inspired riff and I won’t lie if I say it feels a bit out of place here.

This band has most certainly enough of "what it takes" to ensure that this debut album does not go unnoticed in the underground scene. Perhaps one of their few flaws concerning their music pertains to the structure of their songs, which sometimes seems a bit too chaotic for their own... chaos. Blended with memorable moments, this album could stand out on your playlist. With a name like PUTRIFIED, you should already be aware of what there is to expect - nothing new or fancy - just pure, old-school death metal, drenched in the bowels of impurity.