"Ode To Gore" is Amputory's full-length debut in 2015. This Finland band is bringing back the old school death metal sounds and I can only say the drumming is on point: the mid-tempo double bass, the use of ride cymbals for accents. The album begins with a really clear sound of a creaky door closing and we are engulf in death metal goodness, with lyrics about pedophilia and the burying of dead babies in the backyard. At the end, the protagonist kills the child too, all in the name of playing God. Also, in "Aghori", there is a great tribal instrumental solo at the end with percussions, a sitar and even Tibetan throat singing. Throughout the album, there is great vocal, wonderful guitar playing and headbanging-worthy hooks. Trust me, they are really catchy. What I particularly enjoy is how long they repeat a single riff- enough to get you into the groove of the track but not so long that it bores you.

At times, there are really revealing lyrics that break away from the usual murder and gore. Listening to "Cleansing By The Blade" made me feel really uncomfortable. The singer sung about people self-mutilates to make themselves feel better, as a rite, a ritual. The bluntness of the lyrics made it feel almost like a journal entry and we were given a peek at a pained soul's life.

However, there were certain tracks like "Enslaved In The Basement" where the production was too clean, causing the atmosphere to feel too safe. The imagery of the lyrics would be better shown if those tracks has a grimier production. And lastly, I feel like the bass can be amped up, it was often overshadowed by the other instrumentations, making the track lose some low-ends.

In the end, this is good debut by our Finnish friends, with a great variety of themes and painfully honest lyrics at time. Hope to see their production level improve in their next release.