Review: Vomit the Hate-"Premortem Rot"

I was not made aware of, Vomit the hate until I was asked by the man himself, Mahdi Riahi to take a listen to his 2010 four song EP titled “Premortem Rot.” To be completely honest I had no idea what to expect and wasn’t sure at all whether or not I would like it. The name its self makes me think of grindcore which all instruments are recorded to a click track of 765 BPM and vocals are little more than guttural lows that cannot be understood at all. This vivid description that I have just painted is not at all what “Premortem Rot,” sounds like.

As far as technical death metal goes this is one of the best EP’s floating around in the underground scene that I’ve heard in a long time. While I love some melody, it has been a while since I’ve heard an unsigned band stick to the pure brutal beginnings of the genre. Listeners will hear elements of old Cannibal Corpse of and a few early Suffocation style breakdowns. If Necrophagist decide to break up (does anybody know what the hell they’re doing anyway?) Vomit the Hate will gladly take their place as the leading force of brutal technical metal.

My one complaint with the album is that the solos do not seem to fit the riffs. With low tone riffs played at blinding speed, I expected to hear fast aggressive sweeps throughout the entire record. However the solo’s consist of melodies which I would expect to hear on an In Flames album or even a Dahlia Album (Prior to Ryan Knight joinging). There are a few sweeps here and there however it mostly consists of slower melodic solos that fit more to a slower more melodic band. Keep in mind they are very well written solos; they just seem a little out of place.

Overall this is a great record that should be listened to by everyone. Fortunately you can download this EP for free on the, Vomit the Hate myspace (www.myspace.com/vomitthehate). There are a few more EP’s on the myspace which I’ve been meaning to download for quite a while. Make sure you head over and check it out, tell your friends about it who should tell their friends about it…and who knows with any luck, Vomit the Hate will get the attention of Brian Slagel and he will help Mahdi become known as a wonderful guitarist/songwriter.

Pariah

Very rarely do we come across a piece of music that does not include breakdowns, techno beats, and horrible screams. Fortuantely I have found an EP that will bring many metal heads back to the thrash days with a hint of Children of Bodom and At the Gates. Well, ladies and gentlemen; I present to you, Pariah.

Originally hailing from Kodiak, Alaska; the boys in Pariah have found themselves on the east coast due to military living. Right around the corner from Sacred Serenity, Pariah have kept up with a modern style of death metal while staying within the roots of thrash bands such as Metallica and testament. Although I can’t stop there and say they sound exactly like the early thrash bands that helped create a new genre of music.

Their self titled, eight song EP which is currently under review by Earache Records, gives a unique take on what you’ll find in mist heavy underground scenes. For many young listeners metal is little more than breakdowns and pig squeals. Pariah’s EP will introduce the younger fans of extreme music to Children of Bodom style speed mixed with power/thrash metal vocals.

Their self titled EP shows that the band can shred and they shred quickly. Take for example “When Worlds Collide,” staying at a steady speed comparable to testament (which is by no means easy) Pariah drill a melodic trem pick riff backed by lighting quick double bass and some fancy cymbal work to make listeners get up and mosh with their dog (Side: Into the Pit Reviews does not endorse moshing with household pets…Try moshing with a bear than get back to me).

Although a great album it may be hard for some to get into just because of it’s old school metal feel. There are no sweeps that I could hear, hardly anyone does semi- power metal vocals and there are no blast beats and/or breakdowns. It is something that has to be listened to a couple of times before it is truly appreciated for the semi-masterpiece that it is.

You can hear more of Pariah at their myspace, www.myspace.com/pariahmetalband

Track Listing
1)Taking over the Land
2)Hero’s Live to Die
3)Struggle for Redemption
4)The Fire Wave
5)When Worlds Collide
6)Forever to Reign
7)Ghost of the Militia
8)Victory Remains

Alustrium

Many bands put out EP’s like it’s just another thing to do on the way to creating a full length or inbetween tours. Alustrium knew they wouldn’t have another release until they had everything perfect. This being said, we can be glad they put 100 percent into this EP which will only excite us a little more for the debut full-length.

Beginning this fine example of underground metal mastery is the five minute twenty five second song, “Butterfly Wings”. Although it sounds like the HIM song (“Wings of a Butterfly”), do not the title deceive you. It is much heavier than the five-piece Finnish band’s 2005 single although not a melodic. I guess it really depends on what your into. If you’re looking for melody this may not be the song for you. However if you’re looking for hard hitting in your face chugging back by speedy double bass work, I can be certain you’ll like this.

Following “Butterfly Wings” will be a song titled Magnum which delievers a sound bigger than what magnums are used for (I had to go there sorry) an excellent bass/guitar trade off in the beginning leads to a heavy riff backed by great drums and searing vocals that rip thorough your head phones and melt destroy your brain. What I found to be the most impressive element of this song is how it seems to be a very bass driven song. With the bass intro and a bit of a bass solo about half way through the song lets us know that, Brett Leftwich is more than just providing low backing tones for the band.

Leading into the third track is a riff and double bass that will make you want to get up and mosh. I suggest you not do that however it may make you look mentally unstable. “The All Seeing Eye” may fair for those who enjoy black metal. It is a bit more of a trem picked riff with parts that have both high and low vocals at the same time for certain parts. My only complaint is that it becomes a little repetitive, but at eight minutes and fifty-six seconds long, it’s a little hard to come up with different riffs that fit within the song structure. My other complaint with this song is the whisper that comes in just under the four minute mark. They don’t really add anything to the song, but then again It may have something to do with the story within the lyrics; either way a decent song that only adds to the strength of the EP.

Finally is “Twilight’s Reprieve” which comes with the question; when’s the last time you heard a ten minute song that wasn’t by Between the Buried and Me? Why do I like this song the most? It’s a good thing you asked, “Twilight’s Repreive is definitely the most diverse in style with every element of the music. Even Jerry Martin’s vocals change in style throughout the song, while in the other songs he maintains a monotone growl which only changes once and a while. “Twilight’s Reprieve” seems to be a culmination of everything the band has tried to get across in the other three songs. Blast beats, breakdowns and melody. Even an 80’s hair metal solo comes through around the six minute mark. Where I would normally write unspeakable, horrible threats to a band that tried to do this, I can’t because it seems like the only kind of solo that fits the music and any other solo would seem out of place.

Are they this generation’s At the Gates? No, however with work and some future tours I can see Alustrium playing the three day European festivals that bands strive to become a part of. Be sure to pay attention to these guys at www.myspace.com/alustrium. For Fans of :Trivium and At the Gates.