Brutality flow from Grindscene Records via producer Chris Fielding (Foel Studios) continues non-stop and they present us new UK hopefuls FLAYED DISCIPLE. On this debut full-length "Death Hammer" they deliver a vicious mix of brutal Death Metal and frenetic Thrash and the first band that poped into my head after listening to a first couple tracks was DEMOLITION HAMMER. Of course, as the album progresses it becomes clear that FLAYED DISCIPLE falls into the same trap as many young bands do – they just don’t have the ability to sustain the interesing songwriting for 50 odd minutes filling this disc. If it was a 5 song EP I would be giving praises to them, but 20 minutes or so into the album, the rhythms start to get repetitive, riffs are turning into a nondistintive repetitive boredom while the barking / growling vocalist doesn’t sound as exciting as before. Technically though it’s all good and solid, they do some impressive soloing and the headbanging factor is intact, there are no useless slowing down, the tempos are just enough varied to keep your neck working non-stop. So where’s my beef? Dull songwriting. By the time the last track aptly named ‘Pig’ comes on my stereo, I have to give myself a wake up kick and if you asked me to hum any part from the last 45 minutes of "Death Hammer" I couldn’t fuckin’ do it for the price of my life. Learn to write proper songs and them come back again. Other that that it’s just another blip in the vast sea of Death / Thrash underground. Besides, who was the genius that came up with the title of this album, when just last year ASPHYX released their "Deathhammer" which blows FLAYED DISCIPLE into oblivion. Talk about lack of originality and you will be right. Still my props go to Chris Fielding production, this guy can mix up some heavy bottomed Death Metal! Bands should check him out! www.grindscene.co.uk