What the fuck is in the water in California? It seems like right now the big trend is for all of the current (and former) Unique Leader Records brutal death metal bands from the area have decided to become technical brutal death metal bands, or rather, infinitely more technical brutal death metal bands. Disgorge, Deeds Of Flesh, Decrepit Birth and Odious Mortem have all decided they’re technical brutal death metal bands. I’d complain but so far the results have been very promising.

The latest band to take the plunge into playing more technical brutal death metal is San Francisco’s Severed Savior, and like their genre-mates they too have undergone a big line-up overhaul to take their sound to that next level. The only member remaining from the band’s last effort, 2003’s Brutality Is Law is bassist Murray Fitzpatrick. The remainder of the line-up is filled out by former Vulgar Pigeons guitarist Mike Gilbert, Odious Mortem vocalist Anthony Trapani and Carnivorous drummer Troy Fullerton.

While the other California brutal death metallers have taken their sound into a more technical death metal direction, Severed Savior have strayed more towards a technical brutal death metal sound, specifically, a turn towards the modern Suffocation sound and it works surprisingly well. The song structure is pure brutal death metal, but the execution is definitely very technical, with some fancy fretwork and tremolo picking with some pretty impressive solos.

The drumming is excellent and the vocals of Anthony Trapani have a heavy Frank Mullen sound to them. Top to bottom this is a very tight sounding effort. I wasn’t too thrilled by the band’s sound on Brutality Is Law but Serville Insurrection is definitely a slab of brutality I can sink my teeth into.

The production is perfect for the band’s style. The bass is thick and beefy yet clearly audible despite the wall of technical shredding and blasting going on. The guitars have a very powerful sound, the drums are clear without being overwhelming the vocals fit in the mix perfectly. Even the artwork is pretty rad, although I really don’t like font choice, but that’s just a minor issue that has no bearing on the material contained within.

I have to admit I’m surprised that I really like this release. I’m not sure if it’s because Severed Savior have finally started playing a style that I can get into or if my musical tastes have changed over the years and I’m starting to warm up more to the technical brutal death metal sound, whatever the reason, Serville Insurrection is a great album and definitely worth checking out for fans of newer Suffocation and technical brutal death metal. It’s not an instant classic but it is pretty fucking good nevertheless. Check it out!

Review byTeufel