Split EPs have always been a great way to explore the darkest recesses of the underground, and this five-track offering from death merchants Exhumed and Gruesome is no exception. Opening the EP, Exhumed are a frantic, furious death metal experience delivered at a BPM liable to induce epilepsy thanks to Mike Hamilton’s frankly insane performance behind the kit. In contrast, Gruesome take a dirtier approach that is no less intense for all that it harks back to the earliest Obituary albums. With suitably grotesque artwork on offer, and available on CD, vinyl and digital via Relapse, Twisted Horror is a perfectly-named EP for gore-fiends and blast-beat fanatics everywhere.
The EP opens with Exhumed, whose opening gambit, Rot Your Brain, is worthy of a trip to the asylum. With the split vocals of Matt Harvey and Ross Sewage slamming through the mix it is, nevertheless, the dizzying percussive work of Mike Hamilton that will leave listener’s breathless at the sheer ferocity and technicality on display. It makes for a bruising lead track and, at just over four minutes in length, Exhumed make use of every single second to utterly subdue their audience. A shorter, sharper assault, Buried To Die makes up in malevolence what it loses in length, the full-bodied, thrash-style production allowing Ross’ sanguine bass plenty of room to manoeuvre amidst the razor-sharp riffing and fretboard shredding lead work of Matt Harvey and Sebastian Philllips. Exhumed make one last stand with Dead, Deader, Deadest, a chilling assault on the senses that recalls the near-untouchable might of Cannibal Corpse and the virulent grind of Pig Destoyer in equal measure. With just three tracks on offer, Exhumed more than make their mark, and the first half of the EP is rounded out on a sweaty high.
With a mere two tracks on offer, Gruesome have a lot of ground to make up. It takes a moment to shake off the shock of the raw, gritty production (the audio equivalent of switching from the HD gloss of a major studio production to the grimy horror of late 70s exploitation movies), but as the guitars of Matt Harvey (busy chap, that one) and Daniel Gonzalez coalesce around Gus Rios’ defiantly tinny percussive blasts, it all starts to come back into focus. Here, Matt takes an approach more reminiscent of John Tardy, his throat peeling and blistered as he recounts his tales of complete mental collapse. Yet, for all the darkness, Gruesome adopt a powerful groove that is strangely hypnotic, and you’d be hard pressed to listen for any length of time and not windmill until your vertebrae snap in protest. Second track, A Mind Decayed is similarly brutal, opening with a searing thrash riff that sets the pulse racing even before the drums kick in. It brings the EP to an immensely satisfying close, both bands having acquitted themselves exceptionally well whilst offering up a suitably varied take on death metal.
Twisted Horror is a treat for death metal fans. Each band has their own approach and, despite sharing a lead vocalist, come across as substantially different in their approach to both song-writing and production. From the tougher, better-produced brutality of Exhumed to the sinewy horror of Gruesome, the EP remains remarkably powerful throughout. If I had to choose a highlight, it would be the grimy horror of Gruesome’s Led Into The Dark, although it’s a close-run thing. From the impressive musicianship on offer in both bands, to the frantic malevolence of the delivery, this is a potent double dose of extremity and well worth investigating. 8.5/10
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