J-Man
Beginning with their 1999 debut, Molesting the Decapitated, Devourment has established themselves as one of the leading acts in the 'slam' death metal genre - a style characterized by the uncompromising devastation of brutal death metal, but with an emphasis on groovy breakdowns not typically seen in the genre. The band's fourth album, 2013's Conceived in Sewage, shows these American veterans continuing their brand of slamming death metal well into the twenty-first century, and although Devourment's strong dedication to the genre is likely to leave longtime fans impressed, Conceived in Sewage's stagnant approach makes for a largely nonessential listen.
Musically, there's not very much new under the sun on Conceived in Sewage. Devourment still plays some of the most brutal death metal out there combined with heavy slams and goregrind segments, and whilst the production is perhaps a bit more polished than we're used to from the band, the songwriting isn't anything revolutionary. Like a lot of brutal death metal, Devourment's music comes across as a bit monotonous to these ears, and this is accentuated by the largely undecipherable vocals from Mike Majewski. I guess more hardcore fans of the genre might love what Devourment has to offer here, but I'm left unimpressed by the unadventurous songwriting and lack of variation showcased throughout the album's short duration. Conceived in Sewage features some tremendous musicianship, however, with Erik Park's drumming especially standing out - there are lots of intricate fills and technically demanding rhythms coming from his direction!
I guess Conceived in Sewage might appeal to more dedicated brutal death metal listeners than me, but I'm left pretty unimpressed by the album's homogenous compositions and standard approach. Though there are some solid tracks like “Fifty Ton War Machine” and “Heaving Acid”, there's nothing here that strikes me as terribly memorable or inventive. Devourment's latest outing is a competent, but ultimately passable, observation.