Genocide Pact – S/T (Recommendation)

For a few years now there has been a big trend. The revival of Old School Death Metal. Hardly any genre is currently better represented than this. Besides bands like Gatecreeper and Frozen Soul, Genocide Pact are also worthy representatives. The guys from Washington D.C. release their new self-titled album on December 3rd. This will be released via Relapse Records. Eight disgusting songs can be heard on the new album.

Anyone who knows the band, knows exactly what he will get here. Uncompromising Death Metal of the old school. This is paired with slow breaks that are strongly reminiscent of Autopsy or Obituary. Because of the HM2 pedal, the opener, “Led To Extinction” sounds like a Swedish version of “Redneck Stomp”. However, especially the drums have punky elements, which I like. In general the album sounds like a deadly mix of Punk and Metal. The guitar solo towards the end of the track surprises me a bit, as it sounds quite rocky. Entombed would probably be proud of the US quintet at this point. Such a solo can also be found on the song “Mutilated Vision”. If you’d like to know how an illegitimate child of Autopsy and Obituary would sound like should listen more closely here.

The nagging voice of singer Tim Mullaney sounds especially bestial through the underlaying reverb. But “Genocide Pact” can also be different. In some places the new album may sound monotonous, but here and there some surprises hide. “Fossilized Future” is almost a tribute to “Keep On Rotting in the Free World” by Carcass, at least in terms of melodicism and groove. Speaking of UK legends, the artwork of Genocide Pact makes my Napalm Death heart beat faster right off the bat. If you don’t recognize parallels to the classic Scum here, you can’t help it.

“Deprive / Degrade” is another surprise for me. The shortest track, but it sounds very refreshing due to the Punk influence. Overall, the sound of Genocide Pact can be compared to a tank. Slowly it rolls over every obstacle and is unstoppable. One would like to stomp a deep hole into the ground all the time. I haven’t had a similar feeling for a long time, apart from various Obituary classics. With “Industrial Obedience” the US guys have created a worthy conclusion. You almost dive into the deep and disgusting swamps of Doom Metal. Asphyx fans beware, no prisoners are taken here! Maybe Genocide Pact will dare to experiment even more on their next album. Especially the mentioned Doom Metal elements I would like to hear a bit more refined. All in all the self-titled album of the band is a solid piece of Death Metal. Of course they don’t reinvent the wheel with it, on the contrary. If you are in the mood for a good portion of OSDM, you should enjoy it here! Bon appetit.

8 / 10

Favorite Tracks:
“Fossilized Future”
“Purged Flesh”