This is the debut album from Australian death metallers Hormagaunt.
Although In the Flesh quietly oozed into life at the end of 2022 I couldn’t resist its mouldy charms, so here we are. Get ready for a 31-minute trip into the foulest and nastiest death metal swamps.
In the Flesh is dark and sinister. The music is brutal and unforgiving, but laced with grim atmosphere and macabre moods. Hormagaunt are capable of crafting the sort of death metal that merges brutality and barbarity with technical finesse, melodic flourishes, and atmospheric weight.
The songs are firmly rooted in the old-school, yet also have modern elements that allow the band to take strengths from multiple areas. Well-written and stuffed with serrated hooks, these tracks exude confidence as they skewer and maim. The leads worm their way under your skin the more that you are exposed to their cruel barbs, while the riffs do the same only with blunt force trauma. The dark growls are expressive and sound hungry for brains. As death metal songs go Hormagaunt’s have many selling points, and overall In the Flesh is a strong debut for the band.
Hormagaunt combine elements of acts such as Morbid Angel, Immolation, Tomb Mold, and Faceless Burial into music that stands proud on its own. In the Flesh is a prime cut of rotting meaty goodness that any fan of bands like these should taste and savour.
Very highly recommended.
Wonderbox Metal 