MUTILATED BY ZOMBIES
MUTILATED BY ZOMBIES “Scenes From The Afterlife”
By Dr. Abner Mality
Things have been quiet for so long on the MUTILATED BY ZOMBIES front that I feared the Iowa band had been devoured themselves. Not to worry, they are back in action with “Scenes From The Afterlife” and boy, are they back with a vengeance!
At last the band has gotten a production worthy of their top notch songwriting. Quality tunes have never been a problem for them, but previous efforts just didn’t sound quite right. Well, “Scenes…” matches the best of anything out on Relapse or Century Media. Everything comes through loud and clear and HEAVY! All instruments are perfectly mixed and the bowel-rumbling growls of Josh DeMuth will rattle your bones.
The PR sheet calls the album “tech but not TOO tech” and that’s right on the button. Influenced by the greats like CANNIBAL CORPSE, MORBID ANGEL and DEATH, MBZ keep the riffs constantly flowing and coming at you. The transitions here are spotless. Now the very first track “Headcount Rising” comes at you maniacally like a tornado with chainsaws in it...the least “instant” track on offer. But it serves as a wake-up call and a palette cleanser. Things really get down to business with “Reciprocal Horror” and if this one doesn’t have your neck aching, you better check for a pulse.
Lots of hot stuff here, but “Gutsplit” and “Severely Severed” are two MONSTER tracks. Things are not quite as avant-garde as on the last album “Scripts of Anguish” and this is all to the good. The bass guitar in particular is extremely active throughout! Everything clicks.
A monstrous return for MUTILATED BY ZOMBIES and with the rapidly escalating popularity of death metal, I hope to see them making inroads as big as FROZEN SOUL and SKELETAL REMAINS.