This Costa Rican entity will attack with their debut opus, an extension of their style of playing slow, torturous, dread-filled Death and Doom Metal where every note carries weight, and with it, deathly implications.

Formed in 2023 in San José, Costa Rica, boasting members of Astriferous, Mortual, Candarian, Bloodsoaked Necrovoid, and Necroferum, and following a sensational demo titled Lutum in 2024, Death/Doom Metal creature Perishing is back with their much awaited debut full-length offering, beautifully titled Malicious Acropolis Unveiled. Mixed by Andrew Oswald, mastered by Dan Lowndes at Resonance Sound Studio, and showcasing a vile, grim artwork by the phenomenal Belial NecroArts (Undersave, Hierarchies), the debut opus by J. Antonio Salas on vocals, Justin Sánchez on the guitars, José Pablo Phillips on bass, and JM Arrea on drums is a must-have for admirers of Disembowelment, Rippikoulu, Mortiferum, Winter, Thergothon, and Inverloch, offering us all an extension of their style of playing slow, torturous, dread-filled Death and Doom Metal where every note carries weight, and with it, deathly implications.

The pounding drums of apocalyptic doom by JM ignite the devilish Autolysis (I. Imago Fluidus Macula), accompanied by the otherworldly bass by José Pablo, whereas Autolysis (II. Fatum Cursed by Nature) sounds even more sluggish and grim than the opening tune, evolving into a demonic beast led by the deep gnarls by J. Antonio. The Stygian riffs by Justin walk hand in hand with the low-tuned, venomous bass by José Pablo in Castle of the Leached Body, a lecture in Blackened Doom made in Costa Rica, and another cryptic start will haunt our damned souls in Las Ruinas del Palacio, before all explodes into a doomed wall of sounds guided by JM’s visceral drums. Osedax (Devoured by the Cavernous Worm) is a lecture in Death and Doom Metal by the quarter, with J. Antonio’s hideous roars being boosted by the demonic guitars by Justin; whereas their coup-de-grace comes in the form of Acropolis of Malignancy, sounding and feeling as infernal, heavy and disturbing as it can be, with the whole band delivering pure, unfiltered doom until the end.

Maintaining a suitably organic sound and being selective with their tunes to create the best impression, Perishing have created an album that fans of this kind of punishing, slow blend of death and doom music will find impossible to resist. You can get in touch with those ruthless Costa Rican metallers via Instagram, and I’m sure if you’re planning a visit to their homeland you might be able to see them live, stream their heavy-as-hell chants on Spotify, and add a copy of their newborn beast to your devilish collection by purchasing it from BandCamp or from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ BandCamp, main store, US store or EU store. The Costa Rican extreme scene has never been stronger and more prolific, and it’s with albums like Malicious Acropolis Unveiled that we can rest assured those blackened, evil sounds will keep reverberating across the entire world for man years to come.

Best moments of the album: Castle of the Leached Body and Osedax (Devoured by the Cavernous Worm).

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Transcending Obscurity Records

Track listing
1. Autolysis (I. Imago Fluidus Macula) 5:24
2. Autolysis (II. Fatum Cursed by Nature) 6:18
3. Castle of the Leached Body 8:58
4. Las Ruinas del Palacio 7:27
5. Osedax (Devoured by the Cavernous Worm) 9:21
6. Acropolis of Malignancy 7:35

Band members
J. Antonio Salas – vocals
Justin Sánchez – guitars
José Pablo Phillips – bass
JM Arrea – drums