"Bewitchment Of The Dark Ages" is the fourth album from the Kansas death metal band, GAROTED. Their EPK has this to say about the album: "The eight infernal tracks on "Bewitchment Of The Dark Ages" are a savage death metal assault featuring guitar work which is a blaze of blistering riffs. The drums are a tempest of unrelenting power and breakneck rhythms. On top of that sit the vocals delivered with deadly tight precision yet retaining the raw, primal essence like they were ripped from the throat of some infernal beast." The album opener, "Infernal Death's Majesty," hits fast and raw from the first note. The chainsaw guitar riffs are prevalent and al-encompassing. The growled vocals are harsh and as primal as the above statement suggests. There's just a twinge of thrash influence in this track that makes it quite listenable. The screeching guitar solo is jarring and abrasive. This track does a great job of establishing the band's commanding presence. They remain true to their death metal roots, yet still manage to innovate.

The second track, "Black Canticle Of Horror," maintains their previously established intensity and hits like a belt sander to the face. The riffs coalesce into a nice groove right off the bat. Devo's vocals are lower than they were on the previous track, which is a welcome change. There's a nice bass line just before the breakdown that ticked a box for me. At no point on this album do they ever let up. The wailing lead guitar solo and ballistic blast beats are nice touches as well. "Pestiferous" keeps the caveman metal vibes going, adding in both low and high-pitched growls in the chorus. There isn't much of a groove present, but what is there sounds great. Both of the song's breakdowns are fun, with the latter just edging out the former. What got me going was the sound of the toms. They hit with the perfect amount of reverb, making them all the more impactful.

"Unfathomable Manifestation" plays a little too much with the isolation of the right channel. I listen with headphones and hearing a teaser in the right channel before a major part kicks in is a nice touch, but, in this case, it is overused and tarnishes an otherwise excellent track just a touch. It's not a deal breaker, and it could very well be a matter of preference in this case. The backing vocals, most likely provided by Devo, sound extra malevolent. Also, I enjoyed the sweeping effect used on the drums. The production of the entire album is to-notch. They kept it raw enough for death metal without compromising sound quality. The closer, "Harkening To The Age Of Blood & Plague," is proof that this album just does not let up. I detect some thrash influence in this track as well. The death metal riffs are fierce and head bang-worthy. There's an apropos grunt just before the breakdown. The rhythm guitar buzzes loudly while a nasty, screeching lead solo plays. Shortly afterward, a bell tolls thrice, and the cool-sounding toms make another appearance. There's another brief bit of left and right channel switching which wasn't my cup of tea, but I understand their methodology.

By the time the final track fades out, you will be left bruised and bloody. It is a rare, yet always welcome occasion when a band goes this hard. Throughout GAROTED's tenure, they have fostered a sound not unlike the tenuous relationship between lion and tamer. You have to give due deference to the ferocity of "Bewitchment Of The Dark Ages."