Those that know me are well aware of my distaste…. even open hostility for music that I can only describe as ‘wafty’.  Doesn’t matter who it is (even Enslaved sail a bit close sometimes), if you’re showing off and widdling so wildly, progging so madly that you forget about the SONGS, you can fuck right off.  That’s not too say I don’t like ‘technical’ music but songs come first.  Plus I like my death metal to be bludgeoning.  I wanna feel beaten up & concussed at the end of the record, not stroke my beard (that I haven’t got) and nod sagely.  I wanna be in a pool of sweat having been sonically violated… which brings me to the new album by Iceland’s Beneath.

This is their 2nd full length and the follow up to 2012’s “Enslaved By Fear”.  Now I haven’t heard that (or the “Hollow Empty Void” EP from 2010) so I can’t tell you if this album is better or worse.  They may have previously sounded like fucking TigerTailz for all I know, however I doubt it.  This album is a wrecking ball of death metal brutality and is right up my (dark and dingey) alley.

After a couple of minutes of creepy acoustic guitar intro, you’re arse is kicked headlong into the seven and a half minute opener “Depleted Kingdom” the amazing guitar work from Jóhann Ingi Sigurðsson & Unnar Sigurðsson is eye-wateringly fast. As is Ragnar Sverrisson’s drumming. All through this album the technicality and musical prowess is obvious and constantly on display.

But…

It’s all about the songs.  As great musicians as they obviously are, these (c)lads don’t forget about riffs and song structure.  Track 2 – “Chalice” is like a raw Meshuggah song…but better.  Totally addictive riffage! Benedikt Natanael Bjarnason’s vocals are a cross between Steve Tucker & Corpsegrinder and his gravelly bark really suits the music.
“Iron Jaw” is my fave track and really does beat the hell out of you for two minutes before a bit more Meshuggah-y action comes to play.  Every track is killer on this album.

If you like Necrophagist and Obscura but wish they’d do something a little more primal instead of wanking into space… this is for you.