Guttural Slug review

When a band with a name such as ‘Guttural Slug’ is sent through to us, it generally goes without saying that their music is going to be of the Brutal Death Metal or Deathcore genre, and that we’re going to be in for a pretty damned heavy ride. That said, you may recall us featuring several bands in the past that were put together by Samantha – someone who is firmly dedicated to producing music that is seriously, SERIOUSLY heavy and full on in your face – and as luck would have it, she’s recently joined Guttural Slug as their new vocalist, bassist and co-producer. Originally formed back in April of 2012, Guttural Slug was initially formed by Mauro and Mikkel as a side project to their other band, Devouring The Deceased, until the other band disbanded and they decided to pursue things further to see how they would get on. With Mauro departing the band in 2013 due to personal reasons, Samantha stepped up and took the lead, and the track Atrocities was born – but is it any good? Launching straight into the track without a word of warning, we’re bombarded by hammering guitars, pounding drum lines and an overwhelming sense of sheer power – this isn’t for the feint hearted! Raw and powerful from the word go, there’s a serious sense of brutal death metal going on, the sort of music that’s going to ignite a venue from the moment it kicks off and not release until the band are good and ready. Packed with pinch harmonics to lift the solid guttural vocal lines, this track may last less than 4 minutes in total, yet it packs one hell of a punch, leaving you uncertain of what you’ve just been through, but knowing that it was damned good whatever it was! Since the first time I heard music by Samantha I’ve been impressed by her ability to hammer out guttural vocals that even the most seasoned death metal front would be proud of, and with this track from Guttural Slug, I reckon she’s finally reached a level where she fully fits. Yes this is heavy and yes this is the sort of thing that’s only going to appeal to a select audience of people, but give it a chance and before you know it, it will have worked its way into your head and you’ll be unable to resist. Rating: 8.5/10 -Dave Nicholls