Rating: 7.0

Country: Spain

Release Date: 2006

Record Label: Goregiastic Records

Track list:
1.Goresplattered Suicide
2. Burnt But Not Carbonized
3. Filth Injected
4. Infernal Haemorrhoids
5. 4 N Sick
6. Harvesting The Blood
7. Let Me Taste Your Flesh
8. Hoax Therapy (Instrumental)
9. Divine Wine
10. Protervia
11. Eat Foetal Mush
12. Ace of Spades (Motorhead)

Band Website: Avulsed

Avulsed - Goresplattered Suicide

Dave Rotten - Vocals
Cabra - Guitars
Juancar - Guitars
Tana - Bass
Riky - Drums

Like a chef who has mixed spices and gravy preparations from multiple cuisines in order to concoct a new scrumptious dish, Avulsed have culled influences from several genres such as old school death metal, brutal death metal, thrash metal along with the melodies from Scandinavia, with the outcome not necessarily proving to be a disaster. However, it is not without a sense of uneasiness and mixed feelings engendered from the recognition of its ingredients that vary with every bite, that you feast on the Goresplattered Suicide platter.

The album commences with the title track itself and it does so in a Anasarca fashion where razor-sharp riffs are chased by a menacing blast of drumming, leaving a carnage in its wake. A minute into it and the band jumps from that track and lands on the adjoining one on which the more brutal German bands are known to chug pompously and joyously, after which Avulsed thrash about with abandon. "Burnt But Not Carbonized" is a more adventurous track that sees Avulsed infiltrating the melodic camp after a brief cathartic burst, where you will find the nonchalant dancing of a lone lead amidst the unruly behaviour of the other members to be most striking. Soon after it flashes a hook that seems to be obtained from early Barney Napalm Death albums, and later on pulverising grooves that made their presence felt earlier on in the song are alternated with powerful crunchy parts that proceed with a gait similar to that of early Fleshless. Beginning in a grand, symphonic and supposedly touching style, "Filth Injected" is where you will first discern the Elegy era Amorphis influences in the form of drunken and groovy riffs, interjected between rumbling yet thrashy parts that sound close to the ones Paganizer tend to play.

With the notable exception of “Infernal Haemorrhoids” (a mere 15 second blast of brutal death reminiscent of Christ Denied) and “Hoax Therapy” (an epic instrumental with melodramatic keyboards), almost all of the songs exhibit this mishmash of numerous influences, and are performed in a formulaic pattern with each of the songs having a highlight or two in them. For instance, "Harvesting The Blood" features a majestic segment where a solemn lead struts out to the powerful marching of its soldiers; "Let Me Taste Your Flesh" flaunts a paralysing Amorphis riff while "Divine Wine" slips out a heart-rending Amorphis lead both seemingly originating from Tales From The 1000 Lakes. Surely enough, it is this Amorphis influence, repeated enough times in the album to prove its implementation is deliberate, that lends this otherwise unoriginal album a breath of freshness, but only because it is not commonplace in today's death metal albums. Given their stature and sound, Avulsed's dabbling in sweetened waters akin to Warspite on Confrontation Course is a bit disconcerting, and with it being more pronounced in the second half of the album, it is an indication of them treading on dangerous waters.

Avulsed's unabashed flirting with diverse influences is commendable, but the fact remains that the music is still far from original, and coupled with its relative simplicity, it is something that will not impress the genre veterans up to the point of idol worshipping. That said, Goresplattered Suicide is an interesting and potentially enjoyable album, decent enough for you to spend your money on it.

September 17th, 2007