Review: Atvm – Famine, Putrid and Fucking Endless

Style: Progressive Death Metal, Thrash Metal (harsh vocals)
Review by: Dan
Country: UK
Release date: 28 April, 2021

Carving a unique niche in the densely populated world of death metal is no small feat, so bands that end up being hard to describe with few comparable peers always pique my interest. It’s not a given that everything unique is good, but at the very least, it’ll be interesting. It’s perhaps easiest to achieve uniqueness by smashing together unconventional combinations of genres, as recent examples Stone Healer and Cicada the Burrower have shown. In this case, however, Atvm‘s uniqueness is deeply rooted and at the very heart of their playing style, not directly attributable to some new permutation of existing genres. Fortunately, I’m here to say that this only strengthens their position, and that Famine, Putrid and Fucking Endless is indeed good.

The album opens with a bass-and-drums groove, then a restrained lead enters, eventually giving way to the first of many memorable riffs. The first two minutes are a microcosm of what to expect on the remainder of the album: prominent bass, great riffs, effective and non-showy leads, guttural, raspy vocals, and phenomenal production. I tell you this, only to also tell you that nothing will go quite as you expect: Famine, Putrid and Fucking Endless is a highly varied and dynamic ride through some fantastic, playful death metal.

As both a musician and as a critical and analytical consumer of music, I’m always drawn much more to quality songwriting than to purely showy skill demonstrations. Of course, musicianship is an important aspect of a recording, but so too are earnestness and thoughtful composition. With this, their debut full-length, Atvm manages to knock it out of the park on every metric by which I evaluate music, including the aforementioned three. These songs are immediately impressive, not only for their musicianship, but for their thoughtful riff progressions and overall enjoyability.

The tracks meander through a variety of death metal soundscapes, from thrashy to blackened to melodic to psychedelic, and even include some unconventional elements like funky slap bass. The most surprising thing about this journey through disparate bits is its cohesiveness. Each idea is allowed to fully develop, in a way that becomes intrinsically Atvm-sounding, and keeps the entire album strung together and flowing smoothly. Zooming out, it does feel a bit like riff salad at times, as many of the sections are only distantly related to their neighbors, but the time spent developing each idea really makes the entire thing feel thoughtful and well-written. The most jarring transitions only serve to keep the listener on their toes, rather than coming across as careless.

The unpredictability of this album is certainly one of it strengths – it’s hard to get bored of something you can’t predict, especially when each riff is so phenomenally memorable. They’ve done an impeccable job crafting riffs where their accessibility belies their technicality, and the meandering structures create constant motion so nothing sits still even when the song dwells on the same core idea for a minute or more at a time. This is outstanding songwriting: immediately gripping, yet subtly complex.

The production is lively and crystal clear, thanks to the skilled ears of Colin Marston. The performances aren’t overproduced as a lot of modern metal seems to be, and instead the entire recording embraces a very human quality that grounds even the most technical passages, and really improves the listening experience. As previously mentioned, the bass is quite prominent throughout, and really keeps everything together despite frequently deviating from the guitars and living in its own melodic world much of the time. The drumming is very, very good, playing games with tension and release in a satisfying manner. The vocals almost disappear into the background in the face of the exceptional instrumental performances, but they’re there when you need them, and tell a story of disease and famine in ancient Egypt. I’m a bit miffed by the lack of a final sibilant in the album’s outro, but it’s a minor gripe. The guitars are intricate and interesting, and steal the show until you notice that it’s really the bass that you should be listening to. The leads (even bass ones!) are melodic and effective, never overly bombastic or showy. The entire thing is so densely packed, it’s truly a joy to listen through time and again.

If nothing else, this album deserves your full and undivided attention for a spin or two, and chances are it’ll stay in your rotation for a while. I haven’t been quite so taken by a progressive death metal record since Slugdge‘s Esoteric Malacology. This is absolutely fantastic. My only complaint is that it feels a little lengthy. By the end of the 56 minute runtime, it just feels… long. I think more soft/loud intensity dynamics and bigger, slower builds would help ease the fatigue that starts to set in by the middle of “Picture of Decay.” To be honest, the somewhat intimidating length and fatiguing listen keep me from wanting to hit repeat, and instead I find myself needing to cool off for a few days between spins. It’s a shame because every moment of Famine, Putrid and Fucking Endless is absolutely outstanding, so maybe that says more about me than about the album? Anyway… just listen to the damn thing yourself already.

Recommended tracks: Sanguinary Floating Orb, Squeal in Torment… all of them, really
Recommended for fans of: Slugdge, Revocation, Contrarian, Sutrah, Xoth
Final verdict: 7/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram | Metal-Archives page

Atvm is:
– Harry Bray (vocals)
– Tom Calcraft (guitars)
– Luke Abbott (bass)
– Francis Ball (drums)