After the scorching Demise LP in 2021, the Bay Area’s LACERATION has joined the ranks of 20 Buck Spin for the release of their second album, I Erode. Years of work and subtle refinement manifest in the band’s most assured and vicious material to date.
Absolutely loaded with hallmarks of US death metal’s peak era, I Erode vehemently explodes out of the gate with merciless riffs, savage tempos, tastefully fleshripping solos, and the malevolent undercurrents of aggressive death thrash perfection. Striking an ideal balance of technical and straightforward, high-speed and mid-paced breaks, and a concise, to the point attack packed with variety, I Erode offers a purely addictive shot of real death metal adrenaline in a lineage that includes Demolition Hammer to Morgoth to Suffocation.
While perhaps invoking a sense of nostalgia, the fact is LACERATION’s evolved confidence and commitment to a song’s unsparing execution erase any focus on era on the neck-breaking I Erode. The dedication to the death metal form’s timelessness and high standards for true acknowledgment mark LACERATION’s output now more than ever.
Recorded at Dark Corners Studios by Matt Harvey of Exhumed and Gruesome, mixed and mastered by Greg Wilkinson at Earhammer Studios (Undergang, Vastum, Ulthar, High On Fire), and completed with artwork by James Bousema (Frozen Soul, Kerry King, Celestial Sanctuary, Morgul Blade), photography by Bill Batchalor, and layout by Dan Fried, LACERATION’s I Erode is a crucial listen for fans of Malevolent Creation, Dawn Of Possession-era Immolation, Devastation, Monstrosity, Morbid Angel, Asphyx, Pestilence, Demolition Hammer, Skeletal Remains, Morgoth, and Master.
With the incinerating first single from the LP, the band offers, “‘Excised’ is an amalgamation of riffs and ideas we all collaborated on. A recurring attribute across the album really. Delivering pure intensity and brutality while highlighting our ever-evolving musicianship. Thematically, it’s a claustrophobic out of body experience as mortality ceases.”
Tracklist:
1. Degradation (Intro)
2. Excised
3. Sadistic Enthrallment
4. Vile Incarnate
5. Dreams Of The Formless
6. Carcerality
7. Strangled By Hatred
8. Impaling Sorrow
9. I Erode
Lineup:
Luke Cazares – vocals, rhythm guitar, lead guitar on “Dreams Of The Formless”
Donnie Small – lead and rhythm guitar
Aerin Johnson – drums
Eli Small – bass
LACERATION is currently booking tour dates in support of I Erode, with a release show for the album confirmed August 10th in Santa Rosa. The band is also finalizing a West Coast tour running from the end of August through the first week of September which will be announced shortly, with additional tour updates to post over the months ahead.
LACERATION Live:
8/10/2024 The Arlene Francis Center – Santa Rosa, CA *LP release show w/ Hemotoxin, Aseptic, Abyssium [tickets]