FORCEPS
"Humanicide" EP
Ossuary Industries
Death Metal
2012
Tracklisting:
1. Harvest
2. Dehumanization
3. The Born Ones
4. Transmutation of Internal Organs
5. Processing Human Brains
Forceps is yet another new band to me and I must say I was not disappointed one bit listening to this five song brutal assault of an EP which was released on Ossuary Industries in 2012. Forceps are a four piece death metal band hailing from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and formed in 2006 with (at the time) Doug Murdoch on vocals, Roberto Pexera on guitar, Fernando Alonzo on bass and Hugo Bhering on drums. This lineup would last until the following year Pexera would be replaced by Rovane Rodriguez on guitar. This only lasted a year then in 2008 Alonzo moved from bass over to replace Rodriguez on guitar and Raphael Gabrio would be brought into the fold for bass duties. This lineup of Murdoch, Alonzo, Gabrio and Bhering would go on the following year to record a two song demo entitled "Corporeality". 2011 brought yet another change when Bhering was replaced on drums by Emmanuel Ivan. This would be the lineup that would record this five song slab of meaty Brazilian death metal aka the "Humanicide" EP which is the band's debut official release.
Forceps music has an old school straight forward death metal feel yet keeping it fresh mixing in newer stylings in the riffs while throwing in some thrashy elements once in a while. Each song also has it's own feel to it which sometimes I feel some bands lack nowadays. Second track "Dehumanization" is probably one of the catchiest songs on the EP in my opinion. Shortly after the song starts it goes to those mid-paced heavily accented galloping tripletts along with a cymbal murdering right hand. From there they go into attack mode with fast paced assault then right into a slow paced gloomy feel right back to the tripletts and ear assaults. After the second slow paced gloom and doom the band then goes to a slow paced quintuplett gallop then into some awesome groove style single note fretwork mixed in with some galloping goodness. "The Born Ones" is also a great flowing song and also has a cool little short bassline by itself. Very short but very cool. Toward the end of the song the vocals also take an interesting turn. Low but understandable spoken word with under liquid style effects like he's talking through ooze. Similar to "Where the Slime Live" but not exactly. For this, it doesn't sound like Murdoch's vocals themselves have the rippling effects but the, I don't know, aura around it maybe has a rippling sound if that makes any damn sense to anyone. You'd have to hear it to probably, maybe have a clue what I mean but it's sick nonetheless.
This whole EP is filled with great musicianship. Blending the old school with technical prowess on all fronts. For drums the footwork is great and so is the stickwork mixing fast paced right handed wrist blasts (not gravity blasts but blasts solely from the wrist), excellent fills and great cymbal work. Guitarwork is awesome with great use of single note fretboard work mixed with galloping chugginess and assaulting speed picking. Bass sounds great, I still love the little lick he did in "The Born Ones" which you can also hear the bass doing other runs in the background during that song. Vocals are beefy low but still audible. You won't get squeals or brees with the vocals but they are sick. Vocals also hit some killer maniacle highs that might give you chills. Production was great I think. It had a raw feeling but not the old muddy raw feel. This was a good raw feel that I really liked.
"Humanicide" was written and produced by the band, lyrics by Doug Murdoch, recorded and mixed at Pyroz Studio, engineered by Murilo and Romulo Pirozzi, mastered at Locomotiva Studio by Sidney Sohn and album artwork and design by Raphael Gabrio. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on their follow-up full length entitled "Mastering Extinction" which was released in 2017. The band saw another lineup change with Bruno Tavares replacing Fernando Alonso on guitar and Thiago Barbosa replacing Raphael Gabrio on bass I believe after the release of "Mastering Extinction" as Fernando and Raphael are still credited on that album according to the Encyclopedia Metallum. So if you haven't heard these guys yet, go check them out at the links below and pick up some merch and tunes.
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