Wednesday 13 November 2013

Humangled - Odd Ethics EP


The other day as I was writing my review of Dementia Senex's EP, I was saying how little Italian metal I review. Well, it just so happens that this review also features an Italian band. Guess I spoke to soon! Anyway, this review features the 2012 four track EP from Italian death metal band Humangled. These dudes are from Pisa and are probably the reason that the tower's leaning (get it!).

Humangled have been going in their current guise since 2006 and signed to Abyss Records in 2010. Both their debut album Fractal and this EP were produced, mixed and mastered by none other than Dan Swano. It features four, straight to the point death metal ragers.

Tracklist:-

1. Needles of The Blind
2. Skinned, To Feel All
3. Smells Acrid
4. Deny Your Creed

Starting the obligatory horror movie sampler as an intro, it doesn’t take long for Humangled to kick things off their brand of death. Covering the usual gory subjects, it’s mainly mid-paced to being with, in terms of death metal anyway. The guitars and bass sound thick but still contain decent melody, the drums are full-sounding in the background and it’s not all about pig squeals and tinny percussion. Needles of The Blind sounds more akin to doom/death. Skinned, To Feel All features some pretty uncharacteristic riffs. There’s plenty of atmosphere thanks to some well placed melodic guitar plucking too. The textures created by the low gloomy growls and the higher pitched shrieks give the songs some variation and bite. The melodic riffs continue throughout with an off-kilter arrangement of sorts.


They sound at their heaviest during Smells Acrid, which develops their death sound as well adding further progressive touches and faster drumming. The great thing about Humangled is, they don’t hang around too long with each song, plumping instead for more concise instrumentation and song structures. Ending it all with Deny Your Creed, Humangled leave you with what’s been a straightforward yet enjoyable death metal EP. These guys have been going for a little while but are still evolving and with death this good, you won’t want for anything else. Looks like Italy’s got a lot to offer!

You can listen to Needles of The Blind via Humangled's Last FM page here http://www.last.fm/music/Humangled. Their music isn't really streaming anywhere else that I know of, unless someone can correct (feel free to do so).

You can still pick up physical CD copies of Odd Ethics via Abyss Records here - http://www.officialabyssrecords.com.

Humangled Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Humangled
Abyss Records Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/OfficialAbyssRecords

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