Review: Ecchymosis – Thanatocorporeal Sculptures of Cryogenic Excruciation
Thailand’s premiere slam death specialists show the rest of us how to stand out in an oversaturated field
In a field of remarkable releases so far this decade from acts like PeelingFlesh, Analepsy, Abominable Putridity, and Onchocerciasis Esophagogastroduodenoscopy, it does seem like now is one of the hardest times since the 2000s to be a slam death metal act. Labels like New Standard Elite and Unique Leader are up to their waists in semi-similar acts, all struggling to differentiate from one another in a genre steeped in homogeneity. Some bands will attempt to stand apart with compositional gimmicks or outside influences, while others will stick to fundamentals and established tropes—hoping to stake a claim to the scene with piss, vinegar, and heft. This is maybe an issue with death metal writ large, as said genre fundamentals become hard to describe in a manner that doesn’t illicit a groan-worthy amount of deja-vu.
After all, this new album from Bangkok’s Ecchymosis does very little to bury the lede in terms of what to expect. A group named for the medical term for a bruising with overly wordy song titles and a cover depicting a mass of frozen corpses arranged into a The House That Jack Built-style structure can only surprise a knowing party so much. Those tapped in enough to hear what this record will sound like before pressing play may remember Ecchymosis’ last full-length from 2020, titled Ritualistic Intercourse Within Abject Surrealism, or the Scaphism 4-Way Split with Delusional Parasitosis, Dissevered, and Bleeding. These releases show a group with great talent in the field, especially when considering they are the only band on Scaphism 4-Way to put out a full length record since said split.
Thanatocorporeal Sculptures of Cryogenic Excruciation, Ecchymosis’ return after 4 years since the Psychopathic Concupiscence Towards Homicidal Lacerations EP, is another mass of heavy, writhing compositions clocking in under a half hour, showing the group’s steadfast dedication to the core of slam and brutal death metal. The end result, however, is clearer and more balanced than what came before in terms of production and sound profile. Comparing the title track from Psychopathic Concupiscence to the introduction track “Deformation Through Cryobludgeoning Abuse” shows a night and day difference in approach to mixing and sonic palette. Maybe this newfound clarity seems antithetical to the rough ethos of the genre and you could be forgiven for taking issue with the purposefully subdued pong snare, but I think this sonic approach brings some much needed dynamics and breathing room to the compositions on display.
It’s those said compositions where the through-line of Ecchymosis can be seen, as the songcraft is just as strong as the group’s previous work (if not moreso). On a cut like “Pneumoexplosive Regurgitation of Congealed Blood” or “Frigidly Immobilized and Nonexsanguineously Amputated,” you’ll hear a remarkably tight band dynamic that carries the songs smoothly between breakneck transitions from grooving pummels to energized sprints. It rushes forward, presumably treating anything and everything as collateral carnage and stage dressings to be discarded without second thought. Guitarists Twish Kulsu and Jeeraset Paemongkol play off one another with great proficiency, creating the environment for some really standout moments (like the interesting little riffs placed right before big breakdowns and moments of overwhelming riff madness). The rhythm section, too, plays into these compositions and take the songs to interesting places without overstepping its boundaries. Wasumit Wongwai’s bass playing is a complimentary, immense wall of sound that fills out the low end and Polwach Beokhaimook’s drumming veers occasionally into tech-y fills while still fulfilling the role of pacekeeping and pong-spamming.
Beokhaimook and Weerasak Kitthammapirak are vocally joined by features from members of groups like Amputated Genitals and Cephalotripsy. The deep, wet gutturals that litter the run time of Thanatocorporeal tie the release together, fulfilling their stereotypical role with energetic gusto. As you may guess from some of the chosen descriptors in this review, Ecchymosis aren’t one of the many slam acts who wish to subvert the style’s countless clichés. There are no Memphis hip hop influences, free form compositions, interludes lifted from old Cypress Hill CDs, overly-lengthy and technical guitar massaging, or gimmicky style integrations (not that there’s anything wrong with that); Ecchymosis deal in what is to be expected from a slam death metal group. Beyond the previously mentioned refinement of production and a few digitally compressed bass hits in slamming drops, there’s a definitive adherence to the chosen style.
Whether you see this as integrity or complacency, it’s obvious to the trained ear that this commitment has allowed Ecchymosis to hone their already stellar craft, leading Thanatocorporeal Sculptures of Cryogenic Excruciation to stand as an exemplary addition to the 2020’s brutal death metal canon. As such, I think there’s a lesson to be learned within the confines of this most fucked up of sculptures: standing out within a field has less to do with chasing the ambitions and choices of others and more to do with perfecting your own work while building your strengths and defeating your weaknesses. By keeping your festering flesh to the grindstone, you can find your own way through the noise and stand alone in a sea of semi-similar faces.
After all, if you can’t beat ’em, pulverize ’em into an unrecognizable mass of goop and muck.
4.5/5 Flaming Toilets ov Hell
Thanatocorporeal Sculptures of Cryogenic Excruciation released April 7 through New Standard Elite.
