This is the second release from US deathgrinders Maltheist.

Five songs, 11 minutes of filth. Yes, this is deathgrind mayhem and underground carnage. We like.

I find the combination of death metal muscle and grindcore intensity that’s on offer here quite satisfying. The tracks provide a variety of paces and speeds, all aimed at providing short songs to tear things apart to.

The band have a clear predilection for actual riffs, rather than attempting to be the fastest, or most brutal act around. There’s plenty of brutality here, of course, but Servile throws a few other riff-based elements into the mix too, and attempts to use structure and dynamics a lot more than a lot of deathgrind purveyors.

The vocals mix a few different styles into their delivery, from pitch-black deathgrowls, to roaring shouts and piercing screams. It’s all delivered well and with more character than you might expect. Very nice. Or not, I suppose, but you know what I mean.

The sound is satisfyingly organic and raw. It sounds as if the music was recorded and then dragged through the muck. This is not a bad thing at all.

Apparently this is a demo, but it sounds like a well-formed EP to me. Either way, check this out, as it’s pretty damn good.

Favourite Track: Foot Soldiers. Bringing the doom, before ramping up into a rage.