Lago/Calm Hatchery – Split (Review)

Lago Calm HatcheryHere we have a short split between death metallers Lago and Calm Hatchery, from the US and Poland, respectively.

Lago’s 2014 album Tyranny was an album that had a kind of darkly melodic brutality to it. It saw the band balance their style somewhere between the old-school and the new, to great effect. Continue reading “Lago/Calm Hatchery – Split (Review)”

Vircolac – The Cursed Travails of the Demeter (Review)

VircolacVircolac are an Irish death metal band and this is their debut EP.

This is a band that have been firmly influenced by the old-school. It’s classic-styled death metal that firmly puts the emphasis on songs and atmosphere, as opposed to mindless speed, technicality or similar such stuff. Continue reading “Vircolac – The Cursed Travails of the Demeter (Review)”

Azooma – The Act of Eye (Review)

AzoomaAzooma are a death metal band from Iran. This is their debut album.

This is progressive death metal that sees the band upping their game from their already quite impressive debut release A Hymn of a Vicious Monster. The Act of Eye continues and refines their style, mixing Opeth and Death with elements of more modern bands such as Obscura, Gorod and Gorguts. Continue reading “Azooma – The Act of Eye (Review)”

Church of Disgust – Veneration of Filth (Review)

Church of DisgustThis is the second album from Church of Disgust, a US death metal band.

I really enjoyed 2013’s Unworldly Summoning. Here was an album that was just over half an hour of filthy, old-school death metal that was so ugly, hostile and evil that it was a depraved joy to experience.

Three years later and they have finally emerged from their crypt. On Veneration of Filth the band do exactly what it says on the tin and offer up 40 minutes of corpse-fresh filthy death metal, reeking of the old-school and ripe with pustulent rot. Continue reading “Church of Disgust – Veneration of Filth (Review)”

Pighead – Until All Flesh Decays (Review)

PigheadThis is the third album from Pighead, a death metal band from Germany.

Featuring members of Intravenous Contamination, this is brutal death metal that somewhat combines the USDM style, (Suffocation, Deeds of Flesh, Dying Fetus), with a touch of an Aborted flavour in places. It’s brutal, it slams, and it’s a jolly good listen. Continue reading “Pighead – Until All Flesh Decays (Review)”

Infecting the Swarm – Abyss (Review)

Infecting the SwarmThis is the second album from Infecting the Swarm, a one man brutal death metal project from Germany.

2014’s Pathogenesis was somewhat of a highlight for me in the brutal death metal genre, despite it somehow escaping me at the time that it was by a one-man band, (not that this really matters, it just makes it that little bit more impressive). Continue reading “Infecting the Swarm – Abyss (Review)”

Ophidian Spell – Nux/Hêmera (Review)

Ophidian SpellOphidian Spell are a symphonic/melodic death metal band from France and this is their debut album.

Combining aspects of melodic, progressive and symphonic death metal into their delivery, Ophidian Spell offer up the listener a modern blend of these various influences. I can hear aspects of The Faceless, Devin Townsend, In Flames, Emperor/Ihsahn, Ne Obliviscaris, Delain and Septic Flesh in the mix, along with some others. Continue reading “Ophidian Spell – Nux/Hêmera (Review)”

Grausig – Di Belakang Garis Musuh (Review)

GrausigThis is the third album from this Indonesian death metal band.

Here we have a 30 minute feast of underground, ugly brutality inspired by the classic USDM sound. This is for fans of Suffocation, Deeds of Flesh, Dying Fetus, Origin and the like. Grausig pay homage to their heroes across this relatively short album by playing their death metal as brutally as they can. Continue reading “Grausig – Di Belakang Garis Musuh (Review)”

Ulcerate – Shrines of Paralysis (Review)

UlcerateUlcerate are a death metal band from New Zealand and this is their fifth album.

Ulcerate personify atypical progressive/technical death metal. They incorporate enough other styles and influences to be termed post-death metal in some respects, although they still have the requisite amount of aggression Continue reading “Ulcerate – Shrines of Paralysis (Review)”