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Embalming Theatre: |
Label: Grindhead Rec. (aus) Released: 01.09.2007 Print: 500 CD's Recorded: Schweinesound Studio august 2006 Order CD now! |
Bandpic and Line-up we used on this release:
back
Line-up from left to right:
Nella, (a male groupie), Bella, Stella, Godzella, Bestsella
Reviews: back
Mouthforwar.net
As far as splits go this one does a decent job of juxtapositioning
two some what like minded bands with different sounds. Both bands deliver
brutal, grind-core in their own maniacal fashion and each group has there
moments, but this is pretty much a one sided release. The main fault to
this release is the production of the separate halves. One is powerful,
rich and in the vein of most typical grind releases. The other, well,
let’s just say it’s muddied production is less than stellar.
Through the first ten tracks, Embalming Theatre tear through crusty gore-grind
with the sickening efficiency of a turbo-powered chainsaw. The production
is spot on, never highlighting one portion of the band’s sound over
the other, yet presents the groups assault as a cohesive, pummeling sound.
I’m definitely digging these guys.
The second half of the split, six tracks by Australia’s Hacksaw
Surgery, is a bit weaker when it comes to the production. Overall, there
sound is less grind and more traditional death metal, which is cool by
me — it adds a nice contrast to the other half of the split. It’s
just that when compared to Embalming Theatre’s tracks, these six
songs sound pretty amatuerish. Again, that’s probably due to the
production and recording, but it still affects the overall listening experience.
Intro
The brief intro is just some background noise fading in from silence and
ending in what sounds like the theme song from some old feature film.
Do You Hear Me?
“Do You Hear Me?” is actually a pretty catchy track. The overall
feel of the track is that of crushing grind, but it slows to incorporate
groove oriented riffing and rhythms. The vocals are guttural and evil.
It’s definitely a slick track.
Buried Alive I: Undead in the Morgue
This next one opens up with unrelenting drums and standard grinding guitars.
It’s got a classic sound that’s infectious. It’s got
an extended foreign language film clip in the middle before the band jumps
into the blender again with crusty guitars and bruising rhythms.
Travelling Dismembered
Thick, beefy riffs and maniacal drumming keep the pace moving at the speed
of blood jetting from a ruptured jugular artery. It’s also punctuated
with a sound clip before the band gets back to the bludgeoning.
The Ultimate Pregnancy-Machine
This one starts with a clip that may be from the same movie as the clip
in “Buried Alive I: Undead in the Morgue.” It lasts about
30 seconds before the group erupts in a grinding assault. The :50 mark
sees some groove-laiden riffs before the shifting back into the grinding
attack. I love the fact that these guys are willing to throw a little
groove into their mix.
With the Flesh of the Deceased
“With the Flesh of the Deceased” starts off in straightforward
death metal mode for the first 10 seconds or so… then all bets are
off as the group descending into a churning and blinding grinding blast.
The riffs at times on this one have an Entombed/Unleashed feel to them
that’s refreshing. I also love the fact that they end the song with
a clip from The Cryptkeeper.
Lucid Fairytale
Covering one of my favorite Napalm Death songs, the group does an admirable
job of living up to the legends. It’s a damn good interpretation
of the song — I had to play it a few times before moving along to
the next track.
He Raped His Dying Daughter
This next one explodes out of the speakers with a maniacal lust for death
and grind. Manic blats shift to Slayer like riffs and back again at breakneck
speeds.
Buried Alive VII: Watch Them Dig Your Own
Grave
Retelling the story of The Donner Party, the group do so with crushing
riffs and driving blasts. If my history classes were like this when I
was in grade school, I’m sure that I would have paid much more attention.
Combine With a Turbine
The final track for Embalming Theatre on this split is an aggressively
paced attack on the senses. Deep guttural growls and creative drumming
pummel you for the first thirty seconds, softening you up for the…
the devastating playing of a Schwyzeršrgeli (a small accordion).
It’s use in the song is oddly effective. It’s, to say the
least, an interesting and creative way to wrap up 10 outstanding tracks.
Favorite Tracks:
All of Embalming Theatre’s songs
Battlehelm.com
What would the lyrical themes of death metal be
without the Gore and Slasher genres? With Embalming Theatre splitting
a CD with Hacksaw Surgery you get 16 tracks in 20 minutes all drenched
in gore and death. Does that sound inspiring? Well, it really is. I'm
not the biggest fan of grindcore but neither Embalming Theatre nor Hacksaw
Surgery suck at what they do. 20 minutes might be a bit too short (you
have to set your CD-player on repeat to really get into it) but for those
with attention deficit disorder (ADD) this might just be right up their
alley. I wouldn't have minded 30 minutes alone with each band because
they?re both good enough at their death/grind to stand on their own.
Supremebrutality.net
I've come to like Embalming Theatre and
their simplistic and crusty goregrind a lot so it was nice to find the
D-Composition split CD in my mail. I didn't expect any new tricks and
the Swiss gorefreaks don't pull out many surprises this time either. Overall
the songs pretty much stick to the blueprint of past efforts, but that
doesn't constitute a problem. The predictability [among other things]
is what makes Embalming Theatre so great because you know exactly what
to expect. Even though D-Composition is no tour de force the band don't
disappoint.
Hacksaw Surgery on the other hand doesn't show much.
This one-man band plays some rather bland deathgrind. What pull down are
the programmed drums that immediately become an annoying factor. In many
ways the music sounds like something that has been recorded home in the
living room. The sound is poor and that sure don't abet the overall impression.
Since the recording of the D-Composition split CD Hacksaw Surgery has
become a trio. Hopefully this will result in some serious improvements.
Mylastchapter.net
Yet another Embalming Theatre release for me to review. You might think
I get tired of them, but you’d be mistaken. What they present here
is without a doubt some of their strongest material to date. Sure, they
sound pretty much like they’ve always done, but it seems as if they’ve
added more ‘melody’ to it. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m
not really talking about anything melodic, I’m not really sure how
to describe it… But the riffing’s more slick, in some manner.
I can’t explain it, but I like it. It’s definitely still goregrind,
and the vocals are still the harsh, semi-gurgling growls we’ve learnt
to love. While still maintaining their blasting grind, there’s also
a great deal of groove involved, and the riffing is almost rocking at
times. They can flirt with death metal and hardcore, but it still winds
up sounding as brutal grindcore á la Embalming Theatre, they way
only they know how to play it. The sound is clean without getting over
the top crisp, and of course the lyrics and artwork follow their usual
theme. It’s just plain and simple another arse-kicking release by
these Swiss lads. And I just love Combine with a turbine for the use of
a schwyzerörgeli, a Swiss variant of the accordion, it just sounds
oh-so-cool!
Myspace. com/grindonzine
It’s so great to hear a band that keeps true to their old school
death metal roots, but still adds freshness. Embalming Theatre’s
half of the split offers ten tracks of mesmerizing ruthlessness that is
armed with a unique production, greatly creative samples and fast paced
aggression. The inventive yet familiar early 90s style of thick and catchy
riffage works along side an intense drumming performance and guttural
vocal assault. Those essential assets among other things such as great
song writing and splendid transitions come together to make a full course
meal of rotten sickness. The tracks “Do You Hear Me” and “With
the Flesh of the Deceased” conveys a brutally grooving momentum,
in the vein of older bands that the underground has seemed to be without
for the most part as of late. The band’s primary display of their
ability to write memorable tunes is embedded within “The Ultimate
Pregnancy Machine”. Their final song “Combine with a Turbine”
brings an incredibly unique sound never heard before until now. This band
encompasses all of the old school elements that some of the newer bands
are lacking. With a feeling of darkness, a sense of purpose, and great
musical dynamics, Embalming Theatre displays a very impressive attempt
at deathgrind prominence!
Brutalism.com
In the tradition of the split-CD in the metal genre, (there aren’t
in fact that many genres that release split CDs, Maybe just metal, punk/hardcore,
and some niches of the electronic music scene. I am sure here are others
but generally I think my assertion here is correct), this split, released
by Grindhead Records featuring the Swiss Embalming Theatre and the Aussie
hacksaw Surgery is basically a good one for its contrast. D-COMPOSITION
showcases ten tracks of brutal brutality by ET and six by HS. Embalming
Theatre plays a chainsaw style metal in which what is actually heard is
not the roar of the machine or the whirring of the blades, but the actual
sounds of the individual blades slowly cutting into their intended victim.
The result is something quite heavy but not as smooth as Invalid Libido
(Poland) or Plasma (Germany). My favorite song in their segment is the
last one, “Combine With A Turbine,” It opens with the sound
of a jet engine, that’s right, a turbine, but as the song carries
forth, something like a bagpipe but what is probably a slightly goofy
keyboard adds this most entertaining counterpoint to this most dark of
a band. Embalming Theatre runs this motif twice in the track, the second
time is much slower, the goregrind vox accompanies it as the band plays
a rhythmic line underneath keeping time. Very cool.
Diabolicalconquest.com
Good ol' Grindhead. You can always expect quite an eclectic batch
of releases, which in recent times often meant the product could come
across as fairly hit 'n' miss. The roster seems to have improved in of
late though, an indication of which bein' this double headed Death/Grind
monster that's sure to come slobberin' after you. Extremely productive
Swiss band Embalmin' Theatre submit their twenty third recordin' to the
split, while new Australian band Hacksaw Surgery complete the release
usin' their debut outin'.
I had the (dis)pleasure of reviewin' the very good
album, The World is a Stage.For Murder, by Embalmin' Theatre, so of course
it was nice to catch up with them. As usual, they incorporate a wide palette
of underground extreme music influences into their works. Their side is
very good, with big, imposing tunes makin' simple but highly effective
transitions from fast-paced, poundin' old skool Death Metal passages to
sweaty, Crust-caked balls-out sections, often usin' Hardcore Punk and
Crossover Thrash boisterousity infused with groove-driven Goregrind chunkiness
or old skool Grindcore rowdiness as highly sizeable segues. The material
is fairly straightforward, but has more than enough direction, drive 'n'
flow within its arrangements to carry each tune effectively and keep things
interestin', addin' plenty of variety but rememberin' to use a few infectious
choruses, which give the work a higher replayability value. The guitarwork
scythes 'n' swipes about the place, but with enough restraint to prevent
it from spillin' into messy directionlessness, or worse, cluttered tech-bragadoccio,
and enough focus to keep the catchy bits comin'. The drummin', albeit
horribly triggered on the snare, brings vast bulkiness to the piece with
its muscular rhythms, whilst the vox add plenty of character with hoarse
'n' chesty snarlin' which manages to retain plenty of power despite its
careful enunciation. Unfortunately, they don't seem to deliver quite the
same kind of big ol' catchy choruses that kept me goin' back to The World
is a Stage., (like "Bake the Baby!!").
In addition to very large chunks of classick Carcass,
you'll also be able to hear what Immolation would sound like if they did
away with their contortuplicated technical ambitions straight after recordin'
1991 debut Dawn of Possession, then decided to pursue the same putrid
Death Metal path as their then-contemporaries Rottrevore and Dr. Shrinker
too, borrowin' a few Grindcore ideas from a couple of years before, namely
the works of Repulsion, Terrorizer, Blood and Hideous Mangleus. For me,
the Theatre doubles as a Crust encrusted squat whenever the band crank
out sawn up bits of old skool UK luminaries like Doom (of course) and
Extreme Noise Terror, increasin' the tempos by weavin' in strands of Hardcore
and Crossover such as, say, S.O.B. and maybe a bit of Septic Death.
The production job makes the thing sound rounded,
sizeable and punchy, with corrosive riff clarity, roarin' low end, a concretous
kit sound and a vox recordin' that retains every drop of bile and chyme
that emerged during the recordin'. The levels of said bits are nice too,
'cos molten guitars get churned up inside the solid, upfront drum sound
until they boil over and get splashed all over yer face, whilst the vox
are stirred right into the middle, pokin' up amidst the bubbles whenever
required. Bein' a picky shite, I would've preferred a much filthier, derelict
operating-theatre sound production in order to complement the Goregrind
overtones, imagery and moniker, as well as addin' further character.
This set of tracks is another winner from Embalmin'
Theatre. If you're into rotten ol' Death, Grind and Crust, then you'll
certainly find plenty to suit your tastes here, so perhaps you ought to
try and find it. I wouldn't worry too much if you miss this one though,
I'm sure they'll have issued another six or seven releases by the time
you've read this. <8.0>
A nice Death/Grind/Gore split, with one laudable
act and one not worth crossin' the street for. The cover is nice, and
harks back to a time before everyone and their gran became an image manipulation
mogul via their cracked copy of Photoshop, when you had to stick a spooky
paintin' of skulls and stuff on the front of your record. I recommend
gettin' this 'cos of the Embalmin' Theatre stuff, and you might want to
have one or two brief listens to Hacksaw Surgery, but think of their bit
as a free 'gift' out of the bottom of the Gorebarrel.
Beowolfproductions.com
This is a split CD release by 2 sick bands. The first 10 tracks
come from EMBALMING THEATRE. These guys play ultra fast blasting Grindcore
all the way. The music is raw, aggressive, & brutal as fuck! The vocals
are done in a low ended thick Grind Gore growl style!
The last 6 tracks come from HACKSAW SURGERY. These guys also play a sick
& twisted style of Grind Gore music. Theyare rawer sounding with lots
of fast blasts, but also some slower parts tossed in the mix as well.
The vocals are done in a rough Death Grind style! Get this release &
Grind your head off!!!
www.myspace.com/grindertimes
MeGrindGood’s humble opinion: First off, I have to say that it is
just fan-spanking-tastic to see the word theatre written the proper, English
way! It’s now obvious that these Swiss death/grinders looked in
(or learned out of) an English dictionary… from England! But I’m
a nerd. So moving right along…
I consider Embalming Theatre to be somewhat akin to being the Immolation
of death/grind. It’s in the vocals, and the guitar/drum sound, I
believe. It’s not all the time. These guys rock out every now and
again, with a couple of choice grind ‘n roll moments that kick-arse.
They’ve got some Swiss movie samples that go on a little long, but
I think that the accordion moments (I kid ye not!) in “Combine With
A Turbine” more than makes up for them. They still make me smile
whenever they come up. They manage (and this could just be me) to actually
sound a little depressing in “He Raped His Dying Daughter”.
Mix these with a cover of Napalm Death’s “Lucid Fairytale,
and you’ve got yourself a nice half of a split.
From the metalcore/black metal-sounding intro of “Instrumenstrual”
to their self-titled song “Hacksaw Surgery”, this Aussie death/grind
two-piece are steady and solid. No real surprises. No new ground being
broken. The production’s so-so, and the vocals aren’t bad,
or good. There’s a couple of metalcore-sounding moments throughout
HS’s half, and even a guitar solo thrown in there. I think my one
problem with this band is they lose time with their drum-machine a couple
of times. It’s not obvious, but it’s there if you’re
listening to a CD to review it.
All in all, I think the bands both fit on this split with the other. Nothing
really excited me about it, except for those damned accordion pieces,
but it was by no means difficult to sit through, and I liked the Immolation
reminder. Check out the links below and find out for yourself.
Vomitzine.com
Here comes EMBALMING THEATRE, one of the sickest Swiss bands,
sharing a split CD with HACKSAW SURGERY. It’s the first I heard
of this last one, so… let’s go! EMBALMING THEATRE plays 10
tracks, including an intro and a NAPALM DEATH “Lucid Fairytale”
cover, of its nice, very nice Grind / Death / Crust!! Nothing really new
for EMBALMING THEATRE actually, playing the same kind of excellent and
catchy mixture reminding of a nice mix between EXTREME NOISE TERROR, GENERAL
SURGERY, AUTOPSY and the first album from GOREROTTED!
Of course, don’t forget the typical sense
of humour of the band, in the titles and lyrics, but also in the music,
hey! what is this fucking instrument in the 10th song?? A accordion???
Ahah! As usual EMBALMING THEATRE unleashes here an excellent stuff, brutal
and professional! Nothing to complain about!! This band rules!!
Ok, it’s time now for HACKSAW SURGERY, coming
with 6 tracks of Brutal Death Metal of very… average quality!! Basic
Brutal Death Metal with “Swedish sonorities” in the sound
and some more melodic riffs reminding of DISMEMBER… Really strange
mixture actually reminding a bit of Polish INCARNATED.And finally to conclude
about this “D-Composition” Split CD, it’s an almost
BUY OR DIE release, and only for the EMBALMING THEATRE side of course!!
Forget the rest and support EMBALMING THEATRE!!!
Metalrage.com
From Australia’s Grindhead Records we received a lovely split album
by the bands Embalming Theatre and Hacksaw Surgery. The first band has
been at it since 2000 and has released numerous obscure discs. The other
is new to the world, and therefore this is their first release. Let's
check out D-Composition.
Well obviously grindcore is what you get. The ten tracks offered by Switzerland’s
Embalming Theatre are pretty good, at times they even remind me of a grindcore
Immolation. Especially the vocals give me this idea. For the rest this
band incorporates a lot of humour in their music, which is quite common
in this scene. They do this with a lot of (mostly German) samples, and
in the track ‘Combine With A Turbine’ there is this ridiculous
accordion-like instrument throughout the track, making it sound very idiotic
but funny nonetheless. Add a cover from Napalm Death’s ‘Lucid
Fairytale’ and you’ve got a barrel of monkeys.
The next band isn’t that funny at all. Hacksaw Surgery hails from
New Zealand and they contribute six song to this split record. I’ll
just be honest, the recordings sound like shit, especially the vocals
sound like crap. The guitars are alright up to a certain point, but the
real problem lies with the drum computer in my opinion. It’s too
loud in the mix and it’s too apparent it’s a drum computer
with programming coming from someone who doesn’t know too much about
drumming and rhythms so it seems. Overall, this sucks.
In the end you can say this is a split album with good tracks coming from
the more experienced (these guys have released 16 split albums, including
this one!) Embalming Theatre and just plain shit coming from Hacksaw Surgery.
So I give the first band a 7 out of 10 and the other band a 3 out of ten.
Combined this makes a 5 for the total score. Clear enough I’d say.
Metal-observer.com
Grindcore, a dish best served with mould,
probably needs to be delivered as it was always meant to be, like a frozen
haddock whacked across your face. When bands fuck about with it, they
tend to wade into muddy waters where the result is often unclear.
EMBALMING THEATRE play it fairly straight, boxing gloves filled with lead
shot pummel your lugholes relentlessly, sometimes with dizzying one/two
blows and sometimes with considered, purposeful jabs. What they also do
is chuck in some bandits at 3 o' clock out of the sun, where did that
come from? Not very often, but the groovy riff that bounds in during “Do
You Hear Me?” introduces some bouncy charm to an otherwise straightforward
onslaught. The rest of their contribution then flies by with a succession
of short, blistering shocks, punctuated by the ubiquitous samples.
The band rev up and down the gearbox with little use of the clutch and
make sure that the CO2 footprint is of the planet killer variety, the
riffs run thick and fast with plenty of catchy yet more restrained acerbic
sections dividing the lay waste with haste surging. Drums clatter away
with abandon, busier than Busy McBusy who is renowned for his busyness,
they flatten off the rounded exuberance of the bass, which rumbles along
with a malicious glint in its eye looking for shins to kick. The low growl
of the vocals is just what you'd expect, menacing, even when contrasted
against the accordion motif that provides the choral accompaniment to
“Combine With A Turbine,” showing (as if you hadn't guessed,)
that EMBALMING THEATRE have their tongue firmly in some sort of cheek.
HACKSAW SURGERY are an altogether more twisted affair, thanks to the melodies
that spring in and out of existence throughout their efforts. They borrow
more than a smattering of traditional Heavy Metal signatures to embellish
their murky brew and so belie any notion that their lo-fi renditions are
a result of poor production. The Maidenesque intro completely wrong-foots
you, you won't expect the sinister Grind that follows, it evokes some
dark cellar filled with the smoke from burning body fats, even the light
from the HM lead riff mid song can't wash away the unclean feeling you're
left with.
The backstreet stalking continues throughout, though less heavy than their
split mates, HACKSAW SURGERY certainly sound more deranged, especially
when the leering solo during “Mangled By A Lawn Mower” rips
by like a hyena's laugh. In a little over five minutes, the band manage
to make their point, they operate beneath your feet, the drums are fleet
and fast, complimenting the spitting fizz of the guitar, the gravity is
carried by a deep, almost dub-like bass whilst the hoarse invective of
the vocals clearly owe themselves to the transplanted throat of a serial
killer, all in all, it's nasty.
Two bands then with their own take on the genre, one relying on a direct
right before your eyes approach whilst the other utilises a more headfuck
approach. Both have their appeal and despite the bluntness of their monikers,
both possess savage subtleties. Subtlety in Grind, who'da funk it? (7/10)
Deadshop.nm.ru
It was awhile as Australian Grindhead rex didn’t send me
something for reviews, and recently I’ve got couple CD’s.
The first CD I have put into player was this split, and I was totally
sitysfied with all it’s about 21 minues of bloodJ. Who of you don’t
know EMBALMING THERATRE?? Are you here? I think many of you knows this
band. Well, aince previous stuff I did listen to music didn’t changed
(that’s goodJ), and we have still gore and still brutal grindcore!
Music is fast, and totally filled with gore and blood, with great growls
(I liked it always) and with reeking of putrefaction! The whole stuff
made in fast way (by places similar to old NAPALM DEATH, to the fact –
here’s even cover on “Lucid Fairytale” of them!), and
filled with the (of corpse!!!) tons of samples from some movies! Standard
gore-grind massacre! But little, all in all 10 songs (in fact each song
isn’t longer of 2 minutes... just starting to “rumble”,
and comes an endJ, fuck...). So, freaks into gore-grind – be hurry!
EMBALMING THEATRE still killing. 4\5
And the next guest is HACKSAW SURGERY. The young
band, was formed back in 2006 just, and here’s first stuff of theirs.
The main fuck is an absence of live drummer... You know, I hate all those
drum-machines... But let’s see what the beast HACKSAW SURGERY is
at all. Instrumental and 5 songs are here (the longer one is 1:15 min).
But music of these monsters looks little boring for me... The monotonous
(but obscure! That’s great fact btw!) riffs, growls and those dead
drum-machine. Sometimes the musick of theirs is similar to afore reviewed
EMBALMING THEATRE and BLOOD FREAK for example. To be honest I didn’t
found simething memorable or catching over their music (the only obscure
atmosphere and raw sound are OK)... This is the first work of theirs,
and I think next shoot will be killing! 2\5
At the time only EMBALMING THEATRE is great!
Legacy
Alles beim Alten bei EMBALMING THEATRE – fast. Denn der rein quantitativ
beeindruckenden Veröffentlichungsliste, grösstenteils aus Splits
bestehend, konnte eine weitere solche hinzugefügt werden. Ebenfalls
unverändert, nehmen sich die Schweizer für ihre Texte Geschichten
an, die das Leben schrieb. Auf „d-composition“ hat es zum
Beispiel der bei einem Autounfall abgetrennte Arm geschafft, dessen Hand
noch immer ein Mobiltelefon festhielt. Weniger originell, aber ebenso
dem wahren Leben verpflichtet: die alte Dame, die nach versehentlichem
Transfer im Leichenschauhaus aufwachte und dann dort erfror, oder der
Mörder, der sein Opfer in Teigtaschen abfüllte. Die hölzernen
englischen Texte werden auf „d-composition“ mit kehligen Growls
vorgetragen, dazu gibt es einfache Death Metal-Riffs und ebensolche Melodien,
die die Schweizer zwischendurch mal durch den Beschleuniger grinden und
mit inhaltsträchtigen trashigen Filmzitaten einrahmen. Schön
auch das Napalm Death-Cover „Lucid Fairytale“. So weit eine
runde Sache. Doch die Australier HACKSAW SURGERY, die bislang eine Rehearsal-Promo
vorweisen können, kommen mit Nähmaschinen-Drumcomputer, heiseren
Growls und dumpfen Gitarren dazwischen. Dabei sind die Songansätze
nicht schlecht, und HACKSAW SURGERY fühlen sich sogar berufen, „The
Aussie Grind Anthem“ zu schreiben. Bei der Qualitätsspanne
entfällt allerdings die Bewertung. (GB)
Terrorizer
"D-Composition" partners Swiss vets Embalming Theatre with obvious
n00bs Hacksaw Surgery and with predictable certainty the pummeling Teutonic
gore dominates the proceedings like a hang-nail in a handjob. (7/10)
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