Review Summary: RIFFS! LOUD AND POWERFUL RIFFS! GET EM WHILE THEY’RE HOT!
Overall, Stabbing is better than the typical brutal death metal band. And their second album, Eon of Obscenity, showcases the current state of BDM well. Most bands these days tend to trip over themselves worshipping the greats while not having anything great on their own to offer. Don’t get it twisted; Eon is still clear-cut Disgorge worship, but the difference is that Stabbing have enough skills to back it up.
When I first heard of Stabbing, it was learning that the vocalist is a woman. Not only is it a good image, but Bridget Lynch has to be one of the best vocalists in the scene. She can do just about everything. Black metal rasps, inhaled vocals, ‘predator’ gutturals, and ultra low gurgles for the whole family. She has a ton of variety and thankfully does not shy away from showing all aspects of her vocals.
You got the classic Disgorge songwriting, which features lots of muddy riffage, sludgy slams, and weird tech-y parts to break everything up. Drums are pushed into the back, but still give a very convincing rhythmic performance. The main dish is the crushing riffs and the vocals, which the production serves very well. It leaves a lot of room for the guitars, which leaves everything as a sludgy whirlwind of brutality. While a lot of production jobs like this get tiring by the end, Stabbing keep you on your toes to make sure you’re not asleep. There’s a healthy amount of technical melodies that cut through the mush just enough to get you going again.
To be honest, Stabbing does not knock my socks off. But this album does everything modern brutal death metal tends to do well, and add a bit of personality of their own into the mix. Is the artwork by Jon Zig? Yes. Is the logo almost illegible? Of course. And yes, we’re all here for a good time. Again, they don’t impress me. But they have my respect.
