Review: Mangled Carpenter – Salvation Syndrome
Mangled Carpenter found its new home in the Christian extreme metal scene with the release of their first album “Under The Shadow”, but the fun did not stop there. Soon enough, plans for a new album were underway, and the stakes of brutality would be raised to a new height. The three Olson brothers (Seth, Kris, and Tim) put their heads together to formulate a more brutal release that would outdo their previous endeavors. We got a taste of it with their new singles trickling in throughout the fall of 2023, with “Lumberyard” on September 15, and “A Path To Sorrow” on October 13.
And so it came, on October 27, 2023, with their second full-length “Salvation Syndrome”. I need you to trust me when I say this, it’s not just the cover art that shows you’re in for a bit of a different ride. All you need to do is listen to the first few seconds of the first track “Lumberyard” to hear how the brutal aspects have increased incredibly well. And if you’re not convinced, give the next track “A Path To Sorrow” a listen and hear the haunting guest vocals delivered by Chris Ackerman (ex-Betrayal). The guitars shred more aggressively, the drum programming hits harder, and the vocals invade your brain with much ferocity. And those vocals are also aided by Jason Wisdom (Becoming The Archetype) on the track “Spit Parade”.
Speaking of which, I hope you oldschoolers recognize something there. “Spit Parade” was one of the earlier songs from Mangled Carpenter’s first demo “First Offering” from 2007. What we have here is a new rendition of the song with more lyrics, a bigger death metal approach to accompany the grindcore aspects, and an overall steadier groove. Sometimes making a new-and-improved version of older material can be quite satisfying.
But if that wasn’t enough, Mangled Carpenter even included a Mortification cover, one of their easiest songs to work with “J.G.S.H.” Of course, this one takes on a more deathly approach compared to the original tribal “thrashy” version from Mortification’s album “Primitive Rhythm Machine”. This proves the song can be re-styled in many ways.
And finally, the album ends with “Receive Him”. The first three seconds is one more swift blast of brutality with the screaming words “Receive him!” followed by the Lord’s Prayer spoken by Pastor Rob Clark, accompanied by a dark, scraping atmosphere drone.
Or at least that’s how the album ended in its initial release. The physical CD contains instrumental versions of all the tracks except for “J.G.S.H.” and “Receive Him”. But Mangled Carpenter STILL was not done with the album. March 28, 2025 saw the release of a remastered and expanded edition, including not just the instrumentals, but also two different versions of a Christmas cover (“I Saw Three Ships”).
This leaves you with multiple ways to get the album. You can get it on CD and digital from Rottweiler Records.
https://mangledcarpenterrr.bandcamp.com/album/salvation-syndrome
Then there’s the alternate CD pressing from Broken Curfew Records (you can get them signed too!)
https://mangledcarpenter.bandcamp.com/album/salvation-syndrome
Or get the digital deluxe remaster if you want a more complete experience…
https://mangledcarpenter.bandcamp.com/album/salvation-syndrome-deluxe-remastered
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