If the two musicians who form the core of Corrupter look familiar, that’s because they are; M. Lobier (guitar, vocals, drums) and J Blandino (bass guitar) also comprise extreme French metal outfit Morgue. While there is a definite crossover between the two groups, Corrupter finds the pair streamlining their approach and delivering a brutal sound that’s more in line with classic ‘90s death metal. Bold, brash and totally blasphemous, their sophomore album, Gloria In Profundis, serves up eight explosives cuts for a listening experience like no other.
Some riffs come laden with magic, and that’s certainly the case with that which introduces opening track ‘Eucharist’. It’s a circular affair and swings with the kind of force and menace that recalls Tony Iommi at his devilish best, and when the rest of the instruments kick in, it registers high on the Richter Scale. As with many groups who operate as a small unit, there’s a singular of vision going on from w ahich great deal of power is derived. It’s a kind of reductionism in which Corrupter deal; all the flesh is stripped from the bone and everything here is boiled down into its purest form until all that is left is pure, unadulterated death metal. However, don’t mistake the band as one-dimensional because nothing could be further from the truth. Any kind of constraint can act as a spur towards greater creativity and that’s exactly what occurs here; the reduced numbers with which Corrupter operate finds them veering off on unexpected tangents. There’s plenty of variety on offer in terms of vocal range (check out the demonic cries on the title-track) and time signatures, and it is precisely because of this constant flux that Gloria In Profundis holds the listener’s attention over its thirty minute running time.
While it’s true that you can’t judge a book by its cover (or an album by its sleeve), that which houses Gloria In Profundis gives a good indication to what’s inside. It reminds me a little of Godflesh’s Streetcleaner; it’s angry, red and suggests a world that is perishing in flames…and that’s exactly what this album sounds like. Take final track ‘Awakened From Beyond’, for example. It’s like Black Sabbath’s ‘War Pigs’ (albeit updated for a new generation) and in between the air raid siren that opens the track to the feedback with which it concludes, there’s the sound of pure, visceral death metal that perfectly replicates a world in the throes of nuclear destruction.
With an album that harnesses the best of ‘90s death metal and hones it into a red hot beam, Corrupter prove themselves a contemporary force.
- Gloria In Profundis is released via Godz Ov War Productions and is available now (from here).
Track List:
- Eucharist
- Beating Heart Cadaver
- Permanent Storage Down Below
- Heading For Afterlife
- Chasm Of Atonement
- Gloria In Profundis
- In The Maze Of Malebolge
- Awakened From Beyond
