Eyes, teeth and bones, the second album from Portuguese death metal band Visceral, is a relentless magnificent display of death metal ferocity.  Blistering speed and intensity are paired with dark soundscapes and riffs; the vocals standing out as a particularly striking element throughout as they morph between growling, rasping, screaming and guttural utterances. “Where the Wretches Are” opens the album with thunderous low end growls drenched in dread. The rhythm section drags you forward through a landscape of sonic ruin. Ominous and weighty.  “Unsurmountable” follows with a torrent of hyper speed blast beats. The vocals roll in deep and relentless, like a steamroller inching closer, gaining speed, growing more menacing with every breath. A melodic soundscape intercedes with shifting tempos and swells beneath ever more hostile growls. Next up “Heave down the Teeth” is all about the vocals which are layered, growled, screamed and rasped. Mid paced riffs and melodies anchor the madness, as dissonant guitars wail around it.  Moments of speed and melody contrast the unrelenting vocal variations, culminating in a raw exhale. A track that morphs and mutates.

“Indelible” starts with blast beats and jagged riffs before settling into a tense rhythm. Stop start patterns build suspense, leading into a quiet brooding soundscape that escalates in intensity. Growls return with a scream . Atmospheric and punishing. “Of Breath and Poison” feels like a desperate narrative told in guttural growls. The pace alternates between high speed percussion and slow, sorrowful passages. There is a bleak beauty here, melancholic riffs rise and fall, tethered by raw, perhaps vulnerable vocal delivery. One of the most emotionally gripping tracks on the album for me. “Anfisbena Thrice” A short track with a haunting ambient melancholic texture drifting like ash. “Wells” begins with eerie creaks and the sound of the wind before detonating into a rhythmic barrage and guttural assaults. Screeching high pitched guitar slices through. |Melodic ominous riffs interweave with pounding repetition. The vocals are monstrous and finish on a low primal roar. “Dense” opens in a cavern of split low growls. Hyper speed drumming, dissonant guitars and occasional unidentifiable sounds give it a destructive apocalyptic edge which fades out at the end. “Ascending Weight” begins with a crackling like a broken transmission which leads into overpowering growls and hurtling blast beats. Repetitive dissonant riffs grind until slowly decelerating. Crushing. “Loathe” A standout track featuring Celia Ramoz.  Sparse, cryptic growling utterances, juxtaposed against the haunting angelic harmonies.  The contrast is jarring and beautiful, darkness wrapped in ethereal despair and quiet rage. “On Frozen Fields (Dismember)” is a brutal final blow.  Uncompromising and fierce to the end.

Even though each track on the album draws from the same core elements, they are far from identical. Each is individually crafted, with its own distinct character and atmosphere.  A brutal speedfest which also weaves in moments of emotion and eerie ambiance. A powerful listen…