Corpsessed - Succumb to Rot (2022)^{Release ID: 36498}

Back in 2014 I stumbled across the distinctly Finnish yet still decidedly modern death metal of Corpsessed.  It took me a while to forgive their stupid band name choice but thankfully their brand of death metal spoke to me a lot better than their moniker does. Back then, their debut, Abysmal Thresholds was a perfectly respectable slab of death metal that offered consistency in bundles if not suffering a little in terms of being able to standout from the pack.  Fast forwards nearly a decade and it is clear these Finns have matured tenfold and they show throughout Succumb to Rot that they can hold their own against the likes of Krypts and Cruciamentum in the modern death metal arena.  Whilst most certainly still borrowing from the Funebrarum and Incantation rule book, Corpsessed have developed their own sound.

Taking those textbook mining riffs and a keen ear for catchiness, this quintet have made a memorable and explosive album of raging death metal.  At a shade over thirty-six minutes the album is delivered relentlessly and without any hope of mercy.  Niko Matilainen's ghastly vocals alone are an unnerving focal point for the weighty tunes that land track after track.  With the rhythm section of Jussi-Pekka Manner (drums) and Tuomas Kulmala (bass) superbly supporting the guitars of Jyri Lustig and Matti Mäkelä, Succumb to Rot soon starts to feel almost welcoming with its macabre embrace after only a few spins.

Accepting this is not ground-breaking stuff,  this is so well done you won't really care that the leads and sonics are non-existent.  You'll be far too busy get bludgeoned by the groovy riffs to care anyways.  Strong and powerful from start to finish, Succumb to Rot gets your attention by smacking you aside the head constantly for eight tracks.  The last decade may contain some further gems from Corpsessed and based on this experience a review of the past releases is definitely needed.