Pemphigoid – Where Compassion Comes To Die – Album Review

A quick definition before we begin: Pemphigoid is the word used to describe a group of rare autoimmune blistering skin diseases….which is nice. Not that we’re saying these grisly old-school deathly groove monsters from Nottinghamshire are riddled with pus-filled rashes of indiscriminate origin but the music they play does conjure images of ravaged bodies, decaying corpses and all manner of human decay.

So, perhaps it’s a pretty apt description after all!

We’re in early-Autopsy / early-Carcass / Broken Hope territory here as colossal grooves and ghastly gore combine to deliver an open-wound of an album. Where Compassion Comes To Die sure ain’t perfect – there’s a few production issues which slightly dull its impact – but overall, this is suitably ghoulish stuff from a band who revel in flesh and bone.

First and foremost, fans of the death grind unleashed by the likes of Carcass, Napalm Death etc in the late 80’s should get a kick out of Pemphigoid’s debut album, as it’s a nostalgia (and vomit) inducing blast of old-school values and ideas. 6/10