There’s been alot of great releases in 2021 within the slam and brutal death metal community but one band comes to mind is Diphenylchloroarsine. This three piece band has been around for quite sometime in the underground and after four years since their magnificent debut Post Apocalyptic Human Annihilation came out in 2017, it met with such high praise and instantly became a huge force to reckon with. Fast forward to 2021, the band released their second full-length titled Subterranean Existential Warfare and is released through Rotten Music. Stylistically, Diphenylchloroarsine’s style of brutal death metal is known for having that groovy, punchy, ballistic and contemporary sort of sound as if I hear tons of influences whether it be Gorevent, Dragging Entrails or Spilling Entrails, Diphenylchloroarsine’s craftsmanship on this album is nothing short but excellence at finest.
The way the musicians were able to create such blasphemous, heavy, and slamming inspired death metal may have seem to overstay its welcome but for their contributions and hardest working efforts they’ve put their minds and souls to create the most visionary, articulated and brutalized records they’ve done to date. Even if the genre isn’t suitable for anyone’s interest, the songs Cries of Agony from the Forlorn Wasteland, Ferociously Feasting on Rancid Remains, The Battle for Underground Domination and Fields of Relentless Pestilence features downtuned guitars, thumping bass signatures, heart-stopping drums, nerve-wracking and torturous styled vocals and the production here is grungy, disgusting, sludgy, mucky and atmospheric at times where I felt being inside of a biochemical laboratory of how toxic and programmed these instrumental leads are absolutely top notch and not to mentioned that this band in particular is incredibly special not because of the talent, not because of their influences in creating brutal death and slam music, but their sound direction is one of the greatest highlights on the entire record.
These compositions not only has a lot of individuality and originality, but this is one of the most creative brutal death metal albums I’ve heard in such a longtime. Every song feels putrid, bludgeoning and have personality and character in which this case you won’t ever get a slam album that has sludgy greatness front to back. Subterranean Existential Warfare is a very detailed, personalized and destructive album showcasing no remorse or mercy for those wanting to be infectious will be satisfied to hear one of the best releases of 2021.
Overall Score: 9.5/10
Review by Jake Butler
