CADAVERIC POSSESSION and AGGRESSIVE MUTILATOR have released "Influx of Hatred", a split album. The first five tracks, and roughly half of the record is dedicated to the abrasive, noisy Death Metal, by CADAVERIC POSSESSION, while the second half (comprising eight tracks) belongs to the Hardcore-tingled, Experimental Metal that AGGRESSIVE MUTILATOR does.

The first half opens with five-minute long "The Call Of The Forked Tongue". A drone-y, slow build intro settles into a quiet but memorable rhythm before undiscernible, traditional Death Metal vocals enter. There is some Black Metal influence in the riffing style as well as overall raw, lo-fi aesthetic. Around the three-minute mark, the track transitions into a more steady section, with jazzier and complex drumming. Overall, a solid opener that does not have many surprises but it is well written.

"The Everlasting Corruption" features a broken structure, moving between distortion-filled sections, full of high-pitched guitar squeaks and wails and other fun, almost Hard Rock sounding bits. It is a harsh and uneven track, but manages to be entertaining still. "Elevate The Aphotic Prophecy" goes back to more traditional Old School Death Metal sounds, integrating an "exotic" feel to its main riff. The track works fine, but does not feel special, aside for its intense and frantic outro, complete with a manic, noise-fuelled solo.

CADAVERIC POSSESSION reserve the best of their half for their last two tracks, going to more interesting places. "Crucify The Angels" lets some thrashy drumming to drive it home. The guitar work is on point and quite interesting, playing around with tremolo on the softer sections. A dynamic, with a shifting structure that still makes sense. In a way, it feels like a less chaotic and more sensible version of "The Everlasting Corruption." Some demonic screaming and weird soloing on the last twenty seconds ends things on high level. Meanwhile, "The Sinister Beholder" is a track with real room to breathe, slower, similar to the opener in that sense, but more streamlined. There is little meandering here, and the track does what it is supposed to.

Aside from some inconsistencies regarding songwriting, my main issues here are similar to another bands in this style. I cannot truly complain about, but I have to admit I would appreciate a bit more diversity there. Also, the muddy mix might be on point with the style, but being able to really appreciate the instruments a little more could not hurt anyone, right?

AGGRESSIVE MUTILATOR quickly set themselves apart with the folky "Efterbliven Som Herrefolket Vill". Acoustic guitars and subtle, sinister keyboard harmonies show things moving in a completely different direction. After an abrupt (and slightly weird) fade out the punky energy and noisy guitar work in "Den Svenska Rebellen" sets in. A banger with a driving rhythm and fun vibe overall.

"Anskrämlig Profet Fran Den Gamla Onda Tiden" is frantic and brutal, going at breakneck speed for its whole length. The guitars feel nauseating and subtly disorienting, make for an interesting listening experience. Things get even stranger on "Bekämpa Eld Med Eld Och Allt Ska Brinna", going for an unusual feel. The band sounds like a rough, metal version of DEVO or even Belew-era KING CRIMSON on this song, with its catchy rhythm and odd, conversational and abrasive vocal work.

A spoken word segment, supported by ambient synths, makes things feel a little ominous on the first seconds of "Maskätet Sinne." This is another fun track with a punkish rhythm. The synth work adds a dash of gothic flair in the mix and some European Post-Punk influences seem to bleed in here, mainly German sounds being audible here. Think Nina or ALPHAVILLE at their more experimental. Meanwhile, "Knivhuggarrock" goes full-on Extreme Hardcore assault.

"Besökaren" is the noisiest track on the whole EP, akin to the madness of CADAVERIC POSSESSION's "The Everlasting Corruption." Some gothic melodrama takes over the second half of the track, being quite dynamic in spite of its short length.

Closer "Världens Bottensats" features some exquisite, soft guitar lines on the intro, delving into full madness quite soon. A track that moves between Alternative Rock inspired passages, with a steady rhythm, and hectic, harsh sections. Very experimental and catchy at the same time. It even finds time for some punchy power chords and fun bluesy organ flourishes on the background.

AGGRESSIVE MUTILATOR shows amazing range and outstanding songwriting chops on their half of the split. Despite resorting to shorter tracks (between one and three minutes long) they make the most of them, offering a diverse set of sounds and influences, avoiding genre traps by embracing the madness. Production could be less rough for sure, but the band makes up for that with eccentric songwriting bits and a whole lot of energy.

Overall, an interesting split where each band displays their own sound. It ends up feeling a little unclear what exactly went behind the reasoning to put both together.Overall Cadaveric Possession: 6
Overall Aggressive Mutilator: 7