GOD COMPLEX

Death Metal comparisons have been circulating here and there over the last few weeks on various blogs and the like in regards to this new album, "Human Overdose" from Hatred Surge, pressed by Iron Lung Records. Though I can certainly hear some sort of that influence (what even remotely heavy form of punk or metal wouldn't claim some kind of lineage to bands like Autopsy, Entombed or Morbid Angel these days?), I wouldn't say that it's overly obvious or even intentional on the bands part. New(ish) guitarist and songwriter Chris Ulsh's penchant for more metal orientated writing would arguably be some sort of contributing factor, but really, now that the band are back to a three piece in the studio and live, and all vocal duties are again handled solely by Alex, this new album of theirs reminds me a lot more of the earlier stuff when it was all just Alex on his own. The recording quality harks back to that old stuff too, far removed from both the bands rougher, more crust orientated era and their later stuff with Rahi on vocals. If you ask me, that later stuff was far more Death Metal sounding than this new album.
A band of many many sounds over the years, they certainly do utilise less blasts beats here than they have previously, and big chunky riffs dominate the bulk of the songs, but it's almost like the band have come full circle with this album, albeit with an updated recording sound and more focused approach. To be honest, unlike albums from other bigger bands of this ilk, I wasn't at all anticipating the release of this LP, but it looks like that apart from the bands s/t 7" from 2005, I think this may be some of favourite HS stuff to date. Abhorrent hardcore.