Review Summary: Proto-slam perfection
The 90’s was an interesting development in slam death metal. Everyone mostly took inspiration from Suffocation, and it was mostly brutal death metal with a few slam breakdowns. Before Devourment, there was Internal Bleeding. And this overlooked album is a gem of 90’s proto-slam.
First off, vocalist Frank Rini sounds even more pissed off than before. His signature gutturals are by no means one note, going from deep growls to raspy shouts. And man do the lyrics hit hard. It criticizes the American military complex, going in detail about the ignorance, murder, and greed that fuels it. There’s also some sickening gore lyrics here and there.
The band is still clearly Suffocation influenced, but they put in some more hardcore elements to flesh out their sound. Some riffs and pitch bends feel directly ripped from Effigy of the Forgotten. But the biggest addition is how they incorporate melody. It’s used to make the slam riffs have a lot more punch, such as on the title track and Prevaricate.
For the drumming, it's a distinct step up from Voracious Contempt, though that may be due to the significantly cleaned up production. The guitars are sharper, the bass is lower in the mix (but still pops up), and Frank’s vocals are in the front just enough. Zero complaints there. Back to the drumming, Bill Tolley’s work is a blend of rhythm and really nasty fills. Sometimes he just goes crazy during a breakdown, not being too one note behind the kit.
If Molesting the Decapitated is slam perfection, The Extinction of Benevolence is proto-slam perfection. Like any truly great slam album, it’s stupid, but not completely brain dead. There’s a thought provoking message and well crafted songwriting to make it worth hearing.
Recommended Tracks: The Extinction of Benevolence, Prevaricate, Plagued by Catharsis.
