There are some bands out there who aren’t necessarily the most refined or revered in their field, but what it is they do, few do like them. Such is the case for Dipygus. Despite forming way back in 2013, this band first caught my attention in 2019 with the release of their debut album, Deathooze. Specifically, they caught the attention of my buddy Aaren Pantke from Molder first, who then turned me onto them, so thanks Aaren! In hindsight, such a recommendation isn’t too surprising. Dipygus draws from the same old school death metal well as Molder, but I digress.
Fast forward five years later and these maniacal mutants are still cranking out some of the most unsettling death metal known to man with the release of their latest full length, Dipygus. Much like Bushmeat (2021) and Deathooze before it, Dipygus is a disgusting display of primitive death, chock full of horrific tales of what may lurk among us. The prospect of cryptids are disturbing enough in their own right. Couple this with a collection of songs that come off as the lost death metal soundtrack of a horror flick and you’ve got pure nightmare fuel.
Dipygus opens with the aptly titled “Perverse Termination (Bulb of Force)”. Boasting the murky riffage and unholy gutturals of both Autopsy and Impetigo, this IQ lowering display of brute force establishes the mood for the rest of the album, which ranges from lethal to harrowing (sometimes both). “AquaGenesis” is filled with those aforementioned horror film traits with its eerie guitar lines and dense atmosphere, while “Monrovia, LR 1990” and “Vipers at the Pony Keg” are pure metallic barbarism: Old school death metal with a punky attitude problem and pummeling double bass drums.
The latter half of Dipygus shifts towards a Mental Funeral-esque brand of death/doom, with more emphasis on the former than the latter. This starts with “Огромный Кальмар (Ross Sea Trawler)”: A nasty rager that takes no prisoners. “The Dover Demon” is undoubtedly one of the highlights, accentuated by a barrage of gory riffs and a Chris Reifert-esque drum sound. Bringing it all together is the 11 and a half minute death/doom dirge, “Sacral Brain”. I can’t help but think this was placed at the end as a musical litmus test, because it’s absolutely murderous. The deadly passages bludgeon our skulls to a million tiny pieces. The doomy passages make us WISH we were dead. Mission accomplished!
Dipygus isn’t necessarily any better or worse than its predecessors. I also can’t say I’d recommend it to your everyday neighborhood death metallist, as even they might be taken aback by the sheer brutality of this album. If that last sentence caught your attention, and you believe you have the mental and physical stamina to withstand such a punishing affair, then by all means get your grubby mitts on this album. Crank it until you can’t. In fact, don’t come suing us if after one listen you feel the urge to join a cannibal colony in a faraway land.
7 out of 10
Label: Memento Mori
Genre: Death Metal
For fans of: Autopsy, Impetigo, Cerebral Rot