Extraterrestrial: Embodiment (also entitled as: Extraterrestrial: Embodiment: Split) is the first split release on Novodvinsk, Russia based (Gore / Brutal / Grinding) Death Metal label Lord Of The Sick Recordings. The material, at least the CD-version (1.000 copies available) comes with a poster and a shirt indeed!
Anyway, Extraterrestrial: Embodiment comes with quite explicit yet intelligent artwork, carefully created by Dmitry Seeming ‘Watcher’, who did some cover artwork as well for acts like Hell:On, Datura, Fleshgore, Ævangelist or Old Forest, amongst many others. The split lasts for almost half an hour and it presents three upcoming acts.
My promotional copy does not consist of all tracks; just a limited selection – so I would like to apologize, in case this review might not always be ‘complete’, or missing some details for I have not access to all of it. But don’t expect unbearable hiatuses, for the material that I did / do hear surely covers the main aspects of each combo represented on this collaborative release.
The split starts with three ‘songs’ by Eviscerated Entrails, a young formation that did not release anything official before (maybe with exception of a nameless demonstrational promo a couple of years ago). This act from the city of Khabarovsk (at the river Amur, extremely close to the farmost north-eastern borders with China) brings quite fast, technical and traditional Grindcore with quite some Death Metal hints. The sound is dense and muddy, but especially the vocals are mostly attractive. In general the death grunts convince, but Eviscerated Entrails come with the ‘evident’ squeals and screams too.
Next are three peaces, sorry, pieces by Dismetry, currently residing in Saint Petersburg. I have no idea whether they did record something before, but what they bring on this split is surprising when talking about the technical aspects. Dismetry too have a certain aural relationship with the Death Metal current, I think, and then I am referring to the most Tech-Death minded outfits from the north of America especially. But with certainty I will admit that the Grind-conviction supremes. Slamming bass lines, smashing drum patterns, high-tech and even melodious guitar lines (sometimes twin-led), and weeohweeohweeoh’ing screamgruntgrowls are the basic structures of these sweet lullabies.
Extraterrestrial: Embodiment ends with four creations by Kyyiv, Ukraine based combo Derogation. Most of these tracks had been written quite a while ago (they were part of the sole official release, being the Revival Of A Nest Ignorant EP). This band is the most down-earthed out of three, and the one that focuses the most on elemental and primal brutality. Derogation too are quite outstanding, with a great detail: the superb equilibrium in between a prominent Old School attitude in combination with a very own, self-created approach. No, they are not original as in ‘renewing’, but for sure this project is able to come with a very own-faced vision. Besides, their cover of a Defeated Sanity track, Butchered Identity, is (was) a fantastic choice, for the result truly convinces.
So, in general this split-EP, called Extraterrestrial: Embodiment, is a top-notch thing for all those who like the deadly-edged regions of traditional yet highly technical Grindcore. Hard-core Grind-fans simply must give it a try! You won’t be disappointed.