Formed in 2014 out of Costa Mesa, California comes CREMATORY STENCH and their second EP entitled "Grotesque Deformities".  CREMATORY STENCH is an old school style Death Metal band but I get hints of Thrash Metal in their music as well. The five track album is pretty straightforward and to the point. The bassist E. Cruz is really impressive as is the drummer M. Valencia. The vocals are provided by J. Aguilar who is also one of two guitarists, the other being J.H.

The first track is an interlude, which has about almost two minutes of creepy music you would hear in an eighties horror flick. I'm not sure why, but I have honestly never understood interludes. I guess they are supposed to add atmosphere maybe? The first song on the album is "Septic Offal" which is pretty heavy, but I am really not a fan of the "echo" effects on the vocals. It doesn't make the song intolerable, I just feel it takes away from something that could be outstanding. The second song is the title track "Grotesque Deformities". Once again I find myself needing a more crisp sound from the music. The song is honestly well written, but feels a bit off as far as the production goes. The solo was a really nice fit though.

"Hypothermic Expiry" almost reminds me of BLOODBATH if they had formed in the late eighties. This song is pretty brutal and I can understand why someone would love it. I think the guitars should have been turned up more and a little less focused on the drums. The final song is "Slumber" and it is the longest song on the album. It has a great beginning and gives off a feeling of dread. It almost has a Doom Metal feel to it, which I enjoyed. Most of the song sounds like a Thrash Metal song with a nice crunch to it. All in all it isn't a bad album, but I would like to hear it a bit more refined. This band has a whole lot of potential and I hope they keep progressing towards greatness. Keep it up guys.