Church Of Disgust - Unworldly Summoning - Album Review

Year: 2014

Which is the worst kind of death? Most people would say that the worst kind is the kind that takes it's time to slowly kill a person, while relishing every moment of it as the person suffers in agony. As ghastly and disturbing the thought is, this is the flavour that is captured in the music of Church of Disgust, a death metal band from San Marco, Texas. This is a band that unleashes a gargantuan wall of sound capable of crushing anything and everything in its path.

The band kicked off 2014 with the release of their debut full length, 'Unworldly Summoning' through Memento Mori records. The album could not have been given a more apt title as it acts a perfect descriptor of the music contained within this album.

As I mentioned above, the music sounds like the soundtrack to a slow agonizing death. The heaviness of the riffs is beyond words and it sounds like something emanating from the deep bowels of the earth's crust, causing massive earthquakes. The pace varies from mid tempo to slow. It wouldn't be wrong to classify this as a doom death metal band.

Right from the very beginning of the record, a thick sludgy atmospheres makes it's presence felt. It makes the music feel like it's coated in multiple layers of dreariness and evil. Adding to all this, is the vocals. It is completely and utterly indecipherable. But the deep guttural growls come off as another instrument added to a very dark mix. There is a very powerful bass presence on this album, so much so that it makes the listener feel that powerful thump in his stomach. The drumming adds to this effect and together they sound like a massive avalanche. 

All this said, the album is not without flaws. For one, there is nothing to tell one song apart from the other. Dont get me wrong, I'm not saying the songs are bad. But a little more variety among the tracks would have made this album a tad bit better. Also, the vocals could have been a little decipherable.

Everything about the record has an old school feel to it, right from the music to the production. The production is raw, sludgy and down right dirty Despite this, there is no loss of audibility in any of the elements. 

Church of Disgust give 2014 a heavy start with their debut 'Unworldly Summoning'. It is a crushing experience that is not easily forgettable.

Rating: 78%