ALBUM REVIEW: Dying Fetus – ‘Make Them Beg For Death’

Bringing brutal offerings since 1991, the renowned death metal act Dying Fetus show their continued growth in the new album Make Them Beg For Death. With a career spanning just over three decades, there’s no sign of the trio’s passion diminishing. Their distinctive take on death metal with a focus for memorable monstrous riffs and bracing blast beats makes for a sound that’ll atomise anything in its path.

Make Them Beg For Death begins its shattering display with the tremendous riffs of Enlighten Through Agony. Thundering into life and fraught with rage, intense blastbeats from Trey Williams, dominating bass from Sean Beasley and demonic harsh from John Gallagher bleed together into a ruthless offering. The marching, rhythmic movement of Compulsion For Cruelty incites a sense of eager anticipation. Enhanced with technical riffs and dramatic changes of pace, the track also traverses through realms of slam. With no time to rest, Feast Of Ashes unveils chaos that very probably clawed its way through the brimstone layers forged in the fiery depths of hell. Stupendously intricate lead riffs and bursts of pandemonium make for a wonderfully discordant track that keeps you on your toes. That guitar solo, for example, comes out of nowhere, before returning almost as quickly to the shadows. It’s effective alternating between groove rhythms and sheer maelstrom, a trend that continues throughout the track list of Make Them Beg For Death.

The short and sweet Throw Them In The Van is a bone-shattering palette cleanser in this deathly banquet. High octane from beginning to end, the onslaught of aggressive percussion, savage guitars and callous vocals packs a huge punch. Unbridled Fury continues in the same vein with an anguished assault on the senses. Catchy riffs positioned amongst the surrounding annihilation showcase Dying Fetus’s speciality for keeping their victims—I mean listeners—hooked, in multiple senses of the word. A cutthroat fury is unleashed in When the Trend Ends. The band manage to strike a pretty good balance with their production across the record – it’s still raw, adhering to the old school style but across the tracks everything seems fairly well balanced.

Undulating Carnage does what it is says on the tin. A huge sound emanates from the instrumental layers coagulating into a thrilling, devilish offering. Gallagher’s gutturals descend through several layers of hell giving a truly monstrous performance. Beasley and Williams’ offensive hits hard with unceasing power. Raised On Victory, Razed in Defeat’s groove introduction switches up their sound and carries through the atrocity of this song. Yearning for bloodshed, this track fires blistering shots with no mercy until the end. Refusing to slow down, the penultimate Hero’s Grave brings another rampage with wave after wave of slam sections, bloodcurdling harsh vocals and destructive percussion. Building from intricate riffs to a full-frontal attack, Subterfuge holds nothing back. Closing Make Them Beg For Death, this final wave of bloodthirsty death metal is sure to leave you as nothing more than a mere pile of dust and bones on the floor.

It’s not surprising how Dying Fetus have maintained such a prominent position in death metal over the years. This, their ninth album, is unapologetic in its savagery and unyielding in its heaviness and brutality. The infusion of hardcore and grind into the band’s characteristic death driven sound makes for a diverse and gripping listening experience. There’s often a sense of anxiety when a long-standing outfit release new material, will it live up to the quality of their other releases? Having heard Make Them Beg For Death, there was clearly no cause for concern as it fits perfectly in their discography.

For fans of: Cannibal Corpse, Suffocation, Carcass

‘Make Them Beg For Death’ by Dying Fetus is released on 8th September on Relapse Records.

Words by Holly Royle