Auditory Anguish AFA Review
Auditory Anguish
AFA
Creator-Destructor Records
2025
Over the last two to three years, I've noticed an emerging trend in death metal. More bands are marrying elements of metallic hardcore into their arrangements. This isn’t necessarily new as Internal Bleeding basically patented it in the early 90’s, while bands like Trap Them and Creeping Death followed suit a bit later. There's a veritable laundry list of bands that are employing this approach, and Spinebreaker, 200 Stab Wounds and Sanguisugabogg all come to mind. Today we look at the latest progenitors in southern California’s Auditory Anguish and the 5 song AFA EP.
Auditory Anguish first made waves with the self-released Tragedies Of Western Existence three-song promo in 2023, followed by the Crime Rituals EP in 2024. Now they have aligned with Creator-Destructor Records for the bruiser we are discussing. AA are a quintet, so their sound is a veritable wall of chugging, churning guitars, low distorted bass, and drums that groove super hard and super formidably. The EP was recorded and mixed at The Pit Recording Studio in Van Nuys, California by Taylor Young (Disgrace, Twitching Tongues, God’s Hate) who also provides additional vocals to “Unrelenting Blade”. The overall mix is modern in nature, and every instrument and throat laceratesld death growl/shouts are all easily heard. The one thing I love about this mix is that the drums don't sound overly quantized or sampled or triggered, giving them a much more organic feel.
AFA doesn't stick around for very long. The entire ordeal hands us our asses in just over 10 minutes. This is where I personally think the melding of hardcore with death metal works, because I am partial to songs that hang around the two-to-four-and-a-half-minute range. This EP obliges with no song over three. Stylistically I can hear a few things going on in Auditory Anguish’s sound. There is the tremolo picked sections reminiscent of mid paced Cannibal Corpse stuff, along with breakdowns a plenty and hardcore two step sections. In these moments you can hear Xilbalba, Trash Talk and All Out War in their DNA. Their press release says they are also considered “metalcore”, but I don't hear it. I absolutely hear head bobbing groove laden NYHC colliding with slam, beat down and old school death. For a perfect marriage of all of this, look no further than the mosh worthy “Clementine”, “Terra Santa” and the Deftones adjacent intro into fire breathing speed of closer “Unrelenting Blade”.
All things said and done, AFA isn't breaking any new molds, but it is done with proficiency, anger, aggression and a keen sense of energy. Get destroyed by this stat. Auditory Anguish has given us an extremely intense and engaging (albeit a bit short) listen. Bloody noses are sure to follow. Here's hoping a tour with Frozen Soul, Full Blown Chaos and 200 Stab Wounds is on the imminent horizon.
RIYL: Xibalba, Cannibal Corpse, Internal Bleeding, Full Blown Chaos, All Out War
~TB