The effective ingredients of scorching solos, lead guitar, cavernous growls and brutal aggression are on full-frontal assault. After hitting the start button on my stereo the bludgeoning drums hit into a fast paced and swift lightning solos, full of tremolo picking pouring forth into an old school sound on the track ‘Excised’. Laceration quickly hurls these killer guitar techniques at the six grinding death metal songs.

The barrage of chugs is in the frontal lobes with the pummeling drums and double bass utilized along the drums on ‘Sadistic Enthrallment’. The groovy sections are full of hooks and nasty. Though it’s hard to find a genuine death metal record that sums up intricate technical riffs and versatility within thirty-two minutes, Laceration manages to convince with its display of brutality. The thrash elements are infused into the songwriting and it comes as no surprise that the quartet offers tons of grimy riffs. The vocals are just perfect as they sound cavernous and add to the putridity of the riffing.

While there is some slow chugging in the songs the drums combine fast abrasive beats and the intricate talent of Aerin Johnson is showcased. There is a good standard in the songwriting and some of the riffs can be described as sinister and aggressive, emphasizing the band’s old-school influences.

There are many highlights on the album: for example, the track ‘Vile Incarnate’ is technically brutal. Laceration represents high musical pars that recall bands like Morbid Angel and Suffocation. The bass lines of Eli Small sound fat and work in tandem with the tremolo-driven riffs of Luke Cazares and Donnie Small, adding high-octane fuel to the devastating double bass. ‘I Erode’ sets high standards for these Bay Area maniacs. The groovy sections provide the backbone for each track and aggressively drive sharp whirring solos. Just to say this is a demonstrative record for any death metal junkie.

Laceration does not compromise on its chunky breakdowns. The heavy chords are played with a pounding reverb of blast beats. The songwriting and musicianship on this record show the band at the peak of their potential with each member delivering heavy crushing death metal. The instrumental track ‘Dreams of the Formless’ draws on certain aesthetics of bands like Death and early Sepultura. This instrumental piece combines atmospheric strings and guitar solos, a short interlude where each instrument shines.

‘Carcerality’ is brutal and uncompromising from start to finish. The effect of the cavernous growls on this track is superb. Laceration has clearly defined its sound on the sophomore record. The guitar chugs and tremolo as well as the blast beats are in tandem with the meaty riffs. The bass guitar layers are perfectly played throughout the album and the individual talent shines throughout the album, unveiling the bludgeoning force to crush your skull.

The album is fundamentally rooted in the old-school death metal of the 90s. Likewise ‘Strangled by Hatred’ showcases the fast transitions between the blasting sections, chunky mid-tempo riffs and rhythm is executed flawlessly. The album’s production has the clarity and rawness of classic death metal sound, the quality can easily be extinguished from these agile destructive riffs. The same can be said about the two-minute track ‘Impaling Sorrow’. The swift pummeling is brought by technicality and speed.

The eponymous track is ragingly brutal and delivers all that is expected from the heavy power chords. Grinding drums allow the songs to become formulaic as the grimy atmosphere engulf the cavernous growls. The drumming, especially the double bass, is sadistic and will make you nod your head for the perfect balance between heaviness and brutality.

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