Squelch, a new Death Metal duo from sunny California, is offering the world their debut demo in the form of ‘Eternal Hiss Of Hatred’. And, with only half an eye on the logo and cover art might already give you a hint on what to expect.
In four songs, lasting well under 20 minutes, the band forge their Death Metal out of many familiar elements. While the tempo might be considered quite low, mainly lingering in the mid-tempo territories, the music has a strong Punk feel to it. It is the rawness of the recording and the music’s pure energy that evokes that sense of primitivity that tastes like many of those early 90’s Death Metal demo tapes. Yet, it is not only the rawness of the music. The minimalist way of song writing and the overall bareboned production of ‘Eternal Hiss Of Hatred’ gives it a true putrid, gruff and almost crusty character. And while I personally don’t like Sludge at all, this demo certainly has an echo of that genre as well. So, despite of the over-evident influence of the proto-Death Metal genre, in the form of very early Necrophagia and pre-‘Severed Survival’ Autopsy, there is still much more going on, resulting in a short but sweet, rather Punkish Death Metal demo.
