Review Summary: A no frills assault on the ear.
Imperial Savagery is a vicious death metal 4 piece from Chicago, Illinois. The band is chock full of vets in the metal scene and they dropped their debut album back in 2014. The debut was an amazing slab of death metal so upon seeing this released I was stoked to say the least. I got to discover this band at a small fest some years back and they dish out pure mosh inducing madness. Guitarist Flannagan rocks a stinkface that gives the impression that he might just snap his guitar in half and eviscerate some poor audience member at any moment. It's clear when listening that the band had taken that 6 year gap and honed their craft to unleash this somehow even more menacing beast of an album. Clocking in at 27 minutes of all killer no filler Lashing the Feral Swine is everything that most death metal bands wish they could be.
The album comes barreling at you like a freight train of brutality straight out of the gate and doesn't let up in the slightest. The weak will have no luck here... "Churchgate Proclamation" kicks off with a sample that sounds like blades sharpening, a fitting intro as the band quickly assaults with jagged riffing to cut the listener down to size. With most tracks lingering just above or below the 3 minute mark there's absolutely no fat to be trimmed here. The runtime flies by and the riffs come aplenty. It's hard to pick out highlights when an album is damn near flawless like it is in this case. The all out drum attack on "Frozen Ritual of Shame" springs to mind though, which on all fronts sounds like a firing squad dumping lead into your ears. The contorting riffs featured on "From Advent to Casket" are certainly no slouch either. Like many of the greatest albums in the genre this thing feels like it could derail at any moment, spiraling out of control and injuring nearby bystanders. "Claiming Dominion" is a perfect example of this barely controlled chaos at its finest.
The self titled debut was already a monster on it's own but this album expands upon the foundation they'd set and ups the ante in every way imaginable. The vocals are even more ferocious, the riffs are even more tangled and crushing, the drums are just pure insanity through and through. The bass also seems to be a bit louder in the mix, which adds to the brutality of the pummeling tenfold. With all of these elements combined each little contortion of the instruments hits the listener with an adrenaline rush that feels as though some kind of ancient power is coursing through your veins. If I were to punch a wall with "Vengeance Over Virtue" blasting in the background I assure you, the building it was a part of would be rubble in an instant.
Overall Lashing the Feral Swine is a quick demonstration of pure death metal mastery. This year has been pretty solid for metal so far but after a few listens this easily took the number 1 spot for now. I don't think there's a single fan of the genre that could possibly be disappointed in this offering. This thing is even uglier than the debut and it pulls no punches. It's rare to find an album that so perfectly encapsulates a genre pushed to its limits. There is not a single dull moment or wasted note to be found front to back. Highly recommended that anyone out there that enjoys death metal gives this at least one listen and I guarantee you, it will stay in rotation from then on. Kudos to Horror Pain Gore Death for always releasing top notch stuff and giving these guys a launching pad for this attack disguised as music! Weak death metal bands take notes, or catch the lashing like the feral swine you are! JAM IT NOW!
