This is the third album from Japanese death metallers Pharmacist.
Vertebrae after Vertebrae consists of seven delightfully brutal pieces of rotten offal. Each one vomits forth a disgusting eruption of malignancy, as if Pharmacist have chewed on too much ancient Carcass and Exhumed and are now paying the price as their insides expel the horror in direct and horrible ways.
The thing is though, despite its obvious influences, Vertebrae after Vertebrae is very good and offers more than you might reasonably expect. It manages to showcase its love for the style, while also allowing for the band’s own collective personality to come through. Pharmacist have carved their way into the hearts and bowels of fans of putrescent death metal and goregrind for a reason; they know their gruesome, bloody work well.
Spread across 37 minutes are songs that are longer than a curious listener might expect, given the style. Pharmacist use this time to wade deep into the filth in search of the sharpest riffs and the most unhealthy stenches.
These songs twist and turn, tracing the path of endlessly looping entrails through seas of foul excremental filth. Writhing with gory unlife and twitching with malevolent hunger, Vertebrae after Vertebrae is here to lay waste to cleanliness and order. It’s dark, dank, foetid, sickening, and downright nasty, yet is also remarkably satisfying.
There’s a complexity here that belies its caustic exterior. Beneath the ever-present brutality Pharmacist dish out with impunity lies a well-developed desire to craft intricate and engaging soundscapes. Covered in dark fluids and ugly heaviness it may be, but Vertebrae after Vertebrae is surprisingly well-constructed. Pharmacist’s grasp of structure, dynamics, pacing, and impact is impressive. These festering songs contain detailed landscapes for the inoculated listener to explore at length.
Flecks of decaying melody and mood-focused arterial sprays sit alongside echoes of Brodequin-style merciless intensity and Pissgrave-esque inhuman butchery. And bloody Hell, there are so many riffs you don’t know where to look…Vertebrae after Vertebrae is a monster. The sheer amount of riffs on this damn thing is insane, but it’s how they are strung together on rusty meathooks that’s the really impressive thing. Pharmacist’s songwriting is comprehensive in its worldbuilding.
The hideous vocals are almost incidental; Vertebrae after Vertebrae is all about the raw instrumental power. It’s a malevolent entity of pure lethal force. Of course, the vocal outbursts still serve a purpose, and are well-performed by some form of bloodthirsty ravenous mutant, but it’s hard to look past the musical chops on display. Ultimately, Pharmacist have the whole package though, and there are no weak links here at all.
If you have had your shots and are inured to this form of atavistic gore metal then Vertebrae after Vertebrae has much to offer in the way of bloody sights.
Essential listening.
Wonderbox Metal 