Remember a few years ago when all you nerds were wearing Pit Vipers and losing your shit over any band that sounded remotely like Entombed, Bolt Thrower, or Mortician? You didn’t think I’d be quick to forget, did you? Well I haven’t. Truth be told, the hype surrounding the “OSDM” boom of the late 2010s was a lot more memorable than most of the bands of the movement themselves. The key word here is “most”. There are a few exceptions. One of them is Sanguisugabogg.
I remember just a couple summers ago when they dropped their debut demo, Pornographic Seizures. It was as if they took the entire death metal world by storm overnight. What was it? The impossible to pronounce name? The stupidly low vocals and even lower riffs? It was likely a combination both. All I know is whenever I’d have to run a quick errand and wouldn’t be in the car more than 15 minutes, Pornographic Seizures was a go to listen. I couldn’t tell if the looks of disgust from those outside were in approval of the nasty riffs or disapproval of the music altogether. Considering my neighborhood is almost as nerdy as this new breed of death metal fans, I’ll assume the latter.
That brings us to today, March 26, in the year of our Lord 2021. Sanguisugabogg has bestowed upon us their debut full length, Tortured Whole. And my goodness is it disgustingly delightful. People complain about AC/DC putting out the same record for 40 years. Sure they’re predictable. Maybe even at times monotonous. But they’re memorable, enjoyable, and clearly great at what they do, otherwise they wouldn’t still be topping Billboard charts in their 70s. After one listen to Tortured Whole, I could see Sanguisugabogg carving out a niche as the “AC/DC of modern death metal”, because despite being predictable, they too are memorable, enjoyable, and clearly great at what they do.
Now while I use the term “modern death metal”, there isn’t much “modern” to Sanguisugabogg. Though not blatantly as old school worshipping as some of their peers, there are several characteristics of their sound that recall the glory days of late 80s and early 90s death metal. Guitarist Cameron Boggs has a real knack for writing riffs with the attitude and hooks of classic thrash metal. Cuts like “Dragged by a Truck” and the title track feature moments that remind me of Sepultura and early Death. It’s a startling contrast to the caveman riffs that dominate this release, but it works. Speaking of caveman riffs, there’s no shortage of those. From the knuckle dragging insanity of “Gored in the Chest” and the painfully slow grooves of “Felching Filth”, to the menacing chug of “Dick Filet” and THICK slams of “Menstrual Envy”, Tortured Whole is bound to lower your IQ to the single digits in a little under 35 minutes. My choice cut is “Dead as Shit”. Why? Because this song is what Celtic Frost would sound like if Tom G. Warrior wore Pit Vipers instead of corpsepaint. Can I get an OUGH?!
Amazingly, Sanguisugabogg have managed to make a brutal death metal album that deviates from the usual Suffocation/Dying Fetus worship we’ve come to expect of the genre. Not only that, but they’re also having fun doing so. The reason I and so many others mock today’s crop of death metal bands is because they take themselves too damn seriously. There’s no reason for these bands to carry on this “no smiling, no fun” facade, especially if they’re just replicating something that’s already been done and perfected 30 years ago. So when a band like Sanguisugabogg comes along with juvenile subject matter, dumb riffs, and slamming rhythms, it’s a breath of fresh air. Well, I don’t know about “fresh” per se. If anything, they probably smell more like a ruptured septic tank, but you get the idea.
8 out of 10
Label: Century Media Records
Genre: Brutal Death Metal
For fans of: Mortician, Cannibal Corpse, Undeath