Review: “​The Feast of ​Human Vices” by Carrion Throne

After a run from 2011-2019 under the name Epitasis which lead to a solitary EP in 2015’s “Decimation of Gaia“, a new beast was birthed for the musicians to continue their journey down the left hand path. Hailing from Chicago Illinois Carrion Throne now only feature two members of the original band in guitarist Alex Rocha and bassist Alex Chapa with Derangement and ex-Kataplexy guitarist Joel Sandoval, ex-Nameless Motive and Perpetual Defilement drummer Izzy Rivera and vocalist Alex Corral joining the ranks. The first warning shot was fired in 2020 before the summer of 2022 saw a twin track promo land what brings an onslaught of crushing Death Metal ground into the dirt with dissonant slamming parts to the Kings table…

Recorded, mixed and mastered by Spenser Morris the first four tracks of this new burnt offering are nothing short of a lethal dose of American hatred. Blood gargling vocals from Corral make the head spin as “Misanthropic” hits like a wrecking ball to the skull, the band toying with the listeners cranium as tempos shift like the sands of the Sahara in a tornado. A melancholic melody rises eerily from the black depths of the tar pit as chugging guitars lurch menacingly, a pick slide into a huge downtempo breakdown with a dissonant overlay absolutely devastating. It’s like a monolithic beast has been awoken when “Dark Atavism” slaps you across the face like a woman scorned, Rivera restless and relentless as he hammers the kit into oblivion. The kind of music they play to prisoners in Guantanamo Bay to induce sleep depravation, the bowel clenching lows of the vocals should disturb but instead have a strange calming effect. “Mazoku Mao” is a reference to Japanese mythology and fantasy in which Mazoku are evil supernatural demons, a Maō being their ruler. That effectively makes the track title Demon King and the sinister dirge the band have created feels like it has supernatural power. Chilling to the bone the dissonance keeps you on the edge of your seat like watching a classic psychological horror movie as you’re never quite sure what is about to emerge.

The title track “The Feast of Human Vices” continues the bludgeoning with a blunt force trauma, slower hypnotic headbanging seductions broken by shape shifting into heavier parts with blasting. Keeping their rhythms tight and aggression levels high, the threat of an extinction level event remains present as this one plays out, the guitars burning like wire. After those four sinister urges we move into a pair of tunes recorded by Paul Aluculesei and mixed and mastered by Dan Klein at Iron Hand Audio that made up the bands 2022 promo. They’ve been marked as bonus tracks for good reason; the quality may not be less but there is a distinct difference in the recording an no remastering has been done to put the tracks on the same level as those that came before them. The first track Carrion Throne released under their new name was “Descending Firmament” and it hits like a track from Twitch Of The Death Nerve. Vocally brutal it has all the hallmarks of the new material and is equally well crafted, confirming that the quintet had a blueprint which they have stuck to with unnerving effect. On this one the dissonance in the final moments has an almost ethereal quality, something which gives it incredible power. One last dose of poison before becoming immune is on offer in “Sinning Tree“, a track which finds Corral sounding like he’s caught in a bear trap. Spitting, snarling and venomous his vocal performance is reminiscent of Hayden Shemilt from Old Wharf and is wrapped around downtempo groove like an Alligator preparing to death roll its prey. Heavier than an anvil, this mid tempo Slamming Death Metal is what your mother warned you about… [7.5/10]

Track Listing

1. Misanthropic
2. Dark Atavism
3. Mazoku Mao
4. The Feast of Human Vices
5. Descending Firmament (Promo 2022, bonus track)
6. Sinning Tree (Promo 2022, bonus track)

“​The Feast of ​Human Vices” by Carrion Throne is out 31st May 2024 via Lacerated Enemy Records and is available over at bandcamp.