Released in a standard jewel case with an 8-page color booklet.
Since forming in 2010, CHURCH OF DISGUST have been spreading sickness throughout the underground. Made up of lead guitarist Joshua Bokemeyer, drummer Dwane Allen, bassist Travis Andrews, and guitarist/vocalist Dustin James, CHURCH OF DISGUST unleashed two demo tapes before releasing their debut full-length, Unworldly Summoning, in 2014 via Spain's Memento Mori Records. The next year saw the release of the Dread Ritual EP on Headsplit Records (tape) and Craneo Negro Records (Mexico). In 2016, the band released Veneration of Filth ( in multiple formats via Memento Mori Records, Headsplit Records, and later Maggot Stomp/Sunken Tomb Records), which quickly began making waves in the underground. In the years to follow, the band focused on touring more and making some memorable festival appearances before releasing the Consumed by Slow Putrefaction EP on Maggot Stomp Records in 2020. These three hymns of crushing swamp sickness proved them to be heavier and with more refined songwriting, ignoring trends and staying true to their vision of death metal the way it was meant to be played.
Now aligned with HELLS HEADBANGERS, 2022 will bring total death, as CHURCH OF DISGUST will be releasing their third album, and first for the label: Weakest is the Flesh. Continuing the momentum of their preceding EP, these Gulf Coast death metal fiends deliver their catchiest and most crushing record yet with Weakest is the Flesh. The formula is almost deceptively simple: immediately memorable songwriting that doesn't insult the listener's intelligence with over-simplicity nor try to impress with needless technicality, and delivered with impassioned execution and clear-yet-powerful production. It's "old school" only in the sense of honoring the power of THE RIFF (as well as well-timed divebombing solos!) and otherwise doesn't pander to the usual retro-posturing cliches. As such, CHURCH OF DISGUST here variously nod to classic CIANIDE, Gorefest, Cancer, Pentacle, Opprobrium, and even Napalm Death's Harmony Corruption but never for too long nor too obviously; their charisma and personality bleed through everything, above all. And Weakest is the Flesh's 41 minutes just fly by like that, lodging firmly in the cranium but compelling the listener to press "play" repeatedly.
Featuring eight tracks of ungodly heaviness and the most efficient songwriting around (and a haunting interlude and outro), Weakest is the Flesh is undoubtedly CHURCH OF DIGUST's strongest statement to date. DEATH METAL OR DIE!!!
A couple years ago, the Texan death metal act Church Of Disgust hit my radar with Veneration Of Filth, hinting at something interesting without fully selling me. A few tracks dropped last year as well, which felt refined enough. But it was the recent Weakest Is The Flesh that truly reeled me in. The aim has always been something geared toward the OSDM sound, and that’s always been obvious. Here is where I feel like they got an identity that stood out.
Vocally, this teeters the line of David Vincent-esque classic coarse delivery and something a bit more contemporary, along the lines of Ectoplasma. The mix itself is wonderful, something that the older releases lack, and the placement alongside the solos and monstrous riffing feels wonderfully balanced. Moreover, the groovier element doesn’t hold back an inch, solidifying this as something truly excellent. Combinations of doomy rumble with chuggier momentum under a more rapid coat of paint is the trick that reaches satisfaction.
Seriously, chops like the ones on here are wildly memorable for such a filthy style, rivaling that of Undeath’s first full-length. Bass plays a very heavy role in this; the suspense created by it in “Horrific Anthema” breaking into an almost melodic lead is unmatched. Follow this up with a crushing solo, and you’ve got the entire stage set. This is taken to a higher degree in the title track, a long tune that reaches close to being an epic. Dig up more traditional chops with screeching overlays in “Humiliated Remains,” locking in the emphasis on head-splitting rhythmic clarity.
Other areas of Weakest Is The Flesh rely heavily on more of a doom/death element. Repetition naturally occurs here, seen in the bridge of “That Which Dwells In The Gloom,” flip-flopping between a raw, faster approach and gloomier chugs. The crushing weight of “Seemingly Unnatural Infestations” assumes its position with a cold, looming intro topped with some of the most ferocious percussion. This very percussion is carried into the bridge near the end, executed even more impressively.
It may have taken a bit of time, but Church Of Disgust have finally entered the ranks of my favorite modern death metal acts. The echoed production did so much for them, especially with the drums. While there’s really nothing that hasn’t been done before, there’s an incredible level of talent, and the songwriting tactics are woven together beautifully beside the slimy aesthetic.
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