I used to refuse to listen to bands with silly names, but I’ve pretty much given up. I can’t for the life of me understand what makes a band want to shit on their potential merch sales, opportunities for career advancement (within the admittedly narrow scope of the death metal scene), and ability to be taken seriously (undoubtedly the least important of the three), and I’m not going to attempt to convince you, the reader, that silly band names are an artist’s way of forcing the audience to judge them solely on their musical skills; such an explanation might be manufactured by a band that has realized that its moniker is, well, silly, but it’s hardly convincing. Neurotic Records is certainly doing a good job building up a roster of Dutch bands with foolish names, what with Prostitute Disfigurement and Arsebreed. But before this review descends into a diffuse mess of silly jokes and unprofessional rambling, let me cut to the chase: Dear Reader, please listen to Munching The Rotten as soon as possible.

Arsebreed play deathgrind of the very best kind, unleashing unabashedly technical, cyclical riffs within twisting, off-kilter compositions. All of the above is augmented with thunderous, clattering bass guitar runs and ultra-precise, syncopated drumming. The compositional skill of this band is impeccable, as is its musicianship. If you know the genre, you know exactly what you’re getting into, and if you don’t, Munching The Rotten is as good a starting point as any. The production on this record is absolutely fantastic as well. The mix is unbelievably clear and the tones of the various instruments mesh perfectly. It’s difficult to compound upon this description, as the songs are relatively uniform, and the overall high quality makes it difficult for me to highlight any specific passages which stand out.

Arsebreed’s debut is of high quality. Neurotic, a relatively new label, has continually impressed me with their roster, which seems to be constantly expanding and improving. I can safely recommend Arsebreed’s impressive new album to any fans of modern death metal. Send these boys back to the studio to make another!