Stillbirth – Annihilation of Mankind (Review)

StillbirthThis is the fifth album from German death metallers Stillbirth.

This is unrelentingly brutal death metal, the variety that uses plenty of slam and deathcore influences to batter and bruise across the 44 minutes of material here. Elements of ferocious grindcore and modern death metal can also be heard. Continue reading “Stillbirth – Annihilation of Mankind (Review)”

Carnation – Chapel of Abhorrence (Review)

CarnationCarnation are a death metal band from Belgium and this is their debut album.

Carnation play old-school death metal, and on their debut album they offer up 48 minutes of the stuff to the death metal gods. Continue reading “Carnation – Chapel of Abhorrence (Review)”

Cast the Stone – Empyrean Atrophy (Review)

Cast the StoneCast the Stone are a death metal band from the US and this is their latest EP.

An EP this may be, but we still get a meaty 27 minutes of material to tear into. Featuring current and ex-members of bands such as Scour, Cattle Decapitation, and Misery Index, (among others), this release draws on the individual band members’ experience, but easily stands as its own distinct entity. Continue reading “Cast the Stone – Empyrean Atrophy (Review)”

Exocrine – Molten Giant (Review)

ExocrineThis is the third album from French death metallers Exocrine.

Playing modern technical death metal, Molten Giant gives us 35 minutes of material, as well as some pretty damn monstrous cover art. Continue reading “Exocrine – Molten Giant (Review)”

Zombiefication – Below the Grief (Review)

ZombieficationThis is the fourth album from Mexican death metallers Zombiefication.

Zombiefication play death metal that’s dark, covered in underground filth, and delivered in an atypical fashion that speaks highly of the band’s talents as artists. Their music is atypical in the sense that they may take influence from several of the old-school masters, but at heart they’re firmly their own creation, and their songs are filled with interesting and unexpected nuances and subtleties. Continue reading “Zombiefication – Below the Grief (Review)”

Gravewards – Ruinous Ensoulment (Review)

GravewardsThis is the debut album from Gravewards, a Greek death metal band.

I have fond recollections of 2017’s Subconscious Lobotomy, so was pleased to see this band’s debut album appear. It’s 43 minutes of old-school death metal that’s influenced by the death metal greats from the 90s, while Continue reading “Gravewards – Ruinous Ensoulment (Review)”

Mutilate – Tormentium (Review)

MutilateMutilate are a death metal band from the US and this is their debut album.

After enjoying All Life Ends so much I simply had to hear Tormentium. Another 38 minutes of old-school death metal that sounds so authentically 80s it could have been buried in a tomb until now? Count me in. Continue reading “Mutilate – Tormentium (Review)”

Mouth of Sauron – Hearken the Echo of Music (Review)

Mouth of SauronThis is the debut album from US death metallers Mouth of Sauron.

Hearken the Echo of Music contains 39 minutes of music, and exists at the nexus of where brutal, technical, and progressive death metal collide. Continue reading “Mouth of Sauron – Hearken the Echo of Music (Review)”

Obscura – Diluvium (Review)

ObscuraObscura are a progressive/technical death metal band from Germany and this is their fifth album.

As I’ve said frequently in the past, I like an album that feels like a journey, and this is definitely one such album. With a depth of songwriting and skill that many bands aspire to and few achieve, Diluvium is a masterclass in what a progressive/technical death metal band can achieve. Continue reading “Obscura – Diluvium (Review)”

Depths of Hatred – Bloodguilt (Review)

Depths of HatredDepths of Hatred are a Canadian death metal band and this is their latest EP.

Here we have 22 minutes of Depths of Hatred’s brand of punishing intensity. Mixing together multiple strains of death metal with some decent character and a professional recording, the band’s modern attack is easy to recommend. Continue reading “Depths of Hatred – Bloodguilt (Review)”