Metal Underground.com

Begging For Incest is one of the relatively newer entrants into the slam death scene, merely starting out five years ago. In that time, they released that twisted "Awaiting the Fist" EP and parted company with original singer Christoph Milinski. For their new one, "Orgasmic Selfmutilation," current vocalist Meik has had two years to assume the helm and has done so more than capably. "Orgasmic Selfmutilation" is how slam death should be done. The songs are well-written, have catchy hooks and breakdowns, and the vocals infuse it with an air of deadliness that borders on the deranged.

The first track, "Pulverize," does just that. The band takes the best elements of slow, creepy Obituary worship and works up a homicidal frenzy with those animalistic vocals. There is no eye in that hurricane and one can picture the craziest mosh pit ever to this track. Pig squeals are part of brutal death metal, but need to be changed up to be non-redundant. Sure, you'll hear a lot of "bree reee oar oar" growls, but that's brutal metal, and clean singing would kill it. Meik juggles all kinds of gurgles, growls and squeals to make it hilarious and outrageous. "A Cruel Streak" sounds like a wild boar getting fisted, all to the tune of a catchy intro that re-emerges in the outro. The guitar leads are loud and thundering in this one, reminiscent of early Death.

Those vocals seem almost inhuman and fuel such songs as "Bashed Beyond Recognition," where those insane notes get held for half-minute long periods. This song throws in a few air-raid siren lead flourishes for good measure too. In slam, it's about energy and primal urges - so actual lyrics would be strangely out of place. Variety in deliverance is key and keeps the songs interesting. The whole trio works well as a unit, maintaining the flow front and center. Listening to a song like "I've Got an Abhorrent Fetish," the vocals and rhythm complement each other and maintain sync, which magnifies the clobbering effect.

What makes "Orgasmic Selfmutilation" work so well is the fluctuation of time changes within each of the songs. Tunes such as the title track and "Diarrhea Dreams" start in a whirl of blast beats and leads, eventually giving way to solid skank segments that change momentum on a dime. The songs don't overstay their welcome and know when to end instead of dragging it out, even though most of the material clocks in at three minutes a song - an opus by slam standards. About three of the songs have brief audio snippets, but they are all put within the track, instead of being used to death as intros.

The creepy factor of this album is spot on, slamming out a truckload of muted chords and staircase leads in slow motion and over-driven flourishes. "As Long As You Swallow" and "Gutted Like A Pig" have enough movements within each song to make them catchy, yet employ a more slo-mo technique that keeps it all deranged. Begging For Incest has nailed a criminal sound, making "Orgasmic Selfmutilation" an essential album for any brutal metal fan. This album succeeds in creating a truly vile mood through its lethal combination of psychotic vocals, clever songwriting and time changes that evoke pure energy.