Bludgeoning, bruising, and belligerent, brutal death metal beats listeners down into bloody paste when it does its job right. Indonesian duo Vertiginous takes this direction to heart, holding back nothing as they trounce on listeners with nary a batted eye. The pair released debut Reek of Putrefaction on Excruciating Lust in 2024, and now Hendika Dwi Prasetyo and Jossi Bima return to pulpify you with sophomore outing Incessant Affliction. As is the case for many in the genre, Vertiginous keeps it simple via a relentless teeth-rattling clatter that induces merciless pulverization. In the end, does this Incessant Affliction incubate an infectiously good time, or leave us dying to be put out of our collective misery?
From its first moment, Incessant Affliction pulverizes listeners with unflinching ruthlessness. Opener “Suffering, Misery, and Slaughtering” surges forth with tortured, inhuman vocals, flurries of snare abuse, and lawless stringed onslaught, setting the stage for Incessant Affliction’s violent incursion. And the hits keep coming, as each track roils with the seething intensity of touchstone titans. Musically, Vertiginous recalls early Suffocation with flecks of Devourment and Cannibal Corpse thrown in. Sprinkled throughout are bite-sized bass breaks that act as nice ‘n’ chunky, Alex Webster-inspired flourishes (“Mutilated with Anguishes”). And while paces mostly accelerate toward maximum impact, “Suffering, Misery, and Slaughtering,” “Engraved Loathing,” and “Unclear Misery” dawdle in quick snatches of lurching trudgery, providing brief but welcome respites.
For all the dizzying bombardments that Vertiginous unleashes, though, I find it difficult to differentiate one blood-soaked moment from the next. “Crucified in Fate Hesitation” mauls with pummeling drumming and buzzsaw guitar licks, leaving you sticky with phlegm and ichor. But moving into follow-up track “Incubated Inquietude,” I wouldn’t notice the songs changing if not for the short gap of silence between them. “Tortured with Endless Despair” and “Mutilated with Anguishes” repeat this pattern, separated only by the fading crash of a cymbal. And so on. At half an hour, Incessant Affliction rips and renders with nary a moment to cull, yet there’s also no peak or passage that sticks with me after “Unclear Misery” fades into the ether. Ultimately, this slathers Vertiginous’s latest with too much similitude, undercutting an album that otherwise roars with delicious menace.
Although Vertiginous could stand to add some diversity to Incessant Affliction, they elect some pretty mouthwatering choices as well. The production pushes everything to the fore, but given the genre, this embodies an appropriate choice. The sonic concussion is a calculated bludgeon rather than the result of a glossy or careless mix, and even with Vertiginous relentlessly flogging your skull, Incessant Affliction rumbles with a carefully honed depth. In addition to the production, performances satisfy as well. Bima’s frog-stomping gutturals can be felt as much as heard, churning guts and bowels with seismic malevolence. Prasetyo, meanwhile, handles all instrumentation, impressing with his clangorous drumming. The guitars are suitably chaotic and deadly, although a more focused effort on riff development would go a long way towards solidifying identities for individual songs, which characterizes what separates Vertiginous from brutal death greats like Cryptopsy, Skinless, and Dying Fetus. I also wish the bass played a more prominent role, as the times when it’s most audible create a refreshing dimension that stands out above the pack.
Despite the knocks against Incessant Affliction when evaluated as a whole, taken a song at a time, Vertiginous supplies killer tricks sopping with venomous barbs. I like it more than the score may reflect, but the lack of distinction between songs unfortunately hampers my desire to return to it. Still, I’ll be interested in what Vertiginous cooks up next, because their brand of unrestrained brutality evinces a potent batch of death metal. While Incessant Affliction doesn’t prove as contagious as I’d hoped, the disease is rotten enough for fans to give it a whiff or three.
Rating: Mixed
DR: 4 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Comatose Music
Websites: Bandcamp | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: August 7th, 2026
The post Vertiginous – Incessant Affliction Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.
