Album Review: Dying Fetus - Make Them Beg For Death

Make Them Beg For Death is due for release on September 8th 2023 via Relapse Records.

Rage, gore and gut exploding intensity; Dying Fetus seize your attention in their name alone and continue to hold it in a vice-like grip with their music. The death metal titans have returned with their highly anticipated 9th studio album Make Them Beg For Death; a relentless and muscular onslaught of frantic shredding and groove-laced ferocity.

Guitarist and co-vocalist John Gallagher explains:

"We put our own twist on death metal. We were like most bands, starting in the garage, drinking beer, having a little fun on the weekend, finding the right amps through trial and error. We blended aspects of bands we liked – Suffocation, Obituary, Deicide, and Cannibal Corpse, among others; the dual vocal approach of Carcass – and made them our own. ‘Let’s make it moshy, let’s make it slammy. The philosophy is the same now as it was when the band started. To write catchy riffs and to make it memorable. Whatever style of music you’re doing, make it something people want to hear repeatedly.”

You can forget gentle intros to slowly ease you in to this record, 'Enlighten Through Agony' charges straight out the gate with blistering blast beats and technical riffage supporting vocals lathered in demonic filth. 'Compulsion For Cruelty' continues on in the same technical vibe mixed with the band's penchant for pure death metal brutality. More frantic shredding and insane blastbeats come in to full swing here with groove-laced stomps and tempo changes to keep you on your toes. 'Feast Of Ashes' superbly showcases lightning speed riffage and technical prowess on a backdrop of relentless attitude whereas 'Throw Them In The Van' is a straight shot to the jugular which will have you beaten down before you even realise what's happening.

Next up we have 'Unbridled Fury' and it's all in the name here. Absolute relentless ferocity and pummeling drums that seem to power on forever. A chugging cacophony of catchy hooks, stunning, groovy riffage and demonic growls. 'When The Trend Ends' and 'Undulating Carnage' are head-banging, chugging attack to the senses full of insane tempo changes, machine-gun shredding and monstrous riffage.

'Raised In Victory, Razed In Defeat' is a pristine example of a classic Dying Fetus track and incorporates everything the band have worked to convey. It's fast, completely unrelenting and ridiculously catchy. As the record descends in to its conclusion, the penultimate track 'Hero's Grave' demonstrates that the band show absolutely no sign of slowing down. Groove-laced stomps, frantic shredding and raspy, throaty gutterals are just as ferocious as they were at the beginning of the record. Finally, 'Subterfuge' is full of brutally intense riffage with the sole intention of beating you in to submission before it disappears.

At over 30 years in to their legendary career, Dying Fetus still have the ability to show the world how it's done in the most brutal fashion. Make Them Beg For Death is a full force battering ram of nasty riffs and intense, bloodthirsty savagery guaranteed to make you come back begging for more.

Rating: 9/10
Release Date: September 8th 2023
Released By: Relapse Records
FFO: Death, Cannibal Corpse, Obituary

Tracklist

01 - Enlighten Through Agony
02 - Compulsion For Cruelty  
03 - Feast Of Ashes
04 - Throw Them In The Van    
05 - Unbridled Fury
06 - When The Trend Ends          
07 - Undulating Carnage        
08 - Raised In Victory, Razed In Defeat
09 - Hero's Grave
10 - Subterfuge