When a band has appeal in its genre, even when it’s a cult band (the definition for bands that aren’t a commercial success, but not an unknown no-one as well) is the demand of the fans (especially of the younger ones) for older material of the band. It’s easy for acts as IRON MAIDEN, METALLICA and AC/DC for new pressing of their past works, but for underground bands it’s not usual. And here, for the North American cult act DRAWN AND QUARTERED, a new reissue for their first album, “To Kill is Human”. First of all, one must have in mind that the quartet’s roots are in the North American Death Metal of the early years of the 90s (the band was founded on 1992), so one can check similarities with acts as SUFFOCATION (due the low grunts of the vocals and technical care on the arrangements), DEATH (of “Leprosy” days), IMMOLATION, DEICIDE and others from the same trend.

This album originally was released in 1998, when Death Metal was rising again from the depths of the underground after some years. It’s classic and brutal, but worked with a fine technical care (especially on the rhythmic shifts), but personal in some aspects. And it’s really good. Keenan Kelly is the producer of the album, and Barry Corliss did the mastering. As it seems that “To Kill is Human” wasn’t remastered, it keeps its original brutality, with a clear and defined sonority, but with that old and good filthy and organic touch usual for the 90s Death Metal releases. Obviously some instrumental tunes could be better (especially on some drums and guitars), but’s nothing to complain about. And the classic Death Metal feeling is presented on the artwork of Gabriel Byrne (besides some aspects of it reminds of Avant-garde movements on visual arts as painting and sculpture).

Musically, it’s hard to have a Death Metal fan with complains about the music heard on “To Kill is Human”, especially on songs as “Ministry of Torture” (pay attention to some technical refreshments on the guitar riffs), “Machete Bloodbath” (the rhythmic shifts of bass guitar and drums are really great here), “Open Mind” (another violent and fast moment of the album), “To Kill is Human” (this one is filled with Old School Death Metal elements and even Grindcore traces on the tempos, with guttural roars filling the spaces), “Christian Extinction” (again the band uses faster parts with extreme and brutal instrumental arrangements), “Broken on the Wheel” (that presents some catchy rhythmic contrasts) and “Mangled Beyond Recognition”.

“To Kill is Human” can’t be named as a classic of the genre, but the brutality and energy unleashed by DRAWN AND QUARTERED here justifies its reissue.