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Album Review – Gutslit / Carnal (2023)

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India’s own Brutal Death Metal and Grindcore warriors are back with their incendiary third full-length album, a masterful exploration of the intricate struggles of the human psyche.

In their over 15-year journey, Mumbai-based Brutal Death Metal/Grindcore masters Gutslit have transcended their status as a mere household name in the Indian metal scene to a global force to be reckoned with, showcasing their technical prowess and brutal riffs on two critically acclaimed full-length albums, Skewered in the Sewer, released in 2013, and Amputheatre, from 2017. Now in 2023, the band formed of vocalist Aditya Barve, guitarist Prateek Rajagopal, bassist Gurdip Singh Narang and drummer Aaron Pinto unleash hell once again with their third full-length opus, titled Carnal, showcasing the band’s evolution in sound, smoldering and surging with violent energy. Mixed and mastered by Mark Lewis at Audio Hammer Studios, produced by the band’s own Prateek Rajagopal, and displaying a stylish artwork by Kidsquidy (aka the band’s own Aaron Pinto), the album offers our avid ears eight crushing compositions which together represent a captivating exploration of the many facades that we all wear and the numerous personas that we all adopt to navigate the challenges of life.

As soon as you hit play, brutality and rage flow from all instruments in the pulverizing opening track Son of Sam, with Aditya roaring like a beast supported by the Death Metal blast beats by Aaron. The album couldn’t have started in a more demolishing way, I might say, and things get even heavier in Matriarch, another infernal Death Metal attack by those talented musicians with Gurdip’s rumbling bass bringing sheer groove to the music while Prateek will pierce your skin deep with his sick riffage. Then we have the heavy-as-hell Bind Torture Kill, featuring guest vocalist Julien Truchan of Benighted, and his pig-like screeches add an even higher level of insanity to the overall result, resulting in a lecture in Brutal Death Metal and Grindcore where the guitar by Prateek sounds utterly caustic. There’s no time to breath as the quartet will kick us hard in the head in The Killing Joke, bringing forward their trademark aggressiveness spearheaded by the deep, inhumane growls by Aditya.

The second half of the album begins with the infuriated Insidious, with the band’s stringed duo sounding incendiary during the song’s intense 41 seconds, followed by Body Snatcher, a much darker, more introspective creation by Gutslit, hammering our heads with their wicked bass lines and incendiary riffs, not to mention another flawless performance by Aaron on drums. In Altar of Putridity we face lyrics that are as acid as their music (“I walk past the lines of grim depression / A fantasy to behold / A morbid compassion to withhold / Sliver of remorse, flowing through my veins / Easing up to that moment / One step closer to creating”), although the song is not as exciting as the rest of the album; whereas closing the album on a high, melodic and visceral note we have Primeval, presenting an amazing job by all band members, in special Aaron with his demented drums, being therefore perfect for slamming into the circle pit like a true metalmaniac while Aditya continues to scream nonstop before all fades out to a sinister outro.

“Carnal is a masterful exploration of the intricate struggles of the human psyche. With a keen eye for detail and a remarkable understanding of the complexity of the human mind, we delve deep into the age-old conflict between good and evil. The tracks on this album depict the various phases of the human experience, from the deepest pits of despair to the highest peaks of euphoria,” commented the band about their flammable new album, which is by the way available in full on YouTube and on Spotify, and you can also purchase a copy of it from the band’s official site (India and worldwide) or from their BandCamp page (worldwide), or simply click HERE for all things Gutslit. In addition, don’t forget to also show your support to the band by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, and by subscribing to their YouTube channel. Let the violence of Carnal flow through your mind, and may Gutslit keep destroying our senses with their music by releasing amazing albums like their new one until the very end.

Best moments of the album: Matriarch, Bind Torture Kill and Primeval.

Worst moments of the album: Altar of Putridity.

Released in 2023 Independent

Track listing
1. Son of Sam 4:04
2. Matriarch 3:31
3. Bind Torture Kill 3:23
4. The Killing Joke 3:05
5. Insidious 0:41
6. Body Snatcher 4:54
7. Altar of Putridity 4:13
8. Primeval 6:05

Band members
Aditya Barve – vocals
Prateek Rajagopal – guitars
Gurdip Singh Narang – bass
Aaron Pinto – drums

Guest musician
Julien Truchan – vocals on “Bind Torture Kill”

Album Review – Krisiun / Mortem Solis (2022)

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The best and most infernal Death Metal band in the history of Brazil returns with their twelfth studio album, celebrating the death of the sun with ten tracks of pure aggressiveness and fury.

Four years after the release of their 2018 album Scourge of the Enthroned, Brazilian Death Metal masters Krisiun are back from the pits of the underworld from their hometown Ijui, located in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, with their impressive twelfth studo opus, entitled Mortem Solis, which is Latin for “death of the sun”. Recorded at Family Mob Studios, mixed and mastered by Mark Lewis at Audiohammer Studios, and displaying a sinister, stylish artwork by renowned Brazilian artist Marcelo Vasco, Mortem Solis has all the elements that turned Krisiun into one of the best Death Metal bands in the world, and by far the best one hailing from Brazil, plus an additional dosage of aggressiveness and fury by vocalist and bassist Alex Camargo, guitarist Moyses Kolesne and drummer Max Kolesne to always keep their music fresh, darkening the skies even more with their undisputed, first-class Extreme Metal.

Sworn Enemies is utterly sinister and demonic from the very first second with Max showcasing all his dexterity and rage behind his drums, or in other words, it’s ass-kicking Krisiun to properly start the album, with Alex vociferating the song’s Stygian lyrics flawlessly. Alex’s bass will make the earth tremble in Serpent Messiah while Moyses hammers his guitar nonstop, extracting sheer obscurity and aggressiveness from it and therefore sounding brutal from start to finish just the way we like it in old school death; and the band’s undisputed Death Metal keeps permeating the air in Swords into Flesh, another infernal, detailed and very technical creation by the trio with Max sounding like a stone crusher on drums. Then the rumbling, menacing bass by Alex ignites the heavy-as-hell Necronomical, highly recommended for breaking your neck in half headbanging together with the band, whereas there’s no time to breathe as Krisiun keep decimating our senses in Tomb of the Nameless, where Moyses is on total freakin’ fire with both his sick riffage and piercing solos.

The instrumental, atmospheric interlude Dawn Sun Carnage (Intro) will captivate your mind before the trio comes back into the battlefield in Temple of the Abattoir, starting in a somber manner to the minimalist guitars by Moyses before his bandmates join him in a hurricane of Death Metal that will smash you like an insect. By the way, kudos do Max once again for never sounding tired on vocals, always roaring like a true beast, and the trio fires a first-class fusion of violence and harmony in the Death Metal extravaganza War Blood Hammer, where brothers Moyses and Max provide Alex with everything he needs to bark manically, resulting in one of the most pulverizing of all tracks. Their second to last explosion of Death Metal made in Brazil, entitled As Angels Burn, will inspire you to slam into the circle pit like there’s no tomorrow mainly due to the demented drumming by the beyond talented Max, while lastly we’re treated to more heaviness, obscurity and savagery in Worm God, putting a pulverizing conclusion to an album that doesn’t have a single second of boredom.

The bold, incendiary music found in Mortem Solis can be appreciated in all of its glory on Spotify, but if I were you I would definitely add such amazing album to my personal collection of evil by clicking HERE. Also, don’t forget to give the guys form Krisiun a shout on Facebook and on Instagram, where you can stay up to date with all things Krisiun including their upcoming tour dates, and to subscribe to their YouTube channel for more of their wicked creations. As already mentioned, the best and most infernal Death Metal band in the history of Brazil is back in action with their awesome new album, celebrating the death of the sun with ten tracks of pure aggressiveness, wrath and obscurity, and I’m sure you’ll be more than happy to join them in this darkened feast of classic Death Metal.

Best moments of the album: Swords into Flesh, Tomb of the Nameless and War Blood Hammer.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2022 Century Media

Track listing
1. Sworn Enemies 3:46
2. Serpent Messiah 5:10
3. Swords into Flesh 4:19
4. Necronomical 4:12
5. Tomb of the Nameless 4:28
6. Dawn Sun Carnage (Intro) 1:33
7. Temple of the Abattoir 5:22
8. War Blood Hammer 4:07
9. As Angels Burn 3:08
10. Worm God 4:41

Band members
Alex Camargo – bass, vocals
Moyses Kolesne – guitar
Max Kolesne – drums