Blasted Pancreas
Carcinoma Review
Grindcore and goregrind are usually not the genres I go to if I want memorable and atmospheric music, but Carcinoma, the debut full length by Greek gorehounds Blasted Pancreas is exactly that: memorable and atmospheric goregrind. To some extent, Blasted Pancreas is the progeny of Lymphatic Phlegm, a great goregrind outfit from Brazil, but there are some discrepancies between the two bands and Blasted Pancreas definitely have their own identity.
An overall difference between Blasted Pancreas and their mucusoid progenitors is that Lymphatic Phlegm are remote and detached, and Blasted Pancreas kick ass on occasion. The Greeks play lots of creepy tremolo Fulci stuff, but they also fling meaty riffs and employ (slightly) longer arrangements. These augmentations to the LymPh sound facilitate more headbanging, bigger developments and sharper musical peaks. I imagine Judas Priest would approve of the heavy metal riff revving in the middle of "Lymphoblast," and the break 40 seconds in "Lymphangiosarcoma" slams like Kraanium. Black metal bands like Horna and Moonblood could make several albums with the creepy hooks all over Carcinoma, and although I really, really like Lymphatic Phlegm, I am not sure that they have a single song that's as powerful as "Hemangiosarcoma." (Though admittedly, LymPh is more about the cumulative album experience.)
My only real criticism of Carcinoma (other than my continual advocacy for real drums in all metal) is how often the two vocalists follow the contour of the riffs. In this pitch-shifted and abstract gurgling style, it usually works--- I would just prefer some different musical ideas than 'follow the riff.'
Unfortunately for fans of creepy, gurgling goregrind, this debut is also their swangsong: Pedolover, who was responsible for the guitars AND bass AND drum programming, passed away in 2012.
Perhaps the clearest testament to the quality of this release is that there is a Lymphatic Phlegm cover tune at the end ("Resection of Upper Gastrointestinal Malignancy") and in it, Blasted Pancreas actually recreates the distant tone of the original song. The surprising thing is that this cover song is not even one of the top five songs on this album--- the Blasted Pancreas originals are THAT good.
Carcinoma is an album of fetid putrefaction to relish.