Album Review: Mephitic Grave – Dreadful Seizures
Reviewed by Sam Jones
One of the numerous records I took on releasing in January, Mephitic Grave are a death metal act from Hungary, a nation I’ve frankly not heard much metal coming from, preparing to unleash their second full length work, Dreadful Seizures, for a January 22nd date. Formed in 2018 originally as Mothrot, this incarnation of the band we know now only lasted a year before renaming themselves under the new moniker of Mephitic Grave where, two years later, they skipped any pretenses of smaller releases with their first full length record: 2021’s Into The Atrium Of Inhuman Morbidity. Now, another three years on, we have another full length album, Dreadful Seizures, to keep us brimming with excitement. The artwork really grabbed me, featuring a nigh-on schizophrenic humanoid figure amidst a jarring hellscape but, also, because I’d heard nothing about this band or upcoming record; not even a hint of which had been whispered across various social media. So, I decided to give it a go and see what exactly these Hungarians have in store for us, releasing through Memento Mori.
Talk about an unusual opening. No storming out of the gates, no gradually building or enveloping ambience to greet the audience; Mephitic Grave introduce their new record with strange, warped notes that are more akin to traversing a haunted house than any typical guitar riffs. As a result, it’s more immersive and enticing as we have zero clue what’s coming next for Mephitic Grave are yet to reveal their true hand before their introduction is done. The band haven’t given us much to work with either; a fan more accustomed to their sound may know what’s coming but with only one other full length album under their belts, the band keep things under wraps until they absolutely need to break out in a full barrage. Death metal can often be impatient as a band will naturally want to get their audience on board as soon as possible, but here the band in question have the foresight to wait and to coerce the audience within of their own volition; it’s only then they strike.
What surprised me was just how old school Mephitic Grave’s sound was vying for; I was expecting something nasty and decrepit, yet the band make their soundscape abundantly within the first few proper tracks. Their production is messy but deliberately so, everything feels to have been left purposefully raw as if the band simply left the record as it is on the floor and just stamped over it. I’m a sucker for more primal demonstrations of death metal but Mephitic Grave must take the point for the most stripped back record lately, for while other acts opt to crush our senses and throw us into something consuming Mephitic Grave, through efforts via the mixing process, have crafted a record that manages to possess all the bile and vitriol you’d want to find within yet possesses none of the weight behind other records of its ilk. It therefore establishes Dreadful Seizures as an extremely easy listening experience and, dare I say, guarantees a comfortable time even whilst the band are hurling a cauldron of seething immersion your way.
But this may confuse some into thinking Dreadful Seizures is without any layers, without any foundations. On the contrary, there’s a copious amount of bass flowing through the record that is often audible at most times so while the songwriting isn’t looking to punch you repeatedly, it’s always got you at the ears and perfectly where it wants you. You can feel this injection of bass too through the implementation of drums; blast beats on the whole aren’t populous since they don’t meld with the vibe this record’s particularly old school aesthetic holds but when the bass drums get going, the bass they provide for the record is huge and is, like myself, bound to raise eyebrows. I’d argue the band understood they needed a strong bass present for, had they not seen to it, the record could be at risk of losing a solid ground and thereby feel to be this weightless, floating thing vying for Earth where there is none.
One aspect that applies equally to the vocals and riffs is how coarse the record is. When you’re listening to Dreadful Seizures, you’ll notice how little of the record has been refined or cleaned up with clarity or a smooth edge in mind. Much of the record has this punching edge to it only we’re being hit continuously by a knuckle duster that’s coated in grime and blood; there’s nothing pretty about this album, there’s no makeup applied and nothing that would otherwise mistake us into presuming this record is anything but the ruthlessly raw product it is. Yet, I can still call this a comfortable experience for while this record is strewn with jagged edges and crevasses, it’s a seamless listen with little to disrupt or challenge us; in terms of mixing, it’s fantastic. Take the vocals, they’re these bellowing and sonorous roars but it’s as if they’ve been shoved into the mix with how little refinement they’ve been applied with, but it works within the band’s style. The riffs have a clearly defined presence but they have this Swedish style that isn’t completely Swedish, as if the band wanted a riff sound halfway towards the buzzsaw tone. Again, it feels like the band just slapped the riffs onto the record and just left their sharpened tone alone with nothing to curb its glistening blade. But it works for what the band have altogether crafted.
In conclusion, I think this is a great, great album to put on if you’re after some old school death metal that’s relatively easy to tune into. At the same time though, I feel like this record will go under the radar of most people as I’ve not seen any other record label prop it up throughout social media or has anyone I know had it on their lists for 2024. But it deserves some spotlight since it’s not trying to be anything else than a quality death metal record with deliciously malicious riffs to offer us and at just more than a half hour long, Dreadful Seizures doesn’t begin to outlast its welcome. It’s this blunt and uncaring record that does what it says on the tin but, even with that said, I found myself pleasantly surprised as to the style of riffs Mephitic Grave we’re capable of. Much of their songwriting demonstrates this macabre sensibility you find in modern death metal all that often. Dreadful Seizures is like going to to pick up a porcupine, fully expecting to puncture yourself through its spines, but finding its oddly accessible to hold even though you can feel the bristles going into your palms. This is a record that needs and deserves some love upon release, and is a band I’m definitely keeping an eye on. The Hungarian metal scene should be proud.
