Church of Disgust, (featuring a member of Necrofier), are a death metal band from the US and this is their third album.
It’s been quite a while since the one-two gut punch of 2014’s Unworldly Summoning and 2016’s Veneration of Filth, although it seems that the band did release an EP in 2020, and a couple of splits before that, all of which I sadly missed. Regardless, Weak Is the Flesh is now here to swamp us with 41 minutes of old-school death metal filth, and it knows that we like it.
Yes, the old-school vibes are strong with this one, and the result is a quality slab of gruesome death metal. Brutal aggression and macabre atmosphere collide, with morbid riffs and swallowing-broken-glass vocals leading the charge. You can hear a thrash influence in some of the faster sections, which is tastefully subsumed into the band’s deathly framework.
The band know how to write catchy, memorable death metal, and have a good appreciation of dynamics and pacing. Whether it’s razorblade speed, atmospheric melodies, or slow malevolent crawls, Church of Disgust know what they’re doing with the style. This is proper old-school death metal worship, and it’s very, very good.
There are many standout moments across these songs. Killer riffs are commonplace, and Weakest Is the Flesh easily holds – nay, demands – the listener’s attention. I particularly enjoy the guitar solos. There are some especially sinister moods and atmospheres on the album too, which add a lot of depth to the material. Church of Disgust are very capable no matter what speed they’re operating at, and even though I essentially like all of their work equally on Weakest Is the Flesh, when they sometimes sink into a slow, sickeningly malignant riff, it is especially satisfying. Honestly, some of the band’s riffs are just devastatingly crushing.
Church of Disgust have returned strong. The flesh may be weak, but the band’s old-school death metal is not.
Highly recommended.
Wonderbox Metal 