The brutal death and slam metal styles have always been a strange concept for me to wrap my mind around. There isn't really a concrete definition considering the subgenre has always catered to a more compact niche within death metal. My personal understanding is that brutal death and slam bands create the most vulgar death metal mixed with hardcore in an attempt to push and break boundaries. Although the incomprehensible pig squeal growls and down-tuned chuggy breakdowns are shocking, I find them a tad predictable and repetitive.
While there is a gap in the market and therefore a need for this type of provocative heavy music, I'll admit that it never held my attention for long. This in mind, I was hesitant to approach this Crucial Rip's The Object of Infection but was pleasantly surprised by the band's ability to expand the dynamics and stylistic variety beyond my expectations.
Formed in 2014, Crucial Rip is a five-piece act from Richmond, Virginia consisting of Russell Pompa (vocals), Shouvik Sarkar (guitar), Michael Marino (guitar), Chris Baker (bass), and Alex Cahen (drums). Before their current lineup, the group released two EPs, which were very true to brutal death and slam's stereotypes. Although the music seemed a tad elementary, the track titles like "Bong Rip Evisceration" and "Two Girls, One Trump" at least held a decent sense of humor. Ultimately, I found this debut LP, The Object of Infection, to be lightyears more mature and tasteful in regards to songwriting, lyrical content, and production. Part of this progression may be due to Ryan Wolanski (Lever of Archimedes) of C1 Studios for recording and engineering the LP as well as Miguel Tereso (Primal Attack, Analepsy) of Demigod Recordings for mastering the material.
Although not a song per se, the opening title track sets an extremely dark mood with a sample of dialogue between what I can assume is a convicted serial killer and his interviewer. The subject of the discussion revolves around the individual's fascination and need for hate. With the temperament of the conversation being very calm, a thick fog of suspense was built. The following piece, "Life, Reclaimed," cuts the tension. It is certainly brutal but agreeable to deathcore bands like Slaughter to Prevail or Kublai Khan. Across the following six songs, the intensity wavers from Carnifex mosh grooves to Ingested-like harshness.
With the instrumentalists keeping a barrage of demonic riffs, vocalist Russell Pompa kept me on my toes. For the most part, his delivery dwells in the deep Cattle Decapitation guttural territory, yet Pompa explores other styles as well. At times, I found it hard to believe that it was the same person. There was, for example, some hardcore banter alike Knocked Loose and Chelsea Grin-ish deathcore screams notably on "Signs of Suffering" or "Unacknowledged."
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Lastly, the wholesome quality of production on this record allows for a very satisfying cohesion. Each drum hit shines right through the bright guitar leads and crunchy riffs. Additionally, the sample selection and usage on a couple tracks were very effective. For instance, "The Morningside Mortician" thrusts forward a sinister and cinematic dialogue sample similar to the album's opening track.
While Crucial Rip's roots are very much true to brutal death and slam styles, their debut LP is a far more engaging execution. Their songwriting weaves the repulsive rawness of these genres with the more appealing traits of death metal, deathcore, and hardcore. Although there were parts that came off as a tad dry or stereotypical, this LP is a solid debut and a huge step up from their past material. It doesn't matter how you label it; the bottom line is Crucial Rip is fully capable of creating some much-needed diversity in their extreme and aggressive jams.
Score: 8/10
