This is the third album from Finnish death metallers Ghastly.
Ghastly specialise in death metal that has a sort of creeping, otherworldly malevolence to it. It’s atmospheric and sinister in ways that are unusual. You can hear the debt that has been paid to band’s such as Death and Autopsy, etc., but you can equally Continue reading “Ghastly – Mercurial Passages (Review)”
This is the debut album from US death metallers Obsolete.
Obsolete play a technical mix of death metal with thrash elements. This is then peppered progressive, dissonant, and avant-garde influences to produce a 37-minute album that exceeds expectations. Imagine a combination of Death and Atheist, only with more Continue reading “Obsolete – Animate//Isolate (Review)”
Contrarian are a progressive/technical death metal band from the US and this is their fourth album.
I wasn’t expecting a follow up to last year’s Their Worm Never Dies so soon, but I’m not complaining. Along with 2015’s Polemic and 2017’s To Perceive Is to Suffer, I’ve really enjoyed all of Contrarian’s material so far. Continue reading “Contrarian – Only Time Will Tell (Review)”
This is the second album from Australian death metal band Faceless Burial.
Speciation contains 38 minutes of classic, old-school death metal. The formula for this sort of music may be tried and tested, but that doesn’t lessen its impact any when it’s done as effectively as it is here. Continue reading “Faceless Burial – Speciation (Review)”
Dark Divinity are a melodic death metal band from New Zealand, and this is their debut EP.
The promo blurn tells us that “Following in the footsteps of genre originators At the Gates, The Haunted & Dissection, the band also take cues from death/black metal acts such as Immortal, Morbid Angel & Death.” Bold words, but backed up by 18 minutes of music that cuts like a serrated knife, you’ll find no complaint from me. Continue reading “Dark Divinity – Messianic (Review)”
Obscene are a death metal band from the US and this is their debut album.
Obscene play Floridian USDM, spiced up with aspects of the UK and European styles. There’s a touch of thrash here too. Imagine a mix of Obituary, Death, Cancer, Bolt Thrower, Asphyx, Slayer, and Master, and then get quite excited by how good The Inhabitable Dark is. Continue reading “Obscene – The Inhabitable Dark (Review)”
Exhumed and Gruesome are both US death metal bands, and they’ve teamed up for this split release.
We start with the bloody Exhumed, a band that are quite legendary in gore metal circles. Continue reading “Exhumed/Gruesome – Twisted Horror – Split (Review)”
Cryptic Shift are a death metal band from the UK and this is their debut album.
Cryptic Shift play death metal that fuses elements of the technical, progressive, and thrash metal styles into its sci-fi-themed self. Continue reading “Cryptic Shift – Visitations from Enceladus (Review)”
Shards of Humanity are a US death metal band and this is their second album.
2014’s Fractured Frequencies was an enjoyable Death-inspired death/thrash album, played with precision and skill. Continue reading “Shards of Humanity – Cold Logic (Review)”
This is the second album from Live Burial, a death metal band from the UK.
Featuring current and ex-members of Horrified, Live Burial play old-school death metal, and Unending Futility provides 41 minutes of engaging material for fans of the style to lose themselves in. Continue reading “Live Burial – Unending Futility (Review)”
