Album Review – Detherous / Unrelenting Malevolence (2022)

***Review by Luke Hayhurst, writer for Morbid Wings (Print) ZineVM Underground Fanzine and Doom-Metal.com***

Following on from their debut album Hacked to Death in 2019, Calgary, Alberta based Death Thrashers Detherous have returned with an all new bout of sickness in the form of their Redefining Darkness Records released second opus entitled Unrelenting Malevolence.

Opening with the rampaging Interminable Mutilation, Detherous are quick to show off their savage chops, spewing forth with an undiluted barrage of feral old school Thrash vocals, maniacally sadistic and engaging riffs and guitar leads and punishing, inhospitable drum tones. It may be lazy to liken Detherous to early Slayer but the comparison nevertheless holds true, in both the bands relentless violence and forthright vocal delivery.

Where Detherous differs from Slayer can be heard as soon as Suspended in Agony kicks in. With a far more groove laden Death Metal vibe, as well as the odd plunge back into gnarly skull rattling Thrash, Detherous mould and crush their two main influences together brilliantly.

Unrelenting Malevolence is a truly savage sophomoric album, displaying a band who are at home delivering brutalizing force as well as technical wizardry. This is also an album that burrows deep to extract the very best qualities of both Thrash and Death Metal in order to create the best sound they possibly can, and the album is powerful and absorbing as a result.

Best moments of the album: You can’t ask for a stronger opener than Interminable Mutilation, nor a stronger follow up in Suspended in Agony.

Worst moments of the album: I’m hard pressed to find any!

Released in 2022 by Redefining Darkness Records

Track listing
1. Interminable Mutilation 4:27
2. Suspended in Agony 5:10
3. Gruesome Tools of Torture 4:01
4. Encased in Gore 4:30
5. Wretched Formations of Flesh 4:05
6. Reek of the Decayed 5:44
7. Erosion of Reality 3:10
8. Tormented by the Dead 5:02
9. Cataclysmic Devastation 3:48
10. Skull Fracturing Nightmare (Demolition Hammer cover) 5:26

Band members
Damon MacDonald – vocals, guitar
Ryan Hunter – lead guitar
Scott Cressman – bass
Dimitri LaRose – drums

Guest musician
Chris Monroy – additional vocals, guitar solos on “Skull Fracturing Nightmare”

Links
Detherous Facebook | Instagram | Linktree | Spotify | BandCamp | YouTube

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