{"id":950015,"date":"2026-11-02T15:52:11","date_gmt":"2026-11-02T15:52:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/950015\/"},"modified":"2026-11-02T15:52:11","modified_gmt":"2026-11-02T15:52:11","slug":"embryectomy-vitriolic-baptism-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/950015\/","title":{"rendered":"Embryectomy – Vitriolic Baptism Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"If there\u2019s one thing slam does better than anyone else, it\u2019s reveling in gore. This brutal mutation of graveyard-variety death metal is commonly home to horrifying pseudo-medical song and album titles, vile band names, and artwork to make a serial killer blush. Athenian butchers Embryectomy are a prime example. Third LP Vitriolic Baptism, adorned with illustrations of boiling babies and vats of entrails, boasts odes like \u201cChainsaw Symphysiotomy\u201d and \u201cCranioclastic Infanticide.\u201d Doubling down on the formula developed on previous efforts, Gluttonous Mastication of Embryonic Remnants and Flamethrower Ecdysis, the viscera-drenched trio promises seismic chugs and monstrous breakdowns tailor-made for the pit. Does Embryectomy\u2019s brand of auditory carnage make good on the tantalizing promises of such disgusting imagery?<\/p>\n

After Vitriolic Baptism starts with some befuddling dungeon synth, opener \u201cProgeny Shredder\u201d confirms that Embryectomy drink smoothies of liquified human offal for fun. Some slam sounds like it has a bachelor\u2019s degree, and some even has a master\u2019s, but Embryectomy hasn\u2019t even learned to read. This is pure, knuckle-dragging, Cro-Magnon era slam. Gurgling vocals bubble up from Kyriakos Destounis\u2019s throat as if through a vat of congealed remains, kicking off the album in earnest with \u201cEcumenical Lobotomy.\u201d Like a butcher patiently tenderizing a human face, Marinos Tountas utilizes predominantly slower tempos to deliver viciously threatening riffs and instill mortal terror in the form of breakdown after breakdown after breakdown. His relatively consistent pace leaves the album\u2019s tempo shifts in drummer Jake Gamble\u2019s capable hands. When he\u2019s got the room to flex, like on \u201cSanctimonious Episcopicide\u201d and \u201cCranioclastic Infanticide,\u201d Gamble enacts some serious percussive violence, surging through double bass rolls and stalking through the back alleys of Vitriolic Baptism. <\/p>\n

\ufeffVitriolic Baptism by Embryectomy<\/a><\/p>\n

This strategy works well on initial spins, and album highlights \u201cNewborn Martyrdom\u201d and \u201cCarbonized Genesis\u201d continue to distinguish themselves long after familiarity sets in. The former sees Tountas launching some vicious triplets followed by a passage in 3\/4, while the latter features my favorite sample and some of Gamble\u2019s best kit work on Vitriolic Baptism. Repeated baptisms, however, reveal largely underwhelming riffcraft on the whole. Filthy and stankface-ready though they are, the lion\u2019s share of Embryectomy\u2019s riffs rely on that positively disgusting sound over raw musicianship. They often simply plod slowly up and down the scale with minimal variance. Things occasionally speed up for a dozen measures, but the more common shift is just a key change. For example, I had to double-check that \u201cEcumenical Lobotomy\u201d wasn\u2019t just recycling the same main riff from \u201cProgeny Shredder.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Mitigating factors include enjoyable samples\u2014Trailer Park Boys, Family Guy, Evil Dead\u2014and a brisk playtime. Vitriolic Baptism clocks in just under 31 minutes, so its simplicity and consistency don\u2019t kill an undue amount of momentum, and by the time \u201cCarbonized Genesis\u201d ends, I\u2019m often still enamored with Embryectomy\u2019s tone and energy over their compositions. My last criticism is of the noticeably squished production. \u201cVitriolic Baptism\u201d and \u201cChainsaw Symphysiotomy\u201d highlight this most, where bone-rattling bass drops shove the rest of the instruments into a corner; I can hear the rest of the music getting quieter to make room and then returning as the reverberations settle. It sounds like Vitriolic Baptism has a ceiling on its volume, and Embryectomy frequently crashes into it at the expense of sound quality.<\/p>\n

At the end of the day, though, we\u2019re talking about slam, and Embryectomy plays decent slam. If I wanted masterful compositions and astounding musical arrangements, I\u2019d dig for Tchaikovsky or something. I\u2019m here\u2014as I\u2019m sure many of us are\u2014for vocals like cinder blocks scraping together and guitars that chug with all the force of a hammer to the skull. Embryectomy isn\u2019t breaking any new ground on Vitriolic Baptism, but their particular flavor of vomit-soaked slam does exactly what it\u2019s supposed to do. Vitriolic Baptism won\u2019t bring any new converts to the faith, but those whose appetites weren\u2019t sated during this year\u2019s Summer of Slam may find some late but choice morsels here.<\/p>\n

Rating: 2.5\/5.0
DR: 4 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: Unique Leader Records<\/a>
Websites: Album Bandcamp<\/a> | Facebook<\/a> | Instagram<\/a>
Releases Worldwide: October 23rd, 2026<\/p>\n

\n\tGive in to Your Anger:\n<\/p>\n