### Dehumanized: Prophecies foretold

#### 09/06/10 || Habakuk

New York, New York. And shit. Fuck this intro.

This disc was released in 1998 and is an essential yet mostly unknown waypoint in the progression from mid-paced old school death, see for example Baphomet, to what’s called “slam death”, most prominent example being Dying Fetus, these days. It looks like the band has reformed around the guitarist lately and isn’t even doing too badly, but as of now, this is still their one and only full-length, 36 minutes, and with tracks 6 through 9 being re-masters from a 1996 demo entitled “Terminal punishment”, which wasn’t so terminal after all.

So yes, it’s a short album, and only five tracks show the band’s full potential with a decent production (which is at least not getting in fun’s way or anything) at the exact time of release. These five songs, however, will rip your motherfucken (smiling) head off if you have ever spelled the word “groove” correctly. I, for example, am typing this review with only one hand as the other one has to hold my severed head and tilt it slightly upwards so I can see what I’m typing. The event causing this can be easily traced back: I was sitting in my car, listening to this disc borrowed by a man of good taste for the first time at full volume, reaching the 0:42 minutes mark of song one, the title track. And gone was the motherfucken head. Thank Huggybear I knew my way.

Let’s take this approach: What’s not to like about Dying Fetus? The conservative idiot lyrics, yes, the fucken “technical” fretboard wankery and maybe some of the vocal delivery. Probably more, but strike all this and you will retain some mean fucken grooves (“slam” or whatever) incorporated in some no-holds-barred death metal. You know, Dying Fetus even covered Baphomet’s “Streaks of blood” some day and this leads me to the conclusion that there’s some connection between these two bands and the one at hand. More suggestive evidence is found in the singer, who sounds exactly like the Baphomet dude with his deep, guttural rasp, as well as the almost complete absence of any solo or lead guitar, like on that album I linked above. That’s right, shit stays down where it should almost all of the time. Quite fittingly, as instrument wizards these guys are not, albeit definitely solid and keeping a steady flow. Pace changes from a fair amount of blasting (not too much, not too little) to fast, thrashing beats from time to time, to fantastic, absolutely fantastic breakdowns that would make Suffocation proud.

And with that third name drop out of the way, I shall already wrap this up. If you have but a remote interest in any of the bands mentioned, you have to check out this album. As it’s rather short in playing time and the booklet not exactly awesome, I’m not saying run out and buy it immediately – but don’t miss out on it either. Seriously.

- Information
- Released: 1998
- Label: Pathos Productions
- Website: Dehumanized MySpace
- Band
- Jerry Barco: vocals
- Tom Toscano: guitars
- Rich Nagasawa: guitars
- George Torres: drums

- Tracklist
- 01. Prophecies foretold
- 02. Kingdom of cruelty
- 03. Fade into obscurity
- 04. Solitary demise
- 05. Infinite despair
- 06. Doomed to die
- 07. Terminal punishment
- 08. Condemned
- 09. Drawn by blood