Decrepitaph / Humiliation – The Carnal Slumber / Enemy’s Perimeter (split 7”)

Band: Decrepitaph / Humiliation
Album: The Carnal Slumber / Enemy’s Perimeter (split 7”)
Record Label: Eldritch Lunar Miasma Records / Dybbuk Records
Release Date:  18th March 2013
Reviewed By: Rich

Track Listing:

1. The Carnal Slumber (Decrepitaph)
2.  Enemy’s Perimeter (Humiliation)
For Fans of: Incantation / early Entombed / Bolt Thrower

The Carnal Slumber / Enemy’s Perimeter, is a split 7-inch EP from Texas based death metal duo Decrepitaph, and Malaysian death metal militia Humiliation.

Decrepitaph play old school death metal that sounds like it was recorded in the late 1980’s.  And that’s no bad thing – the sludging detuned guitars are reminiscent of early Entombed, and the gloomy doom vibe reminds me of early Paradise Lost or Incantation.
The Carnal Slumber alternates between instrumental sections of fast paced chugging guitars, and slower more trudging parts where the deep guttural vocals kick in and the track takes on a more doomy sound.
It’s not the most catchy or memorable track I’ve ever heard, but it’s decently done and, if you’re a fan of traditional old school death metal, this is definitely worth checking out.

From the opening sounds of gun fire and explosions, to the relentless powerful chugging of the guitars, and the lyrics themed around war and humanity’s demise, it’s clear that Humiliation are heavily influenced by Bolt Thrower.

Enemy’s Perimeter is a full frontal assault of pounding death metal.  The riffs are catchy and heavy, the drumming is uncompromising , and the vocals are raw and throaty and fit with the music perfectly.  The production on this track is also first class, and the sound is crisp and clear without losing any of the underlying brutality.
To be honest, it’s all as close as you can get to Bolt Thrower without actually being Bolt Thrower, but Humiliation do add their own character and energy to the mix and it feels like a band paying a respectful tribute to one of the masters of the genre, rather than a cheap rip-off.

Until such time that Bolt Thrower decide to record a new album, Malaysia’s Humiliation will do very nicely instead – indeed, on the basis of this track, I’ve already ordered myself a copy of Humiliation‘s 2012 full length release, From Strength to Strength.

Highly recommended!

Score: 7.5 out of 10 (7 for The Carnal Slumber, 8 for Enemy’s Perimeter)

Readers Album Score: {extravote 1}