Artist: Pungent Stench
Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Release Date: 2/22/05
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Title: Ampeauty Artist: Pungent Stench Label: Nuclear Blast Records Release Date: 2/22/05 |
Judgment Committee Reviews | Rating |
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Abyss's Review:
Ampeauty! Get it? Amputee, Ampeauty? Alright, it's not the cleverest word play in the world, but hey, what do you expect from a band called Pungent Stench? Naming shit isn't one of their strengths. Of course, this band has been around for a long time, never really grabbing the 'mainstream' metal press's attention, and as a result I must admit I've had very little contact with most of their material. I had some preconceived notions that always put them in the same light as Anal Blast or Anal Cunt, so when I first sat down to listen to Ampeauty I found myself pleasantly surprised at their current sound.
"One word review: Unrefined." The Pungent Stench from way back when still lingers (sorry, had to do it), but they've definitely settled down from their grindcore beginnings. For the most part they're a groove-laden mid-paced death metal act that reminds me of a rawer, raunchier Warpath from Six Feet Under. I'm actually a little impressed with some of the riffs here, which, while never technically impressive, show a real ability when it comes to swing and flow. Unlike Warpath the riffs never strike me as overly repetitive, but are equally catchy if one can embrace the sloppy production and loose playing.
Unfortunately, as I expected, the lyrics are pretty stupid. The lyrics seem like they're trying to go over the top but aren't clever or funny enough to rise above the basest of bathroom humor (Okay, I admit it. I did snicker at "Got Milf?" but mature I am not.). "Lynndie (She-Wolf of Abu Ghraib)" likes commenting on how the disgraced Ms. England likes grabbing cocks and leading men by leashes, but it falls short of being funny and doesn't seem to attempt any political commentary, so I find it more likely it's the result of too much dope with the TV stuck on CNN. Of course, not all metal has to be clever, funny, or prolific, but when lyrics like this fail to live up to any of those ideals, I find myself losing interest after the first few listens.
Is Pungent Stench a great metal band? Well, not really, but there is some cool shit on this album. I almost wish the band would take themselves a little more seriously, because I'm sure I'll be returning to this album every once in awhile. One word review: Unrefined.
Death's Review:
Vienna, Austria's sadistic trio Pungent Stench - proudly referred to in their label bio as "self-proclaimed priests of perversity" - return with their second album since the band's 1999 reformation, entitled Ampeauty. Leaders of the original grindcore movement, and one of the original bands that gave rise to the Nuclear Blast label, Pungent Stench has a storied history. As with 2001's Masters of Moral - Servants of Sin, two of the three original members remain (drummer Rector Stench and vocalist/guitarist Don Cochino), although the band has a new bass player for this record, Fabio Testi. Despite the fact that the band has been around since the 1989 Extreme Deformity EP, listening to this new album was my first true exposure to the band, and I generally liked what I heard. If you like straightforward headbanging death and roll riffs combined with a macabre sense of humor infused into easily discernable lyrics, then Pungent Stench - and more specifically, the new Ampeauty album - is definitely for you. The lyrics are striking and very present - in your face enough for you to realize exactly what is being said and to get the requisite chuckle as intended. But the metal is serious and the riffs are well-produced and infectious. Pummeling, brutal, infectious and darkly infected, Pungent Stench stake out the own sound and style. Grindcore attitude, death and roll aesthetic, and a classic name equal something worthwhile for those who are into this sort of thing. Worth checking out.
"Worth checking out."
Hel's Review:
Pungent Stench is a name that has been around the metal scene for quite awhile. I know their reputation, but not their music, and I was slightly surprised at what I found on Ampeauty. Though the press release states they began as a grindcore band, this album presents us with a style of metal that has a sludgy, doomy feel mixed with death. I tend to prefer the more extreme styles of metal, and was slightly disappointed to find that Pungent Stench does not play at the speed of light (as I expect from modern grindcore), nonetheless I was drawn in by what I heard.
"Well done." The band does a great job of delivering visceral riffs to your midsection in a key designed to loosen your bowels. The songwriting is strong, with the results being interesting and varied. I’m not a big fan of sound samples, so the lecturing and screaming that appears toward the end of the disc irritates me, and I feel it distracts rather than enhances, but I realize this is an issue of personal preference.
While the new Pungent Stench record is not what I expected it would be, I enjoyed it anyway. Regardless of how this stacks up to their prior work, it is a solid album in its own right. Well done.
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