Laceration - I Erode

Laceration spent a decade releasing demos and splits before their 2021 debut, Demise, and it showed. The album sounds like a band that knew the type of album that they wanted to make, and were experienced enough to make it. The difficulty with a first album, is that resources are often limited, so the production was dull. With Demise, Laceration showed gumption to open the album with a 2 minute instrumental, and then give that track the title of the record. Minus the vocals, it was a decent template for what that Demise, and its follow up, I Erode, would sound like. That style being good old fashioned, meaty and chugging Death Metal, with some technical flair.

Laceration has cleaned up the production for I Erode. It is louder, clearer and heavier sounding. There is a grit to the sound, the bass is thick and loose, and it talks to you in a way that makes everything around it buried six feet under. The bass is not as pronounced as the bass sound on Suffocation's Pierced from Within, but it is in that playground. This is Death Metal in that Suffocation, Retribution era Malevolent Creation or early Immolation style. It is heavy, thick, technical and the vocals are harsh and deep, but very decipherable, which is important as it is consistent with the clarity provided by the other instruments.

I Erode opens with the horror inspire “Degradation.” It is an evil introduction before “Excised,” a frenzy of blast beats and riffs that grabs you and shakes you around a little. Things settle somewhat into a steady groove, and I like it how the vocals are absent until the 40 second mark. The speed varies, and passages take small rests and then evolve. The backbone of the album is the rhythm section, particularly the loose bass rumble, which allows the bass drum to move with the guitars and create a distinguishable groove.

There are a lot of layers to unpack at any one time, which brings the listener back for more. It is the type of Death Metal album that intrigues. During the first and second listens, Laceration do not immediately strangle you. They certainly grab you by the throat and throw you around, but there is enough depth to the songwriting, and the mix that makes you want to return for a 3rd listen, and much more.

“Impaling Sorrow” is a faster, shorter and angrier song. “Carcerality” and “Strangled by Hatred” are back to back bangers, the former sounds genuinely unhinged, and that things could unravel at any moment. The rotten double bass infused “Sadistic Enthrallment” rattles the bones, and there is an avalanche of movement that drives the song, always building momentum. “Dreams of the Formless” provides a perfectly timed Master of Puppets like interlude, and “Vile Incarnate” has an extra layer of spite, particularly in the vocal department.    

For a band that is deep into their 2nd decade, they need to continue to evolve. There is so much competition within modern extreme metal, and every release has to top what came before it. Laceration has done that with I Erode, however, this is not quite a top echelon Death Metal release. The solos are skilful, and they are well timed within the songs (generally in the back half), however, they halt the momentum that builds, and they are a little too perfect sounding. The problem with the solos is that their existence does not add anything to the impact or atmosphere of the song or album experience. This is a band called Laceration, and their cover has a pit of eroding skeletons as artwork. Their song titles are equally depraved, yet their is a scent (a small one) of showmanship with the solos, and they do not fit the atmosphere and mood that 80% of this album has.

An above decent Death Metal album with plenty of depth, packed for of groove and a pretty killer corpse infused atmosphere. I will keep a close eye and ear on Laceration.