Fulci – Duck Face Killings (Review)

Fulci are an Italian death metal band and this is their fourth album.

Fulci have made a name for themselves by combing classic old-school death metal with equally classic old-school horror soundtrack sounds, and in this specialist area they excel. Duck Face Killings continues with Fulci’s chosen artform, and delivers a bloodthirsty 33-minute death metal masterclass.

Fulci’s death metal is atavistic and brutal. It may take influence from the likes of Bolt Thrower, Cannibal Corpse, Devourment, and Six Feet Under, (and similar), but Fulci also manage to deeply infuse their work with its own character. The band have a real knack for taking the base ingredients of death metal and making them their own. When you hear Fulci, you know it is Fulci.

The songs are short, catchy, and merciless. Fulci know how to craft gory riffs, steamroller groove, macabre atmosphere, and lethal vocal patterns that come from a vocalist with an unusually expressive growl. These are songs that are concise, play to all of their strengths, and packed with the sort of hooks that you rarely find these days.

The horror-soaked atmospheres are further enhanced by the soundtrack side of the music, which supplies an authentically creepy feel when they appear. Duck Face Killings deploys this aspect of Fulci’s music in much the same way as previous works – intros/interludes, etc. – but overall there’s less of this than on some previous Fulci releases. The primary focus here is primarily on good old-fashioned death metal.

There are two guests on the record. The first consists of rap vocals on the song Knife from a hip hop band I’m unfamiliar with called Non Phixion. Fulci have dabbled in this area before, (with success), and this new track is no different. Of the second, this comes from the vocalist of Skinless, who lends his fearsome roar to Human Scalp Condition.

Fulci have brutally carved out their own niche in the death metal landscape, and they’re undeniably a force to be reckoned with. I was looking forward to hearing Duck Face Killings and it hasn’t disappointed. This is hideously good fun. How Fulci manage to take a relatively simple old-school formula and keep churning out winning music with it is anyone’s guess. But they do, and we love it.

Don’t miss out on this juicy slice of death metal nastiness.