Well, among this year’s discoveries is Protrusion, a death metal band from Indiana in the United States. The band released their first demo, Protrusion, in 2023, and last March they released their debut album, The Last Suppuration, via Sevared Records on CD and via Iron Fortress Records on cassette. (Other editions and formats have also been released. View) I added the album to my list of albums to review after just one listen.
The Last Suppuration is an album featuring 10 tracks with a running time of just over 50 minutes. The album establishes a sinister atmosphere right from the first track, Confined to Anguish, with a sample taken from the film The Exorcist: The Beginning. But this atmosphere is felt most intensely on the track Morbid Mortality from 3:27 onwards. Overall, Protrusion delivers raw, direct and aggressive death metal. The rhythm is heavy, with unexpected tempo changes. I also note that at certain moments, doom metal influences come through, particularly on the track Anthropophilic Anomaly.
The guitars are sharp, with increased distortion, creating a sonic aggression rooted in old-school death metal. As is typical of this genre of death metal, there are several dark solos, such as on Accursed Skin and Exhumer’s Romance. But in my opinion, the most striking solos are those on Morbid Mortality and Slugs of Decadence. The bass is audible, even if it isn’t pushed to the fore. On tracks such as Boiled at Birth and The Last Suppuration, it is given brief moments to showcase its own solo parts.
The drumming is organic and creates an aggressive soundscape featuring moderate blast beats and hits at almost regular intervals, along with accelerations and breaks. The best examples of the drumming’s ferocity and technical prowess can be heard on tracks such as Morbid Mortality and Slugs of Decadence.
The vocals are sinister, sounding as though they’re being muffled, shifting between deep, cavernous growls. The vocal approach is purely macabre and evokes old-school death metal. It is on Boiled at Birth that the vocals are at their most effective. They also stand out on the track Scorned Vengeance for their nuance, combining growls with demonic-sounding backing vocals from 2:41 onwards.
Among the moments and tracks I particularly enjoyed were the vocal section on Accursed Skin from 1:09 onwards, which exudes an evil aura, and the drumming from 4:17 onwards. The track Morbid Mortality stands out as the album’s highlight thanks to its aggression, its dark and macabre solos, and its bursts of rhythm. I liked the vocal performance on Boiled at Birth, which is totally vicious, and the track Slugs of Decadence for its nuanced structure. There’s also Anthropophilic Anomaly, which features an occult atmosphere and diabolical aggression.
With their debut album The Last Suppuration, the American band Protrusion are making a name for themselves. The band deliver raw death metal shrouded in a dark, macabre and bestial atmosphere. An album firmly rooted in the traditions of old-school death metal. The band prioritises heavy aggression and dark atmospheres rather than relying on a fast tempo, all delivered with a balanced mix that highlights this aggression and a production that is both clean and raw.
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