First album and signing for Symphobia!
Following the release of their demo at the end of last year, the band made up of Jossi Bima (vocals), Dodik Bhre (guitar) and Humam Aliy (drums) enters Comatose Music to unveil Hideously Traumatic.
Rooted in an American approach to Brutal Death, the Indonesian band immediately attacks with the thick, Old School sound of Hecatomb, a first composition where the vocal parts stick perfectly to the surge, further testimony to the brutality. The frantic riffs adopt a few piercing harmonics before moving on to Monstrously, which adopts patterns that are initially fairly similar but change quite regularly to diversify their violence, before slowing down and then accelerating again on Heinous and its chaotic rhythm. The drums and their unmistakable snare do wonders for this abrasive track, as do the growls that are heard at full power on Spurted, a jerky, savage composition that strikes constantly and also pours out a fair number of screeching harmonics. A few slower passages add heaviness to the track before giving way to Deceased and its many devastating double-kick eruptions, which perfectly complement the blast before a catchy moshpart, and then the trio continue their carnage until the final sample. Having finished its meal, the beast gives way to Scattered and its shot of fire followed by equally stirring riffs that molest us in their own way, then Convulsively allows us a moment’s respite before taking over to trample us thanks to powerful vociferations and a merciless rhythmic pattern. We move on to the rather short Incessant, where the bass delivers a massive groove, then Abominable rolls over us in the purest Brutal Death tradition before Inebriated takes its place and pours out similar patterns, albeit interspersed with a few slightly quieter moments to reinforce its striking force.
Indonesia knows what it’s doing when it comes to Brutal Death, and Symphobia is one of the scene’s most worthy representatives! Although the Old School American influences are obvious, Hideously Traumatic is still an excellent listen!
85/100
