UMUR "Stains on the Breeding Altar: 2008​-​2021" is a compilation release by US cyber goregrind act Lysergic Rites of Sadopriest. The compilation was released through Cat Basket Recordings in May 2022. It features the material from the 2009 "Ritually Abused Orifice" EP/demo, the 2010 "Mongoloid Messiah" EP/demo, the 2014 "Rotting Shroud" demo, the 2020 split with Girth, the 2021 split with Blue Holocaust, and the tracks "Phantasmal Piss Conjurations, Pt 1", "Phantasmal Piss Conjurations, Pt 2", and "Phantasmal Piss Conjurations, Pt 3", which to my knowledge are exclusive to this release.

The material from the 2009 "Ritually Abused Orifice" EP/demo and the 2010 "Mongoloid Messiah" EP/demo is pretty similar styled electronic/cyber goregrind. The later material is a bit more raw and noisy and although both the early and the later material are programmed (even the parts which sound like it´s guitars and bass playing) the material from 2014 onwards sounds less electronic/cyber tinged and more brutal and savage goregrind oriented. The many samples of people talking about ritual abuse, rape, and other nasty topics further enhances the feeling that Lysergic Rites of Sadopriest have become nastier and more filthy with the years...and it suits them. To my ears the first seventeen tracks which are culled from the "Ritually Abused Orifice" and the "Mongoloid Messiah" EPs/demos are decent, but the remaining sixteen songs are more intriguing and powerful.

"Stains on the Breeding Altar: 2008​-​2021" is a good quality cyber goregrind release, and a great way to get introduced to the world of Lysergic Rites of Sadopriest. Both their early electronic tinged period and the more brutal and filthy goregrind period which followed. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Necrology" is an EP release by Swedish goregrind act General Surgery. The EP was released through Relapse Records in November 1991. The original vinyl version features five tracks, but the 1993 (Nuclear Blast/Relapse Records) CD version features two bonus tracks. General Surgery formed in 1988 and released three demos during 1990 but "Necrology" is their first "official" label release and ultimately also the only label release before they split-up. The members have since been part of other prolific Swedish death metal and grindcore acts such as Dismember, Afflicted, Crematory and Regurgitate (some of them simoultaniously with their involvement in General Surgery). The band reformed again in the early 00s and have been putting out a string of releases since 2003.

The music style on the 15:35 minutes long EP is Carcass influenced goregrind. General Surgery is probably one of the earliest examples of a Carcass clone (along with an artist like Xysma). The vocals are the typical imitation of early Carcass too with one high pitched snarling vocal style, one deep growling vocal style and one gurgling/burping vocal style. The song titles are of course ridiculously long and filled with strange gory imagery like "Slithering Maceration Of Ulcerous Facial Tissue" and "The Succulent Aftermath Of A Subdural Hemorrhage". So while there are nods toward old school Swedish death metal in the music too, this is first and foremost a Carcass tribute release. These are just a bunch of guys who came together to share their affection for Carcass and ended up releasing the stuff they wrote.

The production is raw, savage, and brutal, but you´re still able to hear what´s going on most of the time, so while it´s pretty lo-fi in nature, it suits the music perfectly. "Necrology" is generally a celebrated release in goregrind circles, and it is indeed an effective and for the genre also relatively varied release. General Surgery don´t really bring anything original to the table, but if you´re interested in listening to an early tribute recording the Carcass goregrind style "Necrology" is arguably a good choice. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Internecine Prurience" is the third demo recording by Swedish goregrind act General Surgery. The demo was recorded on the 28th of September 1990 at the band´s rehearsal space. Only 50 cassette tape copies were made. Everything was recorded live in the rehearsal space, so no overdubs here. since the previous demos vocalist Richard Cabeza has left and has been replaced by Grant McWilliams.

While the Carcass influenced goregrind style of the first couple of demos is continued here (some tracks are re-recordings from the first demos), the rehearsal recording techniques (or lack there of) makes "Internecine Prurience" a much more raw, savage, and filthy sounding goregrind release than it´s direct predecessors (the March 1990 "Erosive Offals (Malignant Necrotomy)" demo and the April 1990 "Pestisferous Anthropophagia" demo). There´s definitely some nasty gore drenched charm and some pretty effective songwriting hidden somewhere beneath the noisy and unpolished sound production, but sometimes it´s a bit hard to tell.

When that is said "Internecine Prurience" is still an entertaining and effective goregrind release by General Surgery, and it´s certainly proof that these guys were on to something good. A 2.5 star (50%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Pestisferous Anthropophagia" is the second demo recording by Swedish goregrind act General Surgery. The demo was recorded on the 29th of April 1990 at Sunlight Studio, Stockholm, Sweden with producer Tomas Skogsberg.

The Carcass influenced goregrind style of the March 1990 "Erosive Offals (Malignant Necrotomy)" demo is continued on "Pestisferous Anthropophagia", but now we get to hear General surgery´s take on the goregrind genre with much better sound production values and it does make a difference. It´s still a brutal, heavy, and filthy sounding production job, but compared to the unpolished rawness of the first demo, this features an almost pristine sound quality.

General Surgery obviously also understand how to compose effective goregrind songs, so although the premise of the goregrind genre is relatively one-dimensional, the band are still able to change pace and riff style, drumming style, and vocal styles enough times during the three tracks, 5:44 minutes long demo for this to be an entertaining listen. A 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

UMUR "Erosive Offals (Malignant Necrotomy)" is the first demo recording by Swedish goregrind act General Surgery. The demo was independently released in March 1990 and it´s the first of three demos which General Surgery recorded and released during 1990. General Surgery formed in 1988 as a tribute to the early Carcass releases and it was always a side-project for the involved parties, who also worked with contemporary artists like Afflicted/Afflicted Convulsion, Dismember, Carnage, Unanimated, and Carbonized.

So with that premise laid out, it´s no surprise that the three tracks on the 5:51 minutes long demo are brutal, filthy, and gore themed grindcore with some deep slimy growling vocals complimented by higher pitched snarling vocals. General Surgery hit the balance right in terms of paying tribute to Carcass but also bringing just a little bit of themselves to the table. Thankfully "Erosive Offals (Malignant Necrotomy)" is not one long blast beat fest, and General Surgery actually quite often take the pace down to a heavy mid-paced groove.

Considering that "Erosive Offals (Malignant Necrotomy)" is a goregrind from early 1990 it´s pretty well produced. it´s of course noisy, unpolished, and raw sounding, but that´s how this type of music should be experienced. A 2.5 - 3 star (55%) rating is warranted.