The debut full-length release from Canada's Beneath the Massacre, Mechanics of Dysfunction, is a jaw-dropping assault of technical brutality. If you thought bands like Cryptopsy, Nile, Meshuggah, Gorguts, Aborted, and Decapitated had sole ownership of the most "technical death metal band" around crown, you might have to reconsider after hearing this smoldering platter. These ten tracks go for the juggular and never let go until every last drop of life is drained, using as their weaponry of malice a killer drummer in Justin Rousselle, layers of rampaging riffs and technical fills from guitarist Christopher Bradley, rippling bass from Dennis Bradley, and the lethal growls courtesy of Elliot Desgagnes. This is brutal, make no mistake about it, but delivered with such precision and class, as each blast beat and layer of riff-o-rama seem so well thought out and perfectly executed. Tracks like "Modern Age Slavery" and "Society's Disposable Son" devastate with flawless guitar work (Bradley is an amazing player) and a relentless drum attack, while Desgagnes' vocals on "Better Off Dead", "The Surface", and "Long Forgotten" will easily peel the paint off any room in your house you feel needs refinishing.
You'll shake your head in amazement after hearing a tune like "Sleepless", which steamrolls ahead with thundering rhythms and absolutely shredding guitar work that is so damn intricate it will make you dizzy. This is a band that is so in synergy with each other it's scary.
The only real drawback here is that the album is quite short, at barely 30 minutes, and each song is practically over before you know it. I'd love to hear these guys write some longer, more epic pieces, which might help them add in a little variety to their already lethal sound. Overall though Mechanics of Dysfunction is 2007's most promising debut, and a stunning mix of brutality and technicality. The bar for extreme metal might just have gotten raised folks.
Track Listing
1. The Surface 2:41
2. Society's Disposable Son 3:28
3. The System's Failure 3:29
4. The Stench of Misery 2:57
5. Untitled 0:58
6. Modern Age Slavery 3:22
7. The Invisible Hand 3:07
8. Better Off Dead 2:36
9. Long Forgotten 3:33
10. Sleepless 3:45
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