Rating: 9 / 10 Stars
DEPRESSED is: Giovani Venttura (vocals), Murillo Hortolan (guitars), Douglas Ratam (guitars), Giovanni Norbiatto (bass), and Rodrigo Butcher (drums)
REVIEW – DEPRESSED, a Brazilian old school death metal band formed in 1998, recorded and released a demo in 1999 titled “Diabolical Servants Of The Cross,” and then went on hiatus until 2012. After reforming, DEPRESSED released their debut album, “Afterlife In Darkness,” on Black Lion Records in 2015. After years of performing in Brazil and going through multiple band changes, DEPRESSED have established themselves with a dedicated fan base and a solid group of musicians. Beyond The Putrid Fiction, the band’s second record, was released last month. Mark Cooper developed the stunning cover art, and Marcos Cerutti handled production. Notably, Gabriel Guerra from JUSTABELI recorded the drums for the album, but only a month after the album was finished, they revealed that Rodrigo Butcher would be replacing Guerra.
The album’s opening track, “Marching Into Damnation,” sets the tone for the savagery to come over the next 43 minutes by addressing many of the unpleasant truths of modern life. This is followed by one of my favorites, the album’s title tune, “Beyond The Putrid Fiction,” which grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go for the entire song. Giovani Venttura’s deep growling vocals provide a unifying force among the song’s tempo shifts, lightning-fast drumming, and raging guitars.
A great intro kicks off “Into the Realm of Abhorrence,” which deals with the evil and darkness in the world. It helps that the music has a gloomy, gloomy vibe and that the singing is so good. Another standout is “Delight in Pain,” which has a particularly engaging chorus and a shredding guitar solo by Douglas Ratam and is fueled by a mixture of lyrical depth and musical savagery that strives to make the hostility apparent.
The sixth track, “Blame It On Hate,” is a fan favorite; it’s about the brutality of a real witch trial and the absurdity of faith, and it features some of the album’s most impressive soloing from Murillo, Douglas, and Giovani. Despite its heaviness, “Unholy Covenant” is incredibly memorable thanks to a catchy riff that recalls Iron Maiden. PP Producer Marcos Cerutti also lends his voice to the song, giving it a new dimension.
Also a high point of the record, “Mandatory Coexistance” opens with a blistering guitar solo before launching into some truly insane vocals. This song, like the majority of the album, is permeated by savagery. The words “nothing to die for, nothing to live for” really sticks with you. The fury of the lyrical delivery and yet another flawless solo add to the song’s dark atmosphere in “Descending Into Madness.” The ninth song, titled “Thy Fragment Of Light,” shows no signs of slowing down; technically brilliant from any angle and with such a precise rhythm section that brutality is guaranteed. Fast-paced and superb, “Cease And Desist” tackles systemic corruption and the suicide of Pennsylvania State Treasurer Budd Dwyer in front of a live press conference in 1987.
Even though it’s the album’s second-to-last track, “Cult Of Treason” maintains the album’s relentless pace, relentlessly slaughtering the listener’s ears the whole way through while maintaining an enormous stratospheric feel. The aggressive vocals, in particular, deserve special praise for being utterly perfect and brilliantly executed.
Last, but not least the track “Satanic Riots” is another killer track that perfectly caps off this gloomy death metal adventure. Brilliantly, DEPRESSED send a direct and intimate statement to the faith and religion with this culminating onslaught of face-melting, old-school death metal.
In conclusion, it’s clear that DEPRESSED put in a lot of energy and care into making this album. ‘Beyond The Putrid Fiction’ is a triumph of creativity, musical ability, and artistry, expressing disgust for everything that is rotten in this vile world” in a style reminiscent of death metal from the ’90s but with a modern sharpness. If you like bands like MORBID ANGEL, OBITUARY, ENTOMBED, and DEICIDE, then you must check out DEPRESSED. There are no filler tracks here! Every track on this album is top notch and packed with pure energy and expert execution.
