This is the latest EP from US death metallers Father Befouled.
I last caught up with Father Befouled on 2017’s Desolate Gods. Since then the band have released an EP, a live album, a split, and another album in 2022 called Crowned in Veneficium, none of which I heard at the time, unfortunately. This streak of missed opportunities to let the band crush me with their blasphemous brand of death metal ends now, with the 26-minute Immaculate Pain.
Immaculate Pain contains three new songs and two covers. I like a good EP, so let’s dive in and see what we have here.
The EP’s title track starts us off with an eerie riff that’s pure old-school death metal, while ramping up the levels of menace. This is tasty stuff. It has a decent, rough-yet-good sound that’s very satisfying, and the song is well-written and delivered with gusto. The singer’s voice is disgustingly monstrous. There’s a doom influence that’s filthy, and at no point does the song sound healthy or less than evil.
Impotent Faith is up next, opening with chest-thumping brutality, before a churning riff picks up pace. Father Befouled mean to demolish everything around them that’s for sure. Like the previous track this is a well-honed blend of the brutal and the sinister, melding malevolent doomy heaviness and macabre atmosphere with ease.
The final original song here, and the longest, is Abomination of Flesh. The weight of apocalyptic doom drags the song into the abyss, where it flowers with foul nightmare blossoms that are ripe with malefic venom. The song reeks of plague and unholy might. All three of these tracks are thoroughly enjoyable, but this is an exemplar of pestilent death/doom that’s remarkably strong.
The first cover song is a faithful rendition of Morbid Angel‘s Pain Divine, even down to the less guttural vocal delivery. The original is particular favourite of yours truly, so it’s great to hear it performed by Father Befouled. A glorious hymn to the ancient gods of DEATH METAL.
The EP ends with a cover of Vulgar Necrolatry by Abhorrence. I’m only familiar with the original due to Amorphis‘ version, but it’s clear that Father Befouled do a good job once more.
As I said earlier, I like a good EP, and Immaculate Pain qualifies. Father Befouled continue to impress every time I hear them. If you’re a fan of bands such as Corpsessed, Fossilization, Incantation, Immolation, Phobophilic, Ritual Necromancy, and the like, then you’ll want to hear what this EP has to offer.
Right then, I’m off to dig out Crowned in Veneficum and see what filth I’ve missed out on.
Wonderbox Metal 