Welcome back metalheads to another episode of The Great Metal Debate podcast. I’m Xander, and today we’re gonna talk about the surprise new album from Abated Mass Of Flesh called The Existence Of Human Suffering.
Abated Mass of Flesh is a slamming brutal death metal band with Christian lyrical content. This band hails from Murfreesboro Tennessee, which means their about two and a half hours from my neck of the woods.
In my opinion, besides the guitarist Zack Plunkett’s side project band Flayed Alive, these guys are without a doubt the heaviest local act in the entire state. Dare I say that any given album within this band’s discography is far superior than a classic album from my high school days – Impending Doom’s Nailed. Dead. Risen. It’s easy to make the comparison, even though the musical and vocal styles are slightly different. However, Abated Mass of Flesh can blow nearly any other Christian metal band completely out of the holy water. Groups such as In the Midst of Lions, I Built The Cross, and Crimson Thorn don’t stand a chance against these guys. The only other Christian brual death metal bands I can think of that could possibly hold a candle to them are Mortification and Encryptor.
The first track on this record begins with the sound of flies buzzing around, along with distant screams of people in distress. This track is titled “Realm of Contorted Perceptions.” And once the intro is complete, we hear a ferocious roar from vocalist Matt Plunckett. His terrifying tunnel-throat technique is backed up by the rest of the band coming in to unleash total eardrum annihilation.
“In The Absence of Time” is the next powerful track that serves up a holy ass-whoopin’ to any sinner who dares listen to it. In the beginning we hear the two guitarists trade guitar chugs briefly as a way to brace you for the full musical impact. “Endlessly Carving” continues the carnage by destroying your remaining four senses once your hearing is gone. Drummer Riley Wingate isn’t the type of brutal death metal drummer your used to hearing. He changes up the way he uses blast beats by actually using all the drums and cymbals on his kit. Most other slam drummers will just sit there and abuse the snare drum and double base throughout the band’s entire discography. Riley makes sure to use all of his toms.
“Throes of Deprivation” is the band’s fourth attempt on this album to crush you with their metal. If you’ve made it this far, there’s a good chance you’ll survive the remainder of the mayhem. The bassist, Amber McKenzie, doesn’t go unnoticed either. Her bass riffs are definitely audible at many spots throughout this release, but this song is the first time we hear it as a stand-alone instrument. “Chambered In Endlessly Decay” will quake the very earth beneath your feet with the thunderous percussion and reverb.
Just because a band is made up of mostly Christian members, and the majority of the lyrical topic is about Christianity, it does not mean that every song must be about God. What a lot of regular, especially non-religious people won’t understand, is that there is a dark side to all things. What a lot of Christian metal bands tend to do is threaten all non-believing fans of their music with eternal damnation, instead of it all being about praising Jesus. This is not what the next track, “Into Hell, Into Shadows,” is about; just like all the other songs on this album, it sounds incredibly hellish.
“Esoteric Mutilation” will keep you on this new-found brutal path to enlightenment. The album closes with the final send-off titled “Maze of Detestible Afflications.” There isn’t much else I can say about this song that I haven’t already praised other songs for.
These guys are very energetic on stage and very entertaining to watch. But when it comes to their studio recording alone, I have to give this album a solid 8 out of 10. You can support Abated Mass of Flesh by liking their Facebook page, and you can buy their music on their Bandcamp.