Tag Archives: graphic no jutsu

Album Review – Carbon Tomb / Passage to a Neutron Star (2026)

Posted on by
Reply

A new band playing Dissonant Death Metal exuding raw, visceral energy and possessing far more expressive range than most bands in this style, this Danish creatures are ready to unleash chaos with their debut studio album.

“Reborn from the bog
Caesarean execution of the womb
In worship returning to the carbon tomb”

A new band playing Dissonant Death Metal exuding raw, visceral energy and possessing far more expressive range than most bands in this style, Denmark’s own Death Metal/Deathcore creature Carbon Tomb is ready to unleash chaos with their debut studio album, titled Passage to a Neutron Star. Showcasing a dystopian, futuristic artwork by world renowned artist Jon Toussas (Graphic No Jutsu), the debut opus by vocalist and guitarist Richardt (of the also amazing band Dysgnostic), vocalist and bassist Jeppe, and drummer Mikael presents songs that are highly structured and coherent, emphasizing the right moments, and are also comparatively more varied than normal. Without contradicting the sound, they even infuse Black Metal elements into some of the songs, rendering it diverse and interesting.

A sinister piano invades our minds before all hell breaks loose in the opening track Chanting Spells I, with their dissonant riffs and gruesome roars sounding utterly haunting, whereas the visceral guitar lines by Richardt permeate the air in the infuriated A Hidden Creature, while the same Richardt  and Jeppe deliver a Mephistophelian dual vocal attack. From the Giant’s Snout sounds even more dissonant and experimental, where their Death Metal and Deathcore sides clash beautifully, offering us all a monstrous sonority; and they continue to crush our damned souls in The Dog Hunter, led by the intricate yet demonic drumming by Mikael. After such an intense song we have Of God’s Neglect, another very experimental and multi-layered tune by the trio, with their harsh vociferations walking hand in hand with the crushing drums by Mikael.

Gogoffmagog is perhaps the most violent and aggressive of all songs, with their Death Metal essence burning brighter than a thousand suns, not to mention the deep roars by Jeppe sound venomous; and Tritons of Ichthyology sounds as detailed as its predecessors, with the scathing guitar work done by Richardt adding a Black Metal touch to their core sound while Mikael keeps hammering his drums nonstop. Reversed Head Renewal is one more good song by the trio, albeit not as exciting as the others (which, if I’m being honest, is a very difficult task). It’s still violent and technical, of course. And lastly, Passage to a Neutron Star is the epitome of their blend of Dissonant, Technical and Progressive Death Metal, demolishing our senses with their ruthless riffs, bass lines and drums, therefore ending the album in a majestic way.

As an interpretation of a style generally considered complex or inscrutable, Passage to a Neutron Star is surprisingly fluid, entertaining, and memorable, therefore appealing to admirers of the insanity blasted by names like Ulcerate, Dysgnostic, Devenial Verdict, Artificial Brain, and Mors Verum, among others torchbearers of Dissonant Death Metal arts. Furthermore, Carbon Tomb might be a new band, but its members are already seasoned musicians of the always exciting Danish scene, and if you want to know more about them you can find the band on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Spotify, and purchase their striking debut from their own BandCamp or from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ BandCamp, main store, US store or EU store. Having said all that, are you ready to return to the carbon tomb while enjoying the breathtaking Dissonant Death Metal by such an up-and-coming band hailing from stunning Denmark?

Best moments of the album: A Hidden Creature, Gogoffmagog and Passage to a Neutron Star.

Worst moments of the album: Reversed Head Renewal.

Released in 2026 Transcending Obscurity Records

Track listing
1. Chanting Spells I 2:49
2. A Hidden Creature 4:00
3. From the Giant’s Snout 3:21
4. The Dog Hunter 4:21
5. Of God’s Neglect 5:50
6. Gogoffmagog 1:53
7. Tritons of Ichthyology 4:29
8. Reversed Head Renewal 4:31
9. Passage to a Neutron Star 3:10

Band members
Richardt – harsh vocals, guitars
Jeppe – harsh vocals, bass
Mikael – drums

Album Review – Dephosphorus / Planetoktonos (2025)

Posted on by
Reply

Greek forward-thinking grinders return from outer space with their fifth album, a ferocious collection of nine cosmic, menacing tracks delivering a boundary-pushing sonic journey.

“Pessimism is an indulgence and despair is kind of an insult to the imagination.” – Wade Davis 

Exploring science fiction and cosmology through cosmic aesthetics and a wide range of heavy, extreme music since their inception back in 2008, even dubbing their style as “Astrogrind”, Athens, Greece-based Death/Black Metal/Grindcore outfit Dephosphorus return with their fifth album, entitled Planetoktonos (a Greek word coined by the band, roughly translating to “Planetkiller”), following up on their 2020 opus Sublimation. Recorded and mixed by George Christoforidis at Ignite Music Studio, mastered by James Plotkin, displaying an intergalactic artwork by Jon Toussas of Graphic No Jutsu, and featuring guest musician Miltos Schimatariotis on all electronics (recorded at Northside Studio), the new offering by Panos Agoros on vocals, Thanos Mantas on the guitars, e-bow and chants, Kostas Ragiadakos on bass, and John Votsis on drums delivers a boundary-pushing sonic journey, sparking the imagination and inviting listeners to explore new dimensions of thought and sound.

The caustic riffs by Thanos and the pounding drums by John will transport us to another dimension in Living in a Metastable Universe, blending the innovation of Mastodon with the heaviness and insanity by Blood Incantation; and Thanos keeps embellishing the airwaves with his wicked e-bow in Hunting for Dyson Spheres, while Panos gnarls like a creature from an uncanny world, flowing into the also demented Pale Veins, offering a well-balanced, thrilling fusion of the harsher sounds of Black and Death Metal with Sludge Metal and more modern and experimental sounds, led by the incendiary drumming by John. Then the quartet shows no mercy for our souls in After the Holocaust, hammering our cranial skulls with more of their intergalactic heavy sounds.

Just when you think they couldn’t sound more infuriated or insane, they offer our avid ears the frantic and chaotic The Triumph of Science and Reason, with Panos roaring nonstop supported by the ruthless bass by Kostas, and those Greek bastards will attack our senses with two intense minutes in The Kinetics of a Superintelligence Explosion, with Thanos delivering his most Death Metal riffs of the whole album. The title-track Planetoktonos brings forward the band’s core sonic madness where Kostas and John will make the galaxy tremble armed with their infernal kitchen, and there’s still a lot of fuel to burn in Calculating Infinity, offering more of their demented vocal lines, thunderous, rumbling bass and intricate beats. Lastly, their voyage through the realms of progressive, avantgarde and experimental heavy music ends with Eternal Bloom, where Panos delivers his trademark vociferations supported by the austere riffage by Thanos.

Those Greek forward-thinking grinders once again aim to expand their listeners’ consciousness with Planetoktonos (dedicated to Swiss musician Didier Séverin, of bands like Knut and Strommorts, who sadly passed away in 2022), fostering a vision of a sustainable future where humanity not only survives but thrives in harmony with its biosphere, and even with AI. Drawing lyrical inspiration from The Expanse novel series by James S.A. Corey and from Superintelligence: Paths Dangers Strategies by Nick Bostrom, Planetoktonos is a ferocious collection of nine cosmic, menacing tracks that pay tribute to the energy and dynamics of trailblazing acts such as Anodyne, Nasum, Playing Enemy, Breach, Knut, Leviathan and Bolt Thrower, and you can join the band in their cosmic adventure by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, by streaming their excellent discography on Spotify, and by purchasing Planetoktonos from BandCamp, from 7Degrees Records, from Nerve Altar, or from Selfmadegod Records, or click HERE for all things Dephosphorus. End of transmission.

Best moments of the album: Living in a Metastable Universe, Pale Veins and The Triumph of Science and Reason.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 7Degrees Records/Nerve Altar/Selfmadegod Records

Track listing
1. Living in a Metastable Universe 3:05
2. Hunting for Dyson Spheres 4:20
3. Pale Veins 3:07
4. After the Holocaust 2:33
5. The Triumph of Science and Reason 1:51
6. The Kinetics of a Superintelligence Explosion 2:09
7. Planetoktonos 3:00
8. Calculating Infinity 3:27
9. Eternal Bloom 4:26

Band members
Panos Agoros – vocals
Thanos Mantas – guitars, e-bow, chants
Kostas Ragiadakos – bass
John Votsis – drums

Guest musician
Miltos Schimatariotis – electronics