ITP V.011 REVIEW: PATHOLOGY: AWAKEN TO THE SUFFERING

BAND-PATHOLOGY (SAN DIEGO,CALIFORNIA,USA) GENRE-DEATH/SLAM/METAL LABEL-VICTORY RECORDS RELEASE DATE: 9/13/2011

PREVIOUS RELEASES (CATALOG): LEGACY OF THE ANCIENTS (2010-VICTORY RECORDS), AGE OF ONSET (2009-COMATOSE MUSIC), INCISIONS OF PERVERSE DEBAUCHERY (2008-GRINDHEAD RECORDS),SURGICALLY HACKED (2006-AMPUTATED VEIN RECORDS)



BEST RELEASE(S): INCISIONS OF PERVERSE DEBAUCHERY (2008), LEGACY OF ANCIENTS (2010)

TRACK-LISTING: PATHOLOGY: AWAKEN TO THE SUFFERING:
01. Dissected By Righteousness 03:40
02. Ingestion of Creation 02:52
03. Hostility Towards Conformity 02:35
04. Media Consumption 02:12
05. Society's Desolation 03:02
06. Prolonging the Suffering 01:13
07. A Perverse Existence 02:02
08. Humanity's Cesspool 03:59
09. Festering in Filth 01:47
10. Opposing Globalization 03:05
11. Emesis 03:36
12. Revocation of Earth 01:10







ITP RATING: ***
PRODUCTION: ****
SONGWRITING: ***
PERFORMANCE: ***

Formed in 2006, San Diego, California based gore death metal warriors PATHOLOGY have been making a name for themselves brutalizing the world with their gory brand of slam death metal.

PATHOLOGY, founded by drummer DAVE ASTOR (formally of spaz grind project THE LOCUST and death grinders CATTLE DECAPITATION)combine the slam death breakdowns of DYING FETUS, with the unique pig squeals and burping death vocals of DEMILICH and the gory lyrical themes of CARCASS. PATHOLOGY have endured many lineup changes most notably vocalist Jonathan Huber (formally of I DECLARE WAR) replacing Matti Way and Tim Tiszczenko replacing Diego Sanchez on guitars. Even (EX) ORIGIN vocalist James Lee has passed through PATHOLOGY's ranks.

In 2009, PATHOLOGY inked a deal with VICTORY RECORDS and are poised to bring their gore soaked death/slam metal to a new level as here we have PATHOLOGY's newest offering "Awaken to The Suffering" on deck to review.

PATHOLOGY's "Awaken To The Suffering" kicks off with the track "Dissected By Righteousness" with it's mid pace, chuga chuga riffage and pointless pigs squeals (new PATHOLOGY vocalist Jonathan Huber) as the only riff variety are within a few pinch harmonics and a badly composed lead.
PATHOLOGY's "Dissected By Righteousness" gets interesting at 5:27 with a subtle riff change before they resort to the standard and generic slam death riffs.

PATHOLOGY's "Ingestion of Creation", evokes more boring mid paced chugging, too much chugging. Only at 1:35 does "Ingestion of Creation" become remotely interesting with an extra added riff and some decent blast beats ala drummer DAVE ASTOR as the "breakdowns" are generic and we've all heard this before.

PATHOLOGY's "Hostility Towards Conformity" evokes a mid pace before picking up into brutality at :38 seconds with quality blast beats as the slowly evolving riffs are boring, generic, repetitive.

PATHOLOGY's "Media Consumption" evokes a mid pace of generic slam death boredom before picking the pace at :55 into blast beat death/slam with a quality guitar solo. Pathology's "Media Consumption" evokes a good thrash/break down at 1:41, and even that you've heard from a cazillion hardcore/metal core and pig squealing generic crap bands.

PATHOLOGY's "Society's Desolation" is far more listenable with more of an old school death metal feel with a variety of riffs. "Society's Desolation" riffs, slightly more technical (2:05) and varied compared to tracks thus far, morph with subtle essence, enhancing the pig squealing gutturals.


PATHOLOGY's instrumental "Prolonging the Suffering" evokes a typical, down tuned death/core thrash riff (ala WHITECHAPEL) as we've heard from millions of deathcore bands.

PATHOLOGY's "A Perverse Existence" is quite brutal and damn funny as finally Jonathan Huber's vocals seem to mesh with PATHOLOGY's music. PATHOLOGY's "A Perverse Existence" screamed segue from the generic slam breakdowns into some brutal death (:59)should be used more often as some vocal and riff variety would enhance the tunes from it's usual one dimensional approach.

PATHOLOGY's "Humanity's Cesspool" evokes some decent riffs segueing into generic death core thrash riffs. PATHOLOGY's "Humanity's Cesspool" takes off for a faster pace with blastbeats sounding better with melodic riffs (1:34) as Huber's guttural vocals could be the primary "brutality" in PATHOLOGY's arsenal. Huber incomprehensibly squeals along "wooooorrrrrrrr" barely keeping up with any sense of vocal patterns only meshing with the generic death/core breakdowns.

PATHOLOGY's "Festering in Filth" blazes in at light speed, with some brutal and typical death/slam break downs progressing well and played tight.

PATHOLOGY's "Opposing Globalization" evokes a variety of riff changes,consolidating melodic solos with brutality and blasting off into brutal blastbeats and slam death eternity.

PATHOLOGY's "Emesis" evokes some good brutal death, into generic breakdowns, into "WOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRR", better know as pig squeal/gutturals, as the track is brutal and entertaining.

PATHOLOGY's AWAKEN TO THE SUFFERING closes with the shortest track on the release entitled "Revocation of Earth", 1:10 of sick ass brutal/slam death grind "weeeeeeeeWOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRR".

PATHOLOGY's AWAKEN TO THE SUFFERING features improved production, guitar solos and Jonathan Hubers pig squeals/deep guttural vocals.

However, PATHOLOGY's AWAKEN TO THE SUFFERING induces boredom into half way through the release when the band finally pick up the pace (with blastbeats) varying the riff structures from it's generic death/core slam breakdowns.

PATHOLOGY's new vocalist Jonathan Huber's deep guttural "Pig squeals" can be overbearing as a little variety in his vocal approach would enhance the music as the "Pig squeals" vocal approach is not for everyone. I do enjoy "Pig Squeals",guttural or unorthodox death metal vox ("Antti" of DEMILICH is one of my fave death metal vocalists of all time.) if the musical compositions and riffs are varied and not generic.


However, I do hear potential in PATHOLOGY tracks "Opposing Globalization", "A Perverse Existence" and "Society's Desolation" with riff and time changes, morphing song structures into an art of brutal slam/death.

PATHOLOGY need to reach inside for some misanthropic riff structures, try something different as PATHOLOGY are a one dimensional musical concept reverting to stale, boring death/core and generic slam riffs, as tempering the pig squeals/gutturals for some vocal variety would evoke brutality, not just heaviness. Otherwise, we've all heard this standard slam/death before performed my many talented death, grind and now metal core bands.

Of course all this pig squealing and deep gutturals makes me want to dust off those old REGURGITATE and DEMILICH releases for the true masters, I suggest you do too.


ITP RATING: ***
PRODUCTION: ****
SONGWRITING: ***
PERFORMANCE: ***

Thanks-Stay Metal, Stay Brutal-\m/
WEEEEEWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOR