You know that feeling when a sound is so filthy you can practically smell it? That’s the legacy of Cinerary’s 1997 demo. It’s called Hymns of Indigestible Suppuration. If you haven't heard it, you’re likely not a die-hard fan of the deepest, darkest corners of the death metal and grindcore underground. It's gross. It's raw. Honestly, it’s one of those releases that defined a very specific, very slimy era of extreme music.
We aren't talking about polished, radio-ready metal here. Not even close. This is the stuff of basement tapes and xeroxed covers. It’s part of a lineage that includes bands like Carcass and Disgorge. But there’s something about this specific demo—this three-track descent into madness—that keeps it relevant in the "goregrind" conversation decades later.
What Exactly is Hymns of Indigestible Suppuration?
Basically, it's a three-song demo by the American deathgrind band Cinerary. Released in 1997, it served as a brutal introduction to a band that featured members who would go on to do some pretty significant things in the scene. Most notably, guitarist and vocalist Matti Way. If that name sounds familiar, it's because he’s a legend in the "brutal death metal" world, having spent time fronting Disgorge and Pathology.
The demo isn't long. It’s a short, sharp shock to the system. The tracklist is a mouthful, literally:
- "Gorging on Decomposing Gastric Contents"
- "Hymns of Indigestible Suppuration"
- "The Fornicator"
It’s messy. The production is lo-fi, which, for this genre, is actually a compliment. It sounds like it was recorded inside a wet cardboard box. That’s the point. It’s supposed to be visceral. It’s supposed to be indigestible.
The Sound of 1997 Underground Deathgrind
Back in the late 90s, the extreme metal scene was in a weird spot. You had the big Florida death metal bands getting more technical, while the underground was pushing the limits of how "unlistenable" music could get. Cinerary was part of that push. Hymns of Indigestible Suppuration isn't about catchy hooks. It’s about the "chug." It’s about those deep, guttural vocals that sound more like a clogged drain than a human being.
Matti Way’s vocal style here is formative. You can hear the seeds of what would become the "slam" and "goregrind" vocal standard. It's a gurgle. A wet, percussive sound that sits right at the bottom of the mix.
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The drumming is chaotic. It’s not the triggered, robotic precision you hear in modern deathcore. It’s human. You can hear the sticks hitting the skins, the occasional slight stumble that makes it feel real and dangerous. It gives the music a frantic energy. It feels like the whole thing might fall apart at any second, but it never quite does.
Why Does This Demo Still Matter to Collectors?
You might wonder why anyone cares about a 28-year-old demo with three songs.
Well, rarity is a huge factor. Original cassettes of Hymns of Indigestible Suppuration are like the Holy Grail for goregrind collectors. They don't pop up on Discogs very often, and when they do, they aren't cheap. It’s a piece of history. It represents a bridge between the old-school grind of the early 90s and the "brutal" movement that exploded in the early 2000s.
Also, the artwork. It’s classic 90s gore. It’s meant to shock. In an era where you can see anything on the internet with two clicks, it’s hard to remember how provocative this stuff used to be. It was a badge of honor to own something this "disgusting." It showed you were part of the inner circle.
The Disgorge Connection
You can't talk about Cinerary without talking about Disgorge. When Matti Way joined Disgorge, he brought some of that Cinerary filth with him. If you listen to She Lay Gutted, you can hear the evolution of the ideas presented on this demo. The riffs got tighter, the production got slightly better (only slightly), but that core "indigestible" essence remained.
Common Misconceptions About the Release
A lot of people think this was a full-length album. It wasn't. It’s a demo. Period.
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Another mistake? Thinking the band was around for a long time. Cinerary was a flash in the pan. They formed, released this demo, and basically dissolved into other projects. That brevity is part of the mystique. They didn't hang around long enough to get bad or "sell out." They just dropped three tracks of pure filth and vanished into the shadows of the San Diego scene.
Some folks also confuse the title with the actual medical condition of suppuration (the formation of pus). While the lyrics definitely lean into medical gore—a staple of the genre popularized by Carcass—the "Hymns" part is purely metaphorical. It’s a "celebration" of the grotesque.
The Technicality Behind the Noise
Despite the "messy" sound, there is actual musicality here.
The riffs in the title track, "Hymns of Indigestible Suppuration," use a lot of chromaticism. This creates a sense of unease. It never feels "resolved." It keeps the listener on edge. The bass is distorted to the point where it's almost a second guitar, filling out the low end and making the whole thing sound massive despite the thin demo recording.
- Tuning: Likely dropped quite low, probably B or A tuning, which was becoming the standard for the "brutal" sound.
- Vocal Technique: Purely diaphragmatic gutturals. No "fry" screams here.
- Tempo: Constant shifts between "blast beats" and "slams" (slower, percussive riffs).
Actionable Steps for the Extreme Music Fan
If you're looking to dive into this specific niche of music, don't just stop at a YouTube rip of this demo. Here is how you actually explore this era properly:
1. Dig into the San Diego Scene
Cinerary was part of a specific ecosystem. Check out early Disgorge (USA), Parasitic, and even the early work of Cattle Decapitation. There was a very specific "California gore" sound developing in the late 90s that influenced everything that came after.
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2. Learn to Appreciate "Bad" Production
To understand Hymns of Indigestible Suppuration, you have to stop looking for clarity. Listen for the texture. The hiss of the tape and the muddy mix are part of the instrument. It’s "atmosphere" in the grimiest sense of the word.
3. Check for Reissues
Labels like Sevared Records or Comatose Music often do "pro-CD" reissues of these old demos. They often include bonus tracks or live sets. It’s a much cheaper way to own the music than hunting down an original 1997 cassette.
4. Study the Lyrics (If You Can)
The lyrics for these songs are notoriously hard to find or decipher, but they follow the "gore-tex" tradition. They use medical terminology to describe horrific things. It’s a morbidly fascinating way of writing that requires a dictionary and a strong stomach.
Ultimately, Hymns of Indigestible Suppuration is a time capsule. It’s a raw, unapologetic look at a subculture that didn't care about the mainstream. It was made by fans of gore, for fans of gore. It remains a high-water mark for the genre because it’s so uncompromising. It doesn't ask for your permission to be gross; it just is. And in a world of over-produced, sanitized music, that's actually kind of refreshing.
Next Steps for Deepening Your Knowledge:
Locate the Promo '98 release if you want to hear how the band evolved just one year after this demo. It features a slightly more "produced" sound but retains the same level of aggression. From there, compare Matti Way's performance on these tracks to his work on the 1999 Disgorge album She Lay Gutted to see how he refined the "gurgle" vocal style that defined a generation of metal vocalists.