Pyrexia – Gravitas Maximus
Release Date: 10th December 2021
Label: Unique Leader Records
Pre-Order/Pre-Save
Genre: Extreme Metal, Death Metal, Brutal Death Metal.
FFO: Frightmare, Cannibal Corpse, Disgorge, Mortal Decay, Fleshgrind.
Review By: Jay Creepy
I think one of the repeat themes in my reviews happens to be a comment regarding old school sounds. I find that I dwell on this for two reasons, one being the obvious that I’ve been listening to music for a very long time, and secondly the old school felt more serious and demanded instant attention.
My point is proven when you first listen to the latest album by Pyrexia. Beginning with a slab sample from The Exorcist, the music of We Are Many kicks in sounding like late 80s Sarcofago whilst the vocals are akin to Frightmare or Mortician. I am content and in a very happy place now. The gurgling throaty ransacking continues into Apostles to the Grave with a heavy chugging guitar and smashed to pieces drums all over the place.
The Day the Earth Shook is a surprise by using the sample taken by East Coast rap cru, Mobb Deep briefly before engaging into another diabolical hammer to your head. Art of Infamy actually shakes the earth more due to the build up (wait until you hear it) Kind of like hearing a four-minute warning siren chorus, and you know a nuclear warhead is coming. Bludgeoned by Deformity and the title track is simply extreme and will likely fail any health and safety audit (those frikkin drums at the start of Gravitas Maximus are just beautiful to behold, thank you, John Glassbrenner for your wonderful arms!) Incidentally, a more raw, ragged variation of Bludgeoned by Deformity appeared on one of their earlier EPs.
There’s a big difference between a group such as Pyrexia and a lot of knock-off laptop bands. When Jim Beach is choking up vomit, he’s actually mumbling words and lyrics, not just making ridiculous noises and growling into a voice distorter. And let’s not forget that Chris Basile and Danny Trapani are more than capable of backing up his words with a soundscape of brutal noise with their guitars (Shaun Kennedy on bass really fattens the music out) Why? Because Pyrexia have been around many decades and have remained hardcore and very serious in their mission to disturb and shatter innocent victims.
The track titles make sense as well, it’s not like some CDs you find where a bald headed gaggle of clueless blokes have a sketch on the cover of glistening viscera and songs called Mutant Newts Attached to Entrails of Tortured Virgins or Beetles in a Corpses Rectum, then the words (if there are any among the spewing noises) don’t even connect.
Saying that Rule of 2, enters briefly into the make stupid noises on the mic for no reason whatsoever realm but at least the music is heavy duty and professional.
Pyrexia live up to their moniker and really raise your body temperature, then on purpose decide to chill you to the bone, drenching you in cold sweats.
(4 / 5)
