Label: Independent
Genre: Death Metal/Grindcore
Length: 46:10
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Head for São Paulo, Brazil, a scene that has given birth to icons such as Sepultura, Sarcófago and Krisiun. Today, I'm focusing on The Screams of Widow's Son, a band formed in 2020 who made a name for themselves with two EPs, Still Remains Rotten (2021) and Void Absolute (2023). In 2024, they unveiled their debut album, Perverse Violence, an independent death metal work available digitally.
The 46:10 minute album featuring 15 tracks of relentless brutality and intensity. Right from the opening track, Untitled, you're plunged into an onslaught of blast beats and muffled growls, with a raw production that accentuates the suffocating atmosphere. The grindcore influence can be felt in the high-pitched screams and frenetic changes of pace, particularly on Fuckoffthisgutted. The omnipresent bass lends a massive character to the whole, at times evoking the style of bands as Mortician. What's more? the names of some of the tracks seem to pay homage to the classics of the genre, nods to title like Skin Her Alive (of Dismember) and Created to Kill (the original title of Cannibal Corpse's album Vile) I don't know if it was done intentionally, but it immediately came to mind for me.
I'll Skin Her stands out for its bass intro before exploding into an oppressive rhythm. This track featuring one of the best vocal performances on the album. Godfoetus and Maggot's Temple are must-haves, the former for its unheard-of violence and the latter for its technically excellent guitar compositions, even if some of the vocal parts lack fluidity. Other tracks, such as Inert in Pools of Blood, impress with their horrific ambience, while Terror Rises effectively blends death metal and grindcore to vary the tone. And Perverse Violence, the eponymous track, shines with its in-form drums and captivating solo.
My standout tracks are Godfoetus, Maggot's Temple and I'll Skin Her, for their varied structures and moments of musical virtuosity. Each track demonstrates an impressive mastery of aggression, although certain passages could have benefited from a more refined production.
Nevermind, Perverse Violence is an intense, uncompromising album, a cross between brutal death metal (the resentment of the beginning), death metal and grindcore. A clearer, good production and work on the fluidity of certain segments could take the future album to a higher level. But for worshippers of extreme brutality, this record will live up to your expectations.