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PERVERSITY
Infamy Divine EP

Lavadome Productions (2014)
Rating: 7/10

While I’m not familiar with many Slovakian extreme metal bands, Perversity are one worth lending an ear to if you like gruff vocals and speedy rhythms with a fistful of the old school death metal flavour. Infamy Divine is the new five-track EP from these warhorses who have released four solid full-length albums since the mid 90s, the most recent being 2011’s Ablaze.

The quartet is fronted by Juraj Handzus – who has a touch of Glen Benton (Deicide) about his unholy bellowing – and he’s backed by the furious guitars of Jozef Kosc. Even so, this is a consistent record throughout. The EP begins with ‘Vermin’, which showcases the drumming talents of Peter Jakubík, who rules the roost on this brutal slab of blasphemous death metal.

The guitars are heavy at times for the most part, giving way to a deathly black metal sneer as Slavomir Koval’s bass takes effect and brings the brutality together. The band effortlessly marry classic death metal – circa 1990 – with a modern twist, so if you imagine a lethal mix of Morbid Angel, Pestilence, Immolation and fellow Slovakians Dementor, then you’ll get a good idea of how this beast works.

All of the songs on this EP are reasonably short, meaning that Infamy Divine runs not long over 17 minutes. Of those on offer though, I’m swayed toward ‘Goddess Of Maggots’ with its infectious chug and throaty vocal. The bass on this track is killer too as it worms its way through the dense dynamics, again reminding me of some of the best US death metal, ranging from Cannibal Corpse to Suffocation, and there’s a nice twist of melody considering the track is under three minutes in length. Then we have the beefy ‘Incest Of Flesh’ and the low-tempo brutality of ‘Supreme Accusation’.

Overall, this is a tidy, concise EP that shows progression within the ranks. While it’s not innovative in its stance, it remains an engaging platter with hints of technicality and a musty stench that death metallers will snort up with greed. I also enjoy the mid-tempo feel throughout, allowing the listener to instantly become one with the low-end guitars and the guttural growls of Handzus.

I’m always open to death metal that has a real weighty old school sprig about it. While many may bemoan the lack of originality, sceptics need to realise that such waves of innovation come along literally once in a blue moon. Perversity are very much an example of what goes on in-between trends / waves, and while clearly influenced by the bands we know and love, this is still an enjoyable romp through the backwaters of brutality.

Neil Arnold

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