Making an inhuman amount of sound for a three-piece, Maryland’s Dying Fetus has been steadily carving a path of destruction over the last few years. Despite the line-up disruptions, the solid line up of vocalist/guitarist/founding member John Gallagher, bassist/vocalist Sean Beasley and master drummer Trey Williams have somewhat unexpectedly decided to put out the cover EP “History Repeats…”
The neck-splitting run-through of Napalm Death’s classic “Unchallenged” is an obvious highlight, while “Gorehog”, originally by Broken Hope, is devastatingly simple and violent. The only original tune on the EP, the 42 second “Rohypnol,” nicely sums up the vocal tandem of Beasley and Gallagher. The latter handles the guttural growls, while the former focuses on the larynx-splitting screams. Williams almost turns his kit into splinters with a flurry of blasts at the tail end of the track.
Production-wise, “History Repeats…” is impressive, but nothing outstanding. A lot of the original versions of the tracks covered feature lackluster production jobs (especially compared to the modern-day engineering and recording techniques), so it’s nice to hear the tunes have a bit of fresh air breathed into them. The ducking and diving pace of “Unleashed Upon Mankind” (Bolt Thrower) helps break up things, and the closing track, “Born In A Casket,” is just as venomous as the original Cannibal Corpse version.
Cover albums are rarely anything more than feeble stop gaps, but with “History Repeats,” Dying Fetus has created a strong collection of songs that will easily tie over their growing fan base until the next full length.
Highs: A fantastic tribute to the bands that shaped Dying Fetus’ sound
Lows: Some picky fans would rather have a full EP of original material
Bottom line: Like Dying Fetus? Like some of the tracks they’ve covered here? You’ll be foolish not to pick up “History Repeats…”
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