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Album Review – Besotten / Eye of the Monolithicrypt (2026)

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The Eye of the Monolithicrypt is watching us all, ready to drag us to the Stygian realm ruled by this talented American Death and Doom Metal band.

After releasing a well-received demo and a split, Portland, Oregon-based Death/Doom Metal outfit Besotten (an alternative or older form of the adjective “besotted,” meaning completely infatuated, foolishly in love, or intoxicated), who labels their music as a hybrid of “psyxhix death” and “existential doom,” is unleashing hell armed with their debut full-length album, entitled Eye of the Monolithicrypt, which they have meticulously worked on for the past few years. Mixed and mastered by Leon Del Muerte (who also took care of the vocal and guitar engineering), with drums engineered by Charlie Koryn, and displaying a demented artwork by Lord Serus, the new offering by Garth Purkett on vocals and bass, Patrick Sinn-Movilla on the guitars and synthesizers, and Andy Osborn on drums presents five songs which are a mix of short ones as well as those exceeding 10 minutes, and are rather diverse with each song having its own identity while maintaining an overall cohesive sound.

Mist of Decay already offers our putrid ears a striking fusion of Death and Doom Metal, as evil and harsh as it can be, with Garth stealing the spotlight with his demonic, deep gnarls, setting the stage for the bludgeoning Bathed in Insufferable Light, a ten-minute beast from the abyss showcasing the scathing riffs by Patrick and the slow and doomed beats by Andy, also presenting cryptic passages and a strong sense of hopelessness and despair. Their demented Death Metal side arises again in Cruentation, with the bass by Garth reverberating like the scream of a demonic entity, accompanied by another ruthless performance by Andy on drums; and the same Andy shows no mercy for his drums in Storming the Cerebral Citadel, sounding deadly and vile from start to finish, with the band’s Doom Metal soul burning majestically. Their longest songs are obviously their best, which is the case in Bloodcairn, where the striking riffs and solos by Patrick add layers of insanity to their already devilish sounds before all fades into the unknown.

In comparison to the other bands out there, the music by Besotten is more structured and fleshed out, amplifying all the best elements of this style, and remaining delectably crushing and foul, exactly like what they have to offer in Eye of the Monolithicrypt. Highly recommended for admirers of the music by Worm, Disembowelment, Hooded Menace, Abyssal Rift, and Undergang, just to name a few, Eye of the Monolithicrypt can be purchased from their own BandCamp or from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ BandCamp, main store, US store or EU store. Don’t forget to also follow the band on Instagram, stream their music on Spotify, or you can click HERE for all things Besotten. In other words, the Eye of the Monolithicrypt is watching us all, ready to drag us to the Stygian realm ruled by Besotten, and to trap us forever in eternal doom.

Best moments of the album: Bathed in Insufferable Light and Bloodcairn.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2026 Transcending Obscurity Records

Track listing
1. Mist of Decay 5:52
2. Bathed in Insufferable Light 10:00
3. Cruentation 4:39
4. Storming the Cerebral Citadel 4:07
5. Bloodcairn 11:37

Band members
Garth Purkett – vocals, bass
Patrick Sinn-Movilla – guitars, synthesizers
Andy Osborn – drums

Album Review – Cartilage / Operating Altar (2026)

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At St. Petersen’s University Hospital, nightmares become coursework, and the new album by this American Death Metal and Grindcore beast is the perfect soundtrack to those horrors.

At St. Petersen’s University Hospital, nightmares become coursework, and Operating Altar, the new album by San Francisco, California-based Death Metal/Grindcore beast Cartilage (and the follow-up to their 2022 sophomore offering The Deader the Better), is the soundtrack to those horrors. Recorded by Mike Flory at Casa Carti (vocals, guitars, dialogues, bass) and by Scott Evans at Antisleep Audio (drums), mixed by Scott Evans at Antisleep Audio, mastered by Leon Del Muerte at Beastman Audio, and with a gory, visceral artwork by David Romero of CinemaMind, the new album by Mark Wallace on cankerous larynx invocations (aka vocals), Mike Flory on oscillating vein necromancy (aka guitars), Ria Flory on strung fascial divinations and tracheal exertions (aka bass), and Adam Houmam on tremoring transmutations on taut epidermises (aka drums) is a grand‑guignolesque blood ritual disguised as an album, ready to carve its way through the living, the dead, and anyone foolish enough to listen without anesthesia, being perfect for admirers of the putrid sounds blasted by Exhumed, Impetigo, Carcass, and Pharmacist.

There’s no hope in sight right from the beginning in Metal, Bone And Sinew, with Adam taking the lead with his demented beats and fills while Mark vociferates like a troll from hell; and Mike’s riffs ignite the quartet’s Death Metal extravaganza in S.C.D. (Sudden Cardiac Death), also presenting hints of Thrash and Black Metal to make things even more infuriated and violent. Then we see Adam hammer his drums like a lunatic in The Autopsy: A Surgical Sonata, inviting us all to slam into the band’s cesspool of blood and gore, followed by The Sanguine Fiend, presenting another blast of slamming sounds where Mike and Ria make an incredible stringed duo, pounding their axes nonstop until the very end.

It’s impressive how those four metallers can sound so demented and visceral while keeping a good dosage of harmony flowing form their instruments, like what they have to offer in A Lymphatic Labyrinth Of Roiling Rot, whereas they keep penetrating deep inside our minds with their striking riffs and blast beats in Among The Offal, which gets a bit confusing halfway through it (but nothing to worry about). Adam once again crushes his drums (and consequently our hopes and dreams) in Anatomical Incantations, demolishing our frail bodies with their insane fusion of Grindcore with Death and Thrash Metal; and The Operating Altar is by far one of the most complex and dynamic of all songs, with the goblin-like vocals by Mark (which also sound inspired by Overkill’s one and only Bobby Blitz) bringing even more insanity to their music. Finally, they conclude their onrush of blood and gore with Stitch By Stitch, where their Grindcore is infused with melody and groove.

“With this album, we sought to compose one large piece instead of simply a collection of songs. We’ve combined more influences from the likes of both brutal death metal and classic heavy metal, yet we pushed ourselves to faster tempos that we’ve never done before. Operating Altar is uniquely formulated to leave your ears bleeding with pleasure, our Maggot O-Pus if you will!” Those beautiful words by guitarist Mike Flory perfectly summarize Operating Altar, the logical next step for the Bay Area’s blood-brokers, with their horizons expanding without losing the red-eyed fury that has become their signature, and you can join them in their gory journey by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, by streaming their putrescent music on Spotify, and of course by purchasing their new album via BandCamp or mailorder. In the end, Operating Altar is the sound of a cauterizing wound. All at once scorching, hardening and sealing their sound into a new and grander whole.

Best moments of the album: S.C.D. (Sudden Cardiac Death), The Autopsy: A Surgical Sonata and The Operating Altar.

Worst moments of the album: Among The Offal.

Released in 2026 Everlasting Spew Records

Track listing
1. Metal, Bone And Sinew 4:31
2. S.C.D. (Sudden Cardiac Death) 4:05
3. The Autopsy: A Surgical Sonata 3:20
4. The Sanguine Fiend 2:53
5. A Lymphatic Labyrinth Of Roiling Rot 3:30
6. Among The Offal 3:36
7. Anatomical Incantations 3:16
8. The Operating Altar 4:08
9. Stitch By Stitch 4:03

Band members
Mark Wallace – vocals
Mike Flory – gutiars
Ria Flory – bass
Adam Houmam – drums