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Album Reviews : Dying Fetus – Wrong One to Fuck With

By on July 16, 2017

Dying Fetus have been a major part of the extreme metal landscape since the 90’s. Wrong One to Fuck With is the overtly confrontational title of their 8th studio album. Unsurprisingly the 10 tracks on this release are as tough as the title would lead you to believe.

Fixated on Devastation opens proceedings in brilliant fashion. Technical, groovy as hell, and devastatingly heavy all at once –  this song has all of the most appealing elements of modern death metal from my perspective – and at the heart of it , just makes you want to move. That combination of technically brilliant musicianship, head nodding groove and flat out brutality isn’t restricted to the opening track either – This has been a common theme throughout their career and has been applied again on this album with great results.

My favourite tracks include Fixated on Devastation, Die With Integrity, Reveling in the Abyss & Seething With Disdain. Seething With Disdain is particularly impressive – the band navigate through a labyrinth of riffs that range from a old school death metal vibes,  to modern  high velocity techy shred, and massive slams – it’s an absolute monster of a song.

John Gallaghar’s guitar/writing style is pretty much ideal for my taste in this genre. He’s very comfortable playing frantic, technical runs but understands the impact of a big groove or slam style breakdown, but without getting carried away and overdoing it. The Rhythm section of Sean Beasley (Bass) and Trey William (Drums) have a great cohesion and ability and really help to create a massive sound for a 3 piece.  Trey William’s drumming is particularly notable on this release – his parts have a vibrancy about them which really adds to the energy of the tracks. The vocals are really strong throughout and reasonably diverse too, with the low burps of Gallaghar joined at times with the higher register of Beasley. In general there isn’t much from a compositional or performance perspective to be critical about. Top marks all round.

Like most established bands, Dying Fetus know their sound and know what has worked for them in the past. Wrong One to Fuck With isn’t revolutionary or ground breaking, but it’s Dying Fetus doing what they do best. One of the best Death Metal albums I’ve heard this year.

Band: Dying Fetus
Album: Wrong One To Fuck With
Year: 2017
Genre: Death Metal
Label:  Relapse Records
Origin: USA

About

Chris is a long time metal enthusiast and advocate for Australian heavy music scene. Chris grew up in Perth, Western Australia and is a past member of modern melodeath act Let's Kill Uncle. Currently residing in London, UK.