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Album Review – Dysentery / Dejection Chrysalis (2025)

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Ten years since their last full-length opus, this American Brutal Death Metal brigade has finally re-emerged into the light, carrying with them a new album of heaviness beyond comprehension.

“The imprisoning cocoon tears beneath my new found claws and I emerge, a beast reborn, from my shattered dejection chrysalis…”

Ten years since their last full-length opus Fragments, Waltham, Massachusetts-based Brutal Death Metal brigade Dysentery has finally re-emerged into the light, carrying with them a new album of heaviness beyond comprehension entitled Dejection Chrysalis, providing us avid metalheads with spine-splitting slams and deep grooves like scars in the surface of the Earth. Mixed and mastered by Randy LeBoeuf at Graphic Nature Audio, engineered by Jared Weed and Joey Ferretti, produced by Peter Spinazola and Joey Ferretti, and displaying a sinister artwork by Hidris, the demented new album by frontman Scott Savaria, guitarist Peter Spinazola, bassist John Cook, and drummer Eric Taranto is a bludgeoning onrush of musical extremity, a must-listen for fans of Putrid Pile, Internal Bleeding, Guttural Secrete, and Pyrexia.

Peter wastes no time and kicks off their depraved party with his cutting riffs in Transference, prepping us all for Enslavement for the Obedient, Agony for the Wayward, accompanied by the ruthless beats by Eric while Scott vomits the song’s vile words in great fashion. Their slamming party goes on in Indignation Unravels, with the metallic bass by John and the pounding drums by Eric making the earth tremble; followed by Exhausted Bliss of Self Loathing, featuring guest vocals by Josh Welshman of Defeated Sanity, where Eric sounds like a machine gun on drums in the best Aborted style. Scott then shows no mercy for our souls with his inhumane guttural in A Bestial Omen, another excellent display of Brutal Death Metal infused with gore and hatred.

Guest vocalist Jared Weed (of bands like Burial, Concrete and Futility) then makes an insane duet with Scott in Shackled by Idolatry while Peter hammers his stringed weapon in the name of extreme music, and they keep blasting their ruthless blend of Brutal Death Metal, therefore inspiring us to slam nonstop, in Transposed Benevolence. More of their share of brutality comes in the form of Fratricidium, featuring guest vocals by JT Knight (of Episiotomectomy and Invoke Thy Wrath), sounding vicious and evil from the very first second, with Peter and John bludgeoning their axes nonstop. Obsidian Womb is simply neck-breaking and heavy-as-hell, with Eric once again showing his passion for sheer violence behind his drums; whereas ending the album we face one final explosion of absolute madness and aggression entitled Ascend This Harrowing Dream, with its slamming moments sounding utterly demented.

Dynamic beyond all expectations, Dejection Chrysalis is sonically formidable and absolutely devastating from start to finish, leaving us completely disoriented after all is said and done, while at the same time eager for more of the music by those American death dealers. Having said that, what are you waiting for to start following Dysentery on Facebook and on Instagram, staying up to date with everything surrounding such an infernal beast of Death Metal, including their ruthless live performances, to stream their sick creations on Spotify, and above all that, to purchase their rabid new album from Comatose Music’s BandCamp or webstore, as well as from other locations like Amazon and Waterloo Records? Because Dejection Chrysalis is how you deliver brutal, slam Death Metal, and make it meaningful and beyond devastating. Period.

Best moments of the album: Enslavement for the Obedient, Agony for the Wayward, Exhausted Bliss of Self Loathing and Fratricidium.

Worst moments of the album: Transposed Benevolence.

Released in 2025 Comatose Music

Track listing
1. Transference 1:58
2. Enslavement for the Obedient, Agony for the Wayward 3:08
3. Indignation Unravels 2:22
4. Exhausted Bliss of Self Loathing 2:50
5. A Bestial Omen 2:02
6. Shackled by Idolatry 2:29
7. Transposed Benevolence 4:13
8. Fratricidium 2:52
9. Obsidian Womb 2:38
10. Ascend This Harrowing Dream 4:24

Band members
Scott Savaria – vocals
Peter Spinazola – guitar
John Cook – bass
Eric Taranto – drums

Guest musicians
Josh Welshman – vocals on “Exhausted Bliss Of Self Loathing”
Jared Weed – vocals on “Shackled By Idolatry”
JT Knight – vocals on “Fratricidium”

Album Review – Unearth / The Wretched; The Ruinous (2023)

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Celebrating almost 25 years on the road, Boston’s own Death Metal/Metalcore beast returns with a demolishing opus, a concept album that follows the current effects of the man-made climate crisis.

On album number eight, titled The Wretched; The Ruinous, Boston, Massachusetts-based Death Metal/Metalcore outfit Unearth not merely continues to amp-up their metal-meets-hardcore intensities, but they also exceed themselves with a record that incorporates elements of classic Unearth offerings dating back to their 2004 “breakthrough” album The Oncoming Storm, while exploring beyond the recent back-to-basics promise of their 2018 effort Extinction(s). Recorded, produced, mixed and mastered by Will Putney at Graphic Nature Audio, and displaying a stylish artwork by Alexandre Goulet, The Wretched; The Ruinous is a concept album that follows the current effects of the man-made climate crisis as well as what will happen in the years to come if drastic and immediate changes are not made to curb emissions, and monumental efforts are not made to repair and adjust to the damages already done, all wrapped up by the fulminating yet very melodic music by vocalist Trevor Phipps, guitarist Buz McGrath, bassist Chris O’Toole and drummer Mike Justian.

The title-track The Wretched; The Ruinous is freakin’ madness from the very first second, with Mike showing no mercy for his drums nor for our necks, inviting us all to slam into the circle pit to the demented growls by Trevor. In Cremation of the Living the quartet fires more of their acid Metalcore with Melodic Death Metal nuances while its lyrics exhale insanity (“Exist – perish / Discordant nature / All turned to dust / Enraged creator / Victims to shepherds of fear”), followed by Eradicator, another pulverizing tune by the band with Buz delivering sheer electricity from his guitar supported by the metallic bass by Chris. Mother Betrayal sounds and feels more atmospheric and melodic than its predecessors, and it’s interesting how Trevor “abandoned” his clean singing in the entire album just like what we can enjoy in this song. Then it’s pedal to the metal as the quartet will smash our cranial skulls inside the pit with Invictus, a lecture in modern-day Metalcore sounding heavier and harsher than any of the songs form their previous efforts.

Call of Existence brings to our avid ears an amazing guitar job done by Buz, helping to balance the song’s aggressiveness with more melodic riffs and striking solos while Mike dictates the song’s headbanging pace behind his drums. They offer more of their visceral Metalcore in Dawn of the Militant, inspiring us to keep the circle pit action going while Trevor continues to roar and scream manically. After that, the serene interlude Aniara will soothe our souls before we’re treated to another diabolical attack by Unearth titled Into the Abyss, showcasing a solid sonority led by Buz and Chris with their stringed weapons, albeit not as thrilling as the rest of the album. Back to a more infernal mode we have Broken Arrow, where Trevor screams the song’s lyrics in great fashion (“Fire in the sky / Awoken infernal slumber / Peaceful days now ill remembered / Failed to deliver / Accidents of mass destruction / Lie in wait yet not forever”) in a display of fast and crushing Metalcore for the masses; whereas lastly you’ll break your neck headbanging to Theaters of War, with Mike hammering his drums in the name of heavy music for our total delight.

Unearth are waiting for you on Facebook, on Instagram and on YouTube with news, tour dates and more of their amazing music, and if you want to give The Wretched; The Ruinous a spin you can find the album in its entirety on YouTube and on Spotify, and purchase it by clicking HERE or HERE. “We formed this band to make music for us, not trying to create something for anyone else. As soon as we did that people connected to it, and it’s kept us pushing onward for almost 25 years. We look forward to 25 more,” commented the band about their almost 25 years of career, but let’s be honest and admit that it’s us fans who got a very nice anniversary gift with the release of their awesome new album, don’t you agree?

Best moments of the album: The Wretched; The Ruinous, Invictus and Broken Arrow.

Worst moments of the album: Into the Abyss.

Released in 2023 Century Media

Track listing
1. The Wretched; The Ruinous 4:20
2. Cremation of the Living 3:20
3. Eradicator 3:28
4. Mother Betrayal 3:32
5. Invictus 3:45
6. Call of Existence 3:33
7. Dawn of the Militant 2:57
8. Aniara 0:57
9. Into the Abyss 3:24
10. Broken Arrow 2:51
11. Theaters of War 4:49

Band members
Trevor Phipps – vocals
Buz McGrath – guitars
Chris O’Toole – bass
Mike Justian – drums