The riffs bring new aspects from the band and the catchiness is emphasized in the album’s title track “In the Jaws of Bereavement”. The increase in the raspier growls and monstrous death metal growling leaves a much stronger impact. The sophomore is much bolder and heavier than the debut full-length album “Seraphic Punishment” and while this revolution shows different riffing patterns stomping bass and melodies intertwined. The violent barrage of riffing and integrating snarls and cookie monster growling in the following song “Blood Quantum” combines breakdowns and melodies.

Though I wouldn’t say the sophomore is an international success for Maul the whole riffing swagger is featured in several songs like “Weaving Cerebral Horror” which bears inspiration from bands like Gatecreeper, Fulci, and Obituary. The unstoppable drumming rampage and guitar hooks are crucial; the songs are driven into groove and there are plenty of crunchy riffs; the tempos vary from mid-paced stomps to slow and chugging riffs.

The Obituary and Dismember influences are there when Maul emulates these bands, but I must admit that the guttural growls, the riffs, and the grinding drums are Maul’s hefty arsenal. “Spontaneous Stigmata” is full of chugs and heavy grooves; the vocal patterns add brutality to the music.

The drums deliver pummeling hardcore beats with loud tones Maul mixes these styles maintaining a raw and slow guitar hooks in “An Alluring Deceit” which plays under three minutes, but an effective swagger is perfect. “Midwest Death” showcases a pure death metal groove; the punchy delivery of the mid-tempo riffs and drum fills make these songs enjoyable, as you can easily go into a frenzy with the hammering drums and guitars.

The bass guitar and rhythm provide a brutal backing quality thus the effort and the creativity from the band are improvised; the slower guitar sections become the driving force in many songs in the album, and you can’t dismiss the level of technicality.

“Unbridled Delusions” and “Stuck, Stomped and Smeared” highlight Maul’s musical aptitude, despite the hardcore influences the occasional breakdowns have an almost doomy sound, most notably Maul exercises a bold and angrier death metal style in which the band exhibits chunkier riffs.

However, there is no lack of creativity in the sophomore, but it shows Maul has put effort into elevating their sound that falls in the line of modern U.S. death metal, different formulas are being implemented from varied guttural growls and grind-core snarls like; the pace of the drums are slowly plodding these moments, and they somehow make the songs interesting.

“With Each Voracious Lick” offers a mixture of sledgehammer riffs, while these elements are infused the riffing hooks you to the intensity especially the groove and the technical abilities of the guitars and drums in the pacing and transition.

In the final track “Drawn to Drowning” Maul throws some nasty death metal swagger; the drums are loud and punchy and the focus on technicality and chunky riffs maintains the pummeling modern death metal styling of the guitars which then provides lead and hooks at the end of the song.

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