When it comes to brutal slamming death metal, fans expect nothing but sheer extreme metal. English band Cranial Contamination do just that. They do a great job of making an EP that has slams on it, but doesn’t rely on them to carry the album, and allow their songwriting to carry this release. “Stages of Human Decomposition” opens this EP off, and does so with a heavy guitar riff, before launching to a brutal assault. This track introduces us to the disgusting vocals that are on this album, and do a great job complimenting the music. This is followed up by the title track, Engineering Human Obsolescence” which slows the pace down a bit, but doesn’t sacrifice any of brutality. One highlight of this track is the drumming, and just how in your face it is.
“Propagation of a Destroyed Planet” is next, and is a straight death metal track, not relying on slams as much as the previous songs. This song definitely stands out from the previous two, and demonstrates while the band’s sound remains very consistent, they do have other tools in their tool belt. “Caged in Mentality” ends this short EP, and does so on a darker, more evil tone. This track isn’t as heavy as the previous three, and might come as a shock to the listener as it does feel a bit different. However, it ends the album on high note. This is really good. Because it’s short, the band doesn’t have as much room to experiment and explore, but with only 13 minutes, they did a pretty good job. The production does leave something to be desired, but shouldn’t bother those who are die hard fans of this style. If you like brutal music, and are looking for a smaller artist to support, here’s the perfect band for you.
Overall Score: 9.0/10
Review by Sam Hookom
