(written by Islander)
The name chosen by Los Angeles based Putrescent is like a code word for aficionados of underground death metal. It sends morbid signals of ugly death and stinking decay, a foul vision of the rot that lies beyond life, and it leads us to expect music that manifests that malodorous decomposition.
But though the music of Putrescent is certainly capable of fulfilling all those expectations, it turns out to embrace darkness in savagely explosive ways as well, as you’re about to discover through our premiere of a song from their debut album — Darkness Embraced — in advance of its release on June 6th by Rotted Life Records.
The song we have for you today is “Spectral Sanctum“. The song’s churning main riff is indeed a grisly and grime-saturated affair, but this is no slow ooze of putridity. Backed by thunderous drums going flat-out and a bowel-loosening bass riot, the riffing whirs and whines across the channels like the hideous harmonies of some hellish circle-saw, and the guitars also include frenzied writhing sensations like feeding worms on fire. The onslaught of all those sounds is brutalizing, maniacally vicious, and thoroughly electrifying.
The vocals provide a different timbre of monstrosity, slowly bellowing the words in malignant gutturals of cavernous depth while gutting, cutting, and bone-smashing mayhem ensues around them. Eventually, the vocals themselves go mad, howling with horrid intensity.
The speed and savagery of the song are unrelenting, but accented by sharp shifts in the drum patterns and exhilarating fills, as well as the vivid contortions of the fleet-fingered guitars. You’ll also find that the music is produced in a way that channels pulverizing power, but with a clarity and separation you might not be expecting.
We would also like to share some insights from the band’s founder, guitarist/vocalist Dixie Martinez, about this song, which he calls his favorite on the album:
The song explores the concept of what life beyond death might feel like. My take on this is a bit different from the typical portrayal of the afterlife. Often, these themes include the white light, warm embraces, and deliverance from pain. Instead, I wanted to write a song that defies these stereotypes.
Rather than envisioning golden gates, I chose to write about seeing a graveyard. This contrast became the foundation of the song, and I ran with it from there.
What makes “Spectral Sanctum” different is its emphasis on the afterlife, offering a perspective that suffering is perpetual and reinforces the notion of embracing darkness in both life and death.
PUTRESCENT is:
Dixie Martinez – Guitars, Vocals
Francisco Tobar – Guitars
Demitree Rivera – Bass (Insineratehymn)
Abraham Garcia – Drums (Insineratehymn)
Darkness Embraced was recorded by Allen Falcon at Birdcage Studios. It was mixed and mastered by Erol Ulug at Bright Lights Basement. The astonishing cover art is the work of Stewart Cole (@rotten_realm).
Rotted Life will release the album on June 6th on CD, cassette tape, and digital formats. The label will also release the album on vinyl LP, and pre-orders for that will launch on June 6th. They recommend it for fans of Incantation, Mortiferum, Spectral Voice, and Of Feather and Bone.
For more info, check the links below, and also check out the stream of the album’s previously released title track, “Darkness Embraced“, which includes a hell of a supernatural guitar solo at the end.
PRE-ORDER:
https://rottedlife.bandcamp.com/album/darkness-embraced
PUTRESCENT:
https://www.instagram.com/putrescentdeathmetal/