### Monstrosity: Imperial doom

#### 15/10/12 || InquisitorGeneralis

##### Introduction

My love affair with Monstrosity has been a backwards sort of thing, much like my own personal and spiritual development. It started with their newer, and excellent, albums “Rise to Power” and “Spiritual Apocalypse”. I have been working my way backwards ever since. So, I have reached the end of my perennial quest by finally embracing the awesomeness that is the band’s debut, “Imperial Doom”. It is the band’s most raw, straightforward album with less frills and more punishment. If you learn towards the “Scream Bloody Gore” and “Leprosy” end of the Death spectrum, this is the Monstrosity record for you. It is gritty, brutal, groovy, and just plain sick.

##### Songwriting

8. There are some killer fucking tracks on here that show that Monstrosity were differnet from the pack from the get go. “Final cremation”, “Horror infinity”, and “Darkest dream” dominate with all guns blazing. There is plenty o’blasting, but also many of those groovy, off-tempo, just interesting breaks and time changes that makes Monstrosity’s version of Florideath like none other. I’m dishing out an 8 here because the first half of the album lags just a bit behind the dominating read-end. Still, quality is contained throughout “Impenisial Splooge”.

##### Production

8. A typical Morrissound production here; a little thin and a little soft. Still, for the time and atyle it sounds pretty damn good. THe kicks could be a bit more clear, but there is nothing better for the virgin than a grinding, old-school death metal record, and “Imperial Doom” definitely sounds the way it should.

##### Guitars

9. Monstrosity’s guitar work has always separated them from the death metal pack. While the riffs here do not have the haunting, melodic tone of the ones found on later albums, Gobel and Rubin (both long gone from the current incarnation of Monstrosity) do a nice job laying down a heapin’ helpin’ of thrash-inspired riffs and frenetic solos that reflect clear influences from earlier groups like Slayer, Venom, and Death. I absolutely love the riff that kicks in after George barks out “Horror infinitty!!!!!!!!!!”. The breakdown riff during “Final cremation” rules as well. There are too many good ones to point out individually. Just know that things on here are a bit more thrashy than on later Monstrositalbums.

##### Vocals

10. I’ll take Monstrosigrinder over Cannibal Corpsegrinder any day. When he shouts the chorus to “Horror infinity”, I’m ready to start taking a sledgehammer to anything within swining distance. There is a reason the ‘Corpse stole Fisher in the middle of the night…he kicked some serious ass as the frontman for Monstrosity. His growls are not as low as they would evolve into later which is a good thing because they fit the raw sound and feel of “Imperial Doom” pretty fucken well.

##### Bass

7. It pains me to say this, but Mike Poggione adds more to the Monstrosisound than Mr. Van Erp. The Erpster does not suck…far from it. However, the bass sound and playing does not leap out like on later albums.

##### Drums

8. Lee “Mr. Meanface” Harrison is an amazing drummer. His performance here is a bit more straightforward than the techier ones he lays down on later records like “In Dark Purity” and “Spiritual Apocalyspe”. There are some moments on here that are a little sloppy compared to the precision beatings Harrison would go on to lay down on later records, but the awesomeness is still undeniable. Senior Jarvis from Misery Index and I always brodown to the sweet cymbal action that dominates the breakdown of “Final cremation”. Harrison’s footwork is not as crisp and precise as it would become on “Millenium” or “In Dark Purity”, but the kicks still have the force and interesting feel that helps separate Harrison’s work from the many other, talented skinsman that came out of the Tampa scene.

##### Lyrics

8. Nothing deep or introspective here, but definitely a ton of old-school evil and hate. I always get down during the chorus of “Horror infinity”, which is especially sexbanging.

##### Logo

6. Never the best, never the worst.

##### Cover

8. Old-school Seagravetasticness. What the fuck is that supposed to be? Who knows. It’s evil and weird and that is all you needed in the early 90’s.

##### Booklet

N/A. Long gone.

##### Overall and ending rant

Well, my soulside journey to the heard of Monstrosity has finally ended. And, just like when Smalley’s mom rubs peanut butter and jelly on my dick and we play “taste the middle-schooler’s lunch”, it ends with a large amount of satisfaction. It is truly amazing when you consider the quality death metal albums that were coming out of South Florida in the early 90’s. Records like “The Ten Commandments”, “Covenant”, “Human”, and “Slowly We Rot” along with “Imperial Doom” are all death metal classics. This is not the best Monstrosity album, but it rips shit nonetheless and is a record that needs to be in the collection of an death metal fan who considers themselves to be of the school that is old.

- Information
- Released: 1992
- Label: Nuclear Blast
- Website: www.monstrosity.us
- Band
- George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher: vocals
- Jason Gobel: guitars
- Jon Rubin: guitars
- Mark Van Erp: bass
- Lee Harrison: drums

- Tracklist
- 01. Imperial Doom
- 02. Definite Inquisition
- 03. Ceremonial Void
- 04. Immense Malignancy
- 05. Vicious Mental Thirst
- 06. Burden of Evil
- 07. Horror Infinity
- 08. Final Cremation
- 09. Darkest Dream