Nothing brightens my dark, depraved soul more than when I review underground filth, especially of the death metal variety; imagine how my ice-cold heart instantly thawed when I saw that WRATH OF MAN landed on my desk! Comprising two members of one of the most talented (and incidentally, one of my personal favourites) UK underground death bands, ALL CONSUMED, with what can only be described as the uncompromising brutality of Michael Skeech on vocals, Preston-based WRATH OF MAN are a scathing quartet who will firmly anchor themselves in the scene with their seething debut full-length, "The Abstract Grotesque".

The snarling opener, "Necrosis", delivers dominating heaviness from the outset, a swarm of maniacal instrumentals and frenzied rhythm accompany deep gutturals amongst flaying guitar lines and boisterous drums. Notably, the rhythmic patterns shift mid-track, with a progressive element of clean vocal passages, something that underpins "The Abstract Grotesque" and works brilliantly. Clearly, WRATH OF MAN lay a solid foundation for a record that's intentions are to push the genre's limits; the smattering of thrash and groove that pull through heighten the band's talents magnificently. Raging through to "Self-Induced Lobotomy", there's a more traditional OSDM feel with a groove vibe, the brutal vocal delivery immediately snatching your attention, amongst deep-set bass lines, double-kick dynamics and hefty riffs that punch you in the guts. Nuances in the vein of LAMB OF GOD run through, although Michael is the more muscular, roids-laced version of Randy Blythe; sincerely, the bellowing brutality of his delivery knocks seven bells of shit out of you, with a breakdown aspect to the instrumentals that creeps midway to completely floor you. The LOG feel carries into "Eradication Chamber" with that IOWA-era SLIPKNOT feel; gnarly as hell, dissonance fuelled with some nasty breakdowns piled in to wreck your neck to.

If an album could emit a smell, "The Abstract Grotesque" is wretched enough to be a heady combination of months' old decay, washed down with a dash of formaldehyde for good measure. It's a potent and noxious blend of swarming melodies, pummelling drums, dynamic layers of instrumental goodliness, all rounded-off with catastrophically contrasting vocal deliveries that seep into your ears effortlessly and bleed from the inside out. "Autophagia" ensures that WRATH OF MAN keep things sweetly sinister in a track that convulses, with the album's earworm, "Lay Bleeding and Broken", showcasing those breath-taking vocal styles effortlessly, with a particular richness to the clean passages, starkly juxtaposed with low-tuned distortion. Moving into more "Nightmares Made Flesh"-era BLOODBATH feeling territory with some full-bodied grooves, "Drowned in Rot" immerses you in its infectious rabidity, pulsating drumbeats fuelling buoyant pacing, offering an altogether vivaciously violent cut that has you foaming at the mouth.

It's fair to say that WRATH OF MAN have crammed plenty of darkly delicious, death delights up to the halfway mark of "The Abstract Grotesque", and the relentless aural punishment doesn't cease. "Cult of Decay" spews a pernicious creep in its intro, swiftly delivering a full-pelt attack of aggressive bass and discordant time signatures, all wrapped in brawny growls. "One with the Hammer" bombards with blasts, double-kicks and a grunting and growling vocal attack of insidious measure, swelling to a thrash-laced onslaught in "Corpses without Number", combining dense growls with gang chat style vocals. It's this fearless exploration that sets WRATH OF MAN apart, refusing to respect genre limits, standing head and shoulders above the rest. "Dissection of the Living" is another contently malevolent cut that imposes with its grooves with a more contemporary CANNIBAL CORPSE soundscape to it, adding another dynamic layer to proceedings. The progressive twist is firmly chugged down our lugs once again in "Mental Devastation", with the filthily groove-laden, dissonance-driven "Death Surrounds Me", bookending an insatiable album perfectly.

With hulking vocals, crushing instrumentals and well-thought progressive injections, "The Abstract Grotesque" is a weighty hunk of death metal brilliance. WRATH OF MAN have created a truly stunning slab of soul-eviscerating, sonic mutilation at its finest, and an album that will gouge your eardrums out, time and time again. You can grab your copy of "The Abstract Grotesque" on WRATH OF MAN's Bandcamp now!