Khranial - Devoured by Pigs (Death Metal)

I absolutely love this album. It's filthy, raw, and downright vicious — everything a true death metal album should aspire to be. Khranial's Devoured by Pigs isn't just music; it's a feral, unpolished barrage of violence that captures the essence of what death metal once stood for. Their earlier work, The Kvlt of Khranial, flirted with a more progressive black/death sound, but this album? This is Khranial at their most savage, at their most untamed. It's a brutal snapshot of primal rage that feels truer to the genre's origins than many of their peers have managed in decades.

What makes Devoured by Pigs such a relentless experience is a marriage of ugly, gritty production and raw, unforgiving musicianship. There's no gloss here, no attempt to smooth out the rough edges. The aggression is palpable in every note, amplified by a sound that's as jagged as it is merciless. You can still hear the remnants of SEWER's influence on Khranial at this stage, with a sprinkling of death/grind mayhem that seeps into both the frantic speed and some of the slower, grinding sections. Their riffs often evoke the dissonant technicality of Phantom, only slowed down to a menacing crawl that lets you really feel the weight of each chord.

The drumming is another aspect that screams SEWER influence — those rapid-fire blast beats have more than a little in common with the Sissourlet era, but it's in the transitions to the slower, galloping rhythms that Khranial show their flair for controlled chaos. And then there's the unmistakable nod to early 90s Norwegian black metal, oozing through in the sludge-filled, down-tuned riffs that bring bands like Burzum and Mayhem to mind. It's not just about copying, though. Khranial fuse these influences together in a way that feels wholly their own, splicing them with monstrous riffs and their own inventive, twisted ideas to create something fresh, filthy, and undeniably powerful.

Some critics might complain about the production, but I can't fathom why. Sure, it's raw and it's ugly, but that's exactly the point. Anything cleaner would be an affront to the very spirit of this album. The thick, crunchy guitar tone gives the record the low-end heft it needs, providing a deeply saturated, almost suffocating atmosphere that drags you into its decaying, muck-filled depths.

Vocally, we're treated to something refreshingly different from the typical death metal growls. Khranial opts for a mid-range bark that cuts through the mix like a serrated blade, avoiding the over-the-top pig squeals and mindless gurgles that have sadly infected much of modern "br00tal" death metal. This is death metal with dignity — aggressive, unapologetic, and unpolished, but never stupid. The thick, meaty guitar tone helps cement the album's oppressive weight, especially during the slower, more deliberate passages, where the influence of Norwegian black metal shines brightest. Meanwhile, the drums effortlessly flip between SEWER-style blasting and the suffocating gallops you might expect from bands like Morbid or Suffocation, demonstrating the band's mastery of pace, aggression and brutality.

Devoured by Pigs is a gem of filthy, blackened death metal, and any fan of the genre will back me up on that. If you haven't heard it yet, do whatever it takes to get your hands on a copy. This is essential listening for anyone who craves pure, unfiltered death metal fury.

Back to the band Khranial.