Slam Metal appeals to me on a primal level. Whereas other genres may weave a maelstrom of emotions, leading to profound realization, Slam is meant for one thing and one thing only. Brutality. down tuned, pounding aggression. In this, PUTRIFIED J are successful. Sheer violence and vitriolic rage have indeed been condensed into 13 minutes of Brutal Slamming Death Metal. Where PUTRIFIED J struggle is with finding something to set them apart. Their brand of Slam is effective on a base level, but lacks the finesse of other groups. Everything you will hear on this record has been heard before. It's still good material, but with the torrents of great music out there nowadays, this really isn't enough to stand out.

The checklist for generic Slam is ticked off religiously. The EP opens with "The Deep End Of Horror," underscoring a predictable quote from an old horror film, with dragged out chords; An opening heard a million times before. The cliches do not stop there however. The remaining five songs all essentially read from the same song sheet. A call and response like structure between slower, sludgy power chords riffs and frantic tremolo picking underscored by blast beats. By definition this is heavy, but it lacks inspiration and creativity. This formula is merely functional. The opening to the second track, "Sickening Decapitation," shows a temporary surge of life, with a frantic BRAIN DRILL-esque opening, but this quickly returns to the usual slog. Another example of this brief spark of inspiration is also shown with the Doom inspired intro to "Infected Oath," but yet again we return to normality all too quickly.

My words here sound awfully harsh for a record that is genuinely effective. However, whilst the EP as a whole does function, and fulfill its main goal of brutality, it does not do enough to stand out. This is the sort of record that is uploaded in its thousands every week onto Bandcamp, never to turn a head. If I stumbled across the band live, I'm sure I'd have a great time, but this will never be a band anyone will actively seek out.

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