Review by Adam M on July 13, 2017.

Persefone performs progressive death metal that would make Cynic blush. There are all kinds of things going on with their music and it’s difficult to pay attention to all of them. The album opens with a subtle atmospheric flair before getting right into the main attraction of progressive death metal. This intro is very interesting and takes a while to become accustomed to. The actual death metal has a lot of progressive riffing that is very difficult to come to grips with.

The hardcore Cynic fan will feel right at home with these gyrations, however, and should take a good liking to the outfit. The band separates themselves by the more subtle elements of their music, however. It’s refreshing to hear a death metal album that has this much variety associated with it. In fact this album simply has a lot of stuff associated with it. This could lead to overindulgence and this is only slightly the case with Persefone, as they traverse the progressive stylings quite nicely. There is so much going on that it’s hard to completely come to terms with and this is the element that prevents this disc from being one of the highlights of the year in metal.   This band worships at the altar of Cynic and simultaneously shows itself to be more indulgent than Cynic, which is a huge draw with the music here. Fans of that band are likely to apply the most, while those looking for more tightly constructed death metal like the new Immolation may want to avoid this.

There is a lot to like, but it takes a lot of dedication to come to terms with the music here. Those looking for a challenge will find one for certain. Aathma is music for the progressive music lover and will apply to those listeners.

Rating: 7.6 out of 10

Review by Carl on January 26, 2021.

I've never taken the time to really explore Foetal Juice’s music solely because I was kinda put off by their name and some of the titles of their releases, with doozies like 'Brewkakke', 'Albert Grindstein' and 'Big Trouble in Little Vagina'. Ok, I’ll admit that the last one made me smile, but the rest conjure up the image of a band that spends most of their rehearsals just swigging beer and lighting their farts on fire. Imagine how pleasantly surprised I was when I heard their second full length effort Gluttony.

As in most cases nowadays, this release comes with the almost obligatory "For Fans of" thing, and in this case the dropped names are: Vader (yeah, I kinda hear that in the distance), Master (not that much), Entombed (perhaps you hear that but I don't) and Malevolent Creation. It's this last one that makes the most sense to me. The varied songs, the catchy thrash metal infused riffing and the gruff vocal delivery are indeed elements that I know all too well from Malevolent Creation's releases, but the band that popped up more than average in my mind is Hateplow, the late 90's/early 00's project of members of, indeed, Malevolent Creation. Foetal Juice's songs have that same manic, almost hardcore-like fluidity to them, making them nestle into your brain after just a few listens. The tracks are not complicated and well performed which is a sure advantage because this no-frills approach to their music helps ensure that the energetic performance hits you right where it hurts. In this they also remind me of "Harmony Corruption" era Napalm Death, by the way. There are other influences as well. There's a definite grind/crust element in the music, especially in the forceful execution of the music, and in a song like 'Worthless Delusion' the band uses a Darkthrone-y black metal riff to great effect. It makes for the needed variation and gives the song a recognizable hook that I can fully appreciate. The production is contemporary and clear without sounding overproduced, making the band sound utterly vicious and aggressive, making this album a sure keeper.

This was my first time listening to Foetal Juice and I am impressed. The music has power and conviction, the songs are memorable, and it sounds absolutely awesome. If 90's death/grind makes your spine tingle and you can't get enough of bands like Solstice (US), Malevolent Creation, early Hypocrisy and Hateplow, you should check these guys out. I'm glad I did.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10