Genre:  Brutal Death Metal

01 Serpent-legged
02 Anmod
03 Hung up at the Pale
04 Wretchedness and Decay
05 Outwitted by Redeeming Features
06 Behold
07 Absence of an Upper World
08 Impending Loss
09 Weakness of Will
10 Thoughtlessness
11 Surcease
12 Monstrosity per Defectum

Anmod is a band that many may already be fairly familiar with, however under a different name.  This Brazilian brutal death metal trio got their start under a different name, Fornication.  The band chose to leave singer Eicio behind and as a result changed names.  During their time as Fornication the band went through numerous line-up changes but managed to record three demos and two full-length albums, the second of which is when I first came across them, a 10 track 35 minutes destructive masterpiece called Unleashed Wrath on Brutalized Records.  Though the band became Anmod in 2005, they more or less disappeared into the shadows for a few years before re-emerging in 2008 with their first release, Monstrosity per Defectum via Deity Down Records which is where we're at with them today.

Despite the different vocalist, the sound is largely the same though with a slightly more industrial sounding feel on the drum kit.  Johnny R.R.'s drumming is still like machine work.  Exact, precise, surgical.  The man could give you a heart transplant in 2 minutes with drum sticks, its that exact.  The band is labeled as having more grind influences than Fornication, which is true, but it still reminds of industrial death metal more than grind.  Likewise, the guitar work is fairly precise, rivaling the of Vital Remains on the brutal side, but forever straying away from the melodicism that Dave Suzuki is known for pushing out. 

Brutally, this is one of the best albums to come out in early '08.  Lets face it, last year was a slow year for quality death metal, and while that's not meant to downplay the talent of the band showcased, in a normal year say 5-10 years ago, this wouldn't have come close to topping lists.  Regardless, its a fantastic album with a tight sounds and some machine-like musicianship.  Brazilian Death Metal hasn't really been known for its precision over its disturbing violent style, but for this release its certainly hit the spot.  This is a key release for Deity Down Records, impressive, especially for a debut if one was to consider it as such after the demise of Fornication.