Genre: Goregrind vs. Death metal
Origin: Switzerland vs. Australia
Released: 2007
Website: Embalming Theatre, Hacksaw Surgery
Label: Grindhead Records
Uploaded: 09.07.08

Yet another Embalming Theatre release for me to review. You might think I get tired of them, but you’d be mistaken. What they present here is without a doubt some of their strongest material to date. Sure, they sound pretty much like they’ve always done, but it seems as if they’ve added more ‘melody’ to it. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not really talking about anything melodic, I’m not really sure how to describe it… But the riffing’s more slick, in some manner. I can’t explain it, but I like it. It’s definitely still goregrind, and the vocals are still the harsh, semi-gurgling growls we’ve learnt to love. While still maintaining their blasting grind, there’s also a great deal of groove involved, and the riffing is almost rocking at times. They can flirt with death metal and hardcore, but it still winds up sounding as brutal grindcore á la Embalming Theatre, they way only they know how to play it. The sound is clean without getting over the top crisp, and of course the lyrics and artwork follow their usual theme. It’s just plain and simple another arse-kicking release by these Swiss lads. And I just love Combine with a turbine for the use of a schwyzerörgeli, a Swiss variant of the accordion, it just sounds oh-so-cool!
Now I’m very skeptic towards Hacksaw Surgery, and mainly ‘cause the sound is so incredibly sucky. I can’t for the life of me understand why they’d want this to end up on the split; not the band nor the label. It’s incredibly weak and thin when it comes to the guitars, and the vocals sound as it’s been recorded on a tape-recorder in the rehearsal room. The good thing about it is that they really make the drummachine work, and it doesn’t sound as inanimate as it can sometimes do (although it doesn’t exactly sound like a live drummer either). Music-wise they whip up a form of brutal death metal in the American agenda, sort of mixing the old school á la Morbid Angel, and the likes, with goregrind in the vein of Mixomatosis and Tu Carne. At least that’s how I interpret it. The riffing can be quite enjoyable and unorthodox at times, and adds a nice touch to it. But the vocals are just annoying due to earlier said reasons, and what could otherwise come off as growls just end up as clearing your throat into the mic. So if it wasn’t for the lame sound it would probably be cool.

Tracklist:
Embalming Theatre:
01. Intro
02. Do you hear me?
03. Buried alive I: Undead in the morgue
04. Travelling dismembered
05. The ultimate pregnancy-machine
06. With the flesh of the deceased
07. Lucid fairytale
08. He raped his daughter
09. Buried alive VII: Watch them dig your own grave
10. Combine with a turbine
Hacksaw Surgery:
01. Instrumenstrual
02. Severed and eaten
03. Born on a vomit soaked operating table
04. Mangled by a lawn mower
05. The Aussie grind anthem
06. Hacksaw surgery