Cutterred Flesh still loves violence.
Just a few years after their last opus, the Czech machine led by Vitali Novak (guitar, Pandemia), David Krombholz (guitar), Jiri Krs (vocals, Pandemia), Ondrej Klaban (bass, ex-Poppy Seed Grinder) and Jakub Bayer (drums, Pandemia) unveil Love at First Bite, their sixth album, on Transcending Obscurity Records.
No time to lose for the band, who crushes us from Xenomorphic Annihilation- Earth Ravaged, the first composition, deploying a heavy, catchy sound coupled with more complex leads from time to time. The vocal parts are obviously part of this surge of raw power, broken up by heady, modern Prog patterns that reappear on Human Protein Concentrate, where Old School influences are also out in force to ensure a massive punch to its jerky rhythm. Harmonics and other noises make the riffs more frightening, as on Repeated Intersexual Misunderstanding, where dissonance haunts the opening moments before the impressive rhythm and its transcendent cosmic sounds, reminiscent of groovy Djent. Fury reborns with Code of Zuurith and its frantic approach to devastating riffs packed with sharp lead parts that lacerate us savagely while the double kick stomps us, as on the thick The Symptoms of Parasite where bass resonates particularly well over the moshparts, giving way to ominous additions to give the track a very dark flavor. Descent Into Torment Of Abyssal Whispers takes a more melodic approach at first, before returning to its usual driving rage, but it’s with a dose of chill that we glide to the modern Sarkam’s Wrath Unleashed with its enchanting keyboards and dark break that create an interesting contrast with the more colossal parts. Amanda continues to exploit the addition of more ethereal elements to the sheer violence, then it’s by blending them with suffocating patterns that the band brings The Last Supper to life, an epic and devastating composition that I find absolutely perfect for captivating an audience while letting them run wild at times. The album closes with Spawn of Vathus, which sets extremely vivid spikes in a veritable tidal wave in which each musician gives their all to sweep us away.
Although the Prog elements are a little strange at first, Cutterred Flesh keeps its monstrous punch. Love at First Bite crushes and tramples you mercilessly, but will also appeal to fans of bloody complexity.
90/100
