On May 2, 2020, CRYPTWORM released "Reeking Gunk of Abhorrence." This marks the band's second EP, joining their discography of short but heavy releases. CRYPTWORM is a death metal band that formed in 2014 and hails from Bristol. Their style of death metal belongs in the sludge and grime of the sewer!

For being a two-person band, their sound is very full. That is largely due to how low the guitars are tuned. You can feel the chugs coming through the speakers. No matter the pace of the music, you still feel like you're getting bludgeoned on the head. Though the band has plenty of filthy, caveman-style riffs, they don't rely too heavily on them. While slow, chuggy riffs definitely are an element of the album, there are plenty of mid-tempo to faster riffs as well.

This type of death metal is definitely not technical. There are a few times when the cohesion of the band slips. That being said, that suits this style of death metal because it adds to the roughness of the album. The production is similarly rough, but it adds a raw edge without rendering the instruments indistinguishable (like early black metal albums).

With only four tracks on this EP, there isn't that much to review. The tracks are similar in style. They're mostly fast, but with a slower riff thrown in the beginning, the end, or laced throughout the track. Each track has one or two unique riffs. "Festering Maggot Infestation" is as gross as its title. It's mostly fast, like a festering maggot infestation would be, with a slower riff in the background throughout the track. The titular track "Reeking Gunk of Abhorrence" is fast for most of the track but slows down towards the end with some earworm riffs. "Self-Dismemberment" has a similar sound to the rest of the album, only with slightly different riffs. The closing track "Cesspool of Perpetual Decay" manages to pique my interest again, mainly due to the catchy riffs.

Overall, I recommend this album. With only four tracks, it's not exactly a lengthy listening session, but it'll definitely be a fun 20 minutes.