formed in 1999. COMPELLED BY HOOF AND HORN
THE EMBALMED – THE EMBALMED - CD review by Jim Price
Snarling, guitar-wielding and songwriting brethren Chad and Jason Straw first launched The Embalmed ten years ago and issued some initial recordings. After shelving the project temporarily to explore other bands and solo projects, the brothers reconvened The Embalmed two years ago; enlisting former Saucemonster bassist Greg Hatch, and Darren Byer on drums. The group marks their full return with this self-titled CD, offering ten tracks of roaring, bone-crushing, malevolent heavy metal. Their sound rooted in classic-styled doom metal, Slayer-like thrash, and contemporary death metal; The Embalmed informs their terse brand of metal with instrumental precision and dynamics, swaggering grooves, melody and a lyrical touch of tongue-in-cheek, dime-store demonism. Riding on tough, attacking rhythms; the Straw brothers’ guitars roar, snarl, slice and dice; while each brother exhibits a unique vocal (dubbed “vokill” by the band) hoof-print and cadence. Jason Straw’s Tazmanian Devil howl marks the group’s live showstoppers “Toetags and Bodybags” and the infectious “Heartworm;” as well as “Crucifixation” and “Lambs of the Black Hand;” while Chad Straw’s gargle-with-hellgrammites growl gives a monstrous dynamic to numbers such as “Morgueasm” and “Spoonfed.” Other disc highlights include the multi-speed “Compelled by Hoof and Horn,” and the rampaging assaults “Eighteen Stabwounds” and “Excommunicated;” the latter featuring guest snarler Drew Baney. The Embalmed’s performances are powerful and confident throughout the disc, and it is clear that this band knows their musical turf well. The production and mix give the rhythms ample brutality, and the guitars chainsaw jaggedness. But while the musical mood is predominantly dark and malevolent, The Embalmed never take themselves too seriously; and their swagger and cleverly satirical lyrics paint almost gleeful images of otherwise morbid subject matter. The Embalmed’s self-titled CD strongly defines this group’s unique musical identity and niche; and reveals a band with substance behind their savagery. (The CD can be obtained through The Embalmed’s Myspace website, www.myspace.com/theembalmed.)
A review from The Anchor Inn
"The Embalmed then scorched the innards of the Anchor Inn with their scathing and heavily metallic display. The Straw brothers, Chad and Jason, drilled some of the most menacing monster guitar riffage I’ve ever heard on area stages, accompanied by their equally savage vo-kill displays as The Embalmed punished with such original numbers as “Morgueasm,” “Crucifixation,” their ‘biggest hit’ “Heartworm,” the requested “Toetags and Bodybags” and more. I was a little apprehensive about how The Embalmed’s brand of intense metal would go over with the crowd that was dancing to the Smoke Run and Beyond Reason rock and roll sounds earlier on; but the Anchor Inn crowd seemed to not just be tolerant, but appreciative of The Embalmed’s efforts…very cool!"- "The Professor" Jim Price (Q94 , Pa Musician)
A review from The Cantina
"More maximum metal would follow in the form of the next band, The Embalmed. The Straw brothers, Jason and Chad on guitars and vokills, bassman Greg Hatch and drummer Darren Byer maintained the intensity with their scathing set, as they previewed assaults from their forthcoming new CD, Toetags & Bodybags, expected out later this year. Chad set the mood with his proclamation that the bands and crowd were together this night to save a youngster’s liver while destroying their own; and Jason followed suit by declaring, “You f**kers are predestined to burn; but he’s just a kid!” Exercises in metal brutality such as “Murder Made Easy,” “Morgasm,” the forthcoming album title track “Toetags and Bodybags,” “Heartworm,” the new (de)composition “Crucifixation,” the vintage “With Arms Both Broken,” “Spoonfed” and more hooked much of the Cantina crowd on demonics, as the audience roared more approval with each passing number. I was again impressed with this band’s intensity and precision, particularly the surgical sharpness the Straw brothers offered up on their respective axes. And The Embalmed kept the mood lighthearted even as they demolished on their instruments, with Jason sending the set to a close with the words of wisdom “Drink beer, f**k chicks, hail Satan!” Insane!" - "The Professor" Jim Price (Q94 , Pa Musician)
A review from Aces
"what I saw kicked ass, as guitar men and lead throats Chad and Jason Straw, bassist Greg Hatch and drummer Darren Byer demonstrated their brand of metal firepower, defined by complex tempo, rhythm and chord arrangements topped by coarse “vokill” mayhem" - "The Professor" Jim Price (Q94 , Pa Musician)
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