Search - Dying Fetus :: War of Attrition

A summary of all Dying Fetus releases...

Daniel Fitzgerald | Santa Cruz, CA USA | 03/17/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Okay, so Dying Fetus will never be able to top-off Destroy The Opposition. But the radness of this record is more reminiscent of Killing on Adrenaline. Dying Fetus full-swing recover from the weaknesses of Stop At Nothing. The production sound could stand to be more biting and have some crisp highs. But the songs once again sound more like that signature Dying Fetus sound, and less like typical death metal. Sweeps that aren't over-played, awesome groove-downs, and trade-off hardcore style vocals, with cookie monster grunts. The drumming is the best it could be for this band, without re-hiring Kevin Talley. I was worried that Gallagher would lose steam, but the boys really packed a powerhouse with this record. Highlight tracks are Homicidal Retribution, Raping the System, and Obsolete Deterrence. Overall, the musical style of this album is like a summary of all prior Dying Fetus albums."

Dying Fetus Are back!!!!

Martin Belzil | Qc, canada | 03/09/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's been four years since the last album, but they doesn't lost the intensity that made them famous!!!! First I love the fact that Sean Beasley took the job of the second vocalist aside the grunt master John Gallagher.. I loved his bass lines on Stop at Nothing, but hearing him singning is a proof that he can do everything he want... Seriously he's my favorite singer in Dying Fetus history, he's even better than Jason Netherton.. in my opinion. The song are a little repetitive but they're all great. The production is crunchy as hell and you can hear everything, even the bass, which is rare on a death metal album. The only thing that irritates me is the drumming!! Don't get me wrong, Duane Timlin is a strong heavy fast motherf******.. But I miss the grooves of Kevin Talley. I saw Dying Fetus live and Duane played the old songs exacly as they were, so I know what he is capable of. I just hope that he could just do the double snare hitting more often like Kevin did( if you have the album Destroy the opposition you'll understand). Nonetheless it's a great album and if you're a Dying Fetus fan or just a Death metal fan you should buy this album... It's really great!!!

Favorite tracks: Homicidal retribution, raping the system, insidious repression, the ancient rivalry!!!"

Decent, if slightly disappointing

A. Stutheit | Denver, CO USA | 03/24/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Dying Fetus is easily one of the most important and influential technical/brutal death metal/grindcore bands of this past decade. Although several groups have tried (see Misery Index, All Shall Perish, and Despised Icon, among others), no one has been able to combine crushing heaviness, head-spinning velocity, mind-blowing technicality, and catchy "Heartwork"-style groove as skillfully and effectively as this Maryland-based quintet. And even though the group has forever been plagued with lineup changes (guitarist/vocalist John Gallagher is now the only remaining original member), they have always found a way to turn out punishing new death metal product.



DF's fifth proper full-length release, "War of Attrition," is a savagely brutal and uncompromising monster. It overflows with steamrolling rhythms, blazing tempos (there are only two speeds on offer here: very fast and lightning fast), hardcore-ish breakdowns, impossibly technical and complex musicianship (frenetic, relentlessly busy thrash riffs, smoke-inducing leads, fleeting melodic guitar sweeps that echo Necrophagist, careening solos, and impeccable, rapid-fire blast beats), grisly lyrics, and devilish, unintelligible vocals that would send the Cookie Monster running for cover.



Unfortunately, there is a big difference between being adherently technical and being adherently memorable. One could compare "War of Attrition" to an album like Origin's "Echoes of Decimation" and not be very far off base. "WoA" offers very few memorable hooks, and virtually no individually memorable riffs - the whole album just kind of dithers past, and very little sticks with the listener after the album is done playing in less than 40 minutes. Surely, there are a few parts that standout -- the mammoth, churning riffs and slamming drums in "Fate of the Condemned," the breakneck tempo changes and jackhammer drumming of "Raping the System," and the ripping, even borderline-melodic guitar solo in "The Ancient Rivalry" -- but they are few and far between. Plus, the musicianship heard here is always airtight and flawless, but it often comes dangerously close to sounding robotic. Thus, the music doesn't have the same visceral impact or urgency of old. Finally, newcomer Duane Timlin definitely proves that he can annihilate his trapkit as deftly as any other skinsman out there. But his drum patterns are sometimes even faster than every other instrument (its not uncommon for him to trample the guitar leads), so as a result, "War of Attrition" almost never locks into one of Dying Fetus' famous deep grooves.



So, "War of Attrition" makes for an overall satisfying listen, but only because of the band's virtuosic musicianship and relentless pummel -- the songwriting on display here is clearly lacking a bit. Dying Fetus' revolving door lineup seems to have finally taken its toll on the band, as this disc is not on par with such classics as "Destroy The Opposition" and "Stop At Nothing." Thus, longtime fans may think of "WoA" as a bit of a disappointment, but it's still a recommended listen to everybody who enjoys math/tech/brutal death metal and death-grind."