Hostia - Carnivore Carnival

Review by Tobeastias:

Reviewed the Hostia, took me a year or more, but here it is... It has some cool moments and I enjoyed the few dissonant sections on songs like "Panzer Church". Unfortunately, there isn't anything truly remarkable about this release. It's not really their fault. You can only re-arrange that Terrorizer / Repulsion / Suffocation riff in so many ways (that's my way of saying there is a lack of creativity here).

I liked the aforementioned experimental sections.  They seem to pay some homage to the mid 90's Napalm Death albums such as Fear Emptiness Despair, and Inside the Torn Apart. The vocalist has an impressive range and is ultimately my least favorite component of the band because they at times give off 90's hardcore vibes and don't fit the music well. I can't really say anything bad about the instrumental musicianship otherwise. The vast majority of the fast / blast sections are unmemorable and there is some good usage of syncopation, but the breakdowns are similarly unmemorable and then re-used with slight variations on other tracks. I think my favorite track on this album by far is "God's Coffin'", it gives me Pungent Stench / Agathocles vibes, and the cowbell usage ultimately commands respect. 

I enjoy the fact that this isn't meant to be taken seriously. About half of the album bleeds together, with occasionally enjoyable parts and is thus transiently enjoyable overall. Innovation is hard and I can't really brutally ding the album and call it a viscerally offensive pile of excrement, but I also can in no way recommend purchasing this anywhere outside of a discount CD bin because this isn't something that deserves a repeat listen.