Ελληνικά
Last Updated on 10:59 PM by Giorgos Tsekas
Genre: Death Metal
Country: Norway
Label: No Posers Please!
Year: 2016
Filthdigger is a newcomer band I’ve been following since last year, when I discovered one of their demos (by the way, all of which are simply named Demo 1, Demo 2 etc..) and really liked the unfiltered, raw aesthetic of their music. Since they released “Demo 4” earlier this year, I sure expected something more but not a full length release.
‘Damned by the Living Dead’ comes in cassette format through Snake Oil Kassetteforlag, as well as in CD from Katakomben, both independent Norwegian labels. Always in a limited number of copies and from what you have read so far, you should have already guessed that Filthdigger’s roots lie in the poser-free, fully patched thrash / death of the 80’s.
The band delivers fast paced melodies that are potent and memorable, played in the same style the fans have been loving for thirty years now. Tracks like ‘Ending Life’ and “Nagasaki Nightmare” are speedy and poisonous, with the first including some of the most characteristic lines the band has written in this album. In fact, all of the four tracks on “Demo 4” are included in the record, just in a slightly improved production.
When the tracks tend to get slower, they become heavier and provoke an Autopsian vibe to the listener, most notably with the track ‘Tortured’, which is also the longest in ‘Damned by the Living Dead’. Filthdigger’s sound is old school as is their music, while the vocals come out as painful and raspy, as if nothing is to be taken lightly with this album.
As far the lyrical content, it’s also rather straightforward and enjoyable, with titles and pictures of gore, death, zombies and corpses, all instant turn on points for all death metallers alike. The debut full length is served in red color with a sketch of a rotten body, it’s simplicity depicting the band’s approach to the music very well. Filthdigger do not want to use tricks or masterful technique, only their passion.
‘Damned by the Living Dead’ clocks up to twenty four minutes and that’s my only complaint about it, as it could clearly be longer with 3-4 new tracks in it. If that was the case, we would be talking about a remarkable release for the year, which now feels a bit rushed or incomplete. Even though I enjoy all the tracks, I believe Filthdigger should have focused a bit more on this, because they clearly have the ideas and the potential.
