In my limited spare time, searching for new music and bands are moments to be cherished. It's also a therapeutic process which can yield great results some evenings, as well as great disappointments and bewilderment when finding music atrocious beyond description (perhaps this is my own fault in searching "too underground"). It is all worth it though when that gem is discovered, similar to that sixth-round draft pick in the NFL who missed his final college season due to an injury, and no one wants to take the risk on him. Instead, once selected, he makes every team that passed on him regret it for the rest of their lives.
Abhorrent Deformity may not be that "sleeper", but they are definitely a band to keep your eye on. 2013 marked the creation of the band. They released a demo in 2014, and now plan to release their first full-length album on October 30th, 2015 on Comatose Music. If you're interested in fast death metal with very brutal characteristics, this four-piece North Carolina band is an entertaining selection.
The bass guitar and drums tend to be the strength. The lead guitar gets the message across, but where this band excels is the speed and creativity of the drums, and the background buffer the bass provides in order for the music to crush the souls that listen. The deep guttural growls that Mark DeGruchy is able to summon are consistent and well done. It took some time to get used to the mid-range sounding vocal screams, but it was soon accepted. There are some points where good layering in the vocals is incorporated as well.
One of my favorite attributes is the production of Entity of Malevolence. It has a clean sound, but also an exclusive natural feel to it. At some points during transitions or breaks, it seems an instrument came in too early, or stopped too late. This could be intentionally written into the song, or part of the production. I feel the latter is more fitting, as the technicality of the bands characteristics do not hint to timing phenomenons (except the competent drums), so this natural feel is surprisingly refreshing.
Over all, a very competent record. Abhorrent Deformity is still pretty new, and as they continue to find their sound, and create memorable brutal music, their song writing will only improve. Entity of Malevolence may not be a top album of the year, but it's a great release by an underground band starting to get their name out there. Not many bands can create such coherent music on their freshmen release.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UT-jflRZSX4[/youtube]
