Angry Metal GuyVomitizer – Release the Rats Review
By Mark Z.
I’m this site’s resident “vomit” guy. I didn’t choose this life, it chose me. Nonetheless, I take my duties seriously, and when I see a band in the promo bin with “vomit” in the name, I know I have to review it (even if I’m a fucking week late in doing so). So it was with Vomitrot, so it was with the bands before them, and so it is with Vomitizer. Formed in 2023, this dirty Norwegian group bring with them experience in many other metal bands I’ve never heard of, including Chton, Corroder, Cleaver, and Ghetto Ghouls. Release the Rats is the band’s debut album and is described as “a concept album telling an apocalyptic story about how the world rots through fanatics, pestilence and the pure evil of mankind.” I question the need to even listen to this record given that this “story” seems to just be everyday life these days, but such are my solemn duties as this site’s designated vomit scholar. Fortunately, while Vomitizer deliver the nastiness you’d expect from their name, they also offer a few surprises that make for a decent little romp through the filth of the world.
At its core, Release the Rats is a death metal album, though Vomitizer often incorporate ideas that cause this putrid pile to ooze over stylistic borders. The ragged, chunky riffs that serve as the album’s building blocks remind me of a certain thrower of bolts, while the manic, phlegmy rasp of vocalist “PeTerror” likewise feels most firmly rooted in the death metal genre. Yet atop this foundation, you have more atypical moments, like the sharp clean picking that appears in the chorus of the opener, “A Wonderful World to Destroy,” and the verses of the second track, “Rat Religion.” Both “Rat Religion” and a later highlight, “Something Dark and Bloody Did Indeed Occur,” also venture even further from the metal of death, incorporating frostier progressions that evoke the blackened spirit of Immortal’s Sons of Northern Darkness.
Though the sound is raw and unkempt, Vomitizer’s ability to craft direct and memorable songs causes them to be successful regardless of exactly what style they’re playing. “The Church of Rats” slows things to a more shambling pace early in the runtime, yet the switchup feels entirely welcome at that point in the album, and the song’s big, dominant chords ultimately make for a solid tune. Later, “The Reek of Death” again slows things down but takes a sludgier approach in doing so, sounding like what would probably happen if Bolt Thrower drank Eyehategod’s bath water. Perhaps the oddest switchup comes in “Indulge into Chaos,” which features gruff, semi-clean vocals that sound something like Crowbar. Through it all, the band have a snotty, anything-goes attitude that’s hard not to find at least somewhat endearing.
Though nothing here is bad, the album is hampered a bit by a lack of consistency. After opening with three of its strongest songs, the record immediately gives us some of its weakest. Compared to the opening cuts, “Pestilence (the Sickness)” is much shorter and feels like it could have used more time in the incubator. “Rattus Rittualis” is also a misstep. The two-minute song is essentially an extended buildup, making it sound more like an album intro that was accidentally placed as the fourth track. Later, “Raw Meat” barrels forward with lots of energy but little impact. Through it all, the production gets the job done, with an unpolished sound that presents everything clearly without doing anything special. Fortunately, the closer, “Wicked Supremacy,” ends things in a strong fashion, with its groaning tremolos and catchy chugs coming the closest to evoking the trve glory of Bolt Thrower.
Ultimately, Release the Rats sounds like one of those fun little records that you randomly discover years after its release and are happy you did so, even if it doesn’t quite rise to the level of “hidden gem.” I appreciate the album’s memorability, diversity, and quality riffs, but the occasionally undercooked compositions hold it back a bit. Nonetheless, even if Vomitizer seem more obsessed with rodents than retching up last night’s dinner, they’re still more than worthy of the “vomit” name, and those looking for an eclectic and enjoyable batch of extreme metal tunes could find far worse ways to spend 34 minutes.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 128 kbps mp3
Label: Undercover Records
Websites: Facebook | instagram.com/vomitizerofficial
Releases Worldwide: April 25th, 2025
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