Sanguisugabogg // Homicidal Ecstasy // Album Review

“Ohio’s notorious gore-merchants” are back & following up on 2021’s amazing debut album “Tortured Whole”.

Now post pandemic the band unleash their sophomore album “Homicidal Ecstasy”. A few years have passed since the band’s first album, with a now firm lineup & time to write a new album, does it surpass what came before? Let’s see…

Opener “Black Market Vasectomy” from the outset shows that the Bogg isn’t slowing down. Their signature “down tuned drug death” is still as firm as ever. But within the track, we already see the progression in writing & recording the band has made.

This is the tightest the Bogg has been.

The single track “Face Ripped Off” shows that the band are the king’s of groove within brutal death metal right now. Starting with one of the thickest & nasties bass tones before switching up into a verse section that had me bobbing my head from the first bar.

Featuring the perfectly fitted guest appearance from label mate Aaron Heard of Jesus Piece in the bridge section. Adds +50 brutality to an already ridiculously hard track. The band gives a moment to the beast vocalist Devin Swank to shine. Dropping the guitars out to let Swank lead the rhythm with his dirty guttural vocals before the band kicks back in.

First single from the album aptly named “Pissed” brings down the pace of the album. A slow, knuckle-dragging riff carries the track with moments of the tempo picking up enough to add just that little bit more brutality. A hypnotic groove, swaying back & forth, but as the track hits the halfway mark the band open up & push through full throttle. Not fast enough they lose the groove & intensity but enough speed to feel like drummer Cody Davidson’s double bass kicks are like a machine gun.

Now at track six, we get to see some of the huge progressions with songwriting the band have taken when writing “Homicidal Ecstasy”.

Starting off with blasting bell hits & furious bouncing guitars and quickly switching to a chugging & hard-hitting track this is Bogg at full tilt. But as we creep to the bridge of the song, the magic happens.

Only what I can describe as an apocalyptic drone guitar riff slowly building & escalating as Swank whispers in the listener’s ears. The full band unleashes into this slow, driving section that is so progressive & different from what has come for the band before its a huge step in a fantastic direction.

“Mortal Admonishment” shows just how great the writing team within the band is. Each member of Sanguisugabogg are superb musicians. Drummer Cody Davidson gets to show off his jazzy & technical abilities.

The stellar duo of Ced Davis & Drew Arnold fit perfectly together as guitarists. Feeding off each other, trading riffs back & forth. And because of that there are no boring or filler riffs on this album.

This track goes from trudging in the best way to an almost blackened death metal section which also allows Swank to unleash his higher register vocal abilities & showcase just how much of a varied frontman he is!

Heading into the last few tracks “Necrosexual Deviant” is great to hear now recorded. A live track that has been in bands set for most of the year. Still keeping the intensive rhythm this track is a fist flyer & hammer swinger. Full of groove & showing off Ced & Drews fast fretting abilities.

Even by track twelve “Feening for Bloodshed” the band are still able to challenge themselves & write tracks that keep the album interesting. A mountain of catchy, ear worm riffs. A mix between fuzzed out stoner riffs & classic Cannibal Corpse this closer has it all. Pogo sections, blasting overcranked snares & even a moment for the cave dwellers.

When “Tortured Whole” was released I thought it would be near impossible for the band to beat it. But within “Homicidal Ecstasy” there is a Sanguisugabogg i never knew i needed. A tighter, more progressive & down right even more brutal version of the band.

“Homicidal Ecstasy” has & will surpass any expiration you had for the Bogg & now has shown as a collective the band can not only write a beyond fantastic second album but they can also write an album full of new & breathtaking moments that make “Homicidal Ecstasy” a perfect record.

Joseph Mitchell

Homicidal Ecstasy is out via Century Media on 3rd February 2023

TRACKLIST

1. Black Market Vasectomy

2. Face Ripped Off

3. Pissed

4. Testicular Rot

5. Hungry for your Insides

6. Skin Cushion

7. A Lesson in Savagery

8. Narcissistic Incisions

9. Mortal Admonishment

10. Proclamation of the Frail

11. Necrosexual Deviant

12. Feening for Bloodshed

The band will also embark on a handful of regional dates in support of the album in winter 2023. Also appearing are Internal Bleeding, Year of the Knife, and Vomit Forth. Get tickets here.

Then, the ‘Bogg will join the Chaos & Carnage 2023 tour with Suicide Silence, Dying Fetus, and more in April. All dates are below. Tickets are available here.

SANGUISUGABOGG ON TOUR:
2/23 — Grand Rapids, MI — Pyramid Scheme
2/24 — Indianapolis, IN — Black Circle
2/25 — Toledo, OH — Ottawa Tavern *
2/26 — Columbus, OH — Ace of Cups+
*With Mutilatred
^with Volcano and Tomb Sentinel

CHAOS & CARNAGE 2023 TOUR:
WITH DYING FETUS, SUICIDE SILENCE, BORN OF OSIRIS, ABORTED, CROWN MAGNETAR, + SLAY SQUAD:
4/7 — Fort Worth, TX — Ridglea Theater
4/8 — San Antonio, TX — Vibes Event Center
4/9 — Houston, TX — Warehouse Live
4/11 — Atlanta, GA — The Masquerade
4/13 — New York, NY — Palladium Times Square
4/14 — Sayreville, NJ — Starland Ballroom
4/15 — Hartford, CT — Webster Theater
4/16 — Reading, PA — Reverb
4/18 — Pittsburgh, PA — Mountain View Amp.
4/19 — Cleveland, OH — Agora Theatre
4/20 — Covington, KY — Madison Theater
4/21 — Pontiac, MI — The Crofoot
4/22 — Joliet, IL — The Forge
4/24 — Denver, CO — Ogden Theatre
4/26 — Las Vegas, NV — House of Blues
4/27 — Mesa, AZ — The Nile
4/28 — Los Angeles, CA — The Belasco
4/29 — Berkeley, CA — UC Theatre
4/30 — Anaheim, CA — House of Blues

Homicidal Ecstasy follows 2021’s Tortured Whole. The band continues to slice up uncompromising, in-your-face, and not-for-the-weak death metal that siphons inspiration from early to mid- ’90s and early ’00s death metal and brutal death metal/grindcore presented in their own style with a unique twist that pleases every style of metal maniac.

HOMICIDAL ECSTASY TRACK LISTING:
“Black Market Vasectomy”
“Face Ripped Off”
“Pissed”
“Testicular Rot”
“Hungry For Your Insides”
“Skin Cushion”
“A Lesson in Savagery”
“Narcissistic Incisions”
“Mortal Admonishment”
“Proclamation Of The Frail”
“Necrosexual Deviant”
“Feening for Bloodshed”