Abreaction - Puer Aeternity Demo

 Eternal youth and decay.

(Originally submitted to the Metal Archives on March 6th 2021) 

Patric Pariano has been toiling away in the underground for the better part of the last decade, appearing in bands like Ethereal and Abraded as a guitarist or drummer. Abreaction is his one man death metal project (you don't see many of those), and last year he released his first demo Puer Aeternity. Patric here decides to serve us a solid slab of no-frills sewerdeath that oozes filth from every orifice, redolent of bands like Undergang and Rottrevore.
Things start off with "Capricious Anamnesis", which sets the tone with its lumbering slow riff, before kicking things up a notch with a faster riff later on. The track expertly alternates between multiple riffs and tempos, with notable sections being the riff at 0:57, supported by a pretty fun d-beat, as well as the crawling solo at the 3 minute mark.

The second track is the title track, and while it starts off on a strong note, the recurring pinch harmonic riff really drags it down, since it overstays it welcome from the moment it first appearsd at 1:25. There are moments like the riffs at 1:54 and the stop/start section at 2:55, but those aren't enough to save the song from being the weakest of the bunch.
Last but definitely not least, we have "Ontologically Recapitulated Phylogenesis". Like the opening track, it flows through multiple riffs of varying tempo and keeps things interesting throughout. Definite highlights of this track include the slow tremolo riff at 0:22 and the stop-start section at 2:05 that gets sped up considerably a few moments later. It picks up the slack from the previous track and ensures that the demo ends on a high note with its disgusting grooves and rhythms.
The production on this release is also surprisingly good, especially when considering the fact that its an entirely self-produced demo. The guitars have a slightly muddy and heavy tone to them, the bass supports the guitars without getting lost in the mix, while the drums constantly drive everything forward. The mix is also really good, with all the instruments being perfectly audible at all times, with the snare in particular popping out thanks to its metallic sound. It's very well done and serves the music well, further enhancing its rotting atmosphere.
While as a whole this release isn't bad by any stretch of the imagination, it's worth mentioning that it's a very meat-and-potatoes release that doesn't really do anything new. If you're looking for a solid serving of caveman riffing and nasty atmosphere you've come to the right place, if not, you ought to look elsewhere.
Puer Aeternity makes a solid first impression, and while it shows that there's room for some improvement it is by no means a bad release. Fans of this style definitely should keep an eye out for future updates by Patric. Abreaction is definitely a promising band, and I'm definitely curious to see what the future holds for it.
Highlight: Capricious Anamnesis

Rating: 76%

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