Tag Archives: costa rica

Album Review – Perishing / Malicious Acropolis Unveiled (2025)

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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

Album Review – Mörtual / Altar of Brutality (2025)

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Rising from the oppressive crypts of Central America, this Death Metal horde is ready to deliver their most unrelenting statement of intent yet, spawned in the black rain and pestilent winds of their homeland.

Rising from the oppressive crypts of Central America, San José, Costa Rica-based Death Metal horde Mörtual, the combination of the Latin word “mort” (“death”) and “ritual”, therefore meaning “ritual of death”,  is ready to kill armed with their most unrelenting statement of intent yet following a trilogy of celebrated EPs. Spawned in the black rain and pestilent winds of their homeland, and mixed and mastered by Dan Lowndes at Resonance Sound Studio, their debut full-length opus, entitled Altar of Brutality, is a declaration of total spiritual negation featuring eight impure hymns steeped in decay, fanatic violence and the iconoclastic hunger to desecrate all that is sacred, being therefore tailored for admirers of Deicide, Mortem, Sadistic Intent, and Monstrosity, among others.

The trio shows no mercy for our rotten souls in Mortuary Rites, smashing their instruments nonstop in great Death Metal fashion, with Justin and Juan delivering an overdose of demented growls and riffs, followed by Necromancy Ritual, an avalanche of heaviness and guttural roars with Chalo dictating the song’s demented pace behind his drums. Then adding hints of the devilish music played by Slayer to their Death Metal core, the trio will pulverize us all in Divine Monstrosity, with the guitars by Justin and Juan exhaling sulfur. And Mörtual will attack once again with a six-minute feast of first-class Death Metal entitled Dominion of Eternal Blasphemy, sounding utterly demonic until the very end.

The band continues their path of devastation and hatred in Fiendish Visions, again blasting wicked, demented guttural vocals intertwined with visceral riffs and nonstop beats and fills, and their passion for all things Death Metal goes on in full force in Skeletal Vortex, again presenting that ruthless, unrelenting vibe we all love so much, perfect for slamming into the pit. Altar of Brutality, the song that carries the name of the album, is simply infernal from start to finish, with their demented, deep roaring and the crushing drums by Chalo turning it into a must-listen for fans of the genre, before we face the atmospheric outro Ecstasy of Death, which takes away a bit of the album’s punch despite being sinister and phantasmagorical, but nothing to really worry about.

Carrying forward the cursed legacy of their previous EP Evil Incarnation, Mörtual reach deeper into the void, channeling a darker, more oppressive sound, dripping with heretical intent and sharpened through years of relentless underground devotion. However, this is not a reinvention, but a declaration, a brutal affirmation of Death Metal’s primal force. With Altar of Brutality, available for purchase on BandCamp, Mörtual summon a vision of spiritual ruin and corporeal decay, wrapped in chains of riffs, blasts and unwavering intensity, and you can join them in their tribute to all things heavy and dark by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, by streaming their music on Spotify, or simply by clicking HERE for all things Mortual. This is extreme music made in Costa Rica at its finest, or maybe I should say at its heaviest, and if you dare to cross the band’s path, be prepared to be demolished to the sound of their undisputed Death Metal attack.

Best moments of the album: Mortuary Rites, Divine Monstrosity and Altar of Brutality.

Worst moments of the album: Ecstasy of Death.

Released in 2025 Nuclear Winter Records

Track listing
1. Mortuary Rites 5:24
2. Necromancy Ritual 4:32
3. Divine Monstrosity 4:57
4. Dominion of Eternal Blasphemy 5:59
5. Fiendish Visions 4:12
6. Skeletal Vortex 4:11
7. Altar of Brutality 4:02
8. Ecstasy of Death 1:56

Band members
Justin Sánchez – vocals, guitars
Juan Salas – vocals, guitars
Chalo – drums

Album Review – Inhuman / Prerogative Of The Unborn (2024)

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A Death Metal beast hailing from Costa Rica returns with its fourth studio album, a sonic pilgrimage that explores the darkest corners of the human psyche.

Formed in 2011 in the city of Heredia, Costa Rica, the ruthless Technical Death Metal squad known as Inhuman is unleashing upon humanity their fourth full-length album, titled Prerogative Of The Unborn, a descent into the abyss of Death Metal with newfound echoes of melody that defy the norm. Displaying a sinister artwork by Phlegeton (aka Jose Luis Rey Sanchez), the new album by vocalist Gabriel Martinez, guitarist Jonathan Sanchez, bassist Andrés Maroto, and drummer Juriel Barquero is a manifesto of rebellion against the mainstream, a sonic pilgrimage that explores the darkest corners of the human psyche highly influenced by Decapitated, Lamb Of God, Behemoth, Decide, and Cannibal Corpse, among others, being therefore recommended for fans of the most visceral yet technical side of Death Metal.

The evil riffage by Jonathan and the sick drumming by Juriel ignite the mosh pit feast titled Columbarium, sounding infernal and violent just the way we like it in old school Death Metal, whereas the title-track Prerogative Of The Unborn brings forward six minutes of heaviness and savagery by the quartet, showcasing all their dexterity and passion for extreme music, with Gabriel roaring like a beast nonstop. Juriel then blasts some demented, intricate beats in In The Name Of The Father, adding an extra dosage of violence to their sound while Jonathan and Andrés hammer their stringed axes manically; followed by Poetry Of A Decaying Soul, a visceral, more direct tune showcasing the band’s incendiary Death Metal essence, with Gabriel once again taking the lead with his raspy vociferations.

The second half of the album begins with six minutes of darkness titled Dreadful Existence, offering our avid ears some ass-kicking breaks, variations, and the band’s trademark aggression, with Juriel sounding bestial on drums, while Worthless Skin is one hundred percent inspired by Death Metal titans the likes of Cannibal Corpse and Vomitory, as the band brings forward a gruesome sonic attack perfect for some sick headbanging. Their second to last onrush of insanity and obscurity is entitled Deathless Crave, where Andrés blasts his bass furiously accompanied by the always classy beats by Juriel, flowing into the closing tune I’m Staying Inside You, where the band delivers another solid display of Death Metal, sounding groovy while at the same time ruthless, albeit not the most electrifying option for putting an end to the album.

This beast of an album is available in full on YouTube and on Spotify, but of course if you want to show your utmost support to the Costa Rican underground you can purchase a copy of Prerogative Of The Unborn from the GrimmDistribution’s BandCamp page, and don’t forget to also check what the guys from Inhuman are up to on Facebook and on Instagram, or simply click HERE for all things Inhuman. Proudly carrying the flag of Costa Rican metal, those talented musicians will crush you to the sound of their new album, a Death Metal machine that will surely fuel them to keep moving forward and releasing more insanity in the form of music in the coming years.

Best moments of the album: Columbarium, In The Name Of The Father and Dreadful Existence.

Worst moments of the album: I’m Staying Inside You.

Released in 2024 GrimmDistribution/Sanatorio Records

Track listing
1. Columbarium 3:48
2. Prerogative Of The Unborn 6:22
3. In The Name Of The Father 5:03
4. Poetry Of A Decaying Soul 3:31
5. Dreadful Existence 6:08
6. Worthless Skin 4:08
7. Deathless Crave 3:21
8. I’m Staying Inside You 5:17

Band members
Gabriel Martinez – vocals
Jonathan Sanchez – guitars
Andrés Maroto – bass
Juriel Barquero – drums

Savage Lands – Nonprofit featuring members of Megadeth, Sepultura, Obituary and other legends of metal to support forests in Costa Rica

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Savage Lands – Nonprofit featuring members of Megadeth, Sepultura, Obituary and other legends of metal to support forests in Costa Rica 🇨🇷

Artists occasionally support causes through donations to organizations. With SAVAGE LANDS, Megadeth drummer Dirk Verbeuren teamed up with his guitar-wielding friend Sylvain Demercastel to create their own US 501(c)3 non-profit.

Savage Lands raises money for reforestation & the creation of sanctuaries free of human destruction. Using their own royalties, donations and other fundraising efforts, the organization builds nature sanctuaries, establishes green zones and other land preservation projects. They partner with other non-profits, scientists and forest engineers, as well as Decibel Magazine and Season of Mist.

Donate: https://savagelands.org/donation/

“If you want to make a difference, take action! Our greatest hope with Savage Lands is that it will inspire you to join us, and if you can, to start your own initiative to help preserve animals, forests, and our planet”, says Dirk.

Learn more about Savage Lands: https://savagelands.org/

Fittingly, “The Last Howl” is a howling tribute to the howler monkey, which are endangered in Costa Rica. The song features Savage Lands co-founders Sylvain Demercastel & Dirk Verbeuren, as well as support from John Tardy (Obituary), Andreas Kisser (Sepultura), Poun (Black Bomb A) & Etienne Treton (Black Bomb A).

100% of the song royalties will help fund nature sanctuaries, establish green zones and other land preservation projects in Costa Rica.

Lineup
Dirk Verbeuren (Megadeth) – drums
Sylvain Demercastel – guitar
Andreas Kisser (Sepultura) – guitar
John Tardy (Obituary) – vocals
Poun (Black Bomb A) – vocals
Etienne Treton (Black Bomb A) – bass

Recording
Savage Lands / Adair Daufembach / John Tardy / Andreas Kisser / Steeven Corsini

Production
Savage Lands

Mixing & Mastering
HK – Vamacara Studio

Donate: https://savagelands.org/donation/

***Listening to Savage Lands is already donating directly to this forest preservation effort.***

Album Review – Culto Negro / La Noche Oscura del Alma (2022)

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This Costa Rican horde will crush your senses with their debut opus, transforming the dark night of the soul into a first-class fusion of Black and Speed Metal.

Forged back in 2015 in the dark pits of Heredia, one of Costa Rica’s most historical cities, Black/Speed Metal horde Culto Negro (which by the way means “black cult” in English) has just unleashed upon humanity their debut full-length opus, beautifully titled La Noche Oscura del Alma, or “the dark night of the soul”, a sulfurous album of old school extreme music that exhales rage and adrenaline. Recorded by the band’s own guitarist Isak Arroyo at Orion Studios, mixed and mastered by Colin Marston at Menegroth Studios, and displaying a sick artwork by Nuno Zuki of Belial NecroArts (with additional artworks by Alan Corpse at Leprous Hands Arts), La Noche Oscura del Alma doesn’t have a single second of peace, offering our avid ears 39 minutes of a sonic Armageddon masterfully crafted by vocalist D.N., guitarists Esteban Sancho and Isak Arroyo, bassist AntiChristopher and drummer Vörago.

More than just a simple intro, Espectro Lunar (“lunar spectrum”) is already a bestial attack by Culto Negro where the riffage by Esteban and Isak is truly infernal, setting the stage for D.N. to kill in Desdoble (“unfold”), a fast and furious hybrid of Black and Thrash Metal that will please all fans of the genre bringing forward an amazing job done by Vörago on drums, keeping the music vibrant and evil from start to finish. Then it’s pedal to the metal as this Costa Rican party has no time to end to the sound of El Quinto Ángulo (“the fifth angle”), where D.N. makes his personal tribute to Hardcore and Punk Rock on vocals while the band’s guitar duo delivers sheer awesomeness through their riffs and solos, followed by Verso Adivinado (“guessed verse”), another frantic, demonic creation by the quintet where AntiChristopher’s bass punches add a touch of dementia to their scorching guitars, while Vörago hammers his drums in a true demented way. And Navajas, Cadenas y Espejos (“knives, chains and mirrors”) sounds like a hellish fusion of the music by Slayer, Motörhead and The Exploited, being therefore a fantastic option for slamming into the pit like there’s no tomorrow.

Get ready to be smashed like a bug by Culto Negro in the venomous Rojo Siniestro (“sinister red”), with D.N.’s vocals sounding more deranged than ever while Vörago keeps dictating the pace with his Punk Rock-infused beats; whereas in Caos o Cosmos (“chaos or cosmos”) the name of the song says it all, offering us all a chaotic sonority from the very first second with Esteban and Isak delivering pure thrashing riffs for our total delight. And such dynamic guitar duo revs up Culto Negro’s engines once again in Salvajes Destructores (“savage destroyers”), highly recommended for some nonstop headbanging and slamming into the pit; while Violencia Psicoactiva (“psychoactive violence”) is Black, Thrash and Speed Metal straight to your jugular, showcasing more of AntiChristopher and Vörago’s infernal kitchen. La Larga Marcha (“the long march”) can be considered the most infernal, brutal and caustic of all tracks where D.N. continues to vociferate like a rabid creature. Put differently, let’s all raise our horns to Culto Negro and their anti-religious extreme music. Last but not least, we have their cover version for Hermética’s Desterrando a los Oscurantistas (“banishing the obscurantists”), which original version can be enjoyed HERE, from Hermética’s 1989 self-titled debut album. It’s indeed an amazing rendition by those Costa Rican metallers, with AntiChristopher hammering his bass in great fashion until the very end.

If you believe you have what it takes to join the black cult ruled by such talented horde form Costa Rica, you can stream  La Noche Oscura del Alma in its entirety on YouTube and on Spotify, and of course purchase it from the Godz ov War Productions’ BandCamp page or webstore, as well as from the Violence Records’ BandCamp page. Culto Negro are also waiting for you on Facebook and on Instagram armed with the austere chants found in La Noche Oscura del Alma, showing us all Costa Rica is a metallic country as opposed to what most people think about it. They managed to transform the dark night of the soul into top-tier Extreme Metal in their debut effort, and may their music continue to darken the skies for many years to come.

Best moments of the album: El Quinto Ángulo, Navajas, Cadenas y Espejos and Salvajes Destructores.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2022 Godz ov War Productions/Mythrone Promotion/Violence Records

Track listing
1. Espectro Lunar (Intro) 1:53
2. Desdoble 2:51
3. El Quinto Ángulo 2:52
4. Verso Adivinado 3:29
5. Navajas, Cadenas y Espejos 3:38
6. Rojo Siniestro 3:57
7. Caos o Cosmos 4:02
8. Salvajes Destructores 3:43
9. Violencia Psicoactiva 4:29
10. La Larga Marcha 5:29
11. Desterrando a los Oscurantistas (Hermetica cover) 2:15

Band members
D.N. – vocals
Esteban Sancho – guitars
Isak Arroyo – guitars
AntiChristopher – bass
Vörago – drums

Album Review – Dusk / The Relic (2022)

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Known for incorporating Atmospheric Black Metal into Hard Bass Industrial, this uncanny Costa Rican entity will darken your mind with their sophomore opus.

Known for incorporating Atmospheric Black Metal into Hard Bass Industrial, full of unrelenting, uncaring and pounding blast beats and inhuman growling vocals mixed with modern rhythms such as Darkstep and other electronic influences, Dusk are an Industrial Black Metal project formed as an official band in 2016 in San Jose, Costa Rica, highly influenced by the music by Borgne, Perturbator and Blut Aus Nord, just to name a few. Now in 2022 this uncanny entity is back with a new opus, entitled The Relic, their sophomore full-length album following up on their 2021 release The Hermit, as well as on their EP’s Eko (2016), Epoka (2018) and Threnody (2019), showcasing all the talent and insanity of Shaman on vocals, Implacable on the guitar, Pàlak on bass, and Dusk on all programming, synthesizers and effects.

Eerie background noises ignite the opening track Relic I, bringing to our ears infernal bursts of dementia through the riffage by Implacable and all effects blasted by Dusk, while Shaman fires sinister, demonic roars that will haunt your souls in the name of Industrial Metal. Relic II is even more epic and imposing thanks to its dense atmosphere while Implacable keeps slashing his stringed axe accompanied by the low-tuned bass by Pàlak, offering Shaman exactly what he needs to sound like a beast incarnate on vocals. In other words, it’s first-class Industrial Black Metal made in Costa Rica, whereas like the soundtrack to a devilish, underground horror movie it’s time for the quartet to captivate our senses and drag us into darkness with Relic III, where Dusk showcases all his talent as the awesome Industrial Metal musician he is in the most experimental of all songs, evolving into the sonic beast Relic IV, spearheaded by the venomous gnarling by Shaman while Dusk keeps blackening the ambience with his wicked synths and effects in a display of primeval Industrial Metal with an Atmospheric Black Metal vibe. The last of the “relics”, obviously titled Relic V, will darken your thoughts to the sound of the crushing riffs, bass lines and synths by the band, resulting in a beyond Stygian creation that lives up to the legacy of Industrial Black Metal.

The unique and somber music brought into being by Dusk might not be an easy listen at first for the regular rock and metal fan, but after diving deep into their chaotic world of industrial and blackened sounds I’m sure you’ll get addicted to all of their demented creations, just like what they have to offer us all in The Relic. Hence, don’t forget to give the band a shout on Facebook and on Instagram, to subscribe to their YouTube channel for more of their sick compositions, and to purchase their brand new opus soon from their own BandCamp page. Dusk are undoubtedly one of the biggest names of the underground scene in their homeland Costa Rica, sounding more infernal and sinister with each one of their releases and, therefore, leaving us eager for more of their perturbing Industrial Black Metal in the coming years.

Best moments of the album: Relic II and Relic IV.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2022 Independent

Track listing
1. Relic I 7:42
2. Relic II 6:43
3. Relic III 5:39
4. Relic IV 8:09
5. Relic V 8:47

Band members
Shaman – vocals
Implacable – guitar
Pàlak – bass
Dusk – programming, synthesizers, effects