Pungent Stench: Ampbeauty [Reissue]
Pungent Stench is an established death metal band with a pretty big following. I've never counted myself among their loyal fans, but I do think the band's general sound is pretty solid. The guitar riffs are especially good, as are the vocals. If I understand the musical appeal, I should also understand the lyrical appeal, but that raises a slightly different problem. For those who don't know, this band likes to cultivate controversy by writing lyrics that clearly bait the culturally conservative. Nothing here is easy or pleasant or nice, but much of it is insightful and some of it is juvenile. Many of the songs address various fetishes, a topic the band really lays on thick here. I understand the need to be edgy and that the lyrics shouldn't be taken as seriously as some might suspect; nevertheless, I'm not a fan of such extreme measures, no matter the level of parody. I've probably gone on too long about all this, but I don't want to recommend this album to anyone who isn't apprised of this band's taste for controversy.
For those who want to hear what these guys bring, this may be a good place to discover a generally well liked album that appeared late in the band's career. Originally released in 2004, the album features several tightly constructed songs that are solid death metal reflections on the underbelly of life, including bad behavior in wartime ("Lynndi"), and the problems of reckless governments ("Evil Empire" and probably "The Grand Inquisitor"). There are also tracks like "The Passion of Lucifer" that remind listeners that of the inevitability of death and the ever-changing theme and variations of human evil. This band is as thoughtful as they are provocative and have more substance than the controversies might suggest.
This reissue comes in a nice digipak that also includes a gold CD. Fans of the band will certainly want to check this one out.
1. Lynndie (She-Wolf of Abu Ghiraib)
2. Invisible Empire
3. The Amp Hymn
4. The Passion of Lucifer
5. Got Milf?
6. Human Garbage
7. Apotemnophiliac
8. No Guts, No Glory
9. Same Shit�Different Asshole
10. Fear the Grand Inquisition
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm