Iniquitous Monolith have recorded their first full-length release and it's very good and very heavy.
Right off the bat, the first track 'Putrid Vomitorium' throws you into a crushingly heavy, low, moshy, sludge groove. The production is fat. Every instrument can be heard clearly, while also sounding like a cement block being dropped on your ears.
There are a lot of massive death metal guitar squeals and widdly wizardry from Lynton Cessford's guitars and Brad Trevaskis' bass. 'A Horrific Display of Savagery' is particularly spidery, with some riffs and lead parts sounding like they've been played by long, octopus fingers, splayed out across the fretboard. This isn't Dream Theater though. While having technical elements, every song is very low and very weighty.
'Savagery' ends with a particularly horrific film sample, one of many amazing finds on this release, of a child screaming, "Am I gonna die?" The samples are fun, but also add to the overall icky, thick, heavy atmosphere.
The vocals mostly sound like they're dredged up from somewhere deep within Tarren Whitfield's insides; guttural squeals, punctuated by intermittent slightly higher death metal vocal accents. Unlike some of their earlier songs, Monstrous Degradation includes some lyrics which are decipherable. The repeated title "Degraded and Disposed Of" has an earworm quality. There's still plenty of low, indecipherable squeals in there too.
Brendan Nock's drumming is really unique. Double kicks and popping snares run through the entirety of the album, but there a lot of stops and changes throughout. On paper, it seems like songs with this many shifts in them would feel jumpy or disjointed, but Nock's style and the way these songs are constructed make it all feel smooth, while still being blisteringly intense.
Accents and variety are a big part of what makes Iniquitous Monolith stand out for me. They're very heavy, as are many brutal death metal bands, but there is a variety of sounds and moments within every song that help them become more recognisable and memorable. If you're looking for a brutal as fuck release, don't let the words 'variety of sounds' put you off. This is a ballsy, massive, beefy sounding release from start to finish. It just also happens to be interesting and clever.
Their previous two EPs were very good, particularly 2022's Sledgehammered, but Monstrous Degradation is a big step up. If you like your death metal low and heavy, this is a must. Easily one of the best metal releases of 2024.
BenPM - Nightbreed Metal Radio