Gutter Killer: Metal Enema Demo
I'd argue that the mid-80s is very much the sweet spot for witnessing thrash metal's most visceral attributes being honed to their fucking edge. That's also the era that Aotearoa New Zealand thrashers Gutter Killer conjure most on their debut demo, Metal Enema. It's always uncomfortable immediately referencing the past when writing about a new band. But I'm not trying to appeal to any nostalgic drivers here. I'm simply pointing out that Gutter Killer dive deep into the sewers of subterranean thrash, where beer-soaked basement metal rules the roost.
Released by on-point DIY Te Whanganui a Tara (Wellington) label Razored Raw, Metal Enema's four songs hold fast to Gutter Killer's 'Fast-Raw-Loud' maxim throughout. The five-piece band's rough-as-guts attitude reminds me a lot of Morbid Saint's stone-cold classic LP, Spectrum of Death. Metal Enema's toxic green cover art — crafted by Gutter Killer bassist Buried Pig's Head (aka Quintin Ellory) — points to thrash's early years, which is matched by music that evokes the lawlessness of crucial demos like Victims of Death (Sodom), Fuckin' Death (Death Strike), Bestial Invasion of Hell (Destruction), and Triumph of Death and Satanic Rites (Hellhammer).
(Or, if you want to take a more cinematic route, Gutter Killer would do a hell of a job soundtracking a slew of lowbrow '80s video nasties like 1990: The Bronx Warriors, The Exterminator, Warriors of the Wasteland, and more.)
Gutter Killer nod to the urgency of Kill 'Em All, but their sound reflects bands like Sadus, Whiplash, and various underground groups of their ilk. If you want a hometown point of comparison, you only need to look to Wellington speed metallers Stälker (who are signed to bigwigs Napalm Records). Stälker's 80s-worshipping metal is heavy on Halford-like falsettos and features plenty of fretboard gymnastics. Stälker pay tribute to everything that's over the top about metal. But Gutter Killer have a much filthier vibe. Stälker often channel Slayer circa Hell Awaits. But Gutter Killer are more akin to Sepultura circa Bestial Devastation.
The point being, Gutter Killer ooze more maggoty metal, and they definitely have more punk rock boiling in their blood. Although, that's not a huge surprise, given the band features members from NZ punk groups like Sick Old Man, Bowel Rupture, Indiscriminate, Piggery, and more. Punk musicians playing thrash is often a hit-or-miss proposition. Sometimes the results lean towards some kind of arch interpretation of thrash, or even worse, you end up with yet another tasteless slab of goofy pizza thrash. Gutter Killer's super-aggressive music avoids both of those issues. However, it's worth underscoring that their demo is entitled Metal Enema, which shows they're not without a sense of humour.
Metal Enema tracks like "Inhuman Craft" and "Invoke" hurl barb-wire-wrapped riffs at you as vocalist Dylan barks, grunts, and spits deathly venom like a man possessed. Drummer Matai (who is also head-honcho @ Razored Raw) and bassist Quintin construct a wall of battering noise as guitarists Daz and Ciaran deliver chainsawing riffs — flinging viscera this way and that — on "Dreadfully Drilled" and "Destined Death". Gutter Killer go all in, with every second of their debut bursting with manic energy. There's no chance to catch your breath, and Metal Enema's four-track, ultra-brutal production is carnage incarnate (and about as putrid as a fatberg). Metal Enema's 11 untamed minutes are abrasive as hell, which suits me to a T, but the demo's rough-hewn nature might not suit every thrash fan's needs.
It's fair to say that some thrash fans prefer the subgenre's six-string pyrotechnics to be presented in a polished format that highlights technical finesse. But there are no spotlit moments on Metal Enema. Everything here is bloody, jagged, and lashed by distortion. More to the point, bleeding raw recordings like Metal Enema often sacrifice dynamics in favour of an utter blitzkrieg of noise. In this case, that feels like a deliberate ploy. All signs point to Gutter Killer aiming to summon the innate rawness — and the instinctive, adrenaline-pumping reaction to that rawness — of pure, vitriolic thrash. The band's violent songs certainly brim with a primitive honesty that cuts to the heart of gut-driven metal.
If you're a fan of off-the-chain thrash, I'd recommend Metal Enema, stat. It's fierce, fun, and Gutter Killer's debut features explosive metal mayhem that's all the better for its crudity and obnoxiousness. As far as rectal procedures go, Gutter Killer's MO is pretty much akin to a flamethrower colonic. Metal up your ass, for sure, but delivered with volcanic pressure and blistering intensity. Tune in for sewer-dwelling muck and murder that's perfect for the rabid fan in all of us.
