Review Summary: The short and sweet humble beginnings for Pathology's extensive discography.
Pathology, often compared to acts such as Katalepsy, Guttural Secrete, Abominable Putridity and Cerebral Bore, didn't always fit under the "fake slam" category. Once upon a time drummer Dave Astor set out to form a new band after his bout with Cattle Decapitation and The Locust. With Nick Gervais and Tim Tiszczenko, the three piece released Pathology's debut record "Surgically Hacked". This has a fairly different sound compared to future works such as "Awaken to the Suffering" and "The Time of Great Purification", taking a lot more from Astor's grind background and influence.
The listeners are force fed short, health hearty meals of unchecked brutality with a track list reaching ten songs and a run time of just over twenty minutes. The genre fits more of a goregrind sound, matching closer to bands like Dead Infection, Exhumed, Repulsion and General Surgery. The songs are short and sweet, hitting the listener with a barrage of intense riffs, blast beats, and the tracks themselves rarely feel structured. That shouldn't come off as a selling point, but to fans of the grind side of music offers plenty of promise and potential when grabbing a copy of "Surgically Hacked". Back in 2006 this style of music was still fairly difficult to obtain (though on the rise), and harder to digest for newcomers to the genre.
"Surgically Hacked" is an action packed piece of work that really set the tone for what Pathology would be known for; grimy riffs stuffed with technicality and brutality, drum work that feels sporadic and put together in a day or two, bass lines that truly add to the overall tone of the release, and vocals that'll make your grandmother ask why she can't understand a thing they're saying. Overall this is a fairly simple, quick listen that rewards any fan of extreme music. Relentless is a word that comes to mind while the release is playing. From the very beginning it grabs your attention and forces you to listen while you're beaten blind by the grind influences.
By no means is "Surgically Hacked" the perfect record. Pathology isn't even the perfect band. The short run time is probably the best thing it has going for it, considering it can grow tiresome after so long. The release never overstays it's welcome, and can easily be compared to the early General Surgery demos. The tracks that stand out most are easily Demented Betrayal, The Abysmal Den, and Surgically Dismembered. If you're looking for a discography to run through and you know how to enjoy filthy, disgusting goregrind, then I'd suggest starting with Pathology's "Surgically Hacked". It's aged really well, and is a phenomenal way for a group to kick start their career.
