Gutslit - Amputheatre

Record Label: Transcending Obscurity


There are no prizes for guessing which metal sub-genre a band called Gutslit fit into. This band from India is undeniably death metal of the brutal variety. Gutslit got our attention as a member of the band plays in the instrumental band The Minerva Conduct and we loved their recent album (which we reviewed here).

"Amputheatre" opens with the title track, which is a quiet instrumental track which barely breaks the one minute mark. This track is countered by "Brazen Bull" which features a frantic rhythm section and grunted vocals, which occasionally slow down only to proceed to bulldoze the listener at ramming speed once again. The drums are pummeled at the start of "From One Ear to The Other" and then the band take an effective breather to carry on with their barrage of grunts, riffs and drumbeats. On this track, there's a technical death metal band dying to get out as the dynamics in the guitar work change with faster paced riffs during the song and though the vocals are still grunts they become much more audible and then shift between dirty grunts and near yelling. Necktie Party is a dirty barrage of drumbeats, riffs and grunts that seem to fly and spit nails directly at the listener until mid-song, where the tempo slows and leaves a little breathing room before the sheer punishment starts again. Gutslit realize that not varying the temp can lead to boredom and slow down again before this track reaches its conclusion.

The rhythm section provides a bounciness to the opening of "Blood Eagle" and then speed and chaos take over. The drums are really fast and there are overtones of chaos in the death grunts.



There are some great metal guitar riffs on "Brodequin" that cross metal sub-genres rather than fitting strictly into the death metal categorization although Gutslit still fit firmly in that metallic pigeonhole. Gutslit lay the angry death metal on thick in "Maraschino Eyeballs"

Gutslit's shift in tempos and dynamics separate from a vast number of other bands who put themselves under the brutal death metal umbrella. As Brandon Lee's character stated in The Crow movie, "It can't rain all the time."

3/5

Release Date: 15 October 2017




Gutslit on bandcamp




Gutslit on Facebook





The Small Takeover on facebook

Tuskar - Arianrhod

Record Label: Riff Rock Records

Tuskar are a two piece band from the Milton Keynes area of England. The band is comprised of vocalist/drummer Tyler Hodges and guitarist Tom Dimmock, who are in their early 20's and formed the band around a year ago. The young duo list their main musical influences as Conan, Sleep, Behemoth and Darkthrone. Tuskar describe their sound as nuclear sludge. The 5 track release is described as an EP.

"Arianhod" starts off with a crushingly heavy track named "Fateweaver" which has begins slow doomy riffs coupled with vocals that sound buried in a pool of sludge but the tempo changes into a speedy burst of chaos for a few moments before pounding your head into the walls of distortion. There's a slow lumbering mammoth of a beginning to "Where Strides the Collusus" and then the rhythm changes into a boucier direction. The sparse vocals sound like they're being yelled from a pit covered in ice. This man wants out!! "Toegrinder" staarts out with some crushingly heavy riffs then the sounds depart to the worlds of atmospheric post-metal and black metal. The heaviness is really laid on thick in the sludge of "Moon-Hooch" due to heavy Black Sabbath style guitar riffs coupled with slow doom styled drumbeats. The vocalist sounds somewhere between angry and about to puke, which is undeniably sludgy. There's a touch of psychedelia and punk within the metallic sludge of EP closer "Crimson Skull".



On "Arianhod", Tuskar create a wonderfully nasty noise that sounds like it comes from many more than two people. Apparently the band have another EP and an album in the pipeline for next year. It will definitely be interesting to hear more from this band.

3.5/5

Release Date: 20 October 2017

Tuskar on facebook


Tuskar on bandcamp