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CAUSTIC PHLEGM
Putrefying Flesh (2022)

Scotland’s bowels have erupted once again and amongst the slithering cysts, faecal ooze and bubbling innards is the demo debut from Caustic Phlegm. This is three tracks of horrifying and nasty death metal featuring some of the ghastliest vocal slurps I’ve heard for years.

I never thought I’d see Scotland at the forefront of death metal in any decade, but there have been some very tasty releases of late and this is one of the best. Putrefying Flesh gives off a manky odour with its guitar tone and cracks bones with its percussion. It also provides a perfect soundtrack to a horde of scurrying zombie rats munching on the flesh of hapless victims.

‘Septic Stomp’ is one of the best death metal tracks I’ve heard this year; the cut is rank with its sloppy vocal menace but relentless in its putrid tumult. And as we wade through the festering rivers of the title track and ‘Retch Of Death’ there’s flashes of the Swedish scene but with added gruesome traits propelled by those foul, squalid vocals sneer.

Caustic Phlegm aren’t just about the horror though, deep within this garbage can of stinking gore lies a vein of melody as squelching riffs roll with such a rancid nature whether mid-tempo or with bursts of sickening speed. I just never thought death metal could get so sopping wet in the liquefying remains of its own bowels.

That title track pretty much moves away from actual musical rhythms and exists as a nasty, organic behemoth of writhing limbs and crusted, congealed offal. Meanwhile, the dirty riff of ‘Retch Of Death’ leaves a horrible crust upon the skin before it picks up speed but remains a rusty chainsaw carving through flesh and bone while the distant, primal vocal expressions are mere unearthly slime-ridden howls no doubt caused by involuntary spasms of anguish.

It’s also worth remembering that this project comes from the brain of the inhuman who churned out Chestcrush, so if you like all-encompassing and utterly miserable death metal puke fests then this is right up your heavily bone littered alley.

I’ve had this demo on heavy rotation the last few days and it now sits proudly alongside the matted horrors that are Sequestrum and Larvae, because when it comes to creating bestial, underground globules of dripping, leaking horror then Caustic Phlegm has just drank its own sick bucket and vomited it right back through my speakers. Chomp on the chunks, lap up the bodily waste and treat yourself to a bag of audible phlegm.

For those interested, the Putrefying Flesh demo is available here.

Neil Arnold

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