Band:	Broken Hope
Album:	Mutilated And Assimilated
Style:	Death metal
Release date:	June 2017

01. The Meek Shall Inherit Shit
02. The Bunker
03. Mutilated And Assimilated
04. Outback Incest Clan
05. Malicious Meatholes
06. Blast Frozen
07. The Necropants
08. The Carrion Eaters
09. Russian Sleep Experiment
10. Hell's Handpuppets
11. Beneath Antarctic Ice
12. Swamped-In-Gorehog

I'm coming from a strange place, fully determined that Broken Hope has never disappointed me (with albums) - Swamped In Gore, The Bowels Of Repugnance and Loathing are some of the shining jewels that put Broken Hope successfully on the metal map. Even the last release, Omen Of Disease, which came after a 14-year, had significant moments reminiscent of the aforementioned classic albums. In just a 3-year span, Broken Hope went through line-up changes, bringing two new members into the main roster: Diego Soria on bass and Matt Szlachtaon on lead guitar. They then decided to release their seventh full-length album, Mutilated And Assimilated, a concept record tied to the 1981 John Carpenter sci-fi/horror classic The Thing.

Let's see what it holds up for us.

The opening track, "The Meek Shall Inherit Shit", bursts into the scene with a ferocious riff that propels you headfirst into the fray, evoking the relentless aggression of Suffocation but with a chunkier, more brazenly obnoxious hook. As for the concept of this album, it is aligning perfectly with the band's recent releases and charting a clear course for the rest of Mutilated And Assimilated. Even some of the band’s more atmospheric proclivities are intact as well. These moments are rare, but effectively highlighted in tracks like "Malicious Meatholes" and "Outback Incest Clan".

Halfway through the album, "Blast Frozen" offers a brief-yet-intense two minutes of spastic, polished brutality that is immediately followed by "The Necropants", which ventures into more challenging territory that offers technical mid-paced stomps with an emphasis on melody. These more technical stomps are sustained through to the end of the album with anti-climactic delivery, concluding the album with despondence and fragility in momentum. However, subtle variation gives a different touch to songs like "The Carrion Eaters", which breaks the pattern by introducing intricate riffs and a commanding doomy section, adding a layer of intrigue. This complexity persists with "Russian Sleep Experiment", a less conventional track featuring twisted, brutal riff patterns that swirl around the listener. This track evokes the dazzling brutality of bands like Suffocation, Cryptopsy, Grotesque, and Decrepit Birth, maintaining the album's intensity and technical prowess.

The production sounds modern and rich in style that will resonate with longtime fans, staying true to the band's signature style. Jeremy Wagner's use of the late Jeff Hanneman's iconic ESP guitar infuses a distinctive ambiance into the album, particularly evident in "The Bunker", the catchiest track of the album. The drumming is incredibly precise between the pummeling blast beats and sick double bass groove persistent across the record. However, the tracks start getting monotonous due to a lack of variation. Despite the energetic riffs, masterful guitar solos, and chaotic intensity, the sudden decline in momentum leaves listeners hanging in the end. This approach makes the front half of the album engaging, but as it winds down, it starts to become weary.

Broken Hope sounded invigorated and captivated listeners with amazing hooks on their first comeback album, but this was regularly missing on Mutilated And Assimilated. Producing a record compiled of pieces stripped off from preceding albums won't go unrecognised by metal fans like me. Apart from a couple of appealing tracks and amazing production, it is still hollow, uninspiring, standard-bog death metal that I presume is going to wash off with no replay value.

Highlights: "The Bunker", "The Necropants"