I’ll admit that I didn’t have high expectations going into this new Vitriol album. I wasn’t too impressed with their debut full length in 2019, as it lacked memorable songwriting, and the production sounded off. The glow-up this band has had in the nearly five years since has been immense, as Vitriol’s sophomore album not only defies the dreaded sophomore slump, but kicks it to the ground, punches it in the face, and kicks it a couple more times for good measure. This album is fucking barbaric. And I mean that in the best way possible. I’d be hard-pressed to find an album with a blackened core sporting a tech death backbone that is as relentless as Suffer & Become. At times verging on being overwhelmingly intense, the material showcased on here is easily Vitriol’s best to date. Accompanied by a new drummer Matt Kilner (Nithing) and additional guitarist Daniel Martínez (ex-The Offering) this refreshed lineup crafts a sound to wreak aural havoc.
Opener “Shame and its Afterbirth” starts with a discordant riff that snakes down until it gives way to sheer violence. Dual guitarists Martínez and Kyle Rasmussen are massively talented shredders, and the riffs and fretwork are some of the most ferocious I’ve heard in technical death metal. Blisteringly fast, the two bounce ideas off of each other constantly, and while it can be at times overwhelmingly difficult to pay attention or keep up across the 47 minute runtime, the challenge pays off. Songs such as album highlights “Weaponized Loss” and “The Flowers of Sadism” are twin monstrosities of this interplay between the guitarists and once the album finishes, it makes me want to lose myself in the aural barbarity again. The biggest star of the album is Matt Kilner, though. I first heard his project Nithing last year, and that turned out to be one of the most bonkers imaginings of brutal death metal out there. Vitriol, while not being brutal death metal, features Kilner on drums, and the drumming on this is phenomenal. It’s some of the fastest drumming I’ve heard in a while, and never lays off in its intensity. There’s a bit of the much-loved “pong” sound to the snare at points, which is always welcome. However, this brings me to the core hangup I have on this album: it gets to be a lot at points. This album, being 47 minutes, is a bit long to constantly be in your face, and at some points I find myself wanting somewhat of a breather. This is a minor nitpick I have, though. Vitriol have created a massively violent album, and it’s one I plan to come back to a lot in the future. I hope this band stays on a similar trajectory in quality on future releases.
