When in skilled hands, death and grind go together like all the finest combinations, whether it’s peanut butter and chocolate, beer and pretzels, or good old mac and cheese. The tasty combo applies to the musical inclinations of Illinois wrecking crew Melting Rot, as they unleash their second LP and follow-up to 2021’s Blood Delusions debut. Admittedly unfamiliar before dredging this one up from the promo sump, the trio feature combined underground experience with various lesser-known acts, forming way back in 2017. Citing the likes of Regurgitate and Excruciating Terror as comparisons, and featuring a guest spot from Exhumed legend Matt Harvey, can these unheralded deathgrind loonies make a sizable impact in the ever-crowded realms of the underground?
Following a short sample, right off the bat, Melting Rot lay their gnarled cards on the table, unleashing a rugged, relentless frenzy of old school grind values and groovy, gnashing brutal death, complete with incomprehensible, uber low vox and occasional deeper variations or grindy highs. It’s a tight, violent, take-no-prisoners approach, done and dusted in a mere eighteen minutes. Melting Rot flip between d-beaten bursts and blasts of crusty grind, to thuggish brutal death depravity with raucous energy and tight musical chops. Revelling in the relative uncomplicated nature of their sound, Melting Rot draw influence from the likes of Exhumed, Carcass, and a more straightforward Benighted.
Sporting a robust, extra beefy production job, Infatuation with Premeditation boasts a killer guitar tone, cutting a nasty swathe of distortion and welcome oomph to the ample supply of meaty riffs and piledriving grooves littering the album. At their most potent, Melting Rot dish out gnarly examples of their bruising deathgrind attack. Barnstorming cuts like the viciously grinding, punkish throes and infectious riffs of “Human Pavement Splatter,” crunching grooves and ripping powerplays of “The Surgeon was Comatose,” and thrashing melodicism cutting through the otherwise blunt force savagery of “Aiming for Construction Workers” highlight Infatuation with Premeditation’s stronger writing. Not to be discounted, “Open Casket Vomit Spew” injects Necroticism-esque flair and crunch, while “Morbid Infatuation” adds buzzsawing Swedeath riffs into its punky grind skirmishes. It’s nasty, unsanitized stuff, refreshingly free from modern polish, ensuring the material retains its dirty, rusty edge.
There are no glaring weak links, just a handful of moments where the writing bleeds together slightly, leading to fleeting moments of faceless brutality. Meanwhile, the vocals are a mixed bag. The multi-pronged attack largely defaults to the predominant gurgling lows, while serviceable, they lack variation and are fairly one-dimensional and monotonous in delivery. When occasionally cut with the shattering highs and other lower growl variations, the vocal impact is more effective. Shifting the balance would have worked wonders. Otherwise, Infatuation with Premeditation ticks all the boxes for a rollicking good time for deathgrind fiends. The brevity leaves you wanting more, and while long-term mileage is debatable, overall, Melting Rot swing hard and largely nail the impact. The subtle dynamic shifts between their higher gears are well executed, while the album is fueled by relentless energy and filthy, bludgeoning riffs, packing a mean, headbanging punch.
Melting Rot delivered a punchy, efficient blast of deathgrind goodness on Infatuation with Premeditation, featuring a short, sharp collection of nuggety brawlers falling in the solid to very good bracket and hinting at potential greatness to come if Melting Rot continue to sharpen and hone their songwriting skills. As it stands, Infatuation with Premeditation is a strong 3.0, an entertaining platter and recommended listen for deathgrind enthusiasts who like their deathgrind extra riffy and their grooves bloody and beaten.
Rating:3.0/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Hells Headbangers Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: March 27th, 2026
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