It feels like rapture to have listened to a Gut release post-Odour, Pre-Disciples and not have mixed or negative feelings about it. Gut was determined to maintain a consistent schedule of recording and releasing new material as a part of their comeback and for the first few releases, it didn’t turn out so well. However, I decree that with this split album they did… GOOD! An above average release that dropped some absolutely devastating tracks of the filth we expect from the fathers of pornogrind. However, looking at the meta of this split, it’s a bit strange to me. Gut teaming up with a brutal technical deathcore band to put out a split. I guess since it was the mid-2000s and deathcore was starting to rise in popularity it makes sense, but in hindsight it feels like day and night, similar to The Cracks of Doom Split with XXX Maniak and Coffins. Contrasting genres aside, how does the music stack up in this array of gore and grind?
Simply looking at the tracks and time length on Gut’s side is a breath of familiar yet fresh air. 7 tracks with several of them being of moderate to satisfying lengths. No mindless noise or brainless composition here, and completely devoid of filler, that’s what I like to see. The first thing I immediately take notice of is the sound of everything. Gone is the sterile sound of the previous album and splits, now instead a more grungy and coarse production. It’s loud and in your face, loaded with a punky ambience of horror and violent sexual energy. Some of the vocals leave much to be desired, like those god-awful highs. They sound like a heroin addicted rock star trying to sing like Freddy Mercury. The same can be said for the pitchshifts that pitch up the voice. I don’t know where Gut got the idea that we wanted more Alvin and the Chipmunks in their music, but someone notify them that they were dead wrong. Thankfully, the vocals are salvaged by Bukkake Boy’s gutturals and lower pitchshifts. They’re more predominate and sound killer. Bonah and Electrojesus still slay on their respective parts of drums and guitars, delivering crypt-like beatings and sonic bulldozings once again. The track Back in your Back really pulls the most out of everyone, as it’s one of the most aggressive, thrashy and powerful song that batters this split. Then we get to the one-two punch closers of Can’t Wait for Tonight and Gigolo Warfare, and I must say they did it, they finally did it. Gut successfully mixed hip-hop and pornogrind, I know, I couldn’t believe it either. Can’t Wait for Tonight is an ambient slab of electronic horrocore/goregrind that carries an atmosphere of droning and doom. The beats and electronics are chilling and haunting propped up by the droning buzz of the guitar riffs. The vocals also heighten the sense of unease with Bukkake Boy’s gutturals lining the song, along with the hypnotizing performance of Beyonce Bowels. All these elements not only create an eccentric horrorgrind mix that excels in electrifying me, but also warn the welcome of the next track as well. Gigolo Warfare is a bonified fucking monster. This track makes Gut playing horrorcore sound like a match made in heaven. A techno/industrial type beat accompanying with an unrelenting, yet simple droning riff is a perfect and imposing backdrop for the almost inhuman vocals. Powered with even more ambient and rich electronics, structure, breaks, patterns, tempo, almost everything makes this a track worthy a titling the split after. I picked up this split for the track alone, and it was incredibly worth it. This is where experimentation pays off and innovation soars, as this is the type of track Gut needed to make more of. The last three songs of Gut’s side crush the first four and are worth the price of admission alone. Unfortunately, this is the end Gut’s material and we move on to the clear losers of this split.
Ok, “clear losers” sounds a bit mean but to be blunt, nothing off Distorted Impalement’s side of the split even remotely comes close to Gut’s greatness. Though that doesn’t mean this band is devoid of any merit. For one, the band has some solid guitar tones, crunchy, crushing, bulldozing and just plain terrifying. The drumming is impressive in its technicality and has a great sound as well. The bass drum pounds out some sick sounding bludgeonings at unrelenting speeds and paired with the snare and cymbals, it’s like you’re getting rapid fired punched in the gut, face and crotch at the same time with how ferocious it is at times. The vocals however I am not a fan of. It’s played by the numbers bree-bree crap that lacks any impact or originality but raised up the war like drumming and guitar playing, yeah it can sound decent at times. These guys crush out some demonic riffs from time to time and really get my head bobbing along just from infectious they sound. A drawback however is found when looking a lot of these riffs and structure. Guys, you don’t need to screech your guitar at the end of each consecutive riff; it’s genuinely annoying and feels like a cheap attempt to create a chaotic or rodeo style riff. …On a Killing Spree and Defloration Game 69 are two tracks that bring the pain and put the ‘brutal’ in ‘brutal death metal’. So, while Distorted Impalement’s heights don’t hit Gut’s, they still offer a magnificent arrangement of technical playing mixed with a crisp production and intense songwriting.
When I re-listened to this split I was not looking forward to reviewing the deathcore songs but after doing so I found a new appreciation for them. It still doesn’t make the split less jarring but good music is good music. Gut killed it however with otherworldly beats of horror and mayhemic doom that should’ve been a catalyst for a horrorcore Gut album that sadly never saw the light of day. It’s a neat package that might surprise you if you have no clue about what you’re getting into. Stellar grind and hip-hop mingle with stunning and standard deathcore. I change my mind; this split has no losers, so give it a whirl and give in to the gore.
rafazardly 