I’m back, again! For those who don’t follow our Facebook page (and if you don’t, what’s your problem?), the reason for this latest mini-hiatus was an impromptu voyage to the Wisconsin Dells: The redneck capitol of the north. It was fun, as always, but I’d be lying if I said after a couple days away from my beloved bedroom desk and Lenovo laptop, I wasn’t longing for home. Besides, there’s only so much cheese, waterparks, and tacky storefronts selling knockoff Labubus one can take before losing their grip on sanity for good. What better way to reacquaint myself than with a short and anything but sweet EP of pure death metal?
First Metastasis is the debut offering from Czech death metallers, Cancer Void. The members (or at least the ones listed on Metal Archives thus far) have all done time in various other outfits before officially joining forces last year. One short year later, and here they are coming to us via none other than Me Saco un Ojo Records: A label that specializes in all metal devious and deadly. First Metastasis are indeed those two descriptors, as well as another “d”, doomy, yet not in the manner one might expect.
The sort of death/doom Cancer Void specializes in recall the murky, cavernous stylings of Autopsy and Incantation, as opposed atmospheric, gothic-tinged stylings of the Peaceville Three. Following the obligatory horror synth intro, cuts like “Breeding Pyramids” and “Encased in Veins” contrast monolithic doom riffs with maggot-riddled death. The latter especially is an equal showcase of death and doom, the beginning and end focusing on a treacherous doom riff, while the middle is packed with grinding outbursts, thrashing madness, and even a blast of Entombed flavored d-beats.
The latter half of First Metastasis dials the doom down yet another notch, particularly on my choice cut, “Ammonia Baths”. Equal parts rabid and repulsive, this chaotic OSDM rager is loaded with flying d-beats, gut-wrenching gutturals, and face-melting riffage, all of which are drenched in that unmistakable Autopsy ooze. I tell myself, “I dig this even more than the slow songs!”, and the first half of the closing “Cosmic Caverns of Extinction” reinforces this philosophy. What starts as an unrelenting death metal onslaught then devolves into a miserably painful Mental Funeral tinged crawl, bludgeoning the listener like a musical sledgehammer. I’d give it two thumbs up, but my digits have been reduced to mere pulp.
Whether they’re dooming it up, deathing it up, or d-beating it in between (insert your innuendo here), Cancer Void are certainly a band to keep your sunken eye sockets focused on in the future. They boast a knack for devastating riffage, a memorable sound that recalls the old school without sounding redundant, and a lasting attack no matter what style of death metal they’re playing. Put all these ingredients together, and you’ve got a recipe for a compelling death metal release. Hopefully they can keep this rotten, decomposing stew bubbling for a full length, preferably sooner than later!
7 out of 10
Label: Me Saco un Ojo Records
Genre: Death Metal
For fans of: Autopsy, Incantation, Extinguished