Harsh, unpolished, raw and brutal death metal, that's what we get from this Greek duo. The band was founded in 2012 by John Dafopoulos (Pigskinner) and became a duo when Kostas Analytis (Abyssus) joined in 2015. Now, they throw an ep in our faces, one that should get the band some attention before they unleash their debut full-length. If that album is half as varied and crushing as this ep, they're on their way to some future end-year lists.
Carnal Garden take their death metal to a very old school level and delivers four quite different songs, each seemingly with its own identity. Opener 'Through Darkness And Dust' blasts on in old school style, reminding me of bands like Entombed or Bolt Thrower. 'World Infected' comes up with something between Obituary and Biohazard while 'The Smell Of Sulphur' takes on a bit of an industrial approach, somehow reminding me of Voivod and Ministry.
Closer 'From The Catacombs' combines the other ones and adds a bit of Napalm Death to the whole, because why the fuck not. This ep totally reeks of the nineties scene, which was a delightful cesspool of aggression, gore and brutality. Carnal Garden definitely succeeded in bringing back memories of me discovering this kind of music and that alone is worth checking out this piece of work. So go ahead, check it out and headbang this year away...
Serge