Album Review: Laceration – Demise (Rotted Life)

15 years since inception, 2021 finally births the full-length debut of Bay Area death/thrash metal horde, Laceration. Called Demise, it will be available on CD and cassette July 16th, and on LP September 24th.

If you’ve been eagerly awaiting this release, rest easy. It’s a stonking slab of thrash/death metal rooted in the classic sound of the combined genres. A throwback that happily, doesn’t sound particularly dated. Cruel and vicious heaviness never gets old and Laceration are proudly cruel and eagerly vicious.

Demise is a cathartic release for Laceration, that much is clear. What are the chances that when the world locked down for the last 15-16 months that the band would finally get around to releasing their debut? It sounds like years’ worth of pent-up anger and that vitriol is upended over the heads of anyone brave enough to press play.

There’s nothing too complicated about this album but that’s the point. It is simply 11 tracks of meaty thrash and death heaviness. Where every instrument hammers away as hard as possible and the vocals growl with all the intensity of a starving beast. Picking individual elements out isn’t easy as it’s predominantly a turbulent ride. Though a guitar solo here and there, extra thick sounding drum beat or particularly nasty roar is notable.

Don’t overthink this one as Laceration aren’t. They rage and rage very hard. They’re more than welcome to when this is the end result.

Laceration – Demise Full Track Listing:

1. Demise
2. Verbal Expiration
3. Bed Of Nails
4. Monolith
5. Inhumation
6. Perpetual Sickness
7. Human Malevolence
8. Imitation
9. Weaponized Dominion
10. Parasomnia
11. Severed Innocence

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