Review: PeelingFlesh Get Ignorant in the Best Way Possible on The G Code
Ok, look, I’ll keep this nice and simple for y’all. If you like slam, you will dig this album. If you don’t, just stop reading now and go about your day. No one will blame you. This one’s for the trash can snare fanatics, the ones who pull a stank face when the vocalist makes a sound like a burp took a shit and died. This is for the ones who just wanna spark up a fat-ass blunt and lose themselves in a sea of palm muted chord progressions and steady driving double bass. If you’re looking for technicality, melody, or forward-thinking song structures, keep it moving. But if you’re ok with turning your brain off for a bit and occasionally having a good laugh while bobbing your head along to some nice chunky grooves, then The G Code, the debut full-length album from Oklahoman rising stars Peeling Flesh, is just what the doctor ordered.
Normally this is where I would start sinking my teeth into some long-winded, in-depth analysis of an album’s overarching themes or a track-by-track breakdown of why I thought each song was sick in its own way, but it’s difficult to wax philosophical about an album whose entire personality can be summed up as “what if Party Cannon grew up in the hood”. I will say this, though: it’s very fun to listen to all the same, and that goes a long way in my book.
I’ve mentioned before that I would love to start seeing more rap infused with extreme metal, since the two have always had a distinct parallel growth and a marked respect for one another, but never in my wildest dreams did I think the result would be as obnoxious and shameless as what’s on display here. Rap and metal have always reminded me of two families who live on the same street as each other and occasionally get together for a good barbecue or pool party, but The G Code is what happens when they decide to finally throw caution to the wind and host a full-blown drug-fueled swingers’ night. Some of it is goofy as hell, but here’s the thing: a lot of it works really well, too.
The scratching on the turntables in “Perc 3000” works perfectly with the slams, accentuating and emphasizing the grooves in a way that’s guaranteed to get a crowd moving in a live setting, which is where this band’s strength truly lies. For my money, though, the best and most highly polished example of the unholy marriage between the two genres is the instrumental track “Skin Blunt” (A+ song title, by the way). Not only is the music itself rock solid, with legit riffs and atmosphere and even a good shredding solo, but the interplay between the various beats and different styles of rapping is honestly very well executed. It’s not just a gimmick; I mean, yeah, it’s totally a gimmick, but there is a certain authenticity to it as well. You can tell that the members are all genuine fans of both styles of music, and that absolutely no punches were pulled on either side of the aisle, for better or worse.
As for the strictly death metal side of things, drummer Joe Pelleter definitely does the lion’s share of the work, busting out some serious grooves and extended 32nd notes which provide the foundation for the album’s overall catchiness. Damonteal Harris’s vocals are reminiscent of Matti Way’s signature gurgles, and of course Matti himself makes a guest appearance at one point alongside a conga line of others, including Andrew LoMastro from Cerebral Incubation and Alex Erian and Steve Marois of Despised Icon. Even if the hip hop elements were to be completely taken away, this album would still be more than enough to pique the curiosity of many a brutal death metal fan.
Look, I understand that a lot of people are not going to like this album. It’s ridiculous, no two ways about it. And yes, tons of other bands have already been combining rap and metal for years, from Slipknot to Body Count to almost every nu-metal band out there, not to mention Anthrax’s legendary collaboration with Public Enemy in ’91. It’s not a new concept, but I would argue that it still has yet to reach its full potential. The G Code is far from the final step in that journey, but it is a step down the path all the same, and a large, confident one at that.
Metal as a whole takes itself entirely too seriously sometimes, and rap has a tendency to devolve into a giant dick measuring contest as well, so even though a lot of it comes across as just plain silly, that carefree approach is also what gives this album its charm. It’s refreshing to just not give a fuck sometimes. Healthy, even. And apparently audiences agree, because their live shows over the past couple of years have been the textbook definition of rowdy, with crowds packed in like sardines and pits that can be genuinely hazardous to one’s well-being. They might not be everyone’s cup of tea (or lean), but they’re sitting pretty all the same, and I say more power to ’em.
Peeling Flesh are currently on the road across the US in support of The G Code on the Get Rich Die Hard Tour with Snuffed on Sight, Corpse Pile and more, if you want to see what all the hype is about for yourself.
The G Code is available now via Unique Leader Records, order your copy here.
