I was so impressed by the debut of San Francisco’s Vulgar Pigeons that I actually begged for an advance, pre-promo release copy of the band’s Deathvomit debut, Summary Execution. As usual Melanie Erokan-Insco was more than happy to help out, unlike her predecessor, Jon Paris, who would do little more at the label than bob for dollars in Necropolis label owner Paul Thind’s pants. His manwhoring was taken over by none other than Impaled’s Leon del Muerte, who, I’m told, can suck cock better than any man Paul has ever known.

Shortly after receiving the advance I found out that Spencer Rangitsch was no longer a part of the band. This news disappointed me greatly, as it was his chaotic vocal approach that originally drew me in. His work on the band’s cover of Carcass‘ "Corporeal Jigsore Quandary" speaks for itself.

Prior to entering the studio the band had recruited a second guitarist; Mike Gilbert of fellow Man Francisco-area death metallers Severed Savior. In the studio, when the band realized Spencer wasn’t working out, Mike stepped up and took over the majority of the vocal responsibilities, his first attempt at singing in any band. Bassist Paul Ponitkoff also took on a large role in the vocal department to make up for the now-departed Spencer. The end result is a far more polished and controlled vocal assault. Previously Spencer would just screech throughout entire songs with Paul letting off a few low-pitched growls from time to time. Now the vocals are more co-ordinated, with Mike yelling and Paul growling during most of the tracks, giving the band a completely fresh sound.

The vocals aren’t the only thing to have changed, with the addition of Mike on guitars, the music has taken on a heavier, faster and methodical sound, with more thought being put into the structure of the songs, giving the band a more sophisticated sound. Don’t be fooled by my description, however, the band can still be chaotic and still blasts, shreds and tears their way through songs like a hardened convict on fresh meat, just some of their songs do show much more structure and balance.

Like many of the up-and-coming grinding death metal acts popping up of late, like Pig Destroyer, Cephalic Carnage and Circle Of Dead Children, Vulgar Pigeons have the ability to alternate between styles effortlessly and flawlessly. Depending on the emotion they wish to convey, they can go on an all-out pummelling assault, or slow things down and steamroll right though the listener. Tracks like "Empty The Streets" and "Skullcap" are straightforward, in your face grind, whereas "Lampshade Desire" takes on a slower, heavier death metal sound. Each approach is completely different, yet equally effective.

My only complaint is some of the 26 tracks seem to be generic filler material, however it’s played with the intensity of Napalm Death’s "Scum" and "From Enslavement To Obliteration". Vulgar Pigeons combines the fury of old school grind with the precision and variety of grinding-death of the new millennium. If you’re looking for an album with pure hate-filled aggression in a tightly wound ball of energy, then Summary Execution is the disc for you. I still slightly prefer Genetic Predisposition, but Summary Execution is just as good. Written By: Teufel