In it's totality you could compare Mastectomy with a band like Putrid Pile, but I hear some subtle influences of bands like Behemoth or Belphegor seeping through as well. The thing that caught my attention was the amount of variation in the songs. There are tempo-changes and breaks aplenty to be found here, and the individual tracks are well thought-out and put together. The down-tuned riffing is simple but very effective, and the songs stay interesting throughout the duration of this album, maintaining a good balance between groove and pummeling aggression. I really dig the vocals here, with sole member Adam Novak employing a gruffer, more throaty approach to his grunting instead of the gurgled gutturals that usually go with the style. All these elements are held together by a good production in which all the different instruments come out clearly and have power oozing out of the wazoo like mad. Even the programmed drums don't annoy me, which is testament to the quality of this release.This is a very impressive album from an artist who is not afraid to look over the boundaries of the brutal death metal genre and do his own thing with it. I recommend this to all into brutal death, even if it may take a few listens to fully get into the album because of the significant amount of breaks in the music, but once you're in, you won't get out.
