Humiliation
Seek To Survive 

Ultra Hingax Productions 2011

Malaysian death metal commandos Humiliation return with their second album of bruising war anthems on Seek To Survive.  After a slow building intro the album shifts into gear with a heavy, rhythmic punisher of a song Lost Contact.  Humiliation concentrate on midtempo compositions that sound like a wave of oncoming tanks.  I am reminded a lot of style found on Boltthrower's War Master but with a more monotone, straight-ahead approach.  With One Objective hums like a formation of WW2 bombers.  The brutal whirring of the guitars picks up steam but the overall feel of the track brings to mind Hail Of Bullets.  A ropey bass guitar lurks underneath the surface.  Whereas Death March includes a more doomy texture thanks to some forlorn guitar parts.  Those are overtaken by lumbering, rumbling riffs as the song drives forward with determined resolve.  This theme is continued through most of the songs on the album, a dense and bludgeoning groove that lays waste to the battlefield and is framed by the occasional melodic flourish.  Hellfire takes a slightly toe-tapping approach with its riffing and Pasir Panjang Ridge utilizes a somewhat bouncy main riff and stands out as the highlight of the album for me.  Humiliation does well with their no-frills, guitar-driven onslaught of midtempo death metal.  The straight-forward rhythms will attempt to crush you beneath their weight in much the same manner as fellow war inspired deathsters Hail of Bullets and Boltthrower.  Humiliation however is more focused than those two bands and therefore less inclined to vary their attack.  So if you like a domineering groove that pulverizes everything like a bulldozer, then Humiliation will appease your war-weary hunger.