“A dance of the damned, where all life is equalized and undone.”
The frozen north has long held a tenure as one of the points of origin for extreme metal. Birthing highly technical and abhorrently brutal acts such as Cryptopsy and Beneath the Massacre, Canada, particularly the Quebec scene, continues to honor its extreme metal roots through the nourishment of up-and-coming grassroots bands.
One such act is Quebec City trio Onchocerciasis Esophagogastroduodenoscopy, who deliver brutal and slamming death metal with a chaotic edge and a list of influences indubitably lengthier than their tongue-twisting name. And if that wasn’t enough of a mouthful, Fugue Gnawed from the Scabbed God Cerebrum is the title given to their debut LP, one that is as uncompromising in its soundscape as it is in reader-friendliness (or lack thereof).
Of course, any attempt made to pronounce the band’s name would inevitably still come across as more intelligible than many of the vocal performances on Fugue, as vocalist Jesse Agiomamitis’ arsenal is, in simple terms, ascended well beyond the realm of humanity. Amphibious croaks and zombified groans echo across the opening cut “Conquering Divinity” as the accompanying instrumentation churns and swirls between slams and technical passages. From a musical standpoint, this record is consistently a force to be reckoned with, straddling the line between the pummeling slams of PeelingFlesh and the technical nuance of lauded brutal death records such as Defeated Sanity’s Chapters of Repugnance or Cryptopsy’s None So Vile.
Mid-album cut “Apotheotic Apotemnophilia” (they really haven’t made this easy for me) delves deeper into the territory of the latter, with unsettling, doom-driven guitar passages that accompany its initial half. Surrounding tracks like the singles “Hurt Beyond Healing” and “Gutted & Corpsed” not only offer my keyboard some much-needed reprieve, but are perhaps some of the simpler, straightforward cuts on the record in sound, as well. That said, plenty of professional chops remain on the table, as the former contains brief yet immensely satisfying and mesmerizing sweeping guitar passages reminiscent of the aforementioned Beneath the Massacre, while the latter boasts a guitar solo that echoes the raw, unfiltered sentiments of classic 90s tech metal.
While it’s easy to get swept up in the dense yet organized chaos of Fugue, it would be a disservice to avoid taking a step back to admire its production. Raw and unfiltered, yet professional and clear, the record manages to let all of its punches fly without sounding like a deep-fried washing machine in the process. Crunchy guitar tones and a popping snare are especially potent on blast-heavy cuts such as the ninth track “Abyssikataplexika”, where each note resonates clearly even amongst a cacophony of light-speed percussion.
Closing cut “Forged in the Blackest Reaches of Blasphemy” is a standout, in that it encompasses a strangely melodic tone that is wholly absent among its peers. This one sits somewhere between the nuanced esotericism of fellow Canadian tech deathers Gorguts and traditional 90s BDM in its approach, and it’s an interesting element that adds a layer of captivation atop Onchocerciasis’ brand of carnivorous carnage.
Onchocerciasis Esophagogastroduodenoscopy have adopted a take-no-prisoners attitude with Fugue Gnawed from the Scabbed God Cerebrum. If you are wholly unfamiliar with slam, this record feels like diving straight into the deep end without knowing how to swim. However, like many of their Canadian extreme metal peers, Onchocerciasis have a proficiency in their craft that is largely unmatched by other international metal scenes, and fans of the most putrid and vile forms of extreme metal will no doubt find something substantial to grasp onto here, while others may want to call the lifeguard while they still can.
8/10
Fugue Gnawed from the Scabbed God Cerebrum is out Friday, April 3, via Stillbirth Records, and you can pre-order it here.