Let me just start off this review by stating that this record is some weird death metal. No, that's probably an understatement, seriously this is some abstract music, yet I like it. It's not weird in an overly technical kind of way, though these Germans definitely know how to play their instruments, but in just the way they structure their music, as well as random little nuances that appear throughout. The general weird atmosphere on "Drawings of the Dead" is probably a good selling point for these guys, as they are unique, but it also serves as a hindrance on this record (More on that later).
First off, the vocals on here are something that immediately jump out at the listener. On the first track of this record, "Unsuspecting Sacrifice," the listener is treated with some dark melodies that loom over some heavy chords, but you can't help notice the growls that are also being spewed out of the singer's mouth as they don't really add anything to the already bleak intro, they're just there. The twin vocal assault on this album is ever so present, as one of them (I'm not sure which) sounds a lot like Chris Barnes. The growls are plenty heavy, but at the same time they're rather coherent and understandable, while the other singer sounds more like his fellow countrymen who use their guttural vocals more so for thrash, but the same effect is present here and it sounds great.
The riffs on this album mainly gravitate towards the midpaced side of things and they're usually pretty doomy as well. The doomy riff that kicks off the title track is quite good and transitions into the fantastic riff right after flawlessly. The songs "Dereanged Body Love" and "Malignant Tumor" also have some stellar riffs that should have no problem in getting your headbanging in the midst of the doomy interludes and dark atmosphere. One reason for this atmosphere is because of the melodies that can be found throughout "Drawings of the Dead." The track "Dissemble" does a fine job of raising the hair on the back of your neck with its chilling melodies that slither along underneath the ridiculously heavy vocals.
Now remember the beginning of this review when I said that this album is, for lack of a better word, weird? Yeah, it is. It isn't just the switch between the Barnes like vocals and the guttural attack from the other vocalist, that isn't really uncommon, but it's mainly from the odd structures among other things. Other things like the use of acoustic guitars in the middle of the songs. This alone isn't weird, just not very ordinary for death metal bands but Mangled Torsos manages to mix their softer side particularly well to add to the overall feel of the music, especially on the song "Lost Emotions." While the acoustic guitar isn't completely alone, it's backed by the heavy chords and fronted by the heavier vocals, but it works out. However, it didn't really work on the title track. After being treated with some top notch riffs, the song turns into a showcase for the acoustic guitar as it plays on its own for quite a while and dominates the song for the most part. Luckily, it returns to the high level it was at earlier, but one has to wonder just how great this song would have been if the acoustic section was shortened or even taken out completely. Another odd moment on "Drawings of the Dead" was the track "Morphea." It starts off with a great riff and just when you think it's going to pick up, the riff is still there and the vocalist is growling like a rabid wolf. The same riff carries on for two minutes and nothing changes, which is sad because the riff is damned good.
In the end, Mangled Torsos delivered an album that not only stands out, but manages to retain a sense of ingenuity that ensures "Drawings of the Dead" is the kind of album that strikes you as abnormal at first and one that could have been better, but also shows promise that it will grow on you and become a record that often appears in your rotation.
Highlights
"Drawings of the Dead"
"Deranged Body Love"
"Malignant Tumor"
Final Rating
Awesome [8.2/10]
