Embrional – Inherited Tendencies for Self-Destruction
Release Date: 21st March 2025
Label: Agonia Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Death Metal, Blackened Death Metal, Technical Death Metal.
FFO: Immolation, Azarath, Morbid Angel, Hate Eternal, Vomitory, Hate.
Review By: Rick Farley
Polish death metal titans Embrional return with their fourth full length album, Inherited Tendencies for Self-Destruction, releasing March 21st, 2025, via Agonia Records. Set to annihilate everything in sight with their destructive sharp toned, angular guitar riffs, insane drum fills paced for bombardment and low growls ranging just north of hell. The wicked creativity of Immolation and Morbid Angel, with the blistering fierceness of Azarath, these Poles know musical brutality.
Much more than any clone band, the spirit of relentless ferocity on the verge of coming off the rails is a skill that Embrional possess like no other. Inherited Tendencies for Self-Destruction is a masterclass in venomous chaos. Morbidly blackened at times, and near tech death musicianship keeps the record atmospherically fresh without losing its main objective of warring aggression. This record is an assault on the senses at nearly ever twist and turn. Embellishments of melody via leads and riff structures temper the chaos slightly to feel briefly tamed enough to gasp for bits of air.
While this surely is a strength on Inherited Tendencies for Self-Destruction, it’s also a bit of a downfall. Granted, there’s not one bad song on this entire record that I would skip. The problem is, it’s far too easy to get lost in the blur of its ferocity. While every song is a delicious piece of death metal, it’s kind of the same bite one too many times by the end of the record. At thirty-six minutes, its length is perfectly fine, but the pace of the record is unrelenting the whole way, which does affect its overall potency by the end.
The album is opened briefly by the short instrumental Choirs of Apocalypse, which is a myriad of lingering, ominous synths clearly leading to some sort of eruption. Its effectiveness is shown once the angular riffs snake in during The World Deserves Self Destruction. Less than a minute in and we are thrust into quickened acceleration and total annihilation. The riff pace goes from catchy stompiness to rapid-fire blast beats capable of caving in your chest if you stand too close. It revisits the initial riff once more to close out the track, becoming a short, satisfying three minutes of concentrated hellfire. The unyielding bashing continues on Inspiration to Slay with a stuttering riff within the context of its reckless pace. The guitars take a lead role, creating atmospherics of squawks and whammy dives while never derailing its hell-bent momentum of smashing through the nearest wall at maximum speed. The same can be said for nearly every song on Inherited Tendencies for Self-Destruction, minus the two short instrumentals. Each track has that surge of energy that never quits. Adrenaline on top of adrenaline, sickening guitars, harsh growls barking out over a heavy foundation of vehemently fast, pounding drums. It definitely works exceptionally well if speed is your thing. Don’t get me wrong though, I don’t want to paint a picture of just pure aggression, there are plenty of melodic touches and quirkiness within the riff structures that does enhance the juggernaut, albeit the pace never really shy’s far away from staggering for long.
It’s up to you if unforgiving tempo is your thing. This record is fucking great at what it is, and if that’s what you want from your death metal, this is about as perfect as you can get.
(3.5 / 5)
