Review: “Anthropogenic Ruin” by Bacterial Husk

Formed in 2015 to release unique Death Metal heavily influenced by acts like Carcass, Death and Malevolent Creation, Boston Massachusetts quartet Bacterial Husk released their debut EP “Agnosia of Omens” a year later rapturous reviews. A demo titled “Mystics of Transmutation” surfaced in 2018 but line up changes and other projects including Razormaze and Scattered Remnants seemed to be holding them back. Now five long years after that demo appeared, mastered by Dave Otero (Vermin Womb, Archspire, Primitive Man) at Flatline Audio and enrobed by artwork from Matt Stikker (Witch Vomit, Integrity, Power Trip) their debut album “Anthropogenic Ruin” has arisen from the beyond the grave. A concept record in all but name, it is described as the soundtrack to mankind’s oblivion through man-made, unnatural, and celestial anomalies…

It’s clear that there has been at least a five year gestational period for this album with former vocalist and bassist Pete Sannicandro (Cadaveryne) and vocalist and guitarist Mark Richards (Stagnater) receiving writing credits. That means that the current line up of vocalist and guitarist Evan Duplessis (Scattered Remnants), guitarist Joey Adams (who also tracked and mixed the album), bassist John Lattuca and drummer Nick Lazzaro (Razormaze) are on good terms with them. Well, for now at least. Until they hear the abomination of an album that the new line up have created and file for having their legacy tarnished. The roots of Bacterial Husk are Grinding Death Thrash orientated but as a whole as you’d probably expect given the line up changes and the passing of time, their sound has evolved into something more in keeping with Death Metal in its purest form. Opening cut “Spores of Hallucinosis” demonstrates their new found power with darker Death Growls going toe to toe shriller backing vocals in classic fashion while bursts of blast beats spice things up a little. Cleverly transitioning between some fun Death Groove type riffage and some more sinister and menacing moments “Flayed By Anomalies” is something of an Old School Death Metal masterclass with the nostalgic warmth of an old flame. The vocals are caustically evil and the whole thing owes a debt to the Florida scene from the early 90’s, throwing off the shackles of their earlier works but remaining true to their misanthropic nature.

The next barbed offering is “Plague Pollination” which is a headbangers dream with an air guitar worthy solo mapped to another rich groove orientation to which the gravitational pull is undeniable. It has to be said that the drum sound isn’t as clean and crisp as it could be but that is something that plays into the bands calloused hands because it gives the record a nostalgic charm that goes back to the tape trading days. “Corrupted Hydrosphere” is one of those older tracks with a writing credit for Pete Sannicandro, an instantly appealing Death Thrash cut which feels like it has some Morbid Angel influence. That’s testament to the bands studious musicianship and desire to create something that pays homage to their heroes, making it something you’ll want to come back to time and again. An evil bass solo helps to bring in “Enshrined Gravitational Aberration” and Duplessis actually sounds like Dickie Allen from Infant Annihilator as he rips through the lyric sheet and screams down the microphone like a man possessed on this one. An in keeping atmospheric solo adds to the flavours of darkness and you’re left with another stone cold winner. Riding high on the tidal wave of toxic waste “Umbilical Sewage” maintains the stature of the album with a razor sharp riffage and vocals that threaten to burn the ear canals like battery acid. While on the whole “Anthropogenic Ruin” isn’t a particularly gore fuelled album, this one is arguably the one that goes to that depth of depravity.

36 seconds longer than the 2018 demo version “Mystics of Transmutation” is a vicious little ditty with the kind of lyrics that will find you looking for a magnifying glass to check them out. Lines like “Strange sounds and smells disorient the clan.” or “Twisted animalistic howls paralyze the caravan.” feel like they’re from a sound track to a low budget science fiction horror classic and credit where credits due, they’re ideally suited to this hellscape. Another fireball of Death Thrash, “Chemically Evolved” adds to the weight of evidence that calls for Bacterial Husk to remain chained to the wall of a dank, dark, basement torcher chamber hell, forced to create a follow up album within the next twelve months. They might be allowed out for a performance at Maryland Deathfest on good behaviour. Avoiding the temptation to give us an acoustic power ballad “Cesarean-Born Constellations” has a couple of eerie moments of lead in the finale that feel like you’ve been summoned to an early grave in space before the blood stained tarpaulin is pulled over this abomination with “Starving the Immortal“. A pulverising beast of a cut, this one dances on the tongue like whiskey flavoured popping candy and the solo is pure class from an album that means the next one falls into the highly anticipated category. What more could you possibly want? [8.5/10]

Track Listing

1. Spores of Hallucinosis
2. Flayed By Anomalies
3. Plague Pollination
4. Corrupted Hydrosphere
5. Enshrined Gravitational Aberration
6. Umbilical Sewage
7. Mystics of Transmutation
8. Chemically Evolved
9. Cesarean-Born Constellations
10. Starving the Immortal

“Anthropogenic Ruin” by Bacterial Husk is out 27th October 2023 with pre-orders available over at bandcamp.