Album Review: Grog – Ablutionary Rituals (Murder Records)

The fourth full length release from Death Metal/Grindcore band, Grog was released on the 20th March 2017 via Murder Records. Ablutionary Rituals sees the band celebrating 25 years of existence!

Revelation – Open Wound is an odd opening song but it definitely gets your attention. A chuggy distorted guitar sound with distant vocals that have a slight echo effect, it leaves you feeling slightly disoriented. Effectively an intro to Uterine Casket, it’s here the head-rupturing grindcore really gets going.

Just over two minutes of intensity, it’s very exciting stuff as it’s got more rhythm then you might expect from this kind of music. That listenable quality is found throughout the 14 tracks, it’s insanely heavy constantly but with identifiable riffs & beats. The best thing about the entire album though are the brutal throat-ripping vocals. This is what Satan would sound like if he had just been forced to spend 24 hours listening to One Direction.

Song after song of destructive death metal/grindcore that attempts to break the minds defences. Sarco-Eso-Phagus, Vortex of Bowelism, Cardiaxe…there is just enough variation throughout to ensure it never steps into boring territory.

Ablutionary Rights is an album though that you have to be in the right mood for. You have to want some face-melting metal, some pissed off & brutal sounding metal. Once you’re in the right mind frame, songs like Gore Genome & Flesh Beating Continiuum speaks to that part of you that just wants to bang your head as hard as possible.

The final two tracks are the icing on the cake. From Disease to Decease drops in a rip-roaring guitar solo to shake things up while the near 7 minute Katharsis – The Cortex of Doom and the Left Hand Moon is something completely different & unexpected.

A slow steady drum beat, doomy flashes of guitar & spoken word vocals. It’s a surprising finish especially when it suddenly stops & starts to play a very soft melody. The spoken word returns along with a scratchy effect but played alongside the melody. It’s certainly an odd finale & a bit underwhelming even if it’s got bags of quality musicianship.

You just keep waiting for it to erupt in a hail of bloodied riffs & hooks but it never does. Choosing instead to drift away into nothing.

Still, Ablutionary Rights is one seriously meaty death metal/grindcore record. You’ll be more then full by the end & probably suffering from the sweats!

Grog – Ablutionary Rights Full Track Listing:

1. Revelation – Open Wound
2. Uterine Casket
3. Savagery
4. Sterile Hermaphrodite
5. Sarco-Eso-Phagus
6. Vortex of Bowelism
7. Cardiaxe
8. A Scalpel Affair
9. Gore Genome
10. Gut Throne
11. …of Leeches, Vultures & Zombies
12. Fleshing Beating Continuum
13. From Disease to Decease
14. Katharsis – The Cortex of Doom and the Left Hand Moon

You can pick up Ablutionary Rights over on Bandcamp & via Murder Records. Check out Grog over on Facebook, Myspace & YouTube.