Viral Load/Putrid Pile – Split

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Two of the biggest and most legendary brutal death metal bands have finally come together for a split album, and the results couldn’t be better. Let’s start with the first band, Viral Load. Viral Load actually has band members instead of a backing track, and it certainly helps them out. The vocalist, Shawn Whitaker (Pathology, Insidious Decrepancy), is fantastic at his guttural vocals and helps along the music with his guitars which chug, tremolo pick, and everything in between. Dog Food Lube could be mistaken for a newer Devourment track, which is a huge compliment for brutal death metal bands today. They also channel early Dying Fetus on Methlab Machete Massacre. Viral Load’s three songs total under ten minutes, and they will definitely leave fans wanting more. The second half of the split belongs to legendary one-man band Putrid Pile. I do like the production of Putrid Pile’s songs a bit more than Viral Load; it’s much more modern. This is straight-up death metal, a la older Suffocation or Vital Remains. Where Viral Load might be slow and brutal, every one of Putrid Pile’s (real name: Shaun LaCanne) songs is speedy and chaotic. The vocals are all over the place and very, very impressive. If he doesn’t use a pitch-shifter, he might be one of the best current death metal vocalists. In the end, you have a criminally short EP from two of the best bands in their respective genre that should make your mouth salivate, wanting more material from them.

Written by Jackson May
More: 2010, Death Metal, EPs, Quick.Play Reviews, Putrid Pile, Viral Load