This is the debut release from Strangle Wire, an Irish death metal band.

The songs have a thick, heavy sound that reeks of darkness and death. And don’t get me started on the deep growling vocals…darkness and death doesn’t cover it. Yikes.

So, this is a very strong debut release, to put it mildly.

Both songs presented to us are punchy and crisp examples of classic death metal. Falling somewhere between the jackhammer aggression of Cannibal Corpse, the chugging groove of Dying Fetus, and the song-focused sensibilities of old-school death metal; Narcissism is a timeless example of how great death metal is as a style. Strangle Wire exemplify these traits really well already in their short existence.

Brief snatches of melody are used to add atmosphere and colour to the dark riffs, and overall the tracks are well-written and have a quite a lot of memorable and catchy elements. On first listen it’s clear that the band are doing many things right and the more you listen to them the more you want to listen to them.

A highly respectable first couple of steps for this new band. Narcissism is extremely enjoyable and heralds great things for the future I think.

Very highly recommended.