Dehumanizing Itatrain Worship
2D Complex
Released July 10, 2026 via Stillbirth Records / Gore House Productions
CRANNK Album Review
Review by Manny “The Metal Man” Bath
If you had told me there was a band that combined two of my favourite things, anime and brutal death metal/slam, I would be excited beyond belief but also confused as to how those two things could coexist.
Enter Dehumanizing Itatrain Worship, a group of musicians from China who have managed to do just that. Their latest album, 2D Complex, promises to leave listeners seeing the world through the perspective of the band: “colourful but completely nihilistic”.
“Lucky☆Slam” is pure over-the-top brutality right from the start, hitting with bass lines approaching the technicality of Necrophagist. This intro track wastes no time in letting me know what I was in for, as an anime sample broke through the musical chaos from seemingly out of nowhere.
It is an onslaught in the best way possible.
What followed was a “stank face” worthy breakdown that felt like I had been hit by a truck. After a brief jazz and Chinese folk inspired instrumental section that barely gave me enough time to recuperate, a second, even heavier breakdown hit with a high pitched, lengthy pig squeal that earned my nod of respect.
Instant goosebumps.
The pig squeals continue into the next track, “Slamonogatari”, which is filled with more chaos. A gradual groove builds during the opening of the track with chugging riffs that were perfect to bang my head along to. However, in traditional slam fashion, a breakdown hit with such force that it left me questioning reality.
At around the 1:30 mark, all hell breaks loose, reminding me of IWrestledABearOnce. For 14 seconds, everything descends into something that can only be described as inhuman: demonic vocals, near incomprehensible guitar shredding and bursts of double bass that sounded closer to gunfire.
The track shifted gears into hardcore territory before initialising some sort of electronic start-up sequence. I was left unsure as to what was occurring, but all I knew was that it was beautiful, nonsensical heaviness.
A ripping lead solo lifted the uncertainty as the song changed gears once again into an anime opening styled outro.
I found myself laughing maniacally with joy at the sheer absurdity of the intro to “Brutal Panzer” as the sudden stylistic changes kept coming. Chunky, angry, caveman-like chugging mixed with Emmure-like guitar slides pulled me into a trance that craved violence, but before I could begin to get my “mosh on”, I was slapped in the face by a melody that sounded like it came from the second season of an anime, right when something dramatically changes in the story.
After being thrown around like a ragdoll by the aforementioned change, the slam returned with an unrelenting force reminiscent of Annotations Of An Autopsy.
One essential component of this genre is the snare tone, which is on full display during the halfway point of this song, each hit sounding like a combination of a shotgun blast and a dodgeball knocking someone unconscious.
I was left in awe at the audible carnage I had just heard and scrambling to pick up the pieces of my brain after trying to comprehend the ability required to execute such precise musical disorganisation.
Bouncing between at least three different genres in the first 30 seconds, the drumming in “Twisted Light” goes from early deathcore to punk and everywhere else imaginable before somewhat settling back into the heavy hitting slam.
Expertly utilising odd time signatures that would impress even seasoned prog metal drummers, the track is a barely contained animal that has somehow managed to be captured on record.
A cacophony of brutality with frog-like vocals, gravity blasts and guitar tapping that sounds like speed dialling numbers on an old Nokia phone.
Gratuitous insanity at its finest.
The first of two tracks on the album to feature a Japanese title, “苦痛昇天”, roughly translates to “Agony Ascension”. If it were not for the lyrics, I would have guessed that this song was written as an intro for an anime like Danganronpa, given its shred-heavy opening riff accompanied by a synth-filled lead.
However, the lyrics tell a story of someone in a great deal of pain fusing with a monster during their demise.
An infectiously catchy chorus provides a series of neck-snapping, headbanging moments before pivoting abruptly into the realm of J-Pop. At around 2:05, a vocal erupts that would fit right into a Lorna Shore breakdown, shattering whatever little illusion of radio-friendly music had just occurred.
An electronic-led build up dives headfirst into an outro that sounds like Power Rangers meets smooth jazz.
“Song Of The Neet” is less of a song and more of an all-out assault.
Opening with a snare hit that feels like a punch to the stomach and a riff that awakens the most primal of two-stepping instincts, this track physically forced me to move. Without warning, it launched into a barrage of windmill-inducing, chugging riffs finished off with pinch harmonics, while the vocalist channelled their inner angry boar from hell.
Incorporating elements of hip-hop, a freestyle rap is spat over the top of more slam riffs, which caused me to instantly think of PeelingFlesh.
Every outro thus far has been an experience and this one is no exception, effortlessly integrating a samba-inspired rhythm with the addition of traditional folk instruments, drawing comparisons to “Ratamahatta” by Sepultura.
Arriving as if to provide a moment of respite after the album’s relentless barrage, “Utsushiyo” is a jaunty, upbeat piano interlude filled with intricate melodies reminiscent of menu music from the Kingdom Hearts video game series.
The serenity is short lived as the next track, “Yomi”, begins immediately after, leaving no time to rest.
There is something different about this track compared to the rest of the album. It does not feel like just a song. It feels more like an ode to an entity.
Demanding attention and reverence from the onset, “Yomi” possesses a commanding presence, almost as if the entity itself is speaking through the music. A demonic choir deepens the atmosphere, emphasising the feelings of hopelessness and despair.
An abrupt yet impactful ending leaves a lingering sense of suspense heading into the next track.
The second of the two titles in Japanese, “約束”, translates to “Promise” and serves as the final song on the album.
Beginning with an electronic, breakbeat intro that sounds like it came straight from Gran Turismo, this track feels like the emotionally charged opposite to “Yomi” due to the angelic synth lead layered over the top of the track.
A soft spoken-word section acts like a message from someone passing through to the beyond before vocals that would make Will Ramos proud are showcased.
One last anime sample brings the journey to its inevitable end, which left me wondering if our protagonist made it into heaven.
I cannot convey enough how much I enjoyed this album. It contained everything I expected and more. All I knew going into it was “anime” and “slam”, and I was drastically unprepared.
Dehumanizing Itatrain Worship are regarded globally as “the best anime death metal from China”, and this album more than lives up to that reputation. They have already shared the stage with some titans of heavy music and, with releases like this, I would not be surprised to see them headlining tours around the world before long and converting the western world into otakus with ease.
Track Listing
- Lucky☆Slam – 1:32
- Slamonogatari feat. Andrew Lee from Ripped To Shreds – 3:57
- Brutal Panzer – 3:14
- Twisted Light feat. Akihiro Muto from Agent 0 – 3:11
- 苦痛昇天 feat. Yui from Earthists. – 3:03
- Song Of The Neet feat. Yanchi from 5 PM Promise and Matt Yakesh from No Face No Case – 3:35
- Utsushiyo – 1:38
- Yomi feat. Alan Grnja from Distant – 4:01
- 約束 feat. Niik from Pale – 5:51
Album And Live Band Line-up
Kiryu Zhang, vocals
Xenochrist, guitar
Zen, bass
Shiru, drums
Khezk, composer
More Info
Gorehouseproductions.com | Facebook.com/DehumanizingItatrainWorship | Instagram.com/dehumanizing_itatrain_worship
Recommended for fans of Ingested, Vulvodynia, Within Destruction and Maximum The Hormone, 二次元コンプレックス 2D Complex is available on CD, cassette and digital as of July 10, 2026 from Stillbirth Records / Gore House Productions.
