Artist: Stenched
Country: Mexico
Label: Self-Released
Formats: Digital Demo
Year: 2023
There was a time when all muddy Death Metal would be gobbled up like sweet pie by me, around the transition from the 00’s to the 10’s, all over the world great bands popped up like a virus. However, as fast as a tsunami can come, it was out again. The revival of the more Old School-oriented bands seemed short-lived, or at least, the quality on offer waned rather quickly. But, fortunately, every now and then I can still be surprised by monstrously chunky and crushing Death Metal.
As is the case with Mexican Stenched. On this debut demo, ‘Gorging On Mephitic Rot’, Adrian, operating alone here, pays tribute to the slowest and nastiest Death Metal. Sure, you won’t find originality here, but it is brought with all necessary gusto and conviction. It all sounds like a foul and grimy mix between Demilich, Rottrevore, Hemdale, Mortician and the genre’s more modern proponents like Anatomia and Undergang. The slowness, which for that matter has nothing to do with Doom Metal (or Doom/Death Metal), means that the emphasis is on the heavy, rolling riffs, which, due to the particularly authentic but equally bludgeoning production, are done full justice. The pace, however, is certainly not consistently slow and enough dynamics are added to the music through tempo changes to keep the four songs (in just under 15 minutes) engaging from start to finish.
The brooding and dank sound is reminiscent of some of the old 7″ EPs that made the early 90’s such an exciting period, musically. That authentic sound, including pitch-shifted vocals, therefore makes ‘Gorging On Mephitic Rot’, a self-released digital demo, unquestionably a must-check for fans of the aforementioned bands, but also certainly for those who still know how to have fun with the early recordings of the likes of Mythic, Human Remains, Gorement and General Surgery.
