Death Toll Rising

Hot girl choking on poop. This was the explanation behind the title of the Edmonton, AB quintet's first full-length. But despite the idiocy of the title and the horrific artwork, Defecation of Suffocation is a pretty righteous album. These guys mix elements of thrash, grind and some math/tech work, à la The Faceless (see "Blood Stained Ceiling," "Defecation Suffocation"), into a short and sweet album. "The Bludgeoning" is exactly that, opening with some sludgy, meaty, yet simplistic, riffage that not only sets the pace for the track, but accentuates how versatile and talented the young band really are. They've added three "bonus" tracks from 2008's Spontaneous Decapitation EP, and while a bit rough around the edges, and slightly unfocused, tracks like "The Empath" are still relevant. Just ignore the cover art.