“Yeah, ya’ll know what time it is.”
Gangstercore death metal, slam hip-hop, or whatever comparable nomenclature you want to use to describe the sound of the deservedly self-proclaimed Slamming Gangster Groove – Oklahoma-based outfit PeelingFlesh, would be a befitting testament to their continued ability to effectively mesh the intersection of vastly antithetical music genres. Combining hip-hop with brutal death metal is a notional proposition many would either dismiss or outright crucify. Yet PeelingFlesh have established a well-tracked reputation across the underground metal scene as a consistent and gleefully slam-heavy five-piece. They have not only made the aforementioned genre their de facto mantra, but effectively done so to a degree that leaves their listeners eager for more. Fresh off the steadfast momentum and productivity of their three-year onslaught of four EP’s and several standalone singles, comes their debut twenty-six-minute joyride, The G Code.
From the very onset of The G Code, you are given a clear sign of things to come. The simply named ‘Intro’ starts off with a sampled newscast that is quickly backed with PeelingFlesh’s drop-tuned chugs and vocalist Damonteal Harris’ signature gutterals, overlapping hip-hop snippets. This is seamlessly followed by “Shoot 2 Kill“, a full display of their slamming prowess with George Bush audio to boot. As the thickly gold-plated logo on the album art would indicate, you quickly get the sense that PeelingFlesh is giving us the mixtape treatment, as “Perc 3000” quickly introduces disc scratches to compliment some of the more crushing musicianship on this record. ‘”Concrete Curb Enforcement” gives little to no time for breathing room with a 100-second beatdown. Within the first four tracks of this lean-induced shelling, it becomes quite apparent that PeelingFlesh pushes all their strong suites to the extreme and has every intention of bringing us along for the ride.
Finally, we catch our breath—if only for a moment—with “FULL OF LEAD“, a two-minute instrumental full of trap influences that serves as both a short rest from PeelingFlesh’s slam-filled bedlam and a more focused exhibition of their experimental genre convergence. As quickly as it began, we are back to having our faces dragged along the pavement when “SKIN BLUNT” begins. Guitarists Mychal Soto and Jason Parrish, in combined effort with drummer Joe Pelletier and bassist Austin Hirom, provide some of the album’s purer metal work on this track whilst maintaining those familiar PeelingFlesh trademarks. Speaking of the instrumental work done on ‘SKIN BLUNT’, one would be remiss not to mention the exceptional quality of production Mychal Soto has created for this record. The G Code sounds as raw and tightly compact as it is structured, providing high replay value on a record many are very likely to frequently revisit.
“Barbarianism” and “The Fuckening” fully encompass the brutality of PeelingFlesh and their exploratory approach to using hip-hop as a lyrical foundation for skull-crushing sound. It is only appropriate that the titular track should follow this three-minute bombardment. Featuring two of the most iconic progenitors of deathcore in Despised Icon’s Alex Erian and Steve Marios, “The G Code” sticks out as both the album’s longest track and perhaps most technical. The album then closes with “Creepin’ Out the Cut” and “Outro“, aptly ending this haymaker of a record in the same manner it started.
If any of PeelingFlesh’s prior releases were an indication of how The G Code would turn out, fans will find no surprises here. This album feels like a culmination of PeelingFlesh’s three-year appraisal of fully embracing hip-hop into a fiercely guarded metal sub-genre that is executed in spades. Though it is likely that those who feel PeelingFlesh’s approach remains bogged down by experimentation will once again find this release too divergent, those akin to their established niche will find themselves cranking this release for a long time to come.
8/10
The G Code releases on the 6th September and can be pre-ordered here (US/EU & UK).