Bloodgutter – Death Mountain
Release Date: 5th May 2023
Label: Trollzorn
Genre: Death Metal, Swedeath, OSDM.
FFO: Entombed, Obituary, Dismember, Autopsy.
Review By: Rick Farley
I’ve been lucky enough to be aware of this killer band for quite some time now, initially featured on our now defunct “The Buried Underground,” I immediately had to snatch up the full review duties as well and tell you why Bloodgutter is definitely worth your attention and hard-earned cash.
Proclaimed as the bastard mix of Entombed and Obituary, these four Danes that amalgamate Bloodgutter, definitely live up to that statement and then some. This is teeth shattering, knuckle dragging, skull bashing death metal built for fist pumping and ass kicking. Hailing from Silkeborg, Denmark and formed in 2019, this buzzsaw guitar tone loving quartet quickly found common musical ground and just might be your newly crowned favourite old school death metal band.
Coming in at a little over thirty-seven minutes of gut punching heaviness and groove induced hookiness, Death Mountain is simply a good fucking record that does a hell of a job of sounding like death metal should. A record that you put on, wreck shit and headbang until you pass out. Its raw simplicity gives the energy that’s heavy, gritty, and infectious. Chunky meat and potatoes, primal death metal that’s impossible not to love.
The absolutely crushing Rot Awaits kicks in as if Obituary were right in the room with them, but quickly escalates to an energy filled riff variation that sounds a little more like a modern nod of influence rather than a copy. This monstrous track smoothly fluctuates back and forth between heavy face melting groove and ball shrivelling rapid pace. The distinct pounding of drums from NP Nielsen (The Kandidate, Disrule) sound huge but also intricate. There’s a deep thickness to them that feels like you’re being smashed repeatedly. Combined with the pulsing low end from bassist Bjørn Jensen (Dawn of Demise, Temple of Scorn) this track will surely become a live setting favourite while breaking a lot of bones in the process.
The savagery of Down the Gutter is a mix of hellacious riffs that plough through, trample and snarl. Guitarist Martin Sørensen (Dawn of Demise) wreaks havoc with crusty, dirt filled HM-2 driven chug. With a couple nods to some swampy sludge metal near the end of the track and some outright swedeath love makes this track a shining example of how good Bloodgutter is at being OSDM. It feels and sounds completely authentic.
Closing track Our Final Conflict has a little doomy vibe to it, with huge open chords ringing out before it breaks into a swampy, almost bluesy swagger. That foot stomping groove doesn’t last much longer than a minute in a half before a punky energy pounds the living daylights out of your already abused and bruised body. Vocalist Mikkel Lau’s (Fordæv) throaty growl, barking out gutturals like a cacophonous demon, is grating and fits the hacksawing brutality of it all to a t.
Production wise, Death Mountain, which was recorded by the band and then mastered by Jacob Bredahl at Dead Rat Studios, sound absolutely incredible. Trebly, extreme, gain filled guitars with warm toned bass and a bulky drum sound give the compositions great dynamics and sonic power. The vocals come across gravel filled and expertly mixed. This is as gritty and grimy as you can get, but with some modern spit shining. I never thought chainsaws could sound this good.
By the time you’ve even gotten to this part of the review, you should have already be listening to Bloodgutter, and taking your old school death metal beating like the lunatic that you are. The gloriously filthy sounds of yesteryear are alive and well. 
(4 / 5)
