Ah, the meme kings with the unpronounceable name and the unreadable band logo are keeping up the pace, releasing their third album in just four years. Yet Hideous Aftermath is far from an uninspired quickie. No, Sanguisugabogg has put serious effort into this hideous aftermath and — with the help of producer Kurt Ballou (Converge) — has broadened its sound both literally and in a more figurative sense.
First, in the literal sense: on this new one, there’s an actual bass guitar to be heard, whereas on the previous album, the low-end frequencies were merely split off from the guitar tracks. We also read that Ballou tackled the infamous “ugly snare ping.” Well, fans of that sound can rest easy, because the snare still pings away cheerfully at times (Felony Abuse Of A Corpse). It’s just less obtrusive now, because the ping sits within the mix instead of on top of it.
Then, in the figurative sense. The band dared to stretch the boundaries of its sound, and that gives the record a very pleasing dynamic. The group still swings and stomps violently, but there’s also room for slightly unconventional musical choices which nonetheless fit perfectly, since they’re approached from the same nihilistic worldview. Opener Rotted Entanglement is simply a well-constructed death metal track that kicks off at a brisk pace before plunging the listener halfway through into abyssal depths with a break heavy enough to split a continent apart. With a few frivolities (some atmospheric guitar lines), we’re lifted back up, only to realize that above, everything is being crushed by a lumbering steamroller riff. Another example of strong death metal craftsmanship can be found in the somewhat technical opening riffs, the pummeling drums, and the delightful old-school screech that opens Sanctified Defilement. Maybe not groundbreaking, but solid as hell and reason enough to pick up the record.
The broadening comes mostly in Repulsive Demise (and the final track, but we’ll get to that), which immediately prick up the ears because “The Bogg goes industrial.” We hear the sound of metal striking metal, of slow drums soon reinforced by driving basslines and riffs that seem determined to march on until the end of time. It’s precisely those riffs and a hypnotic dose of hi-hats that give this otherwise pale composition some color and just enough contrast to win us over. And so Boggflesh works out well indeed.
But at its core, Hideous Aftermath remains a festering, sludgy swamp (slam) death album. Not too much speed, but mountains of filthy riffs and bubbling vocals, like in the wonderfully lumbering Heinous Testimony, which exhales green, curling Autopsy-like fumes, but with a modern, almost The Dillinger Escape Plan-style dynamism and squeals.
In the bravely stomping Ritual of Autophagia, Todd Jones of Nails contributes a vocal cameo. Not surprisingly, this collaboration brings the ‘core’ side of Sanguisugabogg’s sound a bit more to the forefront. In the ultra-sluggish (and therefore favorite) Abhorrent Contraception — hear those quick drums beneath the slow wrecking-ball guitars — it’s the turn of the more intelligible Josh Welshman from Defeated Sanity. On the cheerfully titled Semi Automatic Facial Reconstruction, Travis Ryan (Cattle Decapitation) steps up, and the band had a clear concept for him: they wanted the high and guttural tones from the Humanure (2004) era. And indeed, we hear him dive deep once again on a track that carries flashes of (grind)core chaos, with guitars joyfully panning left and right in your speakers/headphones.
Each guest brings something worthwhile, but ultimately, it’s the weight and dynamic of the songs, and the logical way the album tells its story, that make Hideous Aftermath so powerful. I’ll make one small exception for the closing track Paid In Flesh, because Dylan Walker of Full Of Hell completely takes over. In doing so, he turns the closer into the album’s highlight. The song begins as a ton-heavy death metal bulldozer, but right before the halfway mark, that machine grinds to a halt and a terrifying emptiness sets in. Walker digs deep within himself to scream out all the fear, rage, and despair that’s clung to his bones throughout his life. Where earlier we were repeatedly hurled into the abyss by massive breakdowns, now we truly fall apart completely—his vocals pierce right to the bone marrow: First pain, then nothing… Do yourself a favor (well, sort of…) and at least give this monument of (self-)flagellation a listen.
Ah, and you might as well take the rest along with it, because with Hideous Aftermath, Sanguisugabogg has — finally? — made the album that matches its fame, its backing from Century Media Records, and the high placement it’s earned on festival posters. More serious now, sure, but still plenty of fun. Party on, lads!
Score:
84/100
Label:
Century Media Records, 2025
Tracklisting:
- Rotted Entanglement
- Felony Abuse of a Corpse
- Ritual of Autophagia
- Heinous Testimony
- Abhorrent Contraception
- Repulsive Demise
- Erotic Beheading
- Sanctified Defilement
- Semi Automatic Facial Reconstruction
- Paid in Flesh
Line-up:
- Devin Swank – Vocals
- Drew Arnold – Guitars, bass
- Cody Davidson – Drums
- Cedrik Davis – Guitars, bass
Links: