What’s up, Butcher Crew?! It’s your Master Butcher, The Saw, and I have another kickass album to talk about today that made my 2022 AOTY list.

We all know by now how much I love death metal — especially the new wave of death metal we listen to in The Catacombs in The Saw’s Butcher Shop. The album we will be talking about today is from a band that is one of the staple pieces of this new wave of death metal — Vomit Forth.

I’ve heard about Vomit Forth for a few years now. But it wasn’t until 2021 that I started listening to them more frequently. I got to see Vomit Forth when they went on tour with Sanguisugabogg, Guilty View, Inoculation, and Frozen Soul. I really enjoyed Vomit Forth’s set and their sound, so I started listening to them regularly. I’m glad I found this band when I did because their new album is impeccable!

Vomit Fort released Seething Malevolence (Century Media) on July 8, 2022, and it embodies everything about the old school death metal sound. Each song on this record is filled with ‘90s style riffs, drum licks, blast beats, and vocals. If you didn’t know it was 2022, you would probably think Seething Malevolence was released in the ‘90s. The music videos also have the old school VHS feel to them. The music videos are also pretty brutal — especially the video for the title track.

Some will say that Seething Malevolence brings nothing new to the table because its paying tribute to old school death metal. Many bands like 200 Stab Wounds, Gatecreeper, Undeath, Sanguisugabogg, Phobophilic, and more are creating similar styles of music. But like I mentioned in previous reviews: creating a great album doesn’t mean they have to invent a new style or sound. If you can create a death metal album that sounds like it came straight from the ‘90s, then that’s equally as impressive! You don’t have to create something new or groundbreaking to be good —when you execute the basic principles perfectly, you’re going to create a masterpiece.

While the sound of Seething Malevolence is pure old school death metal (which we both know I love), what makes Vomit Forth stand out are their lyrics. In an interview with V13, vocalist Kane Gelaznik spoke about how he wants to change and expand on the way people view death metal. The band put a lot into the record, not just with their riffs, but also lyrically. When you listen to the record, you can’t help but feel like darkness, anger, and uneasiness is surrounding you — and that’s exactly what the band wanted.

Gelaznik encourages listeners to pay attention and hear all the tiny details they put in Seething Malevolence. Vomit Forth wanted to make not just a death metal album, but a record that will make you feel certain emotions and dive into topics that listeners may be suppressing. In other words, Vomit Forth wants you to think about your own experience while being absolutely terrified by their sound. Love it!!

For example, on Carnivorous Incantation, Gelaznik explains that the track is a self-reflective song which talks about how abuse effects our psyche. The song is explaining the process of externalizing and understanding your trauma, and finally overcoming it. Now don’t get it twisted, while Vomit Forth may have created a death metal concept album, the lyrics are still brutal and badass.

When looking at the theme of the album in general, Gelaznik stated that “Seething Malevolence is a declaration of war against a world we hate for hating us. We’ve never fit in anywhere and we made music for people who felt the same way. We’re too hardcore for death metal and too death metal for hardcore. So we decided to make the hardest death metal song in hardcore, and the hardest hardcore song in death metal. We aren’t afraid to be who we are and we won’t ever stop. For anyone who is pissed off and feels alone. This is for you.”

I think this statement explains Seething Malevolence perfectly because the entire album sounds angry and violent. But it also gives listeners a sense that they’re not alone — which is what attracts a lot of us to the music.

Overall, I really enjoyed Seething Malevolence! It has everything I love about death metal and hardcore on one record. I love how this band wants you to bang your head, mosh, and relate to the music, but they also want you to think.

Favorite song(s): Unrecognizable, Carnivorous Incantation, and Predatory Savior.

Rating: 9.5/10 — A perfect representation of the wave of new school death metal!

Stay Metal,

THE SAW