Album Review: Consumption - Necrotic Lust
Reviewed by Sam Jones
Consumption, as a death metal band, are pretty straightforward. Formed not too long ago, the band hail from Sweden and instead of adopting a buzzsaw tone as many other bands of their nation have likewise done so, Consumption utilise a more pounding and full-body form of riffs and approach to songwriting to elevate their sound above what people may be expecting of another Swedish extreme metal band. With zero EPs or other Demos to their name, their only prior release to this record was their debut album, Recursive Definitions Of Suppuration, which saw the light of day in 2020. As a result I was pretty curious as to what Necrotic Lust would be able to deliver, with hardly any other material from the band to compare it to. Let’s peel back what makes this album worth our time.
There’s a particularly strong bass presence throughout the record. We’re able to feel it through the riffs where the guitar work is outlined to give you that target of attention, but it certainly comes out the strongest though the bass drums. When the bass drums are given the opportunity to truly go for it, the power they’re capable of imbuing their record with is astonishing. It’s the kind of delivery that immediately opens your eyes not necessarily to the intensity of the performance but rather just how much power feels contained within their sound. In addition, the bass guitar stands out rather prominently throughout the album, even while the primary riffs are pounding away and the vocals are putting in their work. While the band may diminish its audibility from time to time, owing to the style of sound they’re performing, the bass work can be forever felt in the veins of this record. It’s an infusion of bass that raises the power of this record tenfold.
There’s some kind of melodic sensibility going on here? This is something I genuinely wasn’t expecting. It isn’t melodic in the vein that power metal or more acutely melodic death metal bands are through their own songwriting, rather it’s how Consumption alter their sound through the changing songwriting. The aggression isn’t absolutely total with this band; there are certainly moments when the band ramp up the ferocity of what they can deliver, but it’s also relieving to hear them pull back a touch and really allow the riffs and the general ambience of their sound to morph and take on its own form. It’s not merely another death metal act, it’s an album that’s given the room to be free and have its own identity.
I liked how the band chose a form of guitar tone that enabled their riffs to possess a chunkier semblance. Consumption aren’t looking to eviscerate us with a barrage of ultra fast riffs, or a buzzsaw tone a la vie Dismember etc, their approach to riffs is to give them the body and resonance death metal should deliver on. Changes in chords, notes, directions in songwriting are strongly realised and are constantly hammering away at you. Singular chords play with bold definition as the band have looked to render their sound with a bass-heavy impact. There’s no chance of a riff or segment of songwriting escaping your attention, you’re going to be constantly on the lookout for more sledgehammer blows.
What struck me about the way they approach pacing, is how their sound feels fast and powerful but it doesn’t come across as rapid-fire. We’re able to feel the speed at which they play at yet its not like the band are looking to rush us from one track to another; they seek to instil within us this sense of time we’ll spent for every song. Tracks here are around 4 - 5 minutes each in length and yet, through their songwriting, we’re able to feel like that span of time is much longer because of how they’re pacing themselves. Track structures and songwriting change and evolve throughout their durations, allowing us to feel more invested in their development which, in turn, results in a greater level of attention and enjoyment.
In conclusion, there are plenty of twists and turns and things to be pleasantly surprised at. I was impressed with the variety of riffs and choices of songwriting here and there. This is a fervently death metal record however that doesn’t mean the band are seeking to stick to one variant of style or sound for this record, throughout the full track listing there’s at least one thing going on with each song that gives it just a little more identity and memorability. It’s slight melodic tendencies help to elevate it above the rank and file of rudimentary death metal acts into something that’s powerful yet strangely catchy at the same time. This album’s sound, at times, envelops you in a dominating but sometimes warm way that’s unique for what we’ve received this year. All in all, it’s a record that’s worth your attention and another great offering of Swedish death metal.
