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Album Review – Retching / Charming the Decomposed (2025)

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If you’re into Death Metal that’s heavy, catchy, and fun, but also not completely senseless, this American duo will make your day to the sound of their debut album.

Having found a way to present the gore-soaked, rotten, old school-inclined Death Metal sound that we all love with quality songwriting that elevates it beyond the nostalgic, aspiring bands of this ilk, Rhode Island, United States-based Death Metal duo Retching is unleashing upon humanity their depraved debut, beautifully entitled Charming the Decomposed. Displaying a gory artwork by Slimeweaver, the new offering by Mondo on “erotic moans and six string razor wire” (aka vocals and guitars), and Latex on “low end garrote and oil drums” (aka bass and drums) is highly recommended for fans of Broken Hope, Cannibal Corpse, Fulci, Undeath, Mortician, and Devourment, offering a much-desired dose of primal brutality while inviting listeners to keep coming back for more as the album offers more than just simplified caveman-mosh Death Metal savagery.

The wicked intro Moonlight Perversions, inspired by some of the weirdest things you can find in the United States, sets the tone for Gorging on Ecstacy, an explosion of classic Death Metal where the inhumane growling by Mondo is nicely complemented by Latex’s demented kitchen. The duo shows no mercy for our putrid bodies in Premature Decapitation, blasting an overdose of violence and gore through their incendiary riffs, blast beats and venomous guttural; and Latex continues to hammer his bass and drums in Shower Curtain Silhouette, crafting a reverberating sound that lives up to the legacy of Death Metal. and of course, a name like Foaming deserved the most destructive form of Death Metal imaginable, all boosted by the deranged roaring by Mondo.

Vulgar Celluloid Trophy is another song with a very peculiar name, with their heaviness and groove punching us mercilessly in the head; whereas Mondo keeps vociferating like a demonic entity in the also heavy-as-hell Septic Entombment, supported by the brutal bass and drums by Latex, highly inspired by 90’s Death Metal. Fetid Abattoir is by far the weakest of all songs, sounding a bit generic if compared to all devastation that happens throughout the rest of the album, and the fact it’s kind of an instrumental track doesn’t help either; and last but definitely not least, the duo gets back on track with the most destructive song of the album, entitled Mortuary of Desire, offering their trademark dirty riffs, crushing beats, and the always gruesome vociferations by Mondo until the very last second.

Assimilating influences from various Death Metal giants the likes of Cannibal Corpse and Suffocation, while at the same time attempting to go about creating something delectable and effective in their own way, Retching will crush your senses to the sound of Charming the Decomposed, available from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ BandCamp, main store, US store or EU store, and you can also find more details about the duo on Instagram. Who knows, maybe we’ll see those guys take some stages by storm in their homeland soon. Put differently, if you’re into Death Metal that’s heavy, catchy, and fun, but also not completely senseless, Retching will certainly make your day to the sound of their demented debut album.

Best moments of the album: Premature Decapitation, Foaming and Mortuary of Desire.

Worst moments of the album: Fetid Abattoir.

Released in 2025 Transcending Obscurity Records

Track listing
1. Moonlight Perversions (Intro) 1:25
2. Gorging on Ecstacy 4:00
3. Premature Decapitation 3:35
4. Shower Curtain Silhouette 3:29
5. Foaming 4:28
6. Vulgar Celluloid Trophy 3:10
7. Septic Entombment 4:12
8. Fetid Abattoir 4:21
9. Mortuary of Desire 3:32

Band members
Mondo – vocals, guitars
Latex – bass, drums

Album Review – Ancient Torment / Follow the Echo of Curses (2025)

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The leading torchbearer of New England’s Black Metal will attack armed with their debut offering, an immersive, introspective journey through the shadows of abysmal suffering and mysteries of death’s embrace.

From the coastal reaches of New England, Rhode Island-based Ancient Torment emerged in 2016 as a leading torchbearer in the region’s Black Metal underground. Now, nearly a decade after their inception, the band formed of Stygal on vocals, Tormentum and Apparition on the guitars, Czarnobóg on bass, and Zealot on drums is prepared to unleash their first full-length, aptly titled Follow the Echo of Curses. Recorded at Distorted Forest Studio, mixed by Josh Welshman at Flux Studios NYC, mastered by Dan Lowndes at Resonance Sound Studio, and displaying a Stygian artwork by David Thiérrée, the band’s debut album is an immersive, introspective journey through the shadows of abysmal suffering and mysteries of death’s embrace, always taking influence from the gloomy darkness of the Finnish scene and triumphant misery of their Québécois neighbors to the north.

The band will destroy your senses right from the very first second in Hanging from a Dead Star, with Stygal already roaring like a beast for the delight of admirers of the darkest side of music while their riffage sounds absolutely sulfurous. Zealot shows no mercy for our putrid bodies in Spectre at the Crossroads, smashing us like insignificant insects while Czarnobóg sounds like an animal pounding his bass nonstop; whereas bringing sheer doom to our blackened minds it’s time for Sorrow Verses, with Tormentum and apparition firing their most obscure riffs of the whole album. In Dejected Dreams Molested in Purgatory, the music certainly lives up to the song’s poetic name, a Black Metal aria exhaling rage and darkness with Zealot once again making the earth tremble with his drums, followed by Under the Guise of Virtue, another long and detailed black mass by Ancient Torment where the demonic screeches by Stygal will send shivers down your spine while the music remains violent, deranged and thrilling until the very end. And finally, let’s open the gates of the underworld to the sound of the nine-minute aria Rotting Temperament, with their Black Metal magic flowing majestically to the scathing riffage by Tormentum and Apparition.

Within a duration of 42 minutes, Follow the Echo of Curses is a testament to the mysteries of true death worship, driven by nuanced aggression and drenched in cold melodies, covering themes that span the swirling depths of depravity, suffering, and infernal release. In other words, Ancient Torment have at last arrived to reclaim bloodied ground, and you can join their dark army by following the band on Facebook and on Instagram, by streaming their wicked music on Spotify, and of course by putting your damned hands on such a sulfurous album on BandCamp. Ancient Torment offer pure, unfiltered Black Metal in their debut offering, mastering the craft of the dark arts while remaining loyal to the foundations of the style, resulting in a must-listen for any worshiper of the darkest side of music.

Best moments of the album: Hanging from a Dead Star and Under the Guise of Virtue.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Eternal Death

Track listing
1. Hanging from a Dead Star 6:44
2. Spectre at the Crossroads 5:47
3. Sorrow Verses 7:04
4. Dejected Dreams Molested in Purgatory 5:08
5. Under the Guise of Virtue 7:31
6. Rotting Temperament 9:00

Band members
Stygal – vocals
Tormentum – guitar
Apparition – guitar
Czarnobóg – bass
Zealot – drums

Album Review – Shadow of Intent / Imperium Delirium (2025)

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These American Symphonic Deathcore masters are back with their majestic fifth opus, expanding their signature blend with new industrial and atmospheric textures.

Since their formation in 2014, Connecticut’s own Shadow of Intent have garnered a reputation for crafting mind-blowingly melodic, technical, prog-tinged Symphonic Deathcore. Widely acknowledged as one of the forerunners of the current Deathcore renaissance, the band currently formed of Ben Duerr on vocals, Chris Wiseman on the guitars and samples, Andrew Monias on bass, and Bryce Butler on drums is back in action with their fifth studio opus, entitled Imperium Delirium, following up on their 2022 album Elegy. Produced, mixed and mastered by Dave Otero at Flatline Audio, with additional mixing by Mike Low, and displaying a sinister artwork by Dan Seagrave, Imperium Delirium expands the band’s signature blend of symphonic grandeur, blackened melody, and Deathcore precision with new industrial and atmospheric textures, being highly recommended for fans of Whitechapel, The Black Dahlia Murder, Lorna Shore, and Cattle Decapitation, among others.

Prepare to Die is utterly imposing and symphonic from the very first moments, quickly morphing into a Deathcore beast where Ben’s deep, enraged guttural walk hand in hand with the killer drumming by Bryce, followed by Flying the Black Flag, one of the first singles of the album, showcasing darkly poetic lyrics (“A subterfuge emerges from the confusion / Corrupting patterns, piercing the timeline / A trail left emblazoned with no regard / They fly the black flag high”) amidst an infernal sonority. Infinity of Horrors offers us all another explosion of ferocity and symphonic elements, with the guitars and samples by Chris generating a thrilling, cinematic wall of sounds, whereas Mechanical Chaos is one of the most technical and complex of all songs, with Bryce sounding like a stone crusher on drums for our total delight. There’s not a single space left empty in the air in They Murdered Sleep, a massive Deathcore extravaganza where Chris sounds once again infernal armed with his axe and samples; and Ben roars and vociferates deeply like a wild beast in The Facets of Propaganda, enhancing the song’s already demented heaviness to a whole new level.

Then featuring guest vocals by the one and only George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher of the mighty Cannibal Corpse, Feeding the Meatgrinder presents more of the band’s wicked words (“Violent attrition / Salivating for the kill / Brutality is to be redefined / They aim to dominate / Hordes metastasize a vengeance indiscriminate / Disregard for human life is in the nature of the business”) while the music is ruthless Deathcore at its finest; while Vehement Draconian Vengeance carries a stylish name for another blast of Deathcore by the band, where Chris and Andrew generate a Stygian ambience with their respective riffs and bass lines. Beholding the Sickness of Civilization is a neck-breaking, downtempo tune by Shadow of Intent where all background elements give it a haunting vibe, followed by Apocalypse Canvas, a fun and vibrant instrumental composition by the quartet where the guitar lines by Chris and the rumbling, intricate bass by Andrew sound insanely gripping. Their Symphonic Deathcore onrush goes on in full force in No Matter the Cost, with Ben roaring like a demented creature while Chris slashes his sonic weapons nonstop, and the title-track Imperium Delirium is undoubtedly the most complete, detailed and incendiary of all songs, spearheaded by Bryce’s phenomenal drumming. Put differently, it’s epic, apocalyptic and absurdly engaging until the very end.

A scathing anti-imperialist statement, tackling war, propaganda, and the machinery of modern violence with nihilistic clarity, Imperium Delirium cements the band’s name as one of the most important forces in the history of Deathcore worldwide, and if you’re from another dimension and don’t know anything about Shadow of Intent, you can find the band on Facebook and on Instagram for news, tour dates and so on, stream their music on any available service like Spotify, and of course show them your total support by purchasing their new album from BandCamp or by clicking HERE. Imperium Delirium likely refers to the concept of an “empire in delirium,” describing an empire or ruling power experiencing a state of madness, chaos, or a loss of control. That’s exactly what our decaying society is experiencing nowadays pretty much in every single part of the world, and the music brought forth by Shadow of Intent in their new album certainly represents that chaotic situation to perfection, showing that although our world might be coming to an end, at least let’s go down in style listening to some first-class Deathcore.

Best moments of the album: Flying the Black Flag, Infinity of Horrors, Feeding the Meatgrinder and Imperium Delirium.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Independent/Blood Blast Distribution

Track listing
1. Prepare to Die 4:00
2. Flying the Black Flag 3:57
3. Infinity of Horrors 4:13
4. Mechanical Chaos 3:50
5. They Murdered Sleep 4:01
6. The Facets of Propaganda 5:19
7. Feeding the Meatgrinder 4:03
8. Vehement Draconian Vengeance 3:54
9. Beholding the Sickness of Civilization 4:30
10. Apocalypse Canvas 5:08
11. No Matter the Cost 4:16
12. Imperium Delirium 7:34

Band members
Ben Duerr – vocals
Chris Wiseman – guitars, samples, backing vocals
Andrew Monias – bass
Bryce Butler – drums

Guest musician
George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher – vocals on “Feeding the Meatgrinder”
Francesco Ferrini – additional keyboards