Vitriol – Suffer & Become

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Portland, Oregon-based death metal four-piece Vitriol launched its second full-length album “Suffer & Become” on January 26th, 2024, via Century Media Records and while there is an interesting quality attributed to the insane drumming work, the band opted for a brutalized and blackened sound in general. Fronted by Kyle Rasmussen (vocals, guitars), Adam Roethlisberger (vocalist, bass), Daniel Martinez (guitars), and Matt Kilner (drums) Vitriol managed to keep its furious amalgamation of fast-paced guitar riffs and swift tempo changes in sync with monstrous growls. The bombastic guitar arrangements and the drums propel a hail of blast beats and the guitar solos, and the melodies share the spotlight the album is bloated and stuffed full of chunky riffs.

The opening song “Shame and its Afterbirth” unveils how Vitriol keeps things focused at lightning speed there is unspeakable brutality that spans furious sonic blasts whether it is from the machine-gun drumming or the heavy riff work. The growl-inflected vocals immediately shatter your eardrums, providing sickening high-pitched vocals that are very similar to grindcore/death metal bands such as Cattle Decapitated and Exhumed.

The unhinged madness is best showcased on a track such as “Flowers of Sadism” and offers sheer technique, though much of the focus is brought by the chaotic grinding drums. Most of the songs on the album rip along at a brutal pace. And while the guitars tackle blistering riff patterns the whole atmosphere then suddenly builds on an apocalyptic and ominous synth section, the album is filled with insane blast beats.

Nursing from the Mother Wound” conveys complex but chunky brutal death metal riffs with extremely volatile and incredible dynamics that show the grandiosity of the composition. The drums ignite into a furious transition with dissonant guitar layers showing a sense of visceral performance. The onslaught of the brutal carnage continues with tracks like “The Isolating Lie of Learning Another” thrust into a sonic force while the melodic guitar elements and the slow opening of the track seemingly outburst with dissonant guitars and brutal chord slabs. However, Vitriol extends its grip on melodies and chunky grooves erupting in a violent inferno, the ambient sections are embedded and layered with screechy barbaric vocals.

Suffer & Become” seems to combine the best elements of Vitriol, the grindcore approach is widely showcased on the album, but what stands out is the sheer performance of these talented individuals. “Survival’s Careening Inertia” is one of the best cuts on the album. This instrumental song starts with a slow guitar chord when the drums hit the velocity in a flawless complex performance courtesy of the guitarist Daniel Martinez (Ex-Atheist) lead the way in a gorgeous melodic section which sounds unbelievably great!

Then all hell breaks loose as the drums inject some insane blasting sections that remain the pulverizing backbone of the songs, the guitar solos and the songwriting are memorable and fresh, which makes the album truly compelling and superb. Some of the most blast-induced tracks are “Weaponized Loss” and “Flood of Predation” which spew nauseating high-pitched growls and blistering drumming work. The intricate guitars are full of brilliance, and it seems that Vitriol has honed its craft on the sophomore release, the ambient apocalyptic soundscapes are perfectly layered within the song composition.

The modern deathgrind elements are ostensible and some furious tremolo-picked riffs perfectly emote the style of Swedish black metal. It’s a very odd concoction of blackened death metal, and though most of the songs use catchy hooks and memorable melodies, one can easily say that Vitriol has captured brutality and intensity giving us a modern blackened brutal death metal beast of an album.

Locked in thine Frothing Wisdom” and “I Am Every Enemy” start with a brutalized drumming work, and the amount of blast beats delivered on these two tracks will grind you to ashes. There is also an aspect of diversity in the album, the tempos come abruptly crushing your eardrums with furious blasting and massive riff barrages. “Suffer & Become” may not be preferable for the old school death metal fans but if you are into bands like Nile, Cattle Decapitation, Cephalic Carnage, and Anaal Nathrakh then rest assured because you should expect nothing but some modern quality of brutal grindcore death metal.

The closing track “He Will Fight Savagely” is a hybrid mixture of ferocious blast beats, screeching vocals, and low-pitched growls, the guitar engages in a furious violent riffing with grooves thrown into the rotten concoction of frenzied brutality.

REVIEW SCORE

  • Music / Songwriting 8/10
  • Vocals / Lyrics 8/10
  • Mix / Production 10/10
  • Artwork & Packaging 9/10
  • Originality 8/10
8.6

Words may not justify the level of barbarity on this record but the Oregon-based quartet takes their game into a stomping set of chunky riffs accompanied by fast blast beats, you have been warned!

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