| With Malignant Worthlessness, PISSGRAVE have completed one of the most grotesque and uncompromising death metal trilogies in recent memory. Following Suicide Euphoria and Posthumous Humiliation, this third and final chapter is not only the most sonically refined of the three—it’s also the most brutal. Clocking in at just over 30 minutes, it wastes no time in dragging the listener headfirst into a sewer of mangled riffs, blasting percussion, and some of the most stomach-turning vocal torment committed to tape.
Once again produced by Arthur Rizk, Malignant Worthlessness delivers a clearer yet no less punishing mix. The guitar tone is still jagged and diseased, but the increased clarity allows the riffs to slash and twist with greater precision. Tracks like “Interment Orgy” and “Mystical Obscenities” stand out not only for their ferocity but for their structure—songs that feel crafted rather than cobbled together in a whirlwind of chaos. There’s an almost mechanical tightness to the way PISSGRAVE transition from tremolo-picked insanity into downtuned mid-tempo crawls, making the violence all the more effective.
What truly sets this album apart is the sheer memorability of the compositions. Yes, it’s fast, grotesque, and vile—but it’s also catchy in the most deranged way possible. Riffs stick, grooves hit hard, and the solos (yes, there are solos!) cut through the murk like surgical tools. “Heaping Pile of Electrified Gore” and “Dissident Amputator” show just how much the band has evolved as songwriters, without compromising their core identity.
Vocally, Malignant Worthlessness pushes boundaries even further. The layered snarls, shrieks, and gutturals sound like transmissions from the void—utterly inhuman and confrontational. While some may find the pitch-shifted extremity overwhelming or even absurd, it’s undeniably part of the band’s uniquely savage aesthetic. Love it or hate it, it’s an element that sets PISSGRAVE apart in a genre full of imitators.
The drumming is relentless throughout, a mix of machine-gun blasts and decaying groove passages that keep the listener off balance. It’s a record built on contrast—controlled chaos, if you will—and it excels at making violence feel both immediate and inevitable.
In a year overflowing with excellent death metal, Malignant Worthlessness still manages to stand out. It’s an album that dares to be repulsive and succeeds because of it. For those who crave extremity without compromise, PISSGRAVE have delivered their finest work to date: a sonic abomination that crawls into your ears and festers.
Recommended for fans of: Revenge, Incantation, Angelcorpse, Nuclear Death, Conqueror
Highlight tracks: “Interment Orgy,” “Heaping Pile of Electrified Gore,” “Mystical Obscenities”
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