Review by Alex on May 7, 2018.

Australia's Depravity launch themselves into the bloody and sickening smelling death metal playpen with no shame or care. They happily swirl around in the severed remains and entrails laying and hanging around. This is brutal death metal that doesn't get tiresome after lending ears for 4 tracks. Evil Upheaval is a well thought out, planned and putrescent plate of poisonous death metal. It spans 40 minutes in length but like some albums I've reviewed, it invokes a false sense of time and leaves the listener with a full stomach of excrement, but a brain sending signals begging for more.

'Manic Onslaught' begins with a sample in which the sentence "all the forces of hell were unleashed" is spoken. I think that sentence is 99% accurate when describing Evil Upheaval. The music on 'Manic Onslaught' is belligerent in every sense conceivable; the drummer Louis Rando plays as though his feet and arms possess their own consciousness and are the prototype builds for future robotic genetics. His drumming on 'Manic Onslaught' and on the entire album is bodacious. Though the drums do sound triggered; Rando's stick striking style is filled with control and precision as he yanks out some semi-technical blast beats and stomach kicking double bass. Vocalist Jamie Kay, guitarists Lynton Cessford and Jarrod Curley are at war with each other on this 4:39 scene of carefully constructed carnage. Jamie Kay doesn't seem to stop burping pollutants while Jarrod and Lynton discharge combinations of riffing ferocity.

'Repugnant' has one of the best opening drum and riff combos I have heard thus far from a brutal death metal band. It bares a slight similarity to Succumb's 'Coal Dark Earth' (drum-wise). 'Repugnant' also has a bit of diversity incorporated into its structure; via thrash metal drumming and even a deathcore breakdown. I'll admit the deathcore breakdown did come as a huge shock to me and I hope they leave it out of future releases. I have little deathcore in my collection (Carnifex and Thy Art is Murder) because finger movement on the guitars doesn't seem to be a hobby; by majority of the bands within the deathcore genre. Please Depravity; let this be the last time you ever implement a deathcore breakdown, cause one thing will lead to another (dare I say 'djent'). 'Repugnant' is still a fantastic track despite the blemish, however, you did worry me.

'Vile Defloration' is Depravity's mightiest out-pour of hatred and anger. Its slow on most sections of the record but gets the job done in terms of message and interpretation. Don't let your guard down here, there's one wild guitar solo being augmented and prowls unsuspectingly within the shadows of this dark, soggy alley. 'Vile Defloration' is different in terms of tone and speed. It has a direful feeling and is presented as the final act of an abominable festival. If you enjoy your death metal loud and remorseless, then this barbaric brew of a boisterous battery (being Evil Upheaval) has your depraved desire in mind.

Rating: 9 out of 10