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Finnish death mongers Catabolic have been around since 2010, but somehow only had a demo released back in 2011 before getting to their full-length debut, Besiege the Uncivil, nearly 11 years later. I haven't heard the demo myself, but it's tempting to assume that time was spent honing their craft and expanding their death metal horizons, as this is a surprisingly complex and varied release. Far from the Suffocation/Cannibal Corpse worship I was expecting, this is an album whose self-described Militant Death Metal runs the gamut from Rotten Sound-esque grind (the midsection of "Arrival" and "The Onager") to head-bashing thrash (the opening riff of "Genetic Evil Indoctrination") to oddball Demilich territory (the rest of "Genetic Evil Indoctrination"), and it's all as aggressive and strange as that sounds. Every song on here is as varied and off-kilter as the aforementioned, and it's always working to keep your attention while also keeping you on your toes, and that's pretty damn cool if you ask me. Bottom line, Besiege the Uncivil is a chameleon of death metal influences that blend seamlessly into something novel and interesting, making this a good choice for anyone tired of the meat-and-potatoes death metal that gluts the scene.