Tag Archives: brutal death metal

Album Review – Silent Obsession / Lost EP (2020)

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Bang your heads to this venomous fusion of Technical, Progressive and Brutal Death Metal made in Algeria.

Inspired by renowned bands such as Decapitated and Morbid Angel, among other modern metal acts, Algiers, Algeria-based Death Metal unity Silent Obsession is eager to spread their fusion of Technical and Brutal Death Metal with more contemporary styles such as Groove Metal to all four corners of the earth, sending a bold message that Algerian metal can be as vibrant, demolishing and entertaining as any of their North American or European friends. Originally conceived as a solo project by guitarist Max Marginal in 2017 aiming at exploring humanity’s dark side, Silent Obsession evolved to a full-bodied band in the next couple of years until reaching their current lineup comprised of the aforementioned Max Marginal on the guitar, Danny on vocals and guitar, Manil on bass and Ben Der on drums, strengthening their sound and creativity and, consequently, culminating with the release now in 2020 of their debut EP entitled Lost, bringing to our avid ears 12 minutes of top-of-the-line extreme music made in the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria.

The blazing guitars by Danny and Max set the tone in the violent EP intro, already showcasing all their skills while Ben Der crushes his drums manically and also presenting elements from Thrash and Black Metal, with Danny’s vicious roars adding a touch of malignancy to the overall result. Then bringing tons of progressiveness and rage together with their core sonority the quartet fires Paranoia Activity, where Manil’s bass punches will hit you hard in the face and with Danny growling more deeply and demonically than before in a technical display of Death Metal infused with Groove Metal nuances, all spiced up by some sick guitar solos, whereas D.E.A.D. sounds even more violent and devastating, with Manil and Ben Der generating an earthquake with their sonic weapons while Danny and Max keep extracting sheer dementia form their guitars, not to mention how rabid and insane Danny’s roars sound. In other words, this is an absolutely perfect Progressive Death Metal tune for smashing your spinal cord into the circle pit. Lastly, in Destruction of the Spirit the band once again blends their core Death Metal with other extreme styles such as Thrash Metal and even Progressive Groove Metal, with their riffs and solos being utterly fantastic, accompanied by the always infernal drums by Ben Der.

Just like their friends from Lelahell, Litham and Hellium, among several other excellent bands, Silent Obsession are determined to carry the flag of Algerian Death Metal wherever they go, and their debut effort Lost is indeed a great example of what they are capable of offering to demanding metalheads always searching for heavy, violent and fast music. Hence, don’t forget to give the EP a listen on Spotify, on YouTube and on Deezer, to follow Silent Obsession on their official Facebook page for news, tour dates and other nice-to-know details about the band, and to purchase a copy of Lost from Apple Music. Max and his loyal henchmen are eager to know what you think of their debut installment, especially if you’re a diehard fan of underground Death Metal, showing you once again that not only high-quality metal music can be found anywhere in the world, but also if Death Metal is your cup of tea, you should definitely take a musical trip to “Al Jaza’ir”.

Best moments of the album: D.E.A.D.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2020 Independent

Track listing
1. Intro 2:34
2. Paranoia Activity 4:32
3. D.E.A.D. 3:11
4. Destruction of the Spirit 2:22

Band members
Danny – vocals, guitars
Max Marginal – guitars
Manil – bass
Ben Der – drums

Album Review – Chancroid / Bestial Perverse Of The Anomalies Psychoneurotic (2020)

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An up-and-coming Indonesian Brutal Death Metal trio is ready to kill with their debut opus, offering us all an onrush of psychological depravity, gore and terror.

Formed in 2011 in Bekasi, a city in West Java, Indonesia, located on the eastern border of Jakarta, where the underground music scene teems with sounds of insane brutality and extremity past the point of reason, an unrelenting unity that goes by the name of Chancroid plays a furious blend of Brutal Death Metal and Deathslam that stands out for its blood curdling bludgeoning, even amongst those rabid, gore hungry hordes. Formed of vocalist Wira (Infinite Torture, Vomit Larynx, Hypocrisis), guitarist and bassist Hendri (Gyarotium, Hujjat) and drummer Arief (Digging Up, Opium), Chancroid are ready to please all lovers of the gore and endless brutality by bands such as Devourment, Skinless and Disgorge, among others, with their debut full-length release beautifully titled Bestial Perverse Of The Anomalies Psychoneurotic, an avalanche of psychological depravity, gore and terror, all embraced by the vile cover art and layout by Indonesian artist Aghy Purakusuma.

Like a good slasher flick the album starts with a phantasmagorical Intro, dragging the listener to the violent and gory world ruled by Chancroid with Coitus Deification Terminology showcasing straightforward lyrics vomited by Wira (“Bestiality ordered sacrilege committing / Deified sinners, morals depravity / Divine excoriated / Scriptures mockery / The terminology of new order”), sounding raw and visceral from the very first second with Arief hammering his drums manically, and even more infernal the band offers us all the putrid Maximum High Tension Penetrating, a pure, unfiltered Brutal Death Metal tune where Hendri fires some Cannibal Corpse/Aborted-inspired riffs accompanied by the always inhumane gnarls by Wira. And in Xyy, another blast of undisputed violence and dementia by Chancroid, it becomes very clear that although they might be only three guys, they surely know how to make a lot of noise, with Arief once again going berserk and furious behind his drum kit.

Hebephrenia is a cryptic instrumental interlude once again highly inspired by the greatest classics of the horror cinema, filling our ears with its darkly beautiful sounds and tones before the band attacks our senses once again in Bestial Perverse of the Anomalies Psychoneurotic, bringing forward another round of bestiality in the form of wicked lyrics (“From the chamber of atrocity / Brutal heavy killing machine / Inhuman deviations / Consists of lust and voracious / The anomaly / Stench of blood / Arousal concordance / Amalgamated / Bestial creature / Bestial perverse of the anomalies psychoneurotic”), hellish blast beats and scorching riffs. Chancroid continue their path of sheer devastation and savagery in Sadomasochist, where Hendri lives up to the legacy of classic shredding beasts while Wira doesn’t stop vociferating rabidly in this ode to Death Metal, and there’s no time to breathe as the trio continues to smash our cranial skulls in Abysmal Tranquility, where Hendri and Arief make a dynamic duo from hell with their classic riffs and beats, respectively. In Distortion Cognitive of Malicious they need less than three minutes to pulverize everything and everyone that crosses their path in a lecture in Brutal Slamming Death Metal spearheaded by the vicious drumming by Arief, and how about ending the album with more bestiality, blood and violence? That’s exactly what they offer us all in Haemophilus Ducreyi Inoculated, with Wira sounding truly demonic and enraged on vocals.

If you have never, ever in your life had any type of contact with a metal band from Indonesia, let’s say Chancroid might be one of the best options for you to start on the underground Indonesian scene, as not only they play high-end Death Metal, but their compositions are also very cohesive, entertaining and, above all that, very professional for a band that has just released their first album. Hence, let’s support this hellish Indonesian trio by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, and by purchasing a copy of the fulminating Bestial Perverse Of The Anomalies Psychoneurotic from their own BandCamp page, from Apple Music or from Amazon. Wira, Hendri and Arief are more than ready to kill with their debut effort in the name of Death Metal, warning us all that this is only the first chapter in their history of underground brutality.

Best moments of the album: Maximum High Tension Penetrating, Bestial Perverse of the Anomalies Psychoneurotic and Distortion Cognitive of Malicious.

Worst moments of the album: Haemophilus Ducreyi Inoculated.

Released in 2020 Brute! Productions

Track listing
1. Intro 1:55
2. Coitus Deification Terminology 2:41
3. Maximum High Tension Penetrating 2:44
4. Xyy 3:11
5. Hebephrenia (Instrumental) 3:16
6. Bestial Perverse of the Anomalies Psychoneurotic 4:26
7. Sadomasochist 3:27
8. Abysmal Tranquility 3:07
9. Distortion Cognitive of Malicious 2:47
10. Haemophilus Ducreyi Inoculated 3:01

Band members
Wira – vocals
Hendri – guitars, bass
Arief – drums

Album Review – Texas Murder Crew / Everyone’s Last Breath EP (2020)

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Capturing the music of the flies buzzing to the sight and stench of inhuman cruelty, this Dallas, Texas-based act will pulverize your senses with the boiling, filthy sound of their debut opus.

Capturing the music of the flies buzzing to the sight and stench of inhuman cruelty in their wicked creations, Dallas, Texas-based Brutal Death Metal/Deathslam six-piece act Texas Murder Crew will pulverize your senses with the boiling, filthy sound of their debut EP entitled Everyone’s Last Breath, drowning you as you reach in agonized desperation for a hand held out in pity. Featuring the dual guttural vocals of Logan Ross and Brent Wells, offering differing shades of sickening brutality, a thick wave of riffs by guitarist Kevin Clark (Devourment, Kill Everything), crushing foundations by bassist Timothy Dewayne Ratcliff and drummer Benjie Quezada, and hallucinatory shadows and the buzzing of the flies by Terry Burleson and his samplers, Everyone’s Last Breath is a must-have album for fans of underground brutality and rage, sounding absolutely verminous and gruesome, and having your body twitching, hungry for violence throughout its 17 minutes of unrelenting extreme music.

As soon as you hit play, a truly cinematic, somber intro grows in intensity until all hell breaks loose, preparing the listener for the pulverizing Curse of Humanity, with Brent and Logan making a bestial vocal duo with their sick gnarls and screeches while Kevin and Timothy decimate their stringed weapons mercilessly, resulting in a Brutal Slamming Death Metal avalanche infused with tons of groove and infinite aggressiveness. Destroy the Witness is another devastating lesson in Death Metal where Logan fires his Cannibal Corpse-inspired riffs while Timothy and Benjie shake the foundations of the earth with their thunderous instruments, not to mention how inhumane the vocals by both Brent and Logan sound, and if you thought they were going to slow down their savagery you’re utterly wrong, as the band keeps smashing our skulls in Beneath My Feet, offering us all three minutes of putrid, wicked Death Metal where Kevin once again takes the lead with his sick riffage. The band’s demented vocal duo continues to bark and vomit their gruesome words in the title-track Everyone’s Last Breath, with Benjie sounding like a stone crusher on drums, or in other words, this is a dense and cohesive Death Metal feast that perfectly represents the band’s dexterity and passion for brutality. Finally, Terry kicks off the closing tune Stronghold with his sinister samplers, being gradually joined by the violent sounds blasted by his bandmates, requiring only a little less than two minutes to annihilate us all.

There are multiple locations where you can put your dirty and blood-soaked hands on Everyone’s Last Breath, such as the band’s own webstore, Comatose Music’s BandCamp and webstore, Amazon, and other alternative options such as Randy’s Record Shop and Saturn. Also, let’s show the guys from Texas murder Crew our total support by following them on Facebook and on Instagram to know more about their music, tour dates and plans for the future, keeping the fires of Brutal Death Metal alive for many years to come and, of course, making sure those talented death metallers will keep delivering their wicked and brutal creations until their very last breath.

Best moments of the album: Curse of Humanity and Everyone’s Last Breath.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2020 Comatose Music

Track listing
1. Intro 1:39
2. Curse of Humanity 3:31
3. Destroy the Witness 4:00
4. Beneath My Feet 2:50
5. Everyone’s Last Breath 4:19
6. Stronghold 1:29

Band members
Brent Wells – vocals
Logan Ross – vocals
Kevin Clark – guitars
Timothy Dewayne Ratcliff – bass
Terry Burleson – samplers, backing vocals
Benjie Quezada – drums

Album Review – Aborted / La Grande Mascarade EP (2020)

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Belgium’s own Death Metal trailblazers return with a three-track EP that will take you on a frantic journey through the realms of brutality and violence.

Forged in the fires of Waereghem, a municipality in the Belgian province of East Flanders, in the distant year of 1995, but currently featuring members from Belgium, the Netherlands and the United States, the unrelenting Brutal Death Metal trailblazers Aborted have just released a pummeling new three-track EP entitled La Grande Mascarade, containing two brand new tracks plus one previously unreleased song from the recording sessions of their 2018 album TerrorVision. Produced, mixed and mastered by Kristian ‘Kohle’ Kohlmannslehner at Kohlekeller Studio and featuring  a cadaverous artwork by Mitchell Nolte, La Grande Mascarade will take you on an 11-minute infernal journey through the realms of Death Metal and Grindcore ruled by Aborted, showcasing all the talent and fury exhaled by frontman Sven De Caluwe and his henchmen Harrison Patuto and Ian Jekelis on the guitars, Stefano Franceschini on bass and Ken Bedene on drums, leaving us all eager for more of their extreme sounds in a not-so-distant future.

And otherworldly voices kick off the brutal and visceral opening tune Gloom and the Art of Tribulation, exploding into a feast of modern-day Death Metal infused with Deathcore and Grindcore elements where Sven roars and barks like a true beast while Harrison and Ian are venomous with their riffs. Needless to say, this will undoubtedly be a fantastic addition to their live performances, not to mention the impact of its psychological lyrics on our minds (“Trauma sets in / Mesmerized by the hell I created / Swallowed whole by the darkness that lives within me / Architect of my spiritual undoing / Lover to misery”). Following such beautiful start they offer more of their trademark progressiveness and rage in another grim and cryptic song titled Serpent of Depravity, with Ken’s intricate and fulminating beats being perfectly complemented by the scorching riffs fired by the band’s guitar duo in a hybrid of Groove and Progressive Death Metal. And lastly, we’re treated to Funereal Malediction, a pure, hellish Death Metal and Grindcore devastation where Stefano and Ken make the foundations of the earth tremble with their respective weapons while Sven sounds absolutely berserk and demented on vocals. This amazing composition couldn’t have sounds more infernal than what it already does, with the complexity of their riffage and drums being beyond amazing and, therefore, resulting in a vile conclusion to the album.

This short but very entertaining (and obviously demolishing) display of Brutal Death Metal can be appreciated in its entirety on YouTube and on Spotify, but of course, as we’re all living through such difficult times, we metalheads must stay together and provide the bands we love our true support by purchasing their music and merch, which in the case of Aborted can be done by clicking HERE or HERE. Also, don’t forget to follow the band on Facebook and on Instagram (in case you don’t do that already), letting them know how much you enjoy their sonic devastation and inspiring them to provide us more and more albums and EP’s like La Grande Mascarade, keeping the fires of extreme music burning and, consequently, keeping us all with a huge smile on our faces (and a lot of pain in our necks due to some brutal headbanging).

Best moments of the album: Funereal Malediction.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2020 Century Media Records

Track listing
1. Gloom and the Art of Tribulation 4:38
2. Serpent of Depravity 3:21
3. Funereal Malediction 3:50

Band members
Sven De Caluwe – vocals
Harrison Patuto – guitar
Ian Jekelis – guitar
Stefano Franceschini – bass
Ken Bedene – drums

Album Review – Architectural Genocide / Cordyceptic Anthropomorph (2020)

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A sickening, slamming and brutal album of Death Metal from the always fertile breeding ground of Texas, courtesy of an up-and-coming band ready to unleash hell upon humanity.

Texas has always been a fertile breeding ground for the most brutal extremes of Death Metal, and Houston’s own Architectural Genocide have been proving themselves a match for all the illustrious, gore-soaked names who have gone before them since their inception in 2017, unleashing hell upon humanity with their debut full-length opus entitled Cordyceptic Anthropomorph, the sound of sheer brute force within a maelstrom of violence and pulverized flesh. Mixed and mastered by renowned Italian drummer Davide “BrutalDave” Billia (Beheaded, Antropofagus, Hour Of Penance), and featuring a brutal and Stygian artwork by American musician and designer Jon Zig (Images of Violence, Deeds of Flesh, Relics of Humanity, Viral Load), Cordyceptic Anthropomorph is highly recommended for fans of the absolute chaos blasted by bands like Disentomb, Gorgasm and Visceral Disgorge, showcasing all the undeniable talented of lead singer Daniel Brockway, guitarist Jonathan Blake, bassist Matt Day and drummer Nat Conner, and of course their deep passion for what people like to call “Brutal Texan Death Metal”.

It’s time to slam into the circle pit like there’s no tomorrow to the sound of the opening track Spires of Mangled Tissue, bringing to our ears brutal devastation from the very first second, with Nat sounding infernal with his blast beats and fills while Daniel barks like a rabid beast, resulting in a freaking heavy extravaganza from start to finish. Then in Hallucinogenic Demise an ominous intro led by Jonathan’s wicked guitar lines and Matt’s low-tuned bass evolves into modern and furious Death Metal with Daniel’s inhuman screeches adding a touch of dementia to the overall result, with Nat once again crushing his drums manically; and they continue their onrush of dark and hellish sounds in Dominate and Proliferate, where Jonathan extracts sheer violence from his stringed axe in great Brutal Slamming Death Metal fashion. And the title-track Cordydeptic Anthropomorph lives up to the legacy of both old school and modern-day Death Metal, sounding and feeling as brutal and technical as it can be thanks to the amazing job done by the band’s stringed duo, not to mention Nat’s demented and intricate beats.

And the boys from Architectural Genocide keep smashing our skulls and spinal cords with the visceral and infuriated Gorge on Deceased, the perfect depiction of how vile but at the same time melodic and technical the quartet can be, offering a few interesting breaks and variations while Daniel’s deep guttural roars continue to reverberate in the air. Then Nat takes the lead once again in the berserk Pleasure Induced by Agony, sounding like a stone crusher on drums in what’s perhaps the heavier and most vicious of all songs from the album, with Jonathan and Matt showing no mercy for their strings (nor for our necks, of course). The second to last blast of malevolent Death Metal by this skillful four-piece horde comes in the form of Abolishment of Human Existence, where Matt and Nat are in absolute sync with their respective bass punches and demonic beats and fills, providing Daniel all he needs to shine with his deep vociferations, whereas Burgeoning Necrosis is a fantastic and pulverizing closing tune, or in other words, the epitome of everything the band stands for, showcasing the classic, hammering drums by Nat and the always brutal shredding by Jonathan.

If you have what it takes to face the Brutal Texan Death Metal assault fired by Architectural Genocide in their debut installment, all you have to do is go to Comatose Music’s BandCamp or webstore, as well as to Discogs, to put your hands on such ruthless album of extreme music. Hence, don’t forget to show your true support to the guys from Architectural Genocide by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, and by listening to their music on Spotify. The architect of genocide is among us to bring us all a whole new level of sickening, slamming and brutality with Cordyceptic Anthropomorph, proving once again why the underground is and will always be the dark lair (and consequently our endless source) for ass-kicking Death Metal, and if you’re in Texas then the awesomeness coming from that is even higher, no doubt about that.

Best moments of the album: Hallucinogenic Demise, Cordydeptic Anthropomorph and Pleasure Induced by Agony.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2020 Comatose Music

Track listing
1. Spires of Mangled Tissue 4:51
2. Hallucinogenic Demise 5:48
3. Dominate and Proliferate 4:21
4. Cordydeptic Anthropomorph 5:06
5. Gorge on Deceased 3:56
6. Pleasure Induced by Agony 5:42
7. Abolishment of Human Existence 5:19
8. Burgeoning Necrosis 5:03

Band members
Daniel Brockway – vocals
Jonathan Blake – guitar
Matt Day – bass
Nat Conner – drums

Album Review – Colosso / Apocalypse EP (2020)

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Pestilence, War, Death and Famine masterfully turned into brutal and obscure Death Metal by a heavier-than-hell unity hailing from Portugal.

What if a vicious horde hailing from Portugal decided to turn the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, described in the last book of the New Testament of the Bible, the Book of Revelation by John of Patmos, into gruesome and raw Death Metal? That’s exactly what a project formed in 2011, currently comprised of Max Tomé on guitars, keyboards and vocals, Alexandre Ribeiro (Grog) on bass and Robin Stone (Norse) on drums, collectively known as Porto, Portugal-based Death Metal unity Colosso, has to offer us all in their brand new EP simply titled Apocalypse, translating into modern and sharp Death Metal all the darkness flowing from the four riders Pestilence, War, Famine and Death.

After years of toiling in the underground, putting out six releases of ever-evolving Death Metal such as their debut full-length opus Peaceful Abrasiveness, in 2012, and more recently Rebirth, in 2018, Colosso seem to have reached their most demonic shape and form in Apocalypse, being highly recommended for fans of the music by Norse, Morbid Angel, Nile, Incantation and Suffocation, among other behemoths of extreme music. Mixed and mastered by Max Tomé himself, and featuring a beyond obscure album art by Phlegeton Art Studio, as well as guest vocals by Guilherme Henriques of Oak and Gaerea, Diogo Santana of Analepsy, and Sérgio Afonso of Bleeding Display, Apocalypse is an undoubtedly breathtaking and refreshingly diverse album, showcasing the myriad aspects of this bold and innovative Death Metal band without compromising on their aggressive, apocalyptic sound.

And pestilence and plague permeate the air in the vicious and heavy-as-hell Pestilence, blending the violence of Death Metal with the grim and infernal sounds of Blackened Doom while guest vocalist Guilherme Henriques barks and roars like a creature from the netherworld. Not only that, Robin smashes his drums mercilessly nonstop, with that disturbing and evil onrush of sounds going on and on until the song’s visceral ending. Then guest Sérgio Afonso lends his guttural vocals to Colosso in the also Stygian tune War, with the sounds of machine guns and explosions making the whole song even more realistic, leaning towards classic Death Metal. Moreover, Alexandre’s bass jabs and Robin’s beats feel like the epitome of evil, resulting in a pulverizing display of extreme music for lovers of the genre.

Max himself is responsible for the vocal duties in Death, a lot more melodic and crisper than its predecessors while still providing the band’s characteristic rawness and darkness. Furthermore, Max is spot-on with his razor-edged riffs accompanied by Robin’s intricate drums and, as a surprise, Max fires clean, ethereal vocals instead of the album’s characteristic putrid gnarls, bringing elements from Atmospheric Black and Doom Metal to Colosso’s core savagery. And last but not least, Diogo Santana provides his share of deep guttural roars to Famine, where the band gets back to their most demented and hellish mode, showcasing all band members in total sync led by Max’s strident riffs, while Robin sounds like a stone crusher on drums and, as a consequence, flirting with Brutal Death Metal at times.

In summary, if you’re an admirer of the meanest and heaviest side of Death Metal you must give these Portuguese metallers a very good try as Max and his henchmen have all it takes to explode your mind and darken your soul with their brand new installment Apocalypse, which by the way will soon be available from the band’s own BandCamp page and from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ webstore in distinct formats such as the awesome T-shirt + CD + Digital Download bundle. Also, don’t forget to show your support to Colosso by following them on Facebook and by listening to more of their somber creations on Spotify. As the four dreadful figures in the Book of Revelation who symbolize the evils to come at the end of the world get closer and closer to us, there’s nothing better than the avalanche of Death Metal roars crafted by Colosso to provide them a warm and friendly welcome, don’t you agree?

Best moments of the album: War and Famine.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2020 Transcending Obscurity Records

Track listing
1. Pestilence 8:14
2. War 4:07
3. Death 4:11
4. Famine 4:14

Band members
Max Tomé – guitars, keyboards, vocals on “Death”
Alexandre Ribeiro – bass
Robin Stone – drums

Guest musicians
Guilherme Henriques – vocals on “Pestilence”
Sérgio Afonso – vocals on “War”
Diogo Santana – vocals on “Famine”

Album Review – Gorevent / Fate (2020)

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Let’s all slam into the circle pit to the sound of the new album by this ruthless Japanese outfit, representing the sound of humanity come full circle.

Ushering in a new age of primitive savagery come Niigata, Japan-based Brutal Slamming Death Metal kings Gorevent, armed to the teeth with their brand new opus entitled Fate, the fifth full-length album in their undisputed career, representing the sound of humanity come full circle, ending in blood and darkness as we began. Put differently, remorseless riffs, blunt force trauma rhythm battery and animalistic vocals are the main ingredients in the new slamming feast brought forth by this unrelenting band formed in the already distant year of 2004 and currently comprised of Gokucho on vocals, Suguru and Kasahara on the guitars and Takasick on bass, not to mention Metadon, who recorded the drums for the album as a session musician. Featuring a beyond obscure artwork by an enigmatic artist named Mr. Utsuro, Fate will smash you like an insect, being highly recommended for fans of the vicious creations by bands like Devourment, Autopsy, Visceral Disgorge and Cephalotripsy.

Get ready to have your spinal cord and your skull crushed to pieces in the opening track Confront, sounding as heavy and rude as it can be with Gokucho blasting his Chirs Barnes-inspired deep roars like a beast, while session drummer Metadon proves why he was chosen to record the album. After such demented welcome card the band offers our putrid ears the also gory Justice, where Suguru and Kasahara simply smash their stringed weapons in a feast of infernal riffs perfect for headbanging or slamming manically, and their brutal and primeval sounds keep hammering our heads in Keep It Tightening, where its guitars will slash your ears while Takasick and Metadon generate a thunderous ambience with their respective bass punches and beats. In Swell, a song for lovers of our good old headbanging, Gokucho’s guttural gnarls get closer to the ones of a dark and demonic creature, resulting in a first-class, gruesome Death Metal composition where not a single space is left empty.

Then it’s time for Gorevent to accelerate their beastly machine and deliver sheer brutality in Energies, tailored for breaking your neck in half to the sound of the blast beast by Metadon while the band’s guitar duo extract tons of aggressiveness from their strings. Needless to say, their demented party has no time to end, offering us all the Brutal Death Metal extravaganza entitled Round 13, where Gokucho’s primate growls are effectively supported by the vicious sounds crafted by his bandmates, whereas in the title-track Fate we all witness guest vocalist Ryo Honma taking his vile vocals to a whole new level of dementia and brutality, while Metadon keeps the song’s pace obscure and evil. Put differently, it couldn’t have sounded more demonic than this, ending the album on a high and visceral note, and as a “bonus track” to such violent album Gorevent deliver the also berserk and grim Day to Head, reminding me of the early days of Cannibal Corpse when all you could hear were deep roars and crushing beats, definitely not recommended for the lighthearted.

In a nutshell, although Gorevent might not be reinventing Death Metal nor anything close to that in their new album Fate, those Japanese metallers did a very good and solid job throughout the entire album, living up to the legacy of Brutal Slamming Death Metal and, even more important than that, providing fans of the genre more fuel for their insane circle pits. Hence, go check what they’re up to on Facebook, including their tour dates, as you might be able to witness them live in your city crushing everything and everyone that dares to cross their path, and don’t forget to purchase Fate from your favorite retailer such as the Comatose Music’s BandCamp page or webstore, Apple Music and Amazon. While veteran metal acts like Gorevent exist, and I guess we can already call them veterans, we can rest assured Death Metal will remain strong, violent and gory just the way we like it, and based on the sheer aggressiveness flowing from each and every track found in Fate I honestly (and happily) don’t believe the band is thinking about calling it quits in the foreseeable future.

Best moments of the album: Justice, Energies and Round 13.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2020 Comatose Music

Track listing
1. Confront 2:51
2. Justice 2:39
3. Keep It Tightening 3:04
4. Swell 3:12
5. Energies 3:13
6. Round 13 2:36
7. Fate 4:10
8. Day to Head 3:13

Band members
Gokucho – vocals
Suguru – guitar
Kasahara – guitar
Takasick – bass

Guest musician
Metadon – drums (session)
Ryo Honma – vocals on “Fate”

Album Review – Prion / Aberrant Calamity (2019)

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Erupting from the warped heart of chaos, here comes a roaring Argentinian Death Metal horde armed with their brand new and extremely brutal album.

Erupting from the warped heart of chaos, here comes a roaring, screaming and slithering mass of nightmares named Prion, a Death Metal horde formed in the distant year of 1994 in the city of Buenos Aires, the capital of the always vibrant Argentina, tearing down the doors which guard your sanity, and letting loose every childhood fear kept locked away in darkness and drown your dreams in terror. Four years after the release of the excellent album Uncertain Process, from 2015, Prion are back even more enraged and vile than before, unleashing upon our damned souls their brand new, rip-roaring full-length album Aberrant Calamity, a lesson in sheer brutality highly recommended for diehard fans of Immolation, Krisiun, Hate Eternal and Morbid Angel.

Comprised of Gregorio Kochian on vocals and guitar, Walter Barrionuevo on bass and Flavio Coscarella on drums, Prion take no prisoners in their quest for old school Death Metal, adding absolutely zero artificial elements to their crushing sonority. Featuring a phantasmagorical and creepy cover art by Italian artist Marco Hasmann (Comatose Music), Aberrant Calamity is a precise and thunderous album of classic Death Metal where all three band members are in absolute fire and in total sync from start to finish, putting a huge smile on the faces of not only the fans of the band, but also to newcomers to the world of Prion who love when a band transforms their instruments into weapons of total annihilation.

It’s quite impressive how crisp, vibrant and raw the trio sounds from the very first second in the opening track Fictitious Form of Stability, with Flavio beginning his onrush of blast and furious beats à la Krisiun while Gregorio is a beast both with his demented riffs and his infernal growls; and as demolishing and intricate as the opening track, Irreversible Ways brings some Brutal Death Metal for the masses, with poetry and violence walking hand in hand in its lyrics (“So much real the time proceeds / without ask. Everything born and die, / we are not exempt from that. / Accelerating the natural course of the things. / Life disorders! / The malformed system now is out of control, / till our non existence.”). Following such smashing start, the rumbling bass punches by Walter will hammer your head mercilessly in I Remembered to Breathe, a sonic devastation that lives up to the legacy of old school Death Metal (and don’t forget to check their playthrough version HERE).

Apparently Flavio never gets tired of smashing his drums like a maniac, which is the case in Unable to Discern, an imposing Death Metal tune that feels at times like a “Death Metal Opera” (if that exists, of course), where Gregorio keeps vociferating rabidly and deeply in a true lesson in extreme music by this evil triumvirate from Argentina. Then get ready to slam into the circle pit to an avalanche of violent and technical sounds in Over the Asphalt of a New Era, with Gregorio and Walter extracting thunderous lines from their stringed weapons and, therefore, generating some unstoppable action for our avid ears and bodies. As you might have already noticed, there’s no time to breathe in Aberrant Calamity, with the dark, headbanging massacre entitled I’m Jonah, Sacrifice Me, led by Gregorio’s sharp riffs (and who also screeches like a demonic entity, by the way) sounding inspired by the greatest of the genre like Morbid Angel, Death and especially Prion’s neighbors Krisiun; whereas Pathological Self Destruction starts as obscure as possible, suddenly exploding into vile and infernal Death Metal where Flavio is once again precise and berserk on drums, generating a Stygian atmosphere perfect for Gregorio’s deep roars.

Are you tired already? Because there’s still more pulverizing Death Metal sounds made in Argentina for our total delight starting with Observed Relativity, showcasing a demented performance by Flavio on drums supported by Walter’s metallic bass, recommended for crushing your damned skull into the circle pit. The Hesse Paradox is another solid and demented display of extreme music brought forth by the trio, spearheaded by the scorching riffs by Gregorio while Walter and Flavio show no mercy for their instruments, sounding visceral and disturbing just the way we like it. And closing the album on a demolishing note to the detailed and potent beats by Flavio we have Slow Down, a song about our society’s cult of rush (“We live in the age of speed. / We strain to be more efficient, / to cram more into each minute, / each hour, each day of the existence.”) that will leave countless bodies on the floor after all is said and done.

If I were you, and especially if you’re an admirer of the pulverizing sounds of old school Death Metal, I would definitely take a good listen at Aberrant Calamity in full on YouTube or on Spotify, follow the band on Facebook, subscribe to their YouTube channel, and buy a copy of this fantastic album of Argentinian Death Metal from the band’s own BandCamp page or from Comatose Music’s BandCamp or webstore, as well as from Apple Music, Amazon or Discogs. There’s a very good reason why Prion have been proudly carrying the flag of classic Death Metal high for decades already, and that’s simply because those talented and obstinate Argentinian musicians breathe and live Death Metal, with Aberrant Calamity representing their boiling blood flowing through their metal hearts.

Best moments of the album: Irreversible Ways, Unable to Discern and Pathological Self Destruction.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2019 Comatose Music

Track listing
1. Fictitious Form of Stability 4:33
2. Irreversible Ways 4:33
3. I Remembered to Breathe 5:12
4. Unable to Discern 4:36
5. Over the Asphalt of a New Era 4:09
6. I’m Jonah, Sacrifice Me 4:47
7. Pathological Self Destruction 4:28
8. Observed Relativity 5:10
9. The Hesse Paradox 4:33
10. Slow Down 4:40

Band members
Gregorio Kochian – vocals, guitars
Walter Barrionuevo – bass
Flavio Coscarella – drums

Album Review – Refusal / Epitome of Void (2019)

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A straight-to-the-point album of Finnish Crust Old School Death Metal, as pulverizing, heavy and infernal as it can be.

Founded back in 2008 in the city of Helsinki, Finland by guitarist Tero Pirhonen and bassist Timo Pirhonen, before bringing in vocalist Niikka Lius, drummer Aleksi Roitto and more recently guitarist Kalle Kuosmanen to complete the band, the unrelenting squad that goes by the name of Refusal does not just play your regular Death Metal, but something they like to call “Finnish Crust Old School Death Metal”, smashing you like an insect with all their fury and heaviness without showing a single drop of mercy. After releasing several demos and their debut full-length album We Rot Within, in 2016, Refusal are back in action in 2019 with a brand new (and pulverizing) opus, beautifully titled Epitome of Void. Featuring a somber artwork by Finnish artist Sakke Vinko, Epitome of Void is highly recommended for fans of the music by iconic bands like Napalm Death, Nasum and Entombed, being absolutely perfect for slamming into the circle pit like there’s no tomorrow.

The distorted guitars by Tero and Kalle ignite the pulverizing opening track Suffocate, reminding me of the devilish sound by Turkish beasts Diabolizer, or in other words, a brutal slamming Death Metal extravaganza led by Niika and his deep, visceral growls. If you survive their initial onrush of extreme music get ready for the insanely heavy Hectic, showcasing an enraged Niikka on vocals while Aleksi decimates his drums in a precise and groovy manner, accompanied by Timo’s roaring bass; whereas Disregard brings forward a less frantic but still acid and violent version of the band, urging us all to bang our heads manically to the infernal riffs by Tero and Kalle while Timo smashes his bass chords nonstop.

Disgust is just as brutal as Death Metal can be, with Refusal inviting us all to crush our skulls into the circle pit while Niikaa vomits the song’s lyrics in a very traditional way; followed by Slaves, the darkest of all songs in Epitome of Void, showcasing hints of classic, obscure Black Metal added to their unrelenting music. Moreover, Tero and Timo bring some welcome balance to the sonic havoc going on with their crisp solos. Then it’s time for more demented slamming to the infernal beats by Aleksi in Exploit, while Niikka keeps growling and vociferating manically for our total delight. Put differently, this is the undisputed epitome of Refusal’s classic Death Metal, highly recommended for all fans of the genre.

If you think your neck will have a break from all the insane headbanging proposed by Refusal you’re absolutely wrong, as the band ignites their most demonic mode in the rip-roaring Bound, with their guitars and drums being in full destructive force. Then their second to last deranged Death Metal attack comes in the form of Futile, where all band members sound even more infuriated than ever, pleasing anyone who admires old school Brutal Death Metal from the bottom of their (blackened) hearts, setting the stage for the the thunderous and vile closing tune Void, where the smashing sounds of drums and bass provide Niikka the perfect atmosphere for his sick guttural vocals. There’s no escape from Refusal, and their most unfriendly, obscure and intricate creation beautifully represents all their fury and rage, ending the album on a very high note.

Do you have what it takes to face the demolishing Death Metal by Refusal? If your answer is yes, simply slam into the pit by listening to Epitome of Void in full on Spotify, by following the band on Facebook and by subscribing to their YouTube channel. In a nutshell, Epitome of Void, which by the way is on sale from Refusal’s own BandCamp page, from the Great Dane Records’ BandCamp page, from iTunes, from Amazon or from Discogs, will not change or revolutionize the underground metal scene at all; quite the contrary, it’s pure old school Death Metal, without any artificial elements nor any type of shenanigans, thoroughly crafted by five Finnish guys who are beyond loyal to the foundations of the genre, deserving all our admiration and support for keeping the flames of true Death Metal alive and kicking.

Best moments of the album: Hectic, Disgust and Exploit.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2019 Great Dane Records

Track listing
1. Suffocate 2:20
2. Hectic 2:51
3. Disregard 3:13
4. Disgust 3:27
5. Slaves 4:33
6. Exploit 1:48
7. Bound 4:14
8. Futile 4:10
9. Void 5:19

Band members
Niikka Lius – vocals
Tero Pirhonen – guitars
Kalle Kuosmanen – guitars
Timo Pirhonen – bass, backing vocals
Aleksi Roitto – drums

Album Review – Meathook / Crypts, Coffins, Corpses (2019)

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Terror is coming in the form of an absolute ode to all things brutal by this ruthless and demented Death Metal squad from Arizona.

The very first album review of 2019 is an absolute ode to all things brutal, and I’m sure you’ll feel completely disoriented after listening to its 31 minutes of pulverizing and gruesome extreme music. I’m talking about Crypts, Coffins, Corpses, the third full-length installment by American Brutal Death Metal unity Meathook, released on January 1 via Unmatched Brutality Records. Formed in 2007 in Phoenix, Arizona by the Gonzales Brothers, Meathook are ready to strike again six years after the the cruel assault of their 2012 album, Facing Deformity, and their depraved inclinations have only become more sickening with the passage of time.

If the dreams of the deranged could be captured in music, if the tales of their sleeping journeys through kingdoms of the unspeakable and grotesque were vomited out from the mouths of demons, then you would have the sound found in Crypts, Coffins, Corpses, comprised of nine crushing hymns of old school, unrelenting Brutal Death Metal highly recommended for fans of Devourment, Skinless, Ingested and Terrordrome, among other utterly vicious and demolishing metal bands. As the new year begins, a new age of dark dreams and devastation will dawn with the new opus by Meathook, so simply say goodbye to quiet nights and untroubled sleep because terror is coming in the form of the most extreme type of music you can think of.

Wicked noises explode into sheer brutality led by the demented beats by drummer Johnny Gonzales in the opening track Awaiting Torment, while lead singer Mars Gonzales barks like a rabid demon in a feast of violent, gory and visceral sounds just the way we like it; and their onrush of crushing noises goes on in Cauldron of Dead Bodies, a lesson in Brutal Death Metal where guitarists Robin Mack and Aaron Gonzales decimate their strings beautifully, delivering classic Death Metal riffs while the roars by Mars get deeper and deeper. Then Mars once again leads his horde of sick bastards in Purification Through Pain, almost vomiting the lyrics (and therefore making it quite impossible to follow them) while Johnny pulverizes everything and everyone with his bestial drumming, followed by the fulminating title-track Crypts, Coffins, Corpses, perfect for braking your spinal cord in half headbanging, with Robin and Aaron being in total sync with their axes supported by the low-tuned punches by bassist Elliot Thomas in a lecture in gore and dementia. And in Placed Upon the Altar we’re treated to a high-octane devastation bringing the most disturbing and gruesome elements from Brutal Death Metal such as inhumane growls, incendiary guitars and nonstop blast beats, or in other words, another sensational creation by this devilish Death Metal squad.

Leaning towards old school Cannibal Corpse but at the same time presenting a more contemporary vibe, Temples Made From Flesh is a song perfect for slamming into the pit, with Mars sounding absolutely monstrous on vocals, whereas in Disseminated Remains an operatic intro morphs into an ass-kicking display of savagery led by Johnny’s potent and rhythmic beats, hammering our heads mercilessly from start to finish. If you’re still alive after such gargantuan level of havoc blasted by Meathook up until now, you better get ready because the album’s second to last bloodthirsty extravaganza, titled Awakened by the Stench, is just as perverse and vile as the rest of the album, with Mars and Johnny complementing each other’s demonic roars and beats respectively. And last but not least, closing their Death Metal coffin the band offers our avid ears the insanely heavy and brutal Coils of Entrails, presenting hints of the most devastating form of Grindcore, not to mention Mars’ spine-tingling screeches and gnarls as well as Robin’s and Aaron’s razor-edged riffs.

If you have what it takes to face the disturbing and thunderous Death Metal by Meathook, you can take a detailed listen at Crypts, Coffins, Corpses on YouTube and on Spotify, and of course if you’re already a longtime member of the Death Metal underworld you can purchase your copy of the album from the band’s own BandCamp page, from the Unmatched Brutality Records webstore, or from the Comatose Music webstore. As aforementioned, the first review of 2019 was going to be a total carnage, and we have to thank the guys from Meathook  for kicking off this new year on such a high, apocalyptic and barbaric mode for our total delight.

Best moments of the album: Cauldron of Dead Bodies, Crypts, Coffins, Corpses and Placed Upon the Altar.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2019 Unmatched Brutality Records

Track listing
1. Awaiting Torment 3:28
2. Cauldron of Dead Bodies 3:39
3. Purification Through Pain 3:09
4. Crypts, Coffins, Corpses 3:38
5. Placed Upon the Altar 3:19
6. Temples Made From Flesh 3:04
7. Disseminated Remains 3:56
8. Awakened by the Stench 3:32
9. Coils of Entrails 3:37

Band members
Mars Gonzales – vocals
Robin Mack – guitar
Aaron Gonzales – guitar
Elliot Thomas – bass
Johnny Gonzales – drums