There are many subsections within subsections of different styles within every branching path of metal, and death metal is a tangled bush in that regard in virtually every form. We see different styles popping up all over the place from bands of many different backgrounds and tastes, but one that I don’t see as often as I feel we should is crusty death metal where the visceral style gels with punk in a highly tasteful way. It’s been far too long since I heard something from that realm, and it’s with Digest! that I finally got the fix I’ve been needing.

What always draws me towards this style is simply how groovy but raw it is in virtually every scenario. There has very rarely been a time where I’ve come away from any sort of crusty piece of death metal without feeling like I just heard something incredibly intoxicating that was just as vicious, and that’s no different from when I came out of “Hard to DIgest”. I could sit here and say how much larger than life this album feels, but that’s where the beauty of it lies for me: there’s simply not much to it. It’s just a few tracks only a few minutes long, and Digest! really makes it work on a fantastic level where many styles can succeed in, but it’s here that the execution absolutely thrives. There isn’t a single thing about “Hard to Digest” that is difficult to take in as Digest! absolutely nailed sound almost without having to even think about it, and it’s absolutely fantastic to listen to should you be any sort of fan of death metal that just knows how to draw you in with all the right executions and deadliness to keep you into it from beginning to end. Digest! easily accomplished that with this EP, and if anyone has an argument for the contrary then I will gladly fight about it because this is awesome.

It’s been far too long since I’ve heard a good piece of this style in any capacity, and I’m very glad that Digest! was able to bring it forth in undeniable quality and excellence to end the dry spell that has been downright suffocating. There’s plenty to dig into with “Hard to Digest”, and even if it gives you a stomachache you’ll be left wanting more.

LISTEN to “Hard to Digest” on Bandcamp here.