For whatever reason, I seem to have forgotten to review previous efforts by both Australia’s Fuck…I’m Dead and Portland’s Engorged. Both bands have released full length albums on Razorback Records, yet, despite the label’s recent interest in gory Carcass clones, neither band sounds remotely like they’re trying to re-write Symphonies Of Sickness, and for that, I can honestly say I’m very glad. Fuck…I’m Dead start off the split with 8 tracks of blazing drum machine-supported shredding goregrind. The thing that is truly impressive about the band is their actual use of the drum machine; rather than setting it on blast and leaving it there, they actually put in the time and effort to program it properly so there’s a good variety of beats and makes the material sound more human. There’s still plenty of blasting, and it’s actually one of the things that makes the band as entertaining as they are, as the blasts actually flow perfectly with the music, rather than becoming a distraction. The guitars shred through the material like a chainsaw, with sharp choppy riffs, matching the intensity of the computer driven drums, accentuated by the dual layered vocals. The vocals alternate between a guttural pig snort and a high pitched shriek. On the whole, the material is a continuation of the material found on their debut full length Bring On The Dead, with plenty of good intros and sharp angry tracks. Engorged, on the other hand, I can honestly say that, even after owning their previous full length efforts, I haven’t really bothered listening to and hadn’t formed an opinion on, so this is my first real listen to any of their material. Engorged bring forth five tracks of thrashing death gore, which is pretty much the complete stylistic opposite of Fuck…I’m Dead. No two tracks have a similar feel, and each song is pretty unique. Comparisons aren’t able to be made because the sound is completely their own, but basically the band play thrashy death metal with bits of hardcore and goregrind sprinkled throughout. Vocals vary from backed up sewage gurgles to annoying high pitched shrieks to hardcore yelling to… well, you get the idea. There are moments to each song where there’s a catchy hook that you can nod to, but for the most part the music is pretty much just a bunch of uninteresting noises thrown together. The more I listen, the more I start to remember why I never really bothered listening to Engorged in the past. While their style is completely unique, it’s also pretty unlistenable. They’re like Cephalic Carnage in that they try to include all of these influences into their music, but unlike the Colorado bongsmiths, Engorged just can’t, for the life of them, turn all of that into something interesting and worthwhile. Finally, should you buy this album? If you’re already an established Fuck…I’m Dead and/or Engorged fan, then the answer is a resounding "YES!" If you haven’t heard either band before, I’d recommend picking it up just for the Fuck…I’m Dead material alone, it’s just incredibly badass, and who knows, you may actually find yourself liking the Engorged stuff as well.

Written By: Teufel