Throughout their decade-long career, New Jersey-based
Mortal Decay has always stood for one thing, and one thing only: grindcore, baby -- that's right. And with this, their long-in-the-making second album, the band delivers just that, proudly carrying the torch (or scalpel, as it were) first raised by
Napalm Death and
Carcass into the new millennium. As would befit the complexity of their chosen subject matter (often reading like medical textbooks), the band's compositions are equally Byzantine in their arrangements, using often dissonant, disorienting lead breaks and guitar effects to further enhance the already challenging listening experience throughout. And sure enough, tracks like "My Mind Bleeds Tragedies," "Beyond Forensic Knowledge," and the aptly named "Driven Into Hysterics" defy quick absorption, shakin' and bakin' their way all over the extreme metal landscape and making repeated listens a must. Meanwhile, lead growler John Paoline contributes a bowel-shattering croak to the proceedings with...well, bowel-shattering results. One almost has to wonder if he recorded his parts sitting on the can, just in case. In other words,
Forensic is hardly appropriate for fine dining, but loads of gory fun otherwise. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia