Review by Carl on August 9, 2021.

Because American Line Productions is the label that brought the world less than subtle acts such as Kabak, Disgorge and Domain, I immediately thought that Cangrena would be a band of the same mold, but (in part) because of the production they have going on this album, there isn't a whole lot of resemblance. Let me tell you all about it.

Cangrena plays death/grind alright, but in a way more old school style than the remorseless brutality their label mates have on offer. In a big part this is because of the rather peculiar production on this album. The kinda muffled sound mix reminded me of the first albums of South American bands such as Sepultura, Psychic Possessor and Sarcofago, with the latter being pretty similar in style to Cangrena as well. Frantic blast beats and aggressively tremolo picked riffing fight it out with gargling down-pitched vocals, immediately bringing to mind what bands such as Sextrash, Holocausto and the already mentioned Sarcofago did on their debut releases. The riffing has a Possessed edge to it as well, upping the old school factor even more, but the influence of the 80's output of Carcass and Napalm Death should be mentioned as well. At times I even hear a faint crossover thrash influence (think Cryptic Slaughter or even Righteous Pigs) in the riffing as well. The music sounds awfully familiar throughout the whole album, and if someone would have told me that this was a lost South American death metal album from 1988, I would have readily believed them.

As mentioned before, the production sounds pretty odd here. Even by 1999 standards this sounds hopelessly dated, with its dry sounding drums, thin guitars and effect vocals, but lo and behold, it works for them! Yes, it does sound dated as hell, but at the same time it (unintentionally?) gives the music an old school vibe that a lot of throwback bands nowadays would kill for. I certainly dig this cd a lot, despite the peculiar production and the mistakes the band makes throughout the album's runtime. It all makes this album ooze a certain underground charm, and that is something that I am particularly susceptible for.

This is not a release that I'd say is recommended or a must-hear, but I would say that this is an interesting oddity for sure, a kind of insider tip for all who are into old school death metal or 80's South American thrash/death metal for sure. It won't fill some kind of gaping hole in your collection, but if you find it for cheap (or download it), it sure is an enjoyable rarity worthy of your time.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Review by Alex Grindor on March 7, 2021.

Russian newcomers Insect Inside have released their debut full-length through Gore House Productions a little while ago, and it is a beast!

The First Shining of New Genus is a brutal, technical, groovy release that will keep your head in endless headbanging motion. After a brief intro, the whole weight of the band is thrusted upon your ears, track after track. There's pretty much no rest in this album at all, save the abrupt pauses the band has sprinkled along their musical ride. Packed in these 10 tracks is a wide variety of influences, well combined into a cohesive whole that leaves nothing aside for anyone. Technical riffage? Check. Groovy sections? Check. Low inhuman growls? Check. Drums with abundant variety? You bet! Pretty much all ground is covered for all fans of extreme music. I myself was quite delighted as I haven't heard much modern death metal for a long time.

However, if there is one element that I just can't get over is the extensive use of breakdowns. I understand that this is pretty much a standard for these kinds of bands, but when pretty much every track has at least one slam/breakdown moment, I (personally) want to put the music off. Not the case with this record however, and while there are a lot of breakdowns in the album, the variety on every track compensates for this flaw. Another minor gripe I have is the vocals. They're not bad (in fact I liked them a lot) but there was not much variety in them, save for the tracks that feature guest vocals.

Despite these flaws, Insect Inside has released a polished, brutal record that has something for every fan of extreme metal to enjoy. Featuring guest appearances from Kevin Muller (Soils of Fate, The Merciless Concept), Kirill Nazarov (Disfigurement of Flesh, Decomposition of Entrails), and Roman Vlasenko (Abnormity) they have crafted a monster that, hopefully, will be even more crushing in the future. I may not be a fan of breakdowns and may find some things repetitive, but the overall musicianship is undeniably impeccable and tight, and that is enough for me.

Rating: 7.8 out of 10