Album Review: Creeping Flesh – Into the Meat Grinder (Growls From the Underground)

Established in the Swedish Death Metal haven Gothenburg in 2013, Creeping Flesh started on a mission to play old school death metal in the style of bands such as Bolt Thrower, Asphyx and Obituary, mixed with Swedish melody and sound.

One year later, their first release, the EP Unravelled by War (2014) firmly established the sound of the band. The release was soon to be followed by two more EPs; Rising Terror (2015) and Scorched (2016).

Formed by William Persson Öberg, Sofus Stille, Martin Kadhammar (also in Strykjärn), Robert Karlsson (ex Misfire), and Conny Nyberg, the band did several successful live shows, including a debut gig at Gothenburg Deathfest in 2015, and a tour of England in 2017.

Following the departure of bass player Conny Nyberg, friend of the band Korp Thidrandir joined to complete the lineup, and saw the band play bigger stages with festival shows at both House of Metal and Gefle Metal Festival in Sweden. After two years of intense song writing Creeping Flesh are returning to action in 2019, with their first full length album Into the Meat Grinder. Out on the 25th September 2019 via Growls From the Underground.

A dirty and guttural old school death metal record, Creeping Flesh’s Into the Meat Grinder will affect those who experience it. Affect them mentally as the brutalising heaviness of it claws and scratches at the brain matter.

From the moment Tank Corps Unleashed shows its disgust for anything that isn’t savagery personified, it’s clear this 10 track album is going to destroy. The drop in tempo near the end of this opener is sickening.

Black Twisted, Stench of Guts and Zaamurets deliver exactly what you’d expect when a band says they deal in the old school of death metal. A trio of harshness that thrills and chills, the abject horror of Creeping Flesh’s brutality forcing minds deeper into the mire. It’s rough and heavy but so very enjoyable.

Where Men Are Made Undone is an absolute killer track coming just when the meatiness of the previous batch had pushed things to the point of breaking. This and the following Shtrafbat deliver joyous death and destruction. The latter of the two is the best track, the filth that pours from the riffs is one things but the drum/vocal combo is to die for.

No changes in formula as we reach the latter part of the record. However, the step up in quality is fairly obvious. What we get with Meat Grinder, Panzerfaust Sacrifice, Bones of the Conquered and Beneath Freezing Waves is enough to turn the hair white.

Old school brutality at its finest.

Creeping Flesh – Into the Meat Grinder Full Track Listing:

1. Tank Corps Unleashed (feat. Jonny Pettersson)
2. Black Twisted Limbs
3. Stench of Guts
4. Zaamurets
5. Where Men Are Made and Undone
6. Shtrafbat
7. Meat Grinder
8. Panzerfaust Sacrifice
9. Bones of the Conquered
10. Beneath Freezing Waves

Links

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