Scythe sit with OSDM bedrock, however they aren’t stuck in the past. There are more modern touches to the guitar work on this recording and a substantial amount of the songs hold a super fulfilling goresome groove, ensuring you’ll be nodding along to even the most putrid passages. The drums fit perfectly with the guitar work, giving the record a substantial sense of movement, versus simply presenting a series of riffs laid over blast beats.
This is further augmented by the vocals. Mostly presenting in that up front yell, even though deeper roars and gurgles arise, providing substantial weight and keeping things dynamic. It complements the gore on ‘Boiled Alive’ without becoming a singular guttural monotonous experience.
My favorite aspect is how it’s just a filthy and fun listen. This is a nasty, heavy album that also happens to be pretty damn groovy. The riffs on here will hook you before the middle of a track, and yet Scythe sound like they’re unearthing inspiration from the most gruesome and hidden aspects of the OSDM genre whilst also ensuring there’s enough movement in the songwriting that it still feels fresh and vibrant.
‘Boiled Alive’ does the hard work of proving itself worthy of the positive impression it generates within the first few listens, and frankly, for me that’s a sign that Scythe are doing things right.
