Coalescing Putrefaction Split (2020)

I am going to slowly work my way into things and see if I can get going more often on this thing.  Maybe if it takes I can get to a regular posting schedule again.  One easy way to do that is to cover a short, three-song split.  This release contains one song each from Unnatural, Rotted and Fetid Zombie.

Up first is "Cadaver Euphoria" by Joliet, IL-based Unnatural.  This is as grimy and disgusting as death metal gets.  The riffs are sludgy and the vocals sound utterly decayed.  The track is fairly straightforward, without a lot of twists and turns or tempo shifts, just leading inexorably to the track's demise.  Unnatural seems to have disbanded without a proper full-length release and the man behind most of the instruments sadly passed away.  It's a shame, this band had some potential.

I swear I have heard Rotted before, but I cannot place it.  Another Illinois-based band, Rotted's track is called "Consuming Genocide" and it has a bit more of a slow, grinding early Bolt Thrower sound to the opening track with gurgling, grumbling vocals.  Eventually, the song kicks into another gear for a little bit of a faster pace.  The members of Rotted have all been in other bands, none of whom I have much experience with, if any.   

The reason I bought this split is because I try to track down as much of the Fetid Zombie stuff as I can get.  I have covered Mark Riddick's band on this site multiple times.  Riddick is the only full-time member of the band and of course provides the artwork for all of his own releases, as well as those of a lot of other bands.  Fetid Zombie still remains an underground marvel musically though.  I have no idea why death metal fans do not talk about this band more.  

This track is called "Doomed to Lifelessness" and features vocals by Chris Monroy (Fueled by Fire and Skeletal Remains) and lead guitars by James Malone (Arsis).  This is a very track from the earlier two on the split because it is a much more modern death metal sound due to the presence of Monroy and Malone.  It's a cleaner production, while still being a nod to other early 90's death metal bands like Benediction or some of the early Swedish bands like Edge of Sanity.  The lead work by Malone is a major highlight on this split and his solo is very impressive.  

Fetid Zombie's track is easily the best one on the split, but I was reasonably impressed with all three.  It's a shame neither Rotted nor Unnatural have any full-length releases.  I would be interested in seeing what they can do.  Fetid Zombie always impresses.