Enragement – Extinguish All Existence (Review)

Enragement are a Finnish death metal band and this is their fourth album.

Enragement play music that’s rooted in the brutal death metal style, but not limited to it. Across 40 minutes, Extinguish All Existence launches ten vicious tracks at the listener, running them to ground with brutal efficiency and a cruel smile.

The songs are unforgiving and merciless, delivering the sort of murderous heaviness that fans of the style are sure to like. Enragement are pleasingly far less one-dimensional than many bands playing this sort of thing though. Yes, it’s still brutal death metal at heart, but from that barbaric starting point they bring in influences from the old-school, modern, deathcore, technical, and slam styles. They deftly make use of engaging melody, emotive groove, lethal dynamics, atmospheric depth, and more, when they need to. This gives Extinguish All Existence are more varied and well-rounded approach than most. Within its chosen framework of heaviness and brutality, Extinguish All Existence holds the listener’s attention easily.

The songs are well-written and don’t outstay their welcome. Only three songs out of the ten stray beyond four minutes, and although that doesn’t guarantee quality by any means, I like Enragement’s tight, focused, filler-free delivery.

Imagine then, if you will, a base of the brutal death metal style, (Devourment, Disentomb, Indecent Excision, Putridity, etc), then spice it up with aspects of bands like Aborted, Belphegor, Blood Red Throne, Decapitated, Dying Fetus, and Nile. The end result is a crushing album of death metal that destroys the opposition in no uncertain terms.

When you want something brutal, but not boring, reach for Extinguish All Existence. Enragement have unleashed a beast of a record that’s satisfying and enjoyable.

Very highly recommended.