Kurnugia — Forlorn and Forsaken

Founded by members of Cleveland's heavy hitters (Nunslaughter, Embalmer, Decrepit, to name a few), Kurnugia drops their first full length on April 27th. Following up two EPs over seven years, this LP was a long time coming, and very welcome. Influenced by classic death metal of the early 90's, Forlorn and Forsaken captures the grime and glory of that era and gives it the benefit of modern production and song writing. Complete with vile and awesome artwork by Mark Cooper, Kurnugia's debut LP is exactly what the doctor ordered for the quarantine blues.

A well constructed 37(ish) minutes, Forlorn and Forsaken follows a tried and true classic death mantra, "don't waste space." Just the right length for a fun headbanging and air guitar session, Kurnugia hit the nail on the head with their first LP. After the prerequisite "Intro," "To The Cursed Depths" spews forth with speed and just enough grime to draw the listener in further. Tightly crunchy guitar distortion hearkens back to DOD's heyday and beefs up the riffage with crispy thickness. Persistent, no frills drumming pounds relentlessly and give Kurnugia an ambulatory presence like that of a lurking, death metal zombie. Dueling guitars battle back and forth in a frenzied fracas consistently upping the ante, while Paul Gorefiend belches the lyrics forth. Recorded far more cleanly than the members' original bands' releases from this target time frame, Forlorn and Forsaken's ten songs showcase a knack for efficient songwriting, tight teamwork, and a love of classic death. Like many current acts yearning for the simpler times, Kurnugia takes their passion and skill, and creates a veritable time machine to a simpler, death fueled time. Without the internet or access to reviews on demand, one would have had to flip through the bins for a new treat, and Mark Cooper's cover would have guaranteed a purchase. All in all, this is a nice trip back to a much simpler time.

No frills but full of great stuff, Kurnugia's Forlorn and Forsaken is a death metal journey back in time. Dueling guitars and distorted riffs, this Cleveland supergroup puts their past and influences on display for their debut LP. Not new to the game (as players or as a band), Kurnugia have taken their warm-up time seriously and have come off the bench to play.