a Google sheet some kind of dark magic to produce an official guide to, and an all-around definitive aggregated ranking of, that band’s entire discography? Well, if that happened, we imagine it would look something like this…
Baltimore, Maryland’s Dying Fetus formed back in ye olde year of 1991, while the death metal genre exploded around them. Releasing a couple of nasty demos, Dying Fetus eventually dropped a raw, ugly slab of brutality in the form of their uncompromising 1996 debut, Purification in Violence. Perhaps influenced by New York heavyweights and contemporaries Internal Bleeding and the legendary Suffocation, Dying Fetus whipped hardcore, and even some occasional rap influences, along with disgusting dual vocal eruptions, into a punishing, uncannily precise brutal death/grind/slam combo that they would subsequently refine, develop, and own in the years to follow. Their sound boasts a slick combination of technically advanced brutality, pile-driving slam grooves, killer dual vocal trade-offs, and deft knack of coupling sick and beefy brutal death with insanely catchy songwriting. And aside from their earlier more provocative, gore-tinged material, lyrically, Dying Fetus have long taken the higher ground, focusing on intelligent and searing commentary on societal woes and socio-political matters.
Amidst regular line-up shuffles in the early years, and the eventual disintegration of the line-up to form Misery index after the release of their seminal third LP, 2000’s Destroy the Opposition, founding member and mastermind John Gallagher (guitars, uber low gurgle vox) remained to pick up the pieces and resurrect Dying Fetus from the brink of breakdown. Despite losing some serious talent, including founding bassist/vocalist/lyricist Jason Netherton and hired gun and drumming ace Kevin Talley, Gallagher rebuilt from the ground up. And over the past couple of decades, Dying Fetus have remained at the forefront of the modern brutal death/slam scene, showcasing a consistently strong collection of albums, while influencing and inspiring countless bands. Paring back to a trio on 2009’s Descend into Depravity, Dying Fetus have remained as inspired and uncompromising in recent years, amidst a more sporadic yet still vital recording output.
What is certain is Dying Fetus are death metal legends and more than worthy of the illustrious ranking treatment in anticipation of their upcoming ninth album, Make Them Beg for Death. There are no bad Dying Fetus albums, just some fluctuations from solid to extremely great/timeless, with no sign that the trio’s supremacy is slipping.
Wildcards: Due to not being fully fledged LPs they did not meet the criteria for ranking, however, curious newcomers would do well to check out the early demo compilation Infatuation with Malevolence and the ultra-fun Grotesque Impalement EP for further listening pleasures.
– Saunders
Saunders
Dying Fetus were perhaps the most brutal band I laid my ears on when I stumbled across Destroy the Opposition in the early ’00s and I’ve been an avid fanboy since. Along with the mighty Suffocation, during those impressionable early years discovering the wonders of extreme metal, and death metal in particular, Dying Fetus were a unique force that upped the brutality from classic death metal staples while writing some of the most ridiculously heavy yet catchy brutal death metal songs around. Impressively, the band has shown incredible longevity and resilience to rise above the challenges and remain not only relevant but still at the top of their game some twenty-seven years since dropping their debut. With generally lengthier breaks between albums, a new Dying Fetus LP is a big fucking deal, especially on the back of an inspired later career run since consolidating a stable line-up consisting of the unfuckwithable trio of Gallagher, bassist/vocalist Sean Beasley and phenomenal drummer Trey Williams.
The Ranking:
#8: Purification Through Violence (1996). Dying Fetus landed their first major blow on 1996’s unrefined, though still solidly fun and punishing debut, Purification through Violence. The early ingredients were on display, just in uglier forms, carrying a real old school underground edge, reflected in the rough production values and looser, less polished make-up and performances. However, the dual vocal trade-offs between Jason Netherton (bass/vocals) and Gallagher hinted at the vocal potency they would refine on subsequent early Fetus releases. The budding technical skills and distinctive axework showed promise, while the songwriting featured the visceral traits and addictive slams that would become crucial components as Dying Fetus tightened the screws on their sound. Perhaps the least essential album in the Dying Fetus canon, Purification Through Violence is nevertheless a more primitive exhibition of their youthful exuberance and budding potential, marking a curious early career snapshot. Chunky brutal death nuggets such as “Blunt Force Trauma,” “Skull Fucked” and “Permanently Disfigured” still rip and tear in pleasingly boneheaded fashion.
#7. Stop at Nothing (2003). Perhaps the most important album in the career of Dying Fetus, 2003’s Stop at Nothing had the monumental task of following up Destroy the Opposition, all while navigating the loss of key band members who peeled off to form Misery Index. Armed with a new batch of accomplished musicians, Gallagher forged on with admirable perseverance and determination. Unmistakably Dying Fetus in sound and precise execution, Stop at Nothing is a solid, if uneven return, that nonetheless displayed the trademarks listeners had come to expect. Amongst the revamped line-up, currently long-serving bassist/vocalist Sean Beasley took on four-string duties, Mike Kimball assumed the troublesome second guitar slot, Erik Sayenga manned the kit, and Vince Matthews lent his mid-ranged low vox to replace the sizable shoes of Netherton. Underwhelming on release, I have since come to respect Stop at Nothing, even if it remains somewhat inconsistent, the dual vox combo less impactful, and the thinner, overly clean production is bothersome. Quibbles aside, it marked a triumphant return and featured some corking tunes, headlined by “One Shot, One Kill,” “Schematics” and the savage “Forced Elimination.”
#5. Descend into Depravity (2009). The dark horse in the Dying Fetus canon, Descend into Depravity marked a pivotal juncture where Dying Fetus slimmed down to a trio and began to transition into the second inspired phase in the band’s career. While its two immediate predecessors were solid albums, neither found Dying Fetus operating at peak powers. Descend into Depravity represents a tighter, darker, catchier collection of bludgeoning brutal death-slam tunes that kicked everything up a gear. Gallagher has always surrounded himself with gifted musicians, yet it was the decision to cut back to a trio and incorporate the supreme skills of drummer Trey Williams that proved the exhilarating shot in the arm the band needed. The dual vocals of Gallagher and bassist Beasley found their groove, offering the best vocal trade-offs since the Gallagher/Netherton days. Overall, the songs and production just popped more than their previous couple of offerings, hitting harder and sinking their hooks deeper into the flesh. The gritty, mean tone permeating the album lent it a particularly vicious edge, exemplified on such choice cuts as “Atrocious by Nature,” “Shepherd’s Commandment” and “At What Expense?” Somewhat interchangeable dependent on mood with the fourth spot choice.
#4. Wrong One to Fuck With (2017). I probably jumped the gun when I suggested Wrong One to Fuck With was the best Dying Fetus album since Destroy the Opposition. Hindsight’s a bitch. Yet I otherwise stand by my original assessment. This is a menacingly dark, vital and visceral album, that again demonstrates Dying Fetus’ ability to sound as exuberant and youthful as a band half their age. Characteristics such as their signature vocal stylings, penchant for wielding accessible songwriting with unfiltered brutality and technical pizazz, was on full display. The one main issue is the length. Easily the band’s longest album at 53 minutes, though quality remains high throughout, some tactful trimming of song lengths to slim down the final package would definitely have added to the potency. In the end, this one represents Dying Fetus sounding particularly full of rage and urgency, exemplified on killer cuts such as “Die with Integrity,” “Seething with Disdain” and “Weaken the Structure.” In truth there are no weak cuts, just some keener editing required, otherwise Wrong One to Fuck With is a formidable later career entry that viciously stomps, slams and uppercuts its way to glory.
#1. Destroy the Opposition (2000). Yeah, no surprises here. Although I like a good left-field choice, there is simply no greater album in the Dying Fetus canon than their classic third LP, Destroy the Opposition. Arguably one of the finest brutal death/slam albums ever released, Destroy the Opposition was my introduction to the band and one of the critical albums in opening the gateways to more extreme, brutal pleasures. Dying Fetus solidified perhaps its finest line-up to date, the core duo of Gallagher and Netherton, along with guitarist Sparky Voyles and jaw-dropping drumming chops of Talley, backing up from his impressive performance on Killing on Adrenaline. Crisp, beefy production and a delightfully infectious, slammably groovy, and technically dazzling collection of tunes that were also remarkably consistent in unified high quality. Front loaded with some of their most well-known classics, including, “Praise the Lord (Opium of the Masses),” “Born of Sodom” and the utterly devastating grooves of “Epidemic of Hate,” the album’s second half proves equally impactful, highlighted by the pulse racing tech-deathgrind of “Pissing in the mainstream,” ferocious “For Us or Against Us” and memorably beefcake closer, “Justifiable Homicide.” It’s a near-perfect display of technical brutal death/slam supremacy and catchy songcraft.
Dolphin Whisperer
I wouldn’t call myself a long-time Dying Fetus fan, but ever since I latched onto the dumb pleasures of riff-laden thrash as a metal-loving youth, I’ve grown on a steady path of increasing niches, finding pleasure in extremes of all sorts—the shrieking throes of grindcore, the bowel-churning lows of brutal death metal, the relentless mangle of deathgrind. Dying Fetus checks all those boxes and then some while supplying their aggro-apathy in packages tied with hardcore nihilism and classic metal shred therapy. As any band of their lengthier tenure, they’ve seen changes, worked alongside trends, yet have remained largely above a flanderized sound every step of the way. Main mind John Gallagher shoulders much of this consistency as the only remaining co-founder through the evolution of this act’s colossal and corroded sound, a sound which many have emulated but few can pull off with as much conviction. As brutal and slamming as each Fetus opus can get, an air of elegant song construction and societal awareness runs alongside the seemingly uneducated riff-crutched attitude and shock horror that often looms over brutal death metal. You don’t need a PhD1 to understand Dying Fetus, but reading into what they offer will yield you a little more commentary than many other similar acts. So, as we approach the release of Make them Beg for Death, if you’ve never sat down with the ol’ Fetus before, consider this as an alternative gospel to whatever my equally—if not more—qualified colleagues present.
The Ranking:
#8. Stop at Nothing (2003). Ok, let’s get a couple things out of the way here. In 2003, a lot of heavy metal records sounded like shit, even plenty that I enjoy. Stop at Nothing, however, finds itself in the enviable position of landing right after the mighty Destroy the Opposition, a record which you will definitely see high in this set of rankings and generally high in the world of Dying Fetus enjoyers. So both sitting in the shadow of past success, landing at a terrible-sounding time for music, and losing many core members to the fledgling Misery Index left Stop at Nothing sounding a bit lost and a lot fried. In fact, two of the members from this album too would leave shortly after, though this is the first appearance of now long-time bassist and growl partner Sean Beasley. Dying Fetus, of course, still finds choice hardcore-inflected grooves in cuts like “Institutions of Deceit” and “Forced Elimination”—main man John Gallagher will always find his way to some sort of groovy grip over a pit-thirsty audience. But Stop at Nothing as a whole leaves a lot to be desired in the grand scheme of Fetus.
#7. Purification through Violence (1996). Now I know that I said that Stop at Nothing stands worse for wear in the sound department, but, in that arena, this humble and kicking debut takes the cake. However, in its lower-quality engineering, it manages to capture a bit more of that NYC hardcore attitude—the tough guy, drop-tuned shuffle of bands like Biohazard and Earth Crisis—and meld it with the grotesque death metal assault of early Cannibal Corpse. Important tunes like “Blunt Force Trauma” and “Nothing Left to Pray For” showcase the developing neoclassical-laced groove ideas that Gallagher would carry through, well, the entire Fetus discog in some way. Not to mention, the original vocal dueling of Gallagher’s gut-spilling belches and Jason Netherton’s raspy and punishing snarl keep the sub 30 minute burst moving forward, pearls clutched and covered in riffs. Have you ever tried to sing along to “Nocturnal Crucifixion”? It’s a blast. Some quality sample intros about this one too.
#5. Wrong One to Fuck With (2017). From this point upward, it’s hard to say that you could go wrong with any choice from the Fetus smorgasbord of gory samples against smartly-timed caveman slams and fiery fretboard asides. In their aging assault, the tested trio that makes up Fetus in this era finds ways to keep things fresh, with a mathcore panic briefly stirring the pot (“Die with Integrity”) and melodic tremolo riffs increasing in presence before bring down the fattest slams (“Reveling in the Abyss,” “Fallacy”). If the three hunks of the Fetus crew weren’t made of pure burp and beef, it’d be easy to slot them alongside the equally vicious but less slamming Cattle Decapitation work of a similar timeframe (The Anthropocene Extinction, Death Atlas). Unlike that act though, Dying Fetus faces whatever issues they have with pure aggression—the enemy’s face lives on a brutalized and leaking punching bag, not under a soapbox—you can see it in the attitude of Fetus’ “Ideological Subjugation” vs . Cattle Decap’s any song “With All Disrespect.” In any case, despite having sounded more fluid and frantic on younger outings, the groove persists throughout Wrong One, and it’s impossible to ignore.
#3. Descend into Depravity (2009). When Dying Fetus entered the field, not too many bands were playing the same game. After a bit of trouble dialing their dominance in the mid-00’s, the band pared down to a trio and teamed up with a new producer/engineer Steve Wright. Now, no one could accuse Dying Fetus of not being a death metal band, but Descend into Depravity, if nothing else, stands as almost the most full-fledged heavy fuckin’ metal album in their history. This galvanized energy finds some root in the muscular limbs of new drummer Trey Williams, whose clacking kick runs and willingness to leave space for the Gallagher-Beasley tandem to run wild let each remorseless rumble of hammering numbers like “Atrocious by Nature” and “Descend into Depravity” vibrate the frothing beast within. Whether it’s the trem and bash of “Hopeless Insurrection,” the Necrophagist into a steamroller groove of “Conceived into Enslavement,” or the Morbid Angel-leaning drama of “At What Expense,” Descend fuels Fetus less with hardcore scatters and more with sneaking and jagged technical riffage than past outings. A pleasure on the ears, and a three-dicked menace in the pit.
#2. Destroy the Opposition (2000). Shit, I guess that makes Destroy the Opposition a four-dicked menace. Every member of the Fetus crew in this classic album—including one-off guitarist Sparky Voyles who would move on to found and build Misery Index with bassist/barker Jason Netherton—attacks each moment with a fury that any band would find hard to replicate, let alone capture. The beauty of the Fetus sound lives in each moment of pure burners “Burn in Sodom” and “In Times of War” where a pounding Talley fill can, at the snap of a neck, shatter into a studied arpeggio flurry or nut-swingin’ slam. Similar to the first two Fetus flings, Destroy harbors a penchant for groovy, NYC hardcore bordering beatdown with that classic Biohazard tough guy-tougher guy trade-off informing the shred-infested swing of “Epidemic of Hate” and “Justifiable Homicide.” Recklessly tearing around the fringes of the simultaneously emergent Lamb of God groove brand, Destroy keeps one hammer raised for hardcore and one raised for death metal without sacrificing the strengths of either style—oh, did I mention that it also somehow manages to have the most balanced and spacious mix of their listings? Blistering, buoyant, and bar none, Fetus achieved the epitome of their early style with this well-aged, supercharged, and dominating outing.
Maddog
Avid Maddog fans might be surprised at my inclusion among grind stalwarts Saunders and Dolph.2 I cut my teeth on Morbid Angel as a youngster, and Suffocation’s early output captured my heart soon thereafter. While I’m no grind expert, I dipped my toes into Dying Fetus two years later from the perspective of brutal death metal. Destroy the Opposition marked the start of an unlikely love affair. This fetal catalog has rewarded me through both its obvious fiery consistency and its less obvious variety. Dying Fetus’ worst records are fun, and their classics are unstoppable. Take it from a grind novice: Anyone who loves death metal, hates violence, or loves violence, will find something to enjoy here. Without further ado, feast on my idiotic opinions.
The Ranking:
#8. Stop at Nothing (2003). Dying Fetus’ fourth album Stop at Nothing is a distinct step down from Destroy the Opposition. Stop at Nothing is an admirable attempt to wed Dying Fetus’ raw early sound with more polished death metal riffs, with grindcore sprinkled on top. The riffs just don’t land nearly as well as their earlier or later work. Even the isolated stellar melodies (“Abandon All Hope,” “Onslaught of Malice”) fail to coalesce into stellar songs, often hindered by abrupt transitions. Still, as cliché as it sounds, even my least favorite Dying Fetus album isn’t a disaster.
#6. Descend into Depravity (2009). Descend into Depravity started out higher in my ranking, especially since the album starts strong and ends with the fearsome “Ethos of Coercion.” Dying Fetus’ sound crystallizes into their trademark blend of brutal death metal, grind riffs, and noodly tech death. Descend into Depravity is violent and polished, but it doesn’t hold up well over multiple spins. The noodling is too noodly, detracting from the fun (“Your Treachery Will Die with You”). Dying Fetus’ flashes of brilliance often lose momentum through abrupt transitions or generic grindy routines (“Hopeless Insurrection”). Descend into Depravity’s highlights are a worthwhile listen, but it lacks the staying power of Fetus’ best work.
#5. Wrong One to Fuck With (2017). Dying Fetus’ latest record Wrong One to Fuck With mirrors its predecessor Reign Supreme, with somewhat less success. The riffs feel more rooted in death metal, and the jaw-dropping middle of the record pulverizes my eardrums from “Reveling in the Abyss” through “Weaken the Structure.” However, Wrong One to Fuck With suffers from inconsistency. The record lasts 16 minutes longer than any other Dying Fetus album, and its beginning and end fall short of the band’s greatest work. Still, Wrong One to Fuck With’s bloat and inconsistency shouldn’t detract from its unstoppable highlights.
#4. Reign Supreme (2012). Earning fourth place is no mean feat; indeed, this is where the truly great Fetus records begin. Reign Supreme improves on Descend into Depravity in every way. Melding Dying Fetus’ influences into one colossus, the centerpiece of Reign Supreme is its violent riffs. Tracks like “Subjected to a Beating” and “From Womb to Waste” easily land in the upper echelon of Dying Fetus’ output. Reign Supreme would rank even higher with better writing. Parts of the record suffer from sounding abrupt (“Second Skin”) or repetitive (“Dissidence,” “In the Trenches”). As a result, Reign Supreme could have been a more satisfying start-to-finish listen. Still, it might be Dying Fetus’ most memorable album.
#3. Purification through Violence (1996). This will ruffle some feathers. Dying Fetus’ debut Purification through Violence excels through its power, fitting neatly within mid-1990s brutal death metal while standing out through its -core-drenched riffs. The album strays closest to Suffocation, echoing 1991’s Effigy of the Forgotten (“Beaten into Submission”) and foreshadowing 1998’s Despise the Sun (“Nocturnal Crucifixion”). The most frequent criticisms leveled against Dying Fetus’ debut is that both the album and its production are raw. Guilty as charged. And yet, it’s impossible not to love tracks as vicious as “Blunt Force Trauma.” Highlights like “Permanently Disfigured” demonstrate that the band wasn’t messing around; they wanted to release a cohesive record rather than a half-hour of fragmented riffs. Purification through Violence lands high in this ranking because despite its flaws, it’s a thoughtfully-composed firestorm.
#2. Destroy the Opposition (2000). Destroy the Opposition was my first experience with Dying Fetus. My indelible first impression was one of consistency. Every single track had a fervor that kept me coming back for more.3 After opening with an all-time great riff in “Praise the Lord (Opium of the Masses)” and the barnburner title track, the record’s unbridled energy carries it all the way through the vicious closer “Justifiable Homicide.” Nailing both groove (“Epidemic of Hate”) and brutality (“For Us or Against Us”), Destroy the Opposition succeeds through the sheer force of its riffs. Destroy the Opposition sounds more polished than any Dying Fetus record before it and more infectious than anything after it. I’ve never heard anything else like it, and I likely never will.
#1. Killing on Adrenaline (1998). My first reaction to Dying Fetus’ sophomore outing Killing on Adrenaline was lukewarm. Revisiting it in 2023, my reaction was… still lukewarm. Only after several more listens did it start to click. One of Dying Fetus’ least accessible records, Killing on Adrenaline expands the brutal death metal foundation of Purification through Violence in all directions. The groovy hardcore influences shine brighter here, bordering on hip-hop (“Killing on Adrenaline”). The slow crushing sections are slower and more crushing (“Absolute Defiance”). The fastest sections sear flesh, with “Intentional Manslaughter” housing perhaps the greatest riff in Dying Fetus’ career. Even Destroy the Opposition can’t quite match Killing on Adrenaline’s energy. Above all, the album’s excellent writing shapes these violent experiments into cohesive songs. Even the seven-minute “Procreate the Malformed,” the longest track in Fetus’ career, never sounds boring or haphazard. The rhythm section ups its game, with the bass shining through the maelstrom and the drums deftly managing transitions. After I finally gave it the time it deserved, Killing on Adrenaline has earned its rightful place atop this list.
Dying Fetus Primer…Feast your ears in some select cuts from the band’s storied career.
- Purification Through Violence (1996)4
– “Nothing to Prey For”
– “Permanently Disfigured”
– “Blunt Force Trauma” - Killing on Adrenaline (1998)
– “Killing on Adrenaline”
– “Judgment Day”
– “Intentional Manslaughter” - Grotesque Impalement EP (2000)5
– “Grotesque Impalement”
– “Tearing Inside the Womb” - Destroy the Opposition (2000)
– “Praise the Lord (Opium of the Masses)”
– “Born of Sodom”
– “Epidemic of Hate” - Stop at Nothing (2003)
– “One Shot, One Kill”
– “Forced Elimination”
– “Onslaught of Malice” - War of Attrition (2007)
– “Homicidal Retribution”
– “Insidious Repression”
– “Unadulterated Hatred” - Descend into Depravity (2009)
– “Shepherd’s Commandment”
– “At What Expense?”
– “Ethos of Coercion” - Reign Supreme (2012)
– “Subjected to a Beating”
– “From Womb to Waste”
– “In the Trenches” - Wrong One to Fuck With (2017)
– “Seething with Disdain”
– “Reveling in the Abyss”
– “Weaken the Structure”
Dying Fetus’ ninth full-length album Make them Beg for Death will be released on September 8th worldwide via Relapse Records. We hope you’re ready.
