Like a fetus, undead within the womb, scratching and clawing its way from the darkness within to the light beyond the death prison stands Austraillia's HORRISONOUS. Their full length debut "A Culinary Cacophony", was released January 21st 2019 via Memento Mori Records. Formed in 2015 and having only released an E.P. prior, HORRISONOUS reminded me instantly of early '90's bands signed to Relapse Records like AGORAPHOBIC NOSEBLEED mixed with EXIT 13.

"Kuru Worship" brings in the traditional sounds of blistering feedback. As the track continues to progress forward, it does so in a murky sludge of thick doom-soaked riffage. Slow attacks of low end with raw growled and screamed vocals. The musical direction is semi-bipolar as it sways between the exhaustive step forward and the sewing machine stabs of tremolo picking and blast beats. "Perpetual Mincing" carries on in a similar fashion. This attempt does spit forth more groove in its venomous bite. At times walking the fine line with grindcore on the left and filthy dirty death metal on the right. Simplistic, gritty, and raw.

"Perpetual Mincing" does carry a minimalistic attempt at melodic content and the executions of multiple hammer on-pull offs are fitting. The vocals in this track carry a lot of power and impact. Sounding as is if screamed by a tormented man in agony left abandoned in a concrete room with no surrounding sounds. Pleading for the obvious nothing and to the grimly apparent no one. "The Number of the Feast" is "A Culinary Cacophony"'s longest track, clocking in at almost eight minutes. This epic deathy nasterpiece (correct Nasterpiece, not masterpiece) transitions through tunnels of thrashy destruction, rabbit holes of carnage, actual transitions that showcase the drummer's ability to do more than win third place in a blasting marathon, and bear some more active riffs that reminded me a bit of DISMEMBER as higher pitched harmonic melodies are played in perfect unison giving the pallet a taste of something Swedish.

HORRISONOUS is best compared to a top-notch garage band. The technique is straight forward and no thrills. Overall, if you like it straight from the underground. The best of the underground. HORRISONOUS will be a perfect dream, presenting a wading pool of plague and decay. If you are looking for technical death metal with pristine audio quality and staying prim and proper by not getting dirty in the pit, move along.