Laceration Mantra

Prolonging the Pain

Obsidian Records 2011

Australia is not really known for technical or brutal death metal, but that all might change once people get ahold of the debut album from Brisbane's Laceration Mantra.  Taking an old school style and merging it with modern technical aspects Prolonging The Pain is a nonstop flurry of carnage.  Thrown to the Wolves starts the melee with some chugging grooves and some intense blasting death metal.  At times I reminded a lot of early Deicide, think Legion era speedy devastation but with a stronger focus on instrumental prowess.   Bubbling guitar solos and a monstrous groove constantly smash against each others as Purveyors Of Torment gets underway.  But don't be fooled, a shotgun blast of speed shreds your face before some midtempo stomping makes its presence felt.  A faint melody slices its way across the main riff on my favorite track, The Innermost.  The track then shifts gears for some brutal grooves putting the modern roots on full display.  Stop-start blasts at around the 2 minute mark brings to mind Immolation's debut album.  A total old-school sounding deathrash riff grabs your throat on Victims Of Hate, echoes of early Grave are present here too.  A thrashier feel is painted across Surreal Reality like blood spatter at a crime scene.  Unlike its predecessor, the title-track alternates chugging grooves and brutal breakdowns with diabolical blasts of speed and Deicide references once again resurface.  One more point of prominence are the vocals, some guttural while others are sharply honed shrieks somewhat like Glenn Benton in his prime.  Laceration Mantra has done an almost perfect job of marrying old school feeling and modern technical sensibilities and crushing groove.  Brutal and demonic, Prolonging The Pain will slash your flesh and eviscerate you with razor sharp vocals and precision guitars.