For the past few years 20 Buck Spin and Dark Descent Records have been overwhelming the underground metal scene with so many quality releases. These two labels have been the biggest purveyors of quality death metal goods. And so every passing year we metalheads anticipate for new death metal albums. Lately death metal genre have been spawning into a number of great acts. And with the trend of old school death metal bands such as Phrenelith, Undergang, Disma, Tomb Mold, Hyperdontia , etc….We hereby come across to a newer formed band known as Fetid, and they seem to bring some outstanding quality to their debut album. Fetid is an old school death metal band from Oregon U.S.A and was formed back in 2013, having released their first demo Sentient Pile of Amorphous Rot in the year 2017.

The first thing which stunned me about this album is the thick guitar sound and the cavernous tone of death metal which combines the filthy elements of bands such as Autopsy and Undergang. Fetid incorporates the crushing sound of grindcore and OSDM. Meandering through the sludgy doom of early Incantation. Fetid has a varied sound as they evoke the grooves and the crushing death metal brutality by shifting between fast and slow motions. The first moments of the opening track Reeking Within from their debut album Steeping Corporeal Mess will have you all hooked by the nifty riffs and slow tempos, there are a lot of elements which the band seems to be influenced by Undergang. This is a heavy and grimy type of death metal that has a very complex components. Now apart from the pulverizing tone of the riffs, the bass guitar is heavily resonated with the low pitches. 

The drums on the album are loud and have constant beats of double kicks and blast beats. The chugging riffs and the deep gurgling growls provide that ugly growling technique. The record is capable of holding your interest, and fans of old school death will rave like zombies to this crushing album. The second track Cranial Liquescent is activated by the mid-pacing chugging riffs, double bass and blast beats. There is so much focus on the bass guitar as it provides the buzzing sound and as the track shifts into murky doom style of guitar riffing. There are some intense drenched sections where the drums acts as a bone crushing machine, the riffs are tremendously morbid and massive. Fetid is consist of three members where each of the individuals act like a chemical formula. The vocals are being performed by the drummer Jullian Rhea and the guitarist Clyle Lindstrom who performs the harsh and discordant mixture of jarring riffs, given the bass duties to Chelsea Loh.

The riffs are the driving force of the album, Steeping Corporeal Mess is filled to the brim by the excellent death metal riffs, delivering five tracks that will make your face melt. The rest of the songs continue into the murky and rancid style of filthy death metal. Consumed Periphery has that filthy old school tone, the track is built into massive chugging riffs and grinding drums. The vocals are amazingly performed, the fast and heavy tempo proceed with the stomping grooves and buzzing bass guitar. While the guitars are stimulated by the slow tempo of the doom metal riffs, Fetid has this raw and distorted guitar tone, and it’s very easy to get addicted to this kind of death metal. 

Dripping Sub-tepidity draws some similarities to Mortuous, the deep thick growls makes that dense atmosphere constant while the blood curdling frights are caused by the sickening growls. The crushing slow moments of the fourth track is one of the highlights of this crushing album. The sonic value of this record is being in the oscillating tempos from slow to fast moments where the grinding drums and the abrasive riffs crosses into brutal sections. The riff work is complex, and murky vibrating the guitar with tremolo riffs, each track is twisted and deranged. Draped in What Was is the final track on this album and I must say that this their most diverse track and maybe their best.

The song begins with lo-fi keyboard which resembles a sci-fi horror movie. It has that creative tone overall, and as soon as the guitars vibrates into a gigantic tone. The sinister riffs adds morbidity and the guttural growls which gives you that ugly and horrific impression. Fetid has delivered a rotten form of putrid death metal and grind core. And as always 20 Buck Spin brings the best death metal releases, this one goes right into my top list of favorites albums for the year 2019. 

Release Date: June 7th, 2019
Label: 20 Buck Spin
Track list:

1. Reeking Within
2. Cranial Liquescent
3. Consumed Periphey
4. Dripping Sub-tepidity
5. Draped in What Was