ninehertz

Sometimes a bit of primitive death metal is what we all need. Straight from the burgeoning underground that is Portland, Oregon, Ossuarium are a foursome (formerly a primal duo) that have come together to worship at the altar of 80s and 90s DM with absolute fervour.

This tape is three tracks of chug-laden, battered death and it farts along satisfyingly, moments of blast-damaged fury are backed up by menacing mid-paced sections that remind you of why you liked the genre in the first place. Death grunts, relentless and meaty drumming and a dungeon-like atmosphere make the tracks glisten like a creature from the swamps.

Influences? The usual suspects are here, Obituary, Death, Deicide perhaps, but what sticks out is the subtle shifts in tone within each song. Guitars don't simply follow each other, there's almost a cod-horror aspect at work here. Not only do they seem to relish each new battering ram of a section, rather they perform it with such wild abandon you wonder if they are having a bit too much fun.

If you want to hark back to a time when death metal was long hair, beer bellies and crushing cans on one's forehead, give Ossuarium a go, you'll be turning that baseball cap backwards and carving their name into a school desk in no time.