Rating: 7.4

Country: Netherlands

Release Date: 2005

Track list:
1. Fistfit Stretched Third Eye
2. Vaginal Butchery
3. Bloody Posttraumatic Ejaculation
4. Impregnated While Giving Birth
5. Munching the Rotten
6. Ripping Chainsaw Orgasm
7. Stabbed in the Arse [mp3]
8. Rectal Vomit
9. Anal Cum
10. Vomit Heaps of Flesh
11. Chopped in Excrements

Band Website: Arsebreed

Arsebreed - Munching The Rotten

Daan - Guitars
Marco Pranger - Guitars
Floris - Drums
Frank Rizzo - Bass
Joey - Vocals
Robbert Kok - Vocals

This debut album by dirty Dutch deathgrinders Arsebreed (formerly known as Bloodcum) is in effect their re-recorded 6-track 2001 demo 'Arsestabbers' blended with a new 5 track EP. Since the two guitarists have been at the musical core from the beginning there is a consistent riff-orientated flow to proceedings that lift this album above the formulaic technical brutal US-style.

The musical evolution is precise and the production is crystal clear. Personally I would prefer a more savage sound but equally, it is an undeniable pleasure to be able to hear the bass in detail for a change, particularly when the performance is so competent and integral to the music. First impressions were that of a slower/smoother Gorgasm, mainly due to the way both bands fuse classic Suffocation and Cannibal Corpse styles within the same riffs.

On repeated listens cracks start to appear between the old and new material. Yes, the re-recorded demo tracks are enjoyable, but the arrangements are very basic (including ill-fitting leads and non-descript melodic runs) and influences are rather more obvious. There are several cases of 'Vile' trilling and creepy harmonies, a couple of Gorguts chugs, a Deicide chorus reprised with a Hoffman-esque solo ("Stabbed in the Arse") and even Atheist staccato chords over bass runs ("Bloody Posttraumatic Ejaculation"). Sensibly, the album kicks off with a track that contains a distinctive three-dimensional dual guitar/bass harmony, but it is the final two tracks that lay down an extra layer of mutating structural sophistication that their new label-mates Spawn of Possession would be proud of. Spidery fretwork that scuttles towards your neck, eclectic twisted riff-breaks, punchy intricate dual guitar interplay, crazy hammering and a snugly fitting lead.

If "Chopped in Excrements" is a taster for things to come then keep an eye on this band and don't be put off by the jokey attitude. Although all their ingredients are generic, they have the potential to stand tall on their own.

April 30th, 2006