There are thousands upon thousands of forgotten bands buried and rotting in the coffin of time. And while the heap is often justifiable hill of similarly marked graves that did nothing but play idol worship [insert any Hatebreed rip-off band here], some are truly remarkable units that just didn't get the respect they deserved. If there is one band that is truly underrated in this expansive graveyard, it is Tempe, Arizona's crust/grind/death metal unit Vomitüs.
If you haven't heard of the almighty Vomitüs, I'm not surprised. The band is ridiculously obscure, to the point that, with modern trends being what they are, a bunch of v-necked, hipster twats would probably brag about listening to them "back in the day" on an 8-track or 78 or some shit. But that's not my intention here, rather it is exposure.
Vomitüs existed from 1995-1998, releasing a split EP with the amazing Flux of Disorder in 1997 and a demo called Sutimov. In 1996. The Sutimov demo is an incredible piece of work. It is the kind of thing you'd come to expect from a seasoned band. It combines odd audio clips with a recording quality that would rival Hellbastard's Rippercrust demo if it had been run together with elements of Darkthrone's F.O.A.D and Napalm Death's Harmony Corruption. Audio clips tend to highlight ideas on society and a general sense of decay and disarray sinks into the music. Tracks like “Society Demise” and “Devolve” slam through the speakers with unbridled rage that focus more on a punk/crust approach while other pieces like “Drunk (Part 1)” are much more metallic and thrashy. The formula is combined throughout though and the piece is an absolute killer.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWDIHj6PaOY[/youtube]
The Vomitüs/Flux of Disorder split is only two tracks, and at the time only one of them, “Lunar Inhalation (Spell of Balance)” was new. “Lunar Inhalation” continues the expectations set on Sutimov and tears. The recording sounds like it was done in a cave during a war. The metallic beat of the drums and constant fuzz are more marks of how raw this band was. A perfect song that asks the question with its recording quality alone: “Who fucking cares? Play!” The other track on the split was “Devolve” redone, and it doesn"t sound terribly different, but it's still awesome.
Though Vomitüs broke up in 1998, the band did manage to record a follow up to Sutimov. The piece is known as A Galaxy of Thought and when it comes to unreleased albums, this is the shit. Those that loved Sutimov will find A Galaxy of Thought a step up in Vomitüs' game. The piece is has a slightly better recording quality (basically it sounds like they used five mics instead of two or three). There's more growls, longer songs, heavier riffs, rougher clips, and enough raw material to strip your flesh to the bone and marrow. Songs like “Caved” are rippers, crusted and thrashy like blood caked barbed wire. A Galaxy of Thought really feels more like an whole experience than Sutimov. The material is so precise and thoroughly tearing it almost makes you feel jealous and intimidated.
In the film Madhouse, Vincent Price screams “There is always room for more in the coffin of time!” Yeah, Vomitüs now rests in that coffin, but there is no reason why their material should go unheard. The band was inhumanly stellar. Their approach, sound, album flow, and interludes/audio clips are incredible and deserve to be heard. Fans of crust, grind and death metal should hunt this band down if they have not heard them. The legacy of Vomitüs, though short, is a strong, strangling arm that will happily snap your neck. You may just find yourself chanting those last, decaying words of Sutimov when all is said and done. “Up the vomit.”
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvMlJFxuaj8[/youtube]
