After a long period of not getting on with regular death metal, last year I found a new appreciation for the genre, and I’m determined to use that as a jumping off point into really enjoying it again. This might mean some maladroit reviews for all of you as I get back to grips with the subject matter but thankfully for this review of Megalit al Putrefacției, I’ve been given an assist. You see, Putred‘s very name suggests all the adjectives I’ll be wanting for their brand of death metal. Words like filthy, nasty, foul, and gruesome.
Putred makes good on the implied promises of their name right away. Megalit al Putrefacției has a grimy yet clear production that adds the desired slithering sheen to their mid-paced rumbling riffs and gurgling bass. One of my favorite things about Putred is how prominent Corina‘s bass lines are, and the way they combine with Uriel‘s leads to give Megalit al Putrefacției an understated melodicism to accompany the dark atmosphere. While Uriel‘s work reminds me of Blessed Are The Sick Morbid Angel era at times(particularly on “Dominare Malefică” and “Necromanție”), the stronger comparison for the whole is suggested by Putred themselves with their cover of Autopsy‘s “Critical Madness”. The similarity in the riffing styles is obvious but the cover does also reveal the weakness in Megalit al Putrefacției. Putred show none of the dynamic contrast and tempo changes present in “Critical Madness” and as a result, their work is somewhat one note. It didn’t surprise me to learn there is no permanent drummer listed in Putred at the moment; perhaps that’s the voice that could have helped shape a more complete experience.
That said, a few fatigue moments aside, Putred offered a consistently enjoyable listen. The only reason I’m not calling Megalit al Putrefacției a good solid death metal album is because this is a tribute to all things non-solid. Stinking swamps, rotting bodies, and all that. I’d love to see a few more bells and whistles from Putred in the future but for now, I’m just enjoying my return to filthy sounding death metal.
