Kentucky death metal quintet Redivider conjure spirit of Old School Death Metal with its debut release, Sounds Of Malice. The resurgence of OSDM is a mixed bag, as some bands make the grave error of believing mere simplicity is the key to making quality vintage death metal. Redivider walk the fine line between groove and technicality on Malice. “Quartered & Devoured” opens the record in brutal fashion as vocalist Jacob Spencer sounds a bit like George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher, with his guttural growling and sharp barks. Guitarists Jake Atha and Paul Nunavath pile on riff after riff, with relentless intensity. The guitar tone bludgeons you as the tempo shifts from groove to blast beats. The title track has several rhythm changes from the start. The drums stop and start before blasting again. The track delves into thrash territory after the one minute mark before settling into a groove during the chaotic guitar lead. “Shacked To Existence” is the longest track on Sounds, clocking in a five-a-half minutes. Morbid Angel’s influence is on this track with the swamp riffs and demonic tremolo picking. There is a subtle progressive element that during the midsection with the bass lines and spacey guitar harmonics. The track concludes with a slow, grinding riff, with a couple of classical guitar leads for added effect.
“Apocalyptic Waste” continues the monolithic onslaught with its lumbering riff and Spencer’s menacing growls. It starts with straight groove, with a breakdown in the midsection, before things briefly speed up during the final third of the track. “Fratricide” commences with a sinister, lingering riff, before things break out, with rhythm changes, shrieks and a bit of hardcore swag. This track showcases the progressive, technical side of Redivider, but the band always returns to the groove. “Bask In The Rot” has a looming main riff over a swinging tempo, reminiscent of a giant cannibal treading through a forest looking for human flesh. It is a straightforward track, but it gets the job done. “Left To Rot” concludes the album with an eerie riff, as if one if descending down a decrepit staircase. Sadly, it falls a bit flat compared to the previous tracks.
Sounds Of Malice has incredible production, particularly with the guitar tone. The guitars on this album sound hulking, which is complemented by the audible bass. Thus, the music sounds bludgeoning, but never cloudy or too distorted. Music wise, Redivider are not content to play simple, by the numbers death metal. The band throws out rhythm changes, blast beats and a bit of thrash to keep listeners on their toes. Once again, the band walks the line between groove and technicality and I will add brutality. The seven songs on Sounds have an average run time of roughly four minutes. There is very little drag time, however things can get a tad bit monotonous towards the end. However, it is a minor complaint as this is a short album comprised of seven tracks.
Redivider did things right on with its debut. There is room for improvement, but the main ingredients are present. Fans of OSDM should listen to this record to relieve that itch for Cannibal Corpse, Autopsy and Suffocation. These Kentuckians have a malicious dose of metal for you.
For news and show dates, check out the band’s page: https://www.facebook.com/redivider.louisville/
