EP Review: Cariad – Sanguine Mutilation (Self Released)

London based death metal duo, Cariad, have released their second demo tape EP, ‘Sanguine Mutilation’. The duo (amy – guitar, morwenna – bass/vocals) make music inspired by the likes Mortician, Fulci and Brutal Truth. As well as classic rape-revenge horror films where they twist typical death metal themes, casting deadly and unforgiving women as protagonists.

Extreme metal with a very sharp and vicious point, on face value, Cariad might not seem like a band to get particularly excited by. After all, we’re not exactly short of raw, underground, death metal bands who come with a side of gore. However, dig a little deeper and you’ll find something quite special. A duo with talent, changing up a worn and tiresome formula, and in doing so, making one hell of a statement.

There is no sugar coating going on here, evident by the original EP cover that got them hoofed off Bandcamp, and that is what got my attention. It reminded me of going to a record store when I was a kid. Gripping a handful of loose coins tightly, eagerly looking for something new to buy. Scanning the rows of CDs, tapes, and vinyls, it was the covers that drew me in, and the more ‘in your face’ they were, the better.

Cariad’s imagery and overall description leaps off the shelf, demanding that you pay attention, and refuses to accept mealy mouthed excuses. Yet, they’re so much more than controversial covers, film samples, and gore-drenched lyrical content. They’re an extreme metal band, and a very good one at that.

Four tracks, one of which is a cover, that showcases a developed musical palate, Sanguine Mutilation is a good record. Kicking off with Vagina Dentata, a track inspired by the 2007 horror, Teeth. The use of samples fits the tone nicely, which just so happens to be devastatingly heavy, and filled with venomous detail and violent intent. I like that track, and I like the short and savage Penectomy, but I really like Acid Bath Corrective Therapy.

I really like it because of how the I Spit on Your Grave samples are used. In that film there are many detestable characters, and Sheriff Storch is up there as one of the worst. So, hearing his torture over chuggy and thick guitars, an analogue drum machine that gives it industrial feel, and deep, guttural vocals, is pretty damn cool. Cariad using their imagination here and showing off deeper layers to their creativity.

Wrapping UP one hell of an attention-grabbing EP is a cover of Mortician’s Rabid. A band that Cariad cite as an influence, so unsurprisingly, they make sure to do it justice. Short, nasty, and intense, what more could a person ask for? Cariad are well worth keeping an eye on.

Cariad – Sanguine Mutilation Track Listing:

1. Vagina Dentata
2. Penectomy
3. Acid Bath Corrective Therapy
4. Rabid (Mortician Cover)

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