Katalepsy – Gravenous Hour (Review)

KatalepsyThis is the second album from this Russian death metal band.

Katalepsy have a dynamic and vibrant sound for a band that are, essentially, brutal death metal. They seem to be able to pick energetic riffs with ease and form their compositions around interesting structures and ideas.

This album’s a monster, and crushes like one, too. A clear, crisp Continue reading “Katalepsy – Gravenous Hour (Review)”

Aborted – Retrogore (Review)

AbortedAborted are a veteran death metal band from Belgium and this is their 9th album.

The return of Aborted! Huzzah! After recently catching them live, I was eagerly awaiting their latest foray into the killing pits. Their brand of blasting mayhem and huge groovy riffs has been refined over the years so that they’re definitely one of the best in the genre at this point.

The singer has always been Continue reading “Aborted – Retrogore (Review)”

Gruesome – Dimensions of Horror (Review)

GruesomeGruesome are a Death Metal band from the US. This is their latest EP.

Gruesome are a supergroup of sorts, made up of members who have a large amount of extreme metal experience and count many different bands as their current and ex-projects, including Exhumed, Possessed and Malevolent Creation.

After the massively enjoyable slab of Death-worship that was Savage Land, Gruesome return with Continue reading “Gruesome – Dimensions of Horror (Review)”

Invocation – Seance – Part: 1 (Review)

InvocationComing from Chile, this is the début demo release from Invocation, who are a blackened death metal band.

Seance – Part: 1 has a nicely raw sound and underground recording. It suits the music well and lends it a grim power that the band exploit mercilessly. If they inject a bit more thickness and substance to the production in the future, I think they’ll have a strong platform for their music.

Invocation’s style is finely bal Continue reading “Invocation – Seance – Part: 1 (Review)”

Epidemia – Leprocomio (Review)

EpidemiaThis is the second album from these Death Metallers, who hail from Ecuador.

With an album cover that screams 80s death metal, possibly with a bit of thrash mixed in, Epidemia actually reveal themselves to be much more of a brutal 90s proposition. Leprocomio is raw, ugly and mercilessly aggressive.

The songs on this 35 minute excursion into the torturelands are savage and give the listener a right old battering. When they’re not ploughing ahead at full speed, they have a rhythmic brutality that recall Continue reading “Epidemia – Leprocomio (Review)”

Earth Rot – Chthonian Virtues (Review)

Earth RotEarth Rot are a Death Metal band from Australia, this is their latest EP.

This short release is a blast of stinking, fuzzed-up Death Metal. It hits like a truck and then reverses over you again and again and again.

With a gloriously filthy sound and a singer that Continue reading “Earth Rot – Chthonian Virtues (Review)”

Abnormality – Mechanisms of Omniscience (Review)

AbnormalityAbnormality are a Death Metal band from the US. This is their second album.

Abnormality’s 2012 début album Contaminating the Hive Mind was a standout slab of unrelenting brutality, really placing them highly in the extreme Metal hierarchy in my mind.

Well, it’s been four long years, but now Continue reading “Abnormality – Mechanisms of Omniscience (Review)”

Vulture Wings – Funeral Grounds (Review)

Vulture WingsThis is the début EP from this Brazilian Death Metal band.

This is old-school Death Metal that rumbles and chugs its way through the playing time, but is not without melody or nuance as it goes about its gory business.

The production is Continue reading “Vulture Wings – Funeral Grounds (Review)”

Godless – Centuries of Decadence (Review)

GodlessGodless are a Death Metal band from India and this is their début release.

Godless play Death Metal with traditional muscularity mixed with a bit of thrash and groove. It’s well-recorded and has a solid sound overall, making for a good impression.

Continue reading “Godless – Centuries of Decadence (Review)”

First Fragment – Dasein (Review)

First FragmentThis is the début album from First Fragment, who are a Canadian Technical Death Metal band.

Upon pressing play, my first impression is a jaw-dropping one. This is Technical Death Metal and then some. As it turns out though, there’s even more than just complex craziness going on here.

First Fragment can certainly play. At first glance it could seem as if all of the instruments are all over the place. Although that’s a good thing in many ways, crucially on Dasein, they’re all reined in appropriately for the needs of the song, rather than just let loose to roam and explore where they see fit, (although it does feel like that in some places).

Continue reading “First Fragment – Dasein (Review)”