Following on from 2021’s debut album Rat God, the trio of Jeramie Kling, Taylor Nordberg and Terry Butler return with their sophomore release, Fearsick. In a nutshell, Fearsick picks up where Rat God finished. Full of gnarly old school death metal, there’s also a little bit of subtlety hidden away, such as the gentle synths that add texture to second track “Fencewalker.”
There may be some light changes to the tempo, but in general Inhuman Condition bring forward the sound that they established whilst in their former bands, with the Massacre sound still front and centre. It’s not original in any sense, but solid death metal doesn’t need to be pulling up trees to make an impression and Fearsick is such a solid record from start to finish that it was inevitable that the album would get another spin as soon as it finished.
The musicianship is as you’d expect. Kling’s drumming is relentless, pondering the question “how does he pull this off live?” for his vocal delivery is fantastically guttural and fluid. Elsewhere Butler brings the low end with the reliability that you’d expect from a man who has plied his trade with Death, Obituary and Massacre. That leaves the guitar work of Nordberg, which is razor sharp, his solos on point, understated but bringing a razor’s edge approach.
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It’s not the longest album, the nine songs clocking in at 36 minutes, but then again, you don’t need long lists of progressive workouts here. It’s no-nonsense death metal with enough drive and determination to rip the skin off your face. Early releases have seen “I’m Now the Monster”, “Recycled Hate” and “The Mold Testament” whet the appetite. The good news is that there is nothing here which is any less intense than those three singles. The groove that underpins “Recycled Hate” demands you bang your head; such is the addictive nature of the riffing and pace. “Where Pain is Infinity” is simply blistering with its pace and energy, whilst the bookend of opener “Caustic Vomit Reveries” and closer “Wound Collector” are both ferocious blasts which you can just enjoy due to their sheer quality.
The album has a huge sound, with the production and mixing done in house. The sound is both contemporary and yet deliciously old school. It’s got a typically gruesome cover, and in summary, stands alongside any death metal album released in 2022. Suitably excellent Floridian death metal.
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Fearsick is out on July 15th
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