Signs of the Swarm – Vital Deprivation (Review)

Signs of the Swarm - Vital DeprivationThis is the third album from US deathcore/death metal band Signs of the Swarm.

I enjoyed 2017’s The Disfigurement of Existence, which took the standard deathcore template and injected into it brutal slamming death metal and the very occasional bout of melody and atmosphere. On Vital Deprivation the band have returned with 27 minutes of new material, and a changed style and singer too. Continue reading “Signs of the Swarm – Vital Deprivation (Review)”

Eschaton – Death Obsession (Review)

Eschaton - Death ObsessionThis is the second album form US death metallers Eschaton.

It seems like a very long time since 2015’s Sentinel Apocalypse came out – and it is, really – but now Eschaton are back with 34 minutes of new material… Continue reading “Eschaton – Death Obsession (Review)”

Bound in Fear – The Hand of Violence (Review)

Bound in Fear - The Hand of ViolenceBound in Fear are a UK deathcore band and this is their debut album.

This is downtempo deathcore, which essentially means slow and heavy. Massive, thick chugging guitars crush and destroy, while the singer seems to be vomiting daemons with his absolutely monstrous growls. Continue reading “Bound in Fear – The Hand of Violence (Review)”

Humanity’s Last Breath – Abyssal (Review)

Humanity's Last Breath - AbyssalThis is the third album from Swedish death metallers Humanity’s Last Breath.

Well, Abyssal is not what I expected. Although I’d heard of Humanity’s Last Breath prior to listening to this album, for some reason I had it in my head that they were a metalcore band. No idea why. I’m also very, very wrong. What we have here is some individually-played death metal; it seems that Humanity’s Last Breath have carved out their own niche in the crowded death metal landscape, and then filled it with mechanised horror. Continue reading “Humanity’s Last Breath – Abyssal (Review)”

Carnifex – World War X (Review)

Carnifex - World War XThis is the seventh album from Carnifex, a US death metal band.

2016’s Slow Death was a real treat for fans of modern death metal, blending catchy songwriting with blackened melody and orchestration to produce a really enjoyable collection of songs. Although it contained elements of deathcore, as does this new one, Carnifex aren’t really a deathcore band these days – they’re far too melodic and have too much else going on, much to their credit. Continue reading “Carnifex – World War X (Review)”

Thy Art Is Murder – Human Target (Review)

Thy Art Is Murder - Human TargetThis is the fifth album from Australian death metal/deathcore band Thy Art Is Murder.

After the adrenaline-pumping deathcore of Holy War, and the deathcore-meets-death metal assault of Dear Desolation, (and their very enjoyable brief split with The Acacia Strain and Fit for an Autopsy), it’s safe to say that Thy Art Is Murder have a track record of delivering the goods. So, what does Human Target hold for us? Continue reading “Thy Art Is Murder – Human Target (Review)”

Osiah – Kingdom of Lies (Review)

Osiah - Kingdom of LiesThis is the second album from Osiah, a deathcore band from the UK.

Deathcore is a genre that is easy to get wrong. Far too many deathcore bands simply go through the motions of producing music, however passionately, but without ending up with anything that has any sort of real Continue reading “Osiah – Kingdom of Lies (Review)”

Brand of Sacrifice – God Hand (Review)

Brand of Sacrifice - GodhandThis is the debut album from Canadian death metallers Brand of Sacrifice.

At a lean 26 minutes, God Hand gets in, does its damage, and gets out again. One of the things I like about Brand of Sacrifce, however, is even though their songs tend to be short, the band aren’t afraid to play with the modern death metal formula. Continue reading “Brand of Sacrifice – God Hand (Review)”

Vulvodynia – Mob Justice (Review)

Vulvodynia - Mob JusticeThis is the third album from Vulvodynia, a death metal band from South Africa.

If you haven’t encountered Vulvodynia before, they play brutal slamming death metal, and do it extremely well. Along with a handful of others they’re pretty much at the top of the pile when it comes to this sort of thing. Continue reading “Vulvodynia – Mob Justice (Review)”