UMUR "Purification Through Violence" is the debut full-length studio album by US, Maryland based death metal act Dying Fetus. The album was released through Pulverizer Records in August 1996. Dying Fetus were formed in 1991 and released two demos (compiled on the "Infatuation with Malevolence (1995)" compilation), before releasing "Purification Through Violence".

Stylistically the music on "Purification Through Violence" is extremely brutal and technically well played death metal. The music features both fast blasting and ultra heavy breakdowns, and there is generally a strong hardcore oriented groove influence on the album. Contemporary artists like Obituary and Suffocation are also known to incorporate quite a bit of groove to their death metal music, but this is different, although it´s obvious that Dying Fetus are influenced by especially Suffocation.

Dying Fetus try to take brutality to a new level on "Purification Through Violence" and sometimes being as brutal as possible seems like the only purpose of the album. For an album featuring 8 tracks and a full playing time of 28:42 minutes, it feels surprisingly long, which to my ears is due to the one-dimensional nature of the music. The various unintelligible growling vocal styles used on the album don´t really make it a more inviting nor memorable listen. It´s too bad it´s impossible to catch a phrase or a word just once or twice during the playing time, because violent sounding song titles like "Beaten Into Submission", "Skull Fuck", and "Raped on the Altar", definitely could have been interesting to investigate further. Oh well...that´s what a lyric sheet is for anyway.

When that is said "Purification Through Violence" is still a professional, well produced, very well played, and for the style well written album. Fans of the most brutal and technically well played part of the death metal spectrum should find it an enjoyable listen. To my ears the album could have prospered from just a few catchy moments and more variation between tracks, but a 3.5 star (70%) rating is still deserved.

J-Man The first album from Dying Fetus is certainly an "extreme" metal album in the most literal sense of the term. The band's appalling name, their brutal sound, and lyrics that could put NWA to shame are all valid reasons why Purification Through Violence is one of the most extreme albums ever recorded. In the liner notes of the 2011 Relapse Records re-issue, the band sites hardcore rap (particularly NWA) as a huge influence - that's quite apparent here. Although there are no distinct rap sections, multiple breakdowns and intentionally offensive lyrics hint towards the scene that death metal purists love to hate the most. This is an unfocused and flawed album, but it has a level of charm that makes for a fun listen. Not to mention some of those hilarious lyrics!

Purification Through Violence is a mix of death metal and grindcore (think something like Napalm Death/Terrorizer meets Cannibal Corpse) with a few breakdowns thrown in for good measure. The compositions are seldom very memorable, but there are some notable riffs throughout and the entire album is extremely headbang-worthy! One of the best things about this album (for me, at least) are the tongue-in-cheek (and often hilarious) lyrics. Something like "Blunt Force Trauma" or "Skull Fucked" makes for some good reading, although there are also some more serious tracks here. "Beaten Into Submission" and "Nothing Left to Pray For" are more focused around social and historical conflicts, but a fair number "F-bombs" are still incorporated into the end product. Yes, the lyrics are juvenile, but I don't think many of them were meant to be taken at face value. The musicianship is a bit on the sloppy side here, but it's still clear that Dying Fetus is a group of skillful and talented musicians. The vocals from John Gallagher are particularly noteworthy - he masters many different styles of growled vocals and does an excellent job on Purification Through Violence.

The production is a bit of an issue for me. Although I like the raw and underdeveloped qualities, the drums often sound awful (in my opinion, at least).

The debut album from Dying Fetus is often considered an essential brutal death metal/grindcore album, and it's hard to argue with that position. My personal enjoyment is limited, though, and the most I can go with is 3 stars. If you buy the Relapse re-issue, you can get two bonus tracks in addition to some excellent liner notes. Anyone who's going to buy Purification Through Violence nowadays is advised to check out this version.