Sanguisugabogg â Hideous Aftermath Review
By Owlswald
This review almost didnât happen. As the recently demoted were scraping the last bit of slime off the bottom of the skull pit to prepare for the new haul of Fall promo, we inadvertently found Sanguisugaboggâs third full-length, Hideous Aftermath, submerged in the sludgy remains of two ex-n00bs. Mistakes were made for which we do do not apologize. These Ohio-based purveyors of grimy, gore-inspired brutal death may have a name worthy of the national Spelling Bee and a logo that looks like blood-soaked, tangled string, but these chaps know how to dish out the goods. Spawning from Maggot Stomping grounds in 2019, Sanguisugaboggâs tongue-in-cheek brutality has raised them up to the forefront of this fetid genre. After a debut EP built considerable buzz, Diabolus and Felagund found follow-up LPs Tortured Whole and Homicidal Ecstasy to be forthright and fun slabs of brutal death. Hideous Aftermath now signals a shift, honing their caveman chugs to embrace more expansive horizons, but in the end, itâs still big gory, dumb fun.
On Hideous Aftermath, Sanguisugabogg sheds the muddy textures of 90s death for a significantly sharper and more organic sound. This is largely thanks to stellar production by Kurt Ballou (Converge, Nails). After long self-producing, Sanguisugabogg trusted Ballouâs expertise1 to elevate their sound, ditching the split low-end signal of the guitar in favor of real bass (played by guitarists Cedrik Davis and Drew Arnold) to add a clearer, punchier low-end. The result is a loud, full mix that still allows every nuance of the instrumentation to shine through. From Davis and Arnoldâs chunky, downtuned guitar grooves, to Devin Swankâs stomach-churning gutturals, to Cody Davidsonâs flashy, intricate kit work (including the trademark snare ping), everything hits like a fucking tank. Tracks like âErotic Beheading,â âAbhorrent Contraceptionâ and âRotted Entanglementâ Vomit Forth a platter of the âBoggâs familiar chugs and slams, while facets of Vile Rites progressiveness (âSanctified Defilementâ), Godflesh-tinged industrial (âReplusive Demiseâ), sludgy drawls (âPaid in Fleshâ) and laser blasts (âSemi Automatic Facial Reconstructionâ) show the foursome at their boldest and most creative. Despite this internal split, Hideous Aftermath is a welcome evolution for Sanguisugabogg and a good time to boot.
Letâs curb any potential misconceptions: while Hideous Aftermath finds Sanguisugabogg exploring new sonic territory, itâs first and foremost the same ugly, blood-thirsty, brutal death that existing fans know and love. Across ten songs, the âBogg bludgeons the listener with an unrelenting assault of riffs, blasts, breakdowns and half-time stomps. Moments of respite are few before the artillery fire of Davidsonâs brilliant, anchoring rhythms resumes the barrage. Davidsonâs drumming remains the top highlight, elevating Sanguisugaboggâs songwriting with technical aggression through flawless double bass runs, Bran Dailor-esque (Mastodon) snare rolls and violence-inducing bell work. Standout front-half tracks like âAbhorrent Contraception,â âRotted Entanglementâ and âRitual of Autophagiaâ showcase the groupâs strongest material to date. Here, pummeling brutality meets discordant melodies (âRitual of Autophagiaâ), swirling arpeggiations (âRotted Entanglementâ) and djenty gallops (âFelony Abuse of a Corpseâ). Coupled with the injection of high-caliber guests,2 these new twists and turns give Hideous Aftermathâs material a different, fresh feel and Iâm here for it.
While the first half of Hideous Aftermath proves Sanguisugabogg is capable of taking calculated steps forward, the recordâs overall impact is weakened by its excessive 47-minute length and hesitant execution in the final stretch. The record feels front-loaded, with later tracks âErotic Beheading,â âSemi Automatic Facial Reconstruction,â and âSanctified Defilementâ hindered by conventionality, lacking the strength and progressiveness of the albumâs stronger material. Accordingly, Hideous Aftermath would have benefited from trimming two or three tracks to distill its best ideas. The ambitious industrial interlude âRepulsive Demise,â for example, feels awkward and out of place, while the sludgy ending to the otherwise solid âPain of Fleshâ drones on unnecessarily for four minutes, further underscoring the pacing issue.
But make no mistakeâHideous Aftermath is the best material Sanguisugabogg has released to date, largely succeeding in balancing evolution with tradition. The album confidently delivers the âBoggâs trademark slams and neck-snapping grooves that longtime fans expect, while integrating new twists and turns that showcase a newfound artistic confidence. Though the final stretch wades too far into the deep end and keeps me from awarding Hideous Aftermath a higher score, the record sets a clear path for future greatness. Itâs no longer a question of if Sanguisugabogg will ascend, but when.
Rating: Good!
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Century Media
Websites: sanguisugabogg.bandcamp.com | sanguisugabogg.com | facebook.com/sanguisugabogg
Releases Worldwide: October 10th, 2025
#2025 #30 #AmericanMetal #CattleDecapitation #CenturyMedia #Converge #DeathMetal #DefeatedSanity #FullOfHell #Godflesh #HideousAftermath #Mastodon #Nails #Oct25 #PeelingFlesh #Review #Reviews #Sanguisugabogg #VileRites #VomitForth