I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve spent the better part of this decade going to bat for Sanguisugabogg, and rather enthusiastically at that. When naysayers cried, “They’re just a bunch of trend-hoppers playing death metal at its lowest common denominator.” I’d reply, “Maybe so, but at least they got riffs!” Make no mistake, the oft-maligned Tortured Whole (2021) and Homicidal Ecstasy (2023) quickly became weight room favorites, and their sets at fests like Psycho Las Vegas 2022 and Milwaukee Metal Fest 2023 were stupid for all the right reasons. Which is why it pains me to say that all the past praise in the world can’t make up for the immeasurable disappointment that is the band’s third album, Hideous Aftermath.
As someone who’s been following this band from the moment they dropped their Pornographic Seizures demo, believe me when I say I’m as shocked as the lot of you to be typing this. I gave Hideous Aftermath repeated listens over the course of nearly a month (I should be entitled to compensation), and came to the same conclusion every time: While there’s no doubt this is the ‘Bogg’s darkest album to date, it is far from their finest hour, and falls short in just about every department from writing and riffs, to cohesion and execution.
Before ya boy lays down the law, let’s tackle what Hideous Aftermath does well. The opening “Rotted Entanglement” is prime Bogg, complete with blasting drums, violent riffs that slam as hard as they maim, and those lower than hell gutturals of frontman Devin Swank. There’s also a significant amount of Steve Tucker era Morbid Angel dissonance, which makes this song quite unique. Had Hideous Aftermath been 45 minutes of this, perhaps you’d be reading a different review right now. There are also parts (key word here) of songs that go hard as ever. The thrashy outburst in “Felony Abuse of a Corpse” leaves us wishing the whole song had followed this frantic pace, and the suffocating bleakness of “Heinous Testimony” is bound to raise an eyebrow or two. Unfortunately, my praise ends here.
Despite always being part of that death metal/hardcore crop I rightfully scoff at, ‘Bogg managed to standout from the pack with catchy songs and a Chris Barnes era Cannibal Corpse brutality. On Hideous Aftermath, said songs become far too reliant on brainless breakdowns and slams, sounding less like a death metal album and more like a glorified beatdown album in disguise. Whether it be “Ritual of Autophagia” or “Abhorrent Contraception”, “Erotic Beheading” or “Sanctified Defilement”, the lion’s share of this album bleeds into each other with no sense of direction. There’s also a glut of guest appearances, giving off a strong “‘Bogg and Friends” vibe, and resulting in songs that sound less like ‘Bogg and more like the respective bands of the guest artist. Take the nearly 8 minute (!!!) closer, “Paid in Flesh”, which boasts the same eyeroll-inducing, hipster death metal pretentiousness as Dylan Walker’s main band, Full of Hell.
Heck, it just occurred to me that I didn’t even tackle the Nine Inch Nails-esque tomfoolery of “Repulsive Demise” (e-girl death metal, anyone?), but the less that’s said about that one the better. As I sit here, stewing in the hideous aftermath of Hideous Aftermath, I find myself astonished: Not just by how the ‘Bogg has fallen, but by how so many of you in the metal web-sphere are hyping this up. This is not a daring reinvention, nor is it a modern day masterpiece. This is the type of death metal propped up by dorks like Anthony Fantano who’ve never listened to a note of Impetigo or Deceased in their lives. If you fall into that category, in the words of J-Dawg, “TAAAAPPPEEE THAT MOUTH SHUT!!!” And as for ‘Bogg, I can only hope album #4 marks the inevitable full circle “return to the roots” era that every band eventually reaches, because this album ain’t it dawg.
3 out of 10
Label: Century Media Records
Genre: Brutal Death Metal
For fans of: 200 Stab Wounds, Fulci, Cattle Decapitation