A detailed history of civilization seen through its most brutal contrivances of incarceration, storied methods of torture, and the infliction of pain and suffering as spectacle (i.e. punishment by example) reflects less upon the culture and moral compass of any given people but rather what extremes it took for the ruling class to sabotage any chance of their willful uprising. As perceived societies quelled systems of merit in favor of exploitative ingenuity the domestication and indentured servitude inherent to the success (‘peaking’ state) of any empire negated the primal surge of fear and fealty provided by public suffering and execution. The traumas inflicted by a barbaric state of auld are too often viewed as cultural norm of past selves rather than seen for the necessary social engineering they were as community and government necessitated exploitation for true momentum. As we find Knoxville, Tennessee-based brutal death metal trio BRODEQUIN returning most officially now twenty years removed from their last full-length album their work is no less obsessed with the past-and-primitive implements of torture and execution over the course of history. Punishing yet brief vignettes offer scene-setting immediacy, a hammer in the hand of the sadist, as this fourth full-length album from the trio ‘Harbinger of Woe‘ raises a hand of intimidation to all passersby as they’d detail the horrifying creativity available to punishers and executioners throughout history. A chance to reframe their own legacy of battery and belligerence this fourth revolution recontextualizes the work of these folks from belligerent underground maulers to still principled participants in exploring the extreme outer limits of brutal death metal.

Brodequin formed circa 1998 between bassist/vocalist Jamie Bailey and guitarist Mike Bailey alongside drummer Chad Walls kicking off their initial decade long run with a self-titled demo (‘Brodequin‘, 1999) which’d already showcased some level of inspiration taken from New York brutal death metal and I’d say some of the Texas stuff nearby alongside the deathgrind of the time considering the style of Walls and how the rhythmic obsession of the band developed over the next three years. There are two realities available to the history of this band and much like Devourment‘s early days it was more about early internet memes, shock value and MySpace-era tomfoolery for some and about next-level brutality and a new breed of musicianship for others. Granted but the time this band’d come out with their most infamous debut LP (‘Instruments of Torture‘, 2000) and its brilliant follow-up (‘Festival of Death‘, 2001) albums like ‘Path of the Weakening‘ and ‘Intrauterine Cannibalism‘ had set a technical precedence which’d clashed with the raw and belligerent force that was Brodequin who’d had simpler grooves and uninterrupted slapping in hand up front. Maybe they’re tangentially remembered for a pinging snare clap on that second record, it’d been exaggerated in reviews at the time for sure, but I think the most incorrect take on this band was that they were simply chopping away at dumbass chaotic noise and thankfully that take hasn’t survived in retrospect.

I’d first explored the discography of this band when Jamie‘s label Unmatched Brutality Records released the first Inveracity record (which in turn I’d discovered due to a split with Insision) probably not far from when their third LP (‘Methods of Execution‘, 2004) released during peak years for cold and cruelest brutal death overflow. For many this’d been the representative album from the band at the time though in recent years ‘Instruments of Torture‘ has been more frequently celebrated for its grinding classic death metal infused extremity. As much as folks have always focused on Brodequin for their over the top drumming as the main conversation their second drummer Jon Engman rarely gets due praise for taking on the big ask that was the raw speed and tenacity of Walls‘ work and bringing his own precision to that style. This is of course the sort of thing that is possible to experience on album in hindsight but there in the thick of things, seeking out brutal death metal performances on tour and knowing the lay of the land at the time it was obvious why these folks stood out if you were within five hundred feet of the kit in the middle. I think that’d been one of the reasons it’d been easy to duck right into ‘Harbinger of Woe‘ as the finesse of force applied by drummer Brennan Shackelford matches that of the previous two rare talents on the throne and to up the ante to ensure we’re getting the reality of that talent each drum track is one complete take with no editing applied.

Granted if you’d picked up the two-song promotional EP for this album (‘Perpetuation of Suffering‘, 2021) a number of years ago you’ll generally know what to expect from the whole of ‘Harbinger of Woe‘ and its ~32 minute bash through ten quick and colossal pieces. Coasting upon a relatively straight forward riff pocket and the signature muddiness of their downtuned and grinding tone the sound of Brodequin has been updated by production envisioned per guitarist Mike Bailey and engineering, mix/mastering from Defeated Sanity vocalist Josh Welshman [name is spelled wrong in press materials, haven’t confirmed] who’ve done well as a team to bring an vibrant immediacy to this album without losing the depth of the guitar layers. This is crucial because we finally get the path beyond ‘Methods to Execution‘ in terms of where that style of catastrophic brutal death metal riffcraft would go and thankfully the road forward is not paved by trendy interruptive nonsense. Instead this brutal death metal album positions itself at an ever-toppling over pace, collapsing under the seismic thud of its own hammer and springing back with moshable chugging riffs and slithering grooves to balance out the staccato battery kicking through each piece. “Theresiana” provides a succinct and volatile example of these choices all working together to create a dynamic which serves a daunting portal of an album to begin with but an entirely knowable extremity upon closer examination.

The best points of interest on ‘Harbinger of Woe‘ for my own taste comes with the “longer form” songs on the running order which breach a few seconds past four minutes in length (“Of Pillars and Trees” b/w “Harbinger of Woe“) as examples of a repetitive unveiling of variations on a theme which deliver quick familiarity and the blazing hot intensity of the band at some of their most breakneck speeds this time around, though a cut like “Fall of the Leaf” might have plenty more acceleration behind it these pieces stood out to me on repeat listens not only for their extension of the riff count to a prime level but also for more space enjoyed by Jamie Bailey‘s vocals which appear to be even more guttural than I’d recalled from earlier releases while also knowing when to reel it in and when to dominate the moment with an extended bellow or a shrieking belched-at line; Over time I’d found unexpected favorites in the track list elsewhere, such as the more mid-paced creeping chugs of “Maleficium” or the swerving and bree-ing verses on the ruthless late album stunner “Suffocation in Ash“.

Effective as a face value dose of extreme neck-punching adrenaline or when picked through like a pile of clips and shell-casings after its hundred-riff salvo hits ‘Harbinger of Woe‘ serves as a reminder that Brodequin did ultimately earn their good name in early 2000’s brutal death metal fandom and they’ve still got that wrathful, killing speed behind their torturous ways. Rumors of their snare ping have admittedly been grossly exaggerated in the past but today as we find this classic yet rhythmically inventive brutal death metal album graced with a nigh timeless appeal it seems more likely that folks will take their threats seriously in the future. I had a blast with this one, not only revisiting their discography but enjoying countless rides through this relatively short but intense album which I’d felt did their legacy justice while presenting something evolved beyond their momentum built back in the day. A high recommendation.

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