Caustic Phlegm – Purulent Apocalypse

Without any question, Caustic Phlegm’s 2022 debut demo was definitely one of the highlights of that year. Consequently, the three-song ‘Putrefying Flesh’ ended up among my top picks of that year as one of the best demos in a long time. So it shouldn’t be much of a surprise that several labels from around the world wanted to catch a ride on this rotten slime train and released their version of the demo. That Hells Headbangers Records was also on board was entirely in line with expectations. With their past in foul Death Metal makes Caustic Phlegm fit right into the ranks. Under the supervision of this renowned American label we now have ‘Purulent Apocalypse’ in our hands.

What makes ‘Putrefying Flesh’ so appealing is its festering melting pot of different recognizable elements from the various corners of the Death Metal genre. There’s an obvious basis of HM2-based Swedish Death Metal, but for there’s a lot of American and Finnish Death Metal to be discerned as well. Plus, and that gives Caustic Phlegm its ultimate rotting sound: there’s heaps of Goregrind going on. Consequently, ‘Putrefying Flesh’ appealed to my fondness for bands like Carcass, Necrony and General Surgery.

And although ‘Purulent Apocalypse’ feels like a natural next step for the band, there are a few small changes in the tried-and-tested gory Death/Grind formula. Without straying too far away from the chosen paths, Caustic Phlegm cautiously experiments with a bit more horror-themed elements. ‘Putrefying Flesh’ already had a spooky keyboard intro, so adding a bit more of that throughout the whole album doesn’t really feel like such a big step. Yet, by doing so Caustic Phlegm adds a bit of that early Acid Witch-vibe to the mix. Fortunately, Caustic Phlegm religiously sticks to its Goregrind-gone-Death Metal amalgam, so it stays far removed from the cringe-worthy goofiness of Acid Witch.

It is also praiseworthy that Evan Vasilakos took his time to forge his next step. Taking in consideration that ‘Putrefying Flesh’ dates back to almost three years ago, lots of fellow one-man armies go head over heels from one recording to another – in the process dragging quality and their overall credibility down into the hole. That is not the case here, and that certainly shows. Nothing on ‘Purulent Apocalypse’ sounds rushed or stale. The musical framework in which the band operates doesn’t leave much room for frivolities or general experimentalism, but within the rather narrow confines of the genre Vasilakos knows how to bring forth heavy, gory, crunchy but very memorable riffs – the absolute key factor when it comes to Death Metal. Add to that the further developed horror-drenched guise and the dark and murky production of album; a combination that makes it stick to you like the plague.

It might have taken a bit of time, but I wish more Death Metal bands would take an example from Caustic Phlegm: take your time and make sure that what you bring actually has some meaning. Needless to say, ‘Purulent Apocalypse’ is an album not to skip if you are enamoured with bands like General Surgery, old Pungent Stench and Carnage – in that respect, the album lives up to its title.