Album Review – Symphobia / Hideously Traumatic (2025)

This Indonesian three-headed beast will crush us like insignificant insects to the sound of their debut album, an imposing invocation of purposeful destruction.

Formed in 2024 in Pare, a town and district in the Kediri regency within the province of East Java, Indonesia, the ruthless, demented Brutal Death Metal three-headed beast Symphobia is ready to unleash hell armed with their debut opus, entitled Hideously Traumatic. Featuring a coalition of members from Demented Heart, Perveration, and Orbital Element, those being Jossi Bima on vocals, Dodik Bhre on the guitar, and Humam Aliy on drums, Symphobia will crush us like insignificant insects to the sound of their new album, an imposing invocation of purposeful destruction with devastating blast beats, a tormenting riff attack and gore-choked vocals, all boosted by the striking mixing and mastering by Tonebetter Soundlab (Vox Mortis, Nattmaran, Murtad) for a scathing, scalding sound and adorned in the eye-impaling artwork of Timbul Cahyono of BvllArt (Massacre, Nocturnus A.D., Witchburner), resulting in a sonic killing machine devoted to the destruction of every living thing.

There are only two words I can say about the opening song Hecatomb, and they’re “HOLY SHIT!”, what a fulminating tune where Jossi gnarls like a demonic pig; and Humam is definitely NOT human behind his drums in Monstrously, blasting our faces rabidly while Dodik slashes his axe in the name of savagery. Heinous is another explosion of vomiting guttural vocals, demented drums and vicious riffs by the trio, showing no peace at all, just violence and hatred, whereas Jossi’s high-pitched screeches couldn’t have sounded more demented in Spurted, or in other words, it’s simply BREEEEEEEEEEEEEE! And Deceased presents an overdose of the most demonic, vile and grotesque form of Brutal Death Metal made in Indonesia, sounding devastating form start to finish.

Jossi’s pig-like guttural will disturb your inner peace in Scattered, accompanied by another infernal performance by Humam on drums; whereas their ruthless Brutal Death Metal attack goes on in full force in Convulsively, where the Cannibal Corpse-inspired riffage by Dodik sounds absolutely awesome. It’s pedal to the metal in the beyond devastating Incessant, a song that could easily be used as the perfect depiction of the most extreme form of heavy music found in Indonesia, followed by Abominable, and a name like that demanded total chaos, violence and gore, which is exactly what the trio has to offer us in this hellish “lullaby”. Last but definitely not least, Humam will pulverize our putrid, frail bodies in Inebriated, while Jossi continues to vomit and bark the song’s unfriendly “words” (or whatever language that is).

Definitely leaving lasting scars upon your mind, Hideously Traumatic is a one listening experience that you are never going to recover from, being therefore highly recommended for fans of Cannibal Corpse, Suffocation, Immolation, and Kill Everything, just to name a few. Needless to say, you can get in touch with those torchbearers of violence and gore via Facebook or Instagram, stream their music on Spotify, and of course purchase the album from Comatose Music’s BandCamp or webstore, but be warned that their new album is not your average extreme music release; it’s indeed hideously traumatic.

Best moments of the album: Monstrously, Spurted and Incessant.

Worst moments of the album: The fact there isn’t a bassist in the band makes their sound feel a little bit thinner than what it could be.

Released in 2025 Comatose Music

Track listing
1. Hecatomb 2:43
2. Monstrously 2:41
3. Heinous 2:43
4. Spurted 2:52
5. Deceased 2:44
6. Scattered 2:40
7. Convulsively 2:31
8. Incessant 2:25
9. Abominable 2:41
10. Inebriated 3:34

Band members
Jossi Bima – vocals
Dodik Bhre – guitar
Humam Aliy – drums

Album Review – Depraved Murder / Unethical Terrestrial Collapse (2023)

In the fecund swamps of East Java, this venomous Brutal Death Metal entity attacks once again with their bestial third full-length album.

In the fecund swamps of East Java, the ruthless Brutal Death Metal entity Depraved Murder has been pouring blood, tears and black sorcery into their cauldron of nightmares since their inception in 2011, adding bone and bile to the accompaniment of whispered incantations, conjuring up the soundtrack to the end of the world. Mixed and mastered by the arcane master Indra Braille at Texas Sicklab Studio, and displaying a sick artwork spawned from the twisted visions of Aghy Purakusuma, the band’s third full-length opus, entitled Unethical Terrestrial Collapse, is a firestorm to usher in the end times demonically brought into being by vocalist, guitarist and bassist Ogy together with drummer Rama Maulana, seething with a grim and sordid life and a pulsating blackness that exudes fear and disgust, resulting in an intimidating manifesto of brutality tailored for fans of Devourment, Skinless, Suffocation and Pathology.

Otherworldly background sounds will haunt your damned soul before the duo smashes our cranial skulls in Entering into Calamity, where Ogy barks and roars in the name of gore supported by the pulverizing drums by Rama in a demented display of Death Metal, whereas The Anguish of Dystopian is a straightforward, no shenanigans Brutal Death Metal extravaganza by the duo sounding and feeling very intricate and demented form start to finish, with the colossal beats by Rama making the earth tremble. Even heavier and more insane than its predecessors thanks to the inhumane guttural by Ogy, False Adoration will inspire you to slam into the circle pit manically; and the duo shows absolutely no mercy for our bodies and souls in Mass Murder Existence, with Ogy kicking some serious ass with his roars, infernal riffage and rumbling bass lines, elevating the song’s truculence and brutality to the second power.

There’s no time to breathe as those Indonesian marauders keep crushing our heads with their Brutal Death Metal in Unmanifest Void, fulminating and evil from the very first second with Rama showcasing all his fury and dexterity behind his drums, while investing in a more doomed sonority, Ogy and Rama will darken the skies in The Pinnacle of Vile Conceit, again exploding in their traditional Brutal Death Metal sound. Then back to their more vicious mode it’s time to slam into the circle pit to the sound of Relentless Brutality, where Ogy’s deranged roars and riffs are flawlessly complemented by Rama’s stone crushing drums, followed by Unethical Terrestrial Collapse, another three intense minutes of Brutal Death Metal for our avid ears where the bass jabs by Ogy sound more metallic than ever. Lastly, their final breathe of animosity and gore comes in the form of Apocryphal Hymns, with Rama dictating the song’s devilish pace while Ogy gnalrs the song’s words deeply nonstop.

In case you would like to show the guys from Depraved Murder all your support and admiration, you can give them a shout on Facebook and on Instagram, stream all of their gory and evil creations on Spotify, and above all that, purchase a copy of Unethical Terrestrial Collapse from Comatose Music’s BandCamp or webstore, from Apple Music, or from several other retailers out there such as ImportCDs.com and Merchbar.com. As this gruesome, vile album has just been released from its infernal pit, there’s no time left to pray. This is the end, and it’s indeed a blood-soaked one.

Best moments of the album: The Anguish of Dystopian, Mass Murder Existence and Relentless Brutality.

Worst moments of the album: The Pinnacle of Vile Conceit.

Released in 2023 Comatose Music

Track listing
1. Entering into Calamity 3:42
2. The Anguish of Dystopian 3:08
3. False Adoration 3:19
4. Mass Murder Existence 3:04
5. Unmanifest Void 3:50
6. The Pinnacle of Vile Conceit 3:00
7. Relentless Brutality 2:30
8. Unethical Terrestrial Collapse 3:08
9. Apocryphal Hymns 2:55

Band members
Ogy – vocals, guitars, bass
Rama Maulana – drums