Album Review – Depravity / Bestial Possession (2025)

Emerging from the pits of the underworld after a gap of five long years, this Australian Death Metal creature returns with their edgier and most violent album to date.

Emerging from the pits of the underworld after a gap of five long years since their 2020 opus Grand Malevolence, Perth, , Australia’s own Death Metal creature Depravity picks up from where it left off, ensuring that things remain that way as the band proceeds to add more nuance and color to their brand of music on their latest album, titled Bestial Possession. Maintaining the same line-up of Jamie Kay (The Ritual Aura) on vocals, Jarrod Curley (Pathogen) and Lynton Cessford (Iniquitous Monolith) on the guitars, Ainsley Watkins (Scourge) on bass, and Louis Rando (Impiety, The Furor) on drums, Depravity were able to retain their sound in Bestial Possession while fleshing out their compositions, always rooted in the old school sound but not necessarily sounding old school, with the gradual incorporation of Brutal and Technical Death Metal influences having a slightly contemporary edge. Add to that the demonic artwork by Paolo Girardi (Cryptopsy, Skaphos), and there you have one of the must-listen albums of the past few years for admirers of bands the likes of Morbid Angel, Suffocation, Deicide, Hate Eternal, and Nile.

Get ready for a ruthless onrush of malignancy in the form of the opening tune Engulfed in Agony, with Louis destroying our damned souls with his relentless blast beats accompanied by the scorching riffs by Jarrod and Lynton, followed by Eunuch Maker, portraying a controversial yet charming name for a Death Metal song, with their nonstop riffage providing Jamie with exactly what he needs to vociferate like a rabid beast. In Call to the Fallen a quick intro evolves into a groovy Death Metal sonority where the metallic bass by Ainsley will hammer you right in the head; and Awful Mangulation brings to our avid ears another blast of undisputed animosity and rage by those bastards from Down Under, where the guitar work by Jarrod and Lynton couldn’t have sounded more infuriated.

Rot in the Pit, one of the first singles released, reminds me a lot of some of the more recent creations by Cannibal Corpse, with Louis stealing the spotlight with his demented beats and fills; and they definitely know how to name their compositions like what happens with Aligned With Satan, flirting with Progressive Death Metal the likes of Blood Incantation, and of course it sounds incredible. Blinding Oblivion offers a straightforward, no shenanigans display of classic Death Metal where Jamie’s infernal roars walk hand in hand with the demonic kitchen by Ainsley and Louis, and let’s slam into the pit like true bastards to the sound of Legacy, sounding utterly fast, furious, and evil, with Jamie’s gruesome guttural being nicely supported by some rebellious backing vocals. Lastly, closing the album we face the venomous Catastrophic Contagion, a lecture in Australian Death Metal as the icing on the band’s blood-soaked cake.

Exuding sheer class, confidence, and maturity, Depravity function perfectly as a unit as we can all see in Bestial Possession, offering an avalanche of first-class Death Metal to us all before this tumultuous year ends. Hence, don’t forget to give them a shout, or even a guttural roar, on Facebook and on Instagram, staying up to date with their demented live performances, to stream their incendiary discography on Spotify, and obviously to purchase the excellent Bestial Possession from their own BandCamp, or from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ BandCamp, main store, US store or EU store. Australia might be a country known for its deadly animals, but once you get a taste of the violence crafted by Depravity in their new album Bestial Possession, you’ll then realize there’s something even more dangerous lurking in the shadows Down Under.

Best moments of the album: Eunuch Maker, Awful Mangulation and Aligned With Satan.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Transcending Obscurity Records

Track listing
1. Engulfed in Agony 4:44
2. Eunuch Maker 4:43
3. Call to the Fallen 5:13
4. Awful Mangulation 3:31
5. Rot in the Pit 3:52
6. Aligned With Satan 4:47
7. Blinding Oblivion 4:26
8. Legacy 3:14
9. Catastrophic Contagion 4:23

Band members
Jamie Kay – vocals
Jarrod Curley – guitar
Lynton Cessford  – guitar
Ainsley Watkins – bass
Louis Rando – drums

Album Review – Impermanence / Anicca (2025)

This five-headed Technical Death and Black Metal beast from Poland will attack armed with their debut offering, portraying the fragility and transience of human life.

Forged in the fires of Kraków, Poland by the end of 2023, the Technical Death and Black Metal beast known as Impermanence is unleashing hell with the release of their debut offering, entitled Anicca. Recorded at Studio Poziom -1, mixed and mastered at Dahaka Productions, and displaying a beyond Stygian yet captivating artwork by Alicja Michalec, the debut opus by Mateusz Bednarz on vocals, Wojciech Wróbel and Paweł Hernik on the guitars, Bartłomiej Fitas on bass, and Konrad Pieczara on drums portrays the fragility and transience of human life, all embraced by the band’s unrelenting blend of extreme music, being therefore highly recommended for fans of renowned acts from the Extreme Metal scene the likes of Behemoth, Belphegor, Nile, and God Dethroned, just to name a few.

The album’s phantasmagorical, eerie Intro will embrace us in pitch black darkness before the band rips our hearts out with Sorrodise, with both Wojciech and Paweł delivering a wild fusion of Black and Death Metal through their flammable riffs accompanied by the rumbling bass by Bartłomiej. In other words, the album couldn’t have started in a more compelling way. From Mirage to Lust brings elements from the current Scandinavian Melodic Death and Black Metal scene, with Mateusz taking the lead with his devilish screams, and the band then goes absolutely mental in the Melodic Black Metal beast entitled Apocalypse, with Konrad bringing forward sheer heaviness with his classic beats and fills, inviting us all to slam into the pits of the netherworld.

There’s no sign of the band slowing down at all; quite the contrary, this five-headed creature of extreme music will pulverize us all with Spiritual War, where the guitars by Wojciech and Paweł exhale madness and sulfur; whereas their metallic sounds continue to darken the skies in Fugitive, with tons of intricacy flowing from their riffs, bass and drums, all enfolded by Mateusz’s venomous roars. As expected, there’s no such thing as “sounding mellow” or “happy music” to those guys, and they invest in their most Behemoth-inspired sonority in Ascension Through Defiance, with their riffage cutting our skin deep while Konrad pounds his drums nonstop in the name of Polish Blackened Death Metal for our absolute delight. And lastly, we face the hard-hitting Crumbling, deviating a bit form their core Black and Death Metal, but still sounding tight and heavy as usual.

“Anicca is a hymn to the fragility that marks our existence. The album’s name is derived from Buddhist terminology and signifies impermanence. The lyrical layer explores themes of transience and the search for purpose in the world around us. Songs begins and ends with the ticking of a clock, clearly marking both the start and the conclusion of the story being told. Each track presents a different narrative, offering a unique perspective on the somber aspects of human nature. This concept extends beyond the lyrics, shaping the band’s overall artistic identity,” commented the band about their amazing newborn baby, and you can get in touch with them and know more about their music, tour dates and plans for the future on Facebook and on Instagram, stream their caustic music on YouTube and on Spotify, and grab a copy of the excellent Anicca from their own BandCamp, from the Satanath Records’ BandCamp or webstore, or simply by clicking HERE. In the end, we are all fragile beings, we are not permanent, and the music found in Anicca perfectly reminds us of how hard it is to face such a harsh truth.

Best moments of the album: Sorrodise, Apocalypse and Ascension Through Defiance.

Worst moments of the album: Crumbling.

Released in 2025 Satanath Records

Track listing
1. Intro 1:24
2. Sorrodise 4:20
3. From Mirage to Lust 5:16
4. Apocalypse 3:23
5. Spiritual War 4:12
6. Fugitive 6:06
7. Ascension Through Defiance 5:03
8. Crumbling 5:56

Band members
Mateusz Bednarz – vocals
Wojciech Wróbel – guitars
Paweł Hernik – guitars
Bartłomiej Fitas – bass
Konrad Pieczara – drums

Album Review – Enragement / Extinguish All Existence (2025)

Playing their own blend of Technical and Brutal Death Metal, this Finnish entity will extinguish all existence to the sound of their invigorating and powerful new album.

Playing their own blend of Technical and Brutal Death Metal that’s insanely heavy and yet incredibly varied, Helsinki, Finland-based entity Enragement returns with their fourth full-length beast, an invigorating, powerful expression that ticks all the boxes entitled Extinguish All Existence. Following up on their 2022 album Atrocities, and showcasing a sinister artwork by Daemorph Art, the new album by Atte Ojanne and Tuomas Iivanainen on vocals and guitars, Juhana Korkka Heinonen on vocals and bass, and Lasse Sannikka on drums is a striking depiction of the band’s raw power, aggression and versatility, cementing their name not only in the local Finnish scene, but also everywhere else in the world where the fusion of violence and dexterity is truly appreciated.

Lasse shows no mercy for our souls and begins blasting his drums in Vorarephilia, a demented onrush of Technical Death Metal boosted by the band’s deranged growls and screeches, and things get even more serious and intricate in Abyssal Hellscapes, with the strident guitar lines by Atte and Tuomas bringing an extra dosage of violence to the band’s already demonic sounds. Then a Doom Metal-infused intro morphs into another killer attack by Enragement titled Pathogenesis, where their sulfurous vociferations match perfectly with the finesse and rage flowing from their riffs and solos; whereas the quartet keeps smashing our frail bodies with their blend of Death Metal in Parasitic Ingress, with Lasse once again sounding inhumane behind his drums, followed by Harbingers of Degradation, one of the heaviest, most infuriated songs of the album while also presenting extremely detailed and complex lines, with Lasse stealing the spotlight with his ruthless drumming.

Vesuvius is perhaps the “weakest” of all songs, although it’s still a pulverizing display of the band’s core Technical Death Metal, and it’s pedal to the metal in the technical yet venomous Hypercarnivorous, with the guitar duel by Atte and Tuomas exhaling heaviness and intricacy in an overdose of sonic madness by those talented Finnish metallers. After that, an infuriated attack of harsh growls, blast beats and razor-edged riffs will penetrate deep inside your soul in Insectiferous Abomination, living up to the legacy of complex and violent extreme music, and it’s time to break our necks headbanging to the utterly heavy Natural Mass Asphyxiation, with Juhana and Lasse making sure the earth trembles to the sound of their vicious kitchen. Then we have the title-track Extinguish All Existence closing the album on the most demented note you can think of, where the entire band sounds infernally awesome and with Atte, Tuomas and Juhana bursting their lungs screaming in the name of Death Metal.

In a nutshell, Enragement have struck the right balance with Extinguish All Existence, making their album satisfying, interesting, and also hugely enjoyable, in special for admirers of the bestial music crafted by Cutterred Flesh, Devourment, Abominable Putridity, Blood Red Throne, Katalepsy, Benighted, and Aborted, just to name a few. You can find more details about such an amazing Finnish band on Facebook and on Instagram, stream their awesome music on Spotify, and above all that, show them your utmost support by purchasing their new album from their BandCamp or from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ BandCamp, main store, US store or EU store. It’s time to extinguish all existence, and the music found in the new album by Enragement will most definitely work as a great soundtrack for the cleansing of our putrid and decaying world.

Best moments of the album: Abyssal Hellscapes, Harbingers of Degradation and Extinguish All Existence.

Worst moments of the album: Vesuvius.

Released in 2025 Transcending Obscurity Records

Track listing
1. Vorarephilia 3:49
2. Abyssal Hellscapes 3:58
3. Pathogenesis 4:15
4. Parasitic Ingress 3:42
5. Harbingers of Degradation 3:37
6. Vesuvius 4:06
7. Hypercarnivorous 3:46
8. Insectiferous Abomination 3:49
9. Natural Mass Asphyxiation 3:34
10. Extinguish All Existence 5:22

Band members
Atte Ojanne – vocals, guitar
Tuomas Iivanainen – vocals, guitar
Juhana Korkka Heinonen – vocals, bass
Lasse Sannikka – drums

Album Review – Abyssalis / Adaptation (2025)

Masterfully blending classic Death Metal with technical and brutal elements, this American band is ready to soar armed with their captivating newborn spawn.

Imbibing various elements of contemporary Death Metal to concoct music that is at once technical, groovy, and riff-driven, Atlanta, Georgia-based Technical Death Metal/Deathcore entity Abyssalis is ready to please fans of bands the likes of Soreption, Eschaton, Fleshbore, Decapitated, and Demon King, among others, with their brand new offering, entitled Adaptation. Featuring five previously unreleased songs, plus all songs from their 2023 debut EP The Mountain as a beyond special bonus (leading to a healthy discussion about the album being a full-length or a special EP), all embraced by the striking artwork by Justin Abraham (Inanimate Existence, Equipoise, Arkaik), the new album by Mac Smith (Eschaton, Apogean) on vocals, Josh Steverson on the guitars, Cole Daniels (Fleshbore, Unaligned) on bass, and Jack Blackburn (Unaligned, Killitorous) on drums masterfully blends classic Death Metal with technical and brutal elements, resulting in a captivating beast tailored for fans of all intricate forms of extreme music.

The extremely technical yet pulverizing riffs by Josh and beats and fills by Jack will crush you like an insect in Adaptation, sounding infernal form start to finish in a lecture in Technical Death Metal; and Jack keeps destroying his drums in great fashion in Indomitable, accompanied by the ruthless bass lines by Cole while Mac growls deeply and manically nonstop. Those metal lunatics will crush your damned bodies mercilessly in Pandemonium, with the demented roars by Mac and the sick drumming by Jack turning it into a must-listen for fans of the genre, and the riffs by Josh will pierce your mind while Cole and Jack will knock you out with their devilish kitchen in Senescence, before we face the also inhumane Valholl, a lesson in brutality and intricacy by the quartet where Jack steals the show with his fulminating beats and fills.

All of the following tracks are from the band’s complete previous The Mountain release, but that only makes the album even more powerful, starting with Arrival, where its dark intro gradually turns into a demonic feast of Death Metal, followed by Attitude of Gratitude, where Jack hammers his drums mercilessly in the name of extreme music. Mac keeps barking like a rabid beast in Synonymous, with the music exhaling hatred, intricacy and darkness just he way we like it in Death Metal; and the venomous riffs by Josh will melt your damned minds and souls in Shine, all while also sounding absolutely melodic. Josh’s hard hitting riffs are nicely complemented by the rumbling bass by Cole in Ethos, keeping the album as vibrant as it can be; whereas lastly, the quartet will demolish our frail bodies with The Hills Have Eyes, spearheaded by the venomous roars by Mac.

In a nutshell, Adaptation is a solid, enjoyable release that serves as a fine introduction for this unheralded band that is poised for bigger things in the future, and if you like what you hear you should definitely give the guys from Abyssalis a shout on Facebook and on Instagram, as well as stream their creations on Spotify, and grab a copy of the album from their own BandCamp or from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ main store, Bandcamp, Europe store or US store. The future of Death Metal is certainly in good hands with bands like Abyssalis embellishing the airwaves with their unique and dynamic sounds, and I’m sure we’ll hear a lot more from those guys in the near future, shortly after their newborn spawn Adaptation takes the world of heavy music by storm.

Best moments of the album: Adaptation, Pandemonium and Synonymous.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Transcending Obscurity Records

Track listing
1. Adaptation 3:27
2. Indomitable 4:15
3. Pandemonium 3:16
4. Senescence 3:41
5. Valholl 3:29

The Mountain 2023 EP bonus tracks
6. Arrival 5:01
7. Attitude of Gratitude 3:04
8. Synonymous 3:24
9. Shine 3:49
10. Ethos 3:45
11. The Hills Have Eyes 4:25

Band members
Mac Smith – vocals
Josh Steverson – guitars
Cole Daniels – bass
Jack Blackburn – drums

Album Review – Unaligned / A Form Beyond (2025)

Boasting of a celebrated lineup, this Florida, United States-based beast is ready to kill armed with their first full-length album, an exemplary display of Progressive and Technical Death and Black Metal.

Boasting of a celebrated lineup featuring members of Withered Throne, Demon King, Fleshbore and others, Florida, United States-based beast Unaligned offers a blackened and comparatively more atmospheric take on the Technical Death Metal style. Mixed and mastered by Mike Low, edited and mixed by Erik Johnson at Dark Prophet Audio, and displaying another sick artwork by the amazing Adam Burke of Nightjar Illustration, the band’s first full-length opus, titled A Form Beyond, is an exemplary Progressive and Technical Death and Black Metal album that only gets better with more listens, showcasing all the talent and dexterity by Andrew Guia (Withered Throne) on vocals, Taylor Tidwell (Withered Throne) and Shane Dreher (Nightspake) on the guitars, Cole Daniels (Demon King, Fleshbore) on bass, and Jack Blackburn (Killitorous, Inferi) on drums.

Eerie, atmospheric sounds permeate the air in the opening track Entities of Ash, until all hell breaks loose to the venomous gnarling by Andrew, supported by the demented beats and fills by Jack; and the visceral riffage by Taylor and Shane exhale Technical Death Metal in Unbecoming of I, accompanied by the intricate and heavy-as-hell bass by Cole. Then the harsh vociferations by Andrew reek of venomous and infuriated Deathcore in Ruins of Lunacy, while the music is as bestial, savage and technical as possible, followed by the title-track A Form Beyond, a lesson in Technical Death Metal with a blackened approach, with Jack stealing the spotlight with his demonic beats and fills.

Then after a streak of hard hitting songs, the band offers the more cadenced and not so dynamic Essence Erased, which is still very technical, though, showcasing their trademark heavy sounds. Again presenting a more obscure, pensive atmosphere we have Spirit Dysmorphia; however, in this case the band gets back on track with a slab of dexterity and aggression led by the pulverizing drums by Jack. Death Entwines Us All presents a phantasmagorical, melancholic start to the minimalist guitars by Taylor and Shane, warming us up for another metallic attack of Death and Black Metal by the band, resulting in a must-listen for fans of the genre. Finally, the album ends with the also infernal Dreaming in Decay, where the ruthless bass lines by Cole add tons of thunder to the extremely intricate riffage by Taylor and Shane.

Meticulously written and impeccably executed, A Form Beyond undoubtedly positions Unaligned as a force to be reckoned with in the extreme music scene worldwide, being therefore highly recommended for fans of Demon King, Withered Throne, Inferi, Enfold Darkness, Warforged, and Vale of Pnath, among others. As usual, you can find more details about the band on Facebook and on Instagram, stream their demented creations on Spotify, and of course purchase A Form Beyond from their BandCamp or from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ main store, Bandcamp, Europe store or US store. A Form Beyond is not only technical, but visceral and dark, and once you get a taste of what Unaligned are capable of by listening to the album, you’ll certainly get addicted to their infuriated sounds.

Best moments of the album: Entities of Ash, A Form Beyond and Death Entwines Us All.

Worst moments of the album: Essence Erased.

Released in 2025 Transcending Obscurity Records

Track listing
1. Entities of Ash 5:11
2. Unbecoming of I 4:35
3. Ruins of Lunacy 4:33
4. A Form Beyond 4:30
5. Essence Erased 4:32
6. Spirit Dysmorphia 4:47
7. Death Entwines Us All 5:01
8. Dreaming in Decay 5:04

Band members
Andrew Guia – vocals
Taylor Tidwell – guitars
Shane Dreher – guitars
Cole Daniels – bass
Jack Blackburn – drums

Metal Chick of the Month – Luciana Catananti

Demons from the war now lives… Rain down explosions upon us… Terror in the air!

As we’re heading to the end of another hot and humid summer, let’s keep the temperatures as warm as possible with our metal lady of this month of September, and you better be prepared as she will breathe fire into your damned soul with her scorching guttural. She’s the unrelenting frontwoman for an amazing Italian Technical Death Metal band named Mechanical God Creation, and since mid-2024 she has also become a vocalist for a ruthless Italian Black Metal band named Stormcrow. As you can see, she takes no prisoners in her quest for extreme music, and I’m sure you’ll have an absolute blast listening to the amazing music crafted by her bands. Her name is Luciana Catananti, a talented she-wolf that will kick your ass mercilessly, keeping the fires of Death and Black Metal burning brighter than a thousand suns in her beautiful homeland.

Born on May 2, 1985 in Bergamo, an Italian city northeast of Milan, in the Lombardy region, Luciana was part of a band named Art of Mutilation when she lived in the UK, and also a member of a band called The Anger back then, but there isn’t much information about The Anger anywhere. Well, at least we know that Art of Mutilation was a Melodic Death/Thrash Metal band based in Birkenhead, England in its early days, then moving to Wrexham, Wales, and the band lasted between 2002 and 2011 before splitting up. Luciana was only part of the band in the year of 2005, having recorded with them the demo Mortality that same year. The demo had only three songs, those being Eviscerated, Blackened Sculpture, and Cabal, and as you can see by the only two songs available on YouTube, Luciana and the boys were a really promising band (which unfortunately is no more), and her vocals were already ruthless.

It was then in 2006 in the charming Italian city of Milan when Luciana founded Mechanical God Creation alongside guitarist Simo, and quickly adding bassist Andrea “Veon” Marini, guitarist Andrea “Runza” Galdi, and drummer Mattia Jay “Jambra” Giambini to their lineup; however, as all four already left the band after a few years, she remains as the only member of the original lineup. Their music also morphed from Melodic Death Metal the likes of Arch Enemy in their early days, hence the name of the band (taken from their 2005 masterpiece Doomsday Machine), to a more visceral, brutal and infernal form of Technical Death Metal, even adding hints of modern-day Death Metal and Progressive Death Metal to their core sound, as you can se in the evolution of their music from their 2007 demo …and the Battle Becomes War, to their 2010 debut Cell XIII, followed by their 2013 sophomore Artifact of Annihilation, and finally their 2019 album The New Chapter, all available for streaming in most streaming services like BandCamp, YouTube and Spotify, except for their demo, and you can also enjoy a lot of official videos like Terror In The Air and I Am The Godless Man, and lots of cool live footage including Walking Dead live in Russia in 2014, on their official YouTube channel.

Although Mechanical God Creation haven’t released any new material since 2019, we can also enjoy our dauntless growler as the new frontwoman for an Italian Black Metal band named Stormcrow since July 2024, under the moniker Vexa (maybe taken from a half-troll from Dungeons & Dragons, who knows). Playing what they like to label as “Alpine Black Metal”, the band currently formed of our beloved Luciana, or if you prefer, Vexa on vocals alongside Vastis also on vocals, Astaroth and Tohrus on the guitars, Zedar on bass, and Wraith on drums has been making a name for themselves since 1997, having already released the demo Hell on Earth (2000), the EP Wounded Skies (2004), and the full-length albums Disposition to Tyranny (2012), Face the Giant (2019), and more recently Path to Ascension (2024), all available on BandCamp and on Spotify. Furthermore, although Luciana has only been playing live with the band for now, with no participation in any of the band’s albums, not only you should still listen to all of their discography as their music is awesome, but it will also give you a very good taste of what Luciana has to offer when hitting the stages together with her new horde (and stay tuned as their 2026 European dates are coming soon).

Apart from Mechanical God Creation, Stormcrow, The Anger, and Art of Mutilation, you can also find Luciana as a guest vocalist for the song Urban Massacre, from the 2019 album 1996, by an Italian Death Metal/Grindcore band named Abbinormal. It’s a one-minute song, which might be very short for us metalheads eager for more of Luciana’s vocals, but enough already to show how violent she can sound. She has also recently contributed with her powerful vocals to a track titled Portals, on the new album by legendary Dutch Death Metal band Pestilence that should see the light of day sometime still in 2025 (or maybe only in 2026). In addition, you can also find on YouTube a cover version for Lamb of God’s Walk With Me In Hell by Luciana alongside Italian guitarist and bassist Francesca Mancini, of bands like Chaos Rising, Necrosy, and Sudden Death, and let me tell you that such an incredible female duo kicked some serious ass with their rendition of one of the best songs by Randy Blythe and his crew.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Highly influenced by bands the likes of Morbid Angel, Behemoth, Cannibal Corpse and Deicide, just to name a few, Luciana enjoys writing caustic, harsh lyrics that reflect the daily reality and the problems we all face in the time we’re living that is so full of very important and sudden changes from the cultural, political and technological point of view. Moreover, apart from heavy music, Luciana also enjoys listening to bands and artists like David Bowie, Adele, Coldplay, and Amy Winehouse, showing her eclectic music taste, and when asked which was her first ever live concert and the very first album she bought, she mentioned the always controversial Marilyn Manson (saying it was a great show and that he is a good frontman, but also pointing out she doesn’t listen to him anymore), and probably a Metallica album as far as she remembers.

Having already played at some of the biggest festivals in Europe with heavy music giants including Ozzy Osbourne, Korn, Megadeth, Graveworm, Meshuggah, and Amon Amarth,  just to name a few, Luciana also mentioned in one of her interviews that she really enjoys a festival in Slovenia named Metalcamp, saying that although it’s not as big as Wacken Open Air, it’s a very nice festival in the midst of nature. I really wish both Mechanical God Creation and Stormcrow would cross the pond and come play a few shows in Canada and in the United States, but I understand it’s not easy nowadays to tour the world due to the high touring costs. Well, maybe I can catch them at an European festival next year, right?

Despite being a proud Italian, while at the same time of course having her own constructive feedback about the current political and social landscapes in her homeland, Luciana is not very involved with the Italian underground scene. She mentioned in one of her interviews that she obviously knows bands like Fleshgod Apocalypse are proudly carrying the Italian flag everywhere they go, and she feels very happy for them despite not being a true fan of their music.

Currently working in the A&R (Artists and Repertoire) department of WormHoleDeath and Epictronic, Luciana mentioned in an interview that one of her biggest mistakes in music was having stopped to play the piano after years playing it, as it certainly helped her to feel calm. However, if you think she enjoys movies that would also make her calm down and relax, you’ve got another thing coming as her favorite flicks are horror movies with zombies or exorcisms, with her favorite one being the classic Dawn of the Dead. Maybe one day we’ll see Luciana joining the cast of a horror movie, playing some sort of she-demon, screaming at our faces, and sending shivers down the spines of the lighthearted. Because she’s a true extreme music diva, and she will show no mercy for your soul armed with her phenomenal vocals and badass attitude.

Luciana Catananti’s Official Facebook page
Luciana Catananti’s Official Instagram
Mechanical God Creation’s Official Facebook page
Mechanical God Creation’s Official Instagram
Mechanical God Creation’s Official YouTube channel
Stormcrow’s Official Facebook page
Stormcrow’s Official Instagram
Stormcrow’s Official YouTube channel

Album Review – Cytolysis / Surge Of Cruelty (2025)

This one-man Technical and Brutal Death Metal machine is back with its ruthless sophomore opus, constructed from eleven sonic acts of torture.

Born in Naugatuck, Connecticut, but currently based in Boston, Massachusetts, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Darren Cesca, the demented drummer with Goratory, Eschaton and previously Deeds Of Flesh, has returned with Surge Of Cruelty, the second album from his unconscionably brutal solo project, Cytolysis, following up on his 2020 debut Portraits of Malevolence. Mixed and mastered by Darren Cesca himself, adorned in the hypnotically horrifying artwork of Vladimir Cebakov (Six Feet Under, 1914, DeadHead), and featuring brutal guest vocal performances from Mac Smith (Eschaton), Brian Forgue (Syphilic), Adam Mason (Goratory) and Flo Butcher (Tortured), Surge Of Cruelty is constructed from eleven sonic acts of torture, where twisted technicality and methodical precision collide with frenzied explosions of fury and unnerving alien atmospheres, offering exactly what we’re always looking for in high-quality Technical and Brutal Death Metal in the vein of Cannibal Corpse, Deeds Of Flesh, In Asymmetry, and Incinerate.

Darren wastes no time and ignite his demented metal attack in the form of Your Slow Demise, where his infernal gnarling matches perfectly with his killer blast beats; and featuring guest vocals by Mac Smith, Devout Sacrifice is a beyond demented creation where the sound of his riffs is truly piercing and austere, resulting in a lecture in violence and gore. Then in the title-track Surge of Cruelty our dauntless Darren keeps barking like a demented creature while also firing some of his most intricate and visceral riffage, and get ready to headbang until your neck breaks in half to the sound of Consenting Brood, with Darren’s metallic bass and pounding drums boosting his visceral growls in great fashion. After such an insane tune, guest Brian Forgue lends his demented gnarls to A Blood-Soaked Offering, leaning towards the most gruesome form of Brutal Death Metal.

The Stygian, atmospheric interlude Ritual Carnage will darken the skies before Darren comes ripping once again with Tribal Savagery, where his deep pig-like screeches will disturb your frail mind while he keeps blasting his drums in the name of extreme music. Then featuring guest vocals by Adam Mason, Tortured Flesh brings forward more of the inhumane fusion of Brutal Death Metal and classic Deathcore by Cytolysis, spiced up by some nicely inserted cryptic nuances; and of course with a guy like Flo Butcher as a guest vocalist the final result was going to be demolishing to say the least in Mark of the Demons, offering those downtempo breaks perfect for some brutal slamming. Darren doesn’t sound human with his deep guttural and unstoppable beats and fills in Innocence is Raped, offering an avalanche of first-class Brutal Death Metal, whereas the last song of the album, titled Hung from the Rafters, is just as insane and demented, with Darren hammering his guitars and bass until the very end.

Not only a seasoned musician who has already played with tons of amazing underground bands the likes of Eschaton, Goratory, Pillory, Serpent of Gnosis, Vile, In Asymmetry, Virulence, Hideous Deformity, Arsis, Blasphemer, Deeds of Flesh, Incinerate , Burn in Silence, Strappado, and Embers from Cremation, Darren has also studied Performance: Percussion at Berklee College of Music, and appeared as a guest drummer in the video game Call of Duty: Black Ops II, just to give you an idea of how talented he is, and how he crafted Surge of Cruelty to sound as catchy as razor wire through flesh, offering a blend of Technical and Brutal Death Metal of the highest order. You can find more information about him on Facebook, and put your dirty hands on Surge Of Cruelty via Comatose Music’s BandCamp or webstore, supporting such an amazing underground musician in his quest for extreme music.

Best moments of the album: Devout Sacrifice, A Blood-Soaked Offering and Innocence is Raped.

Worst moments of the album: Ritual Carnage.

Released in 2025 Comatose Music

Track listing
1. Your Slow Demise 4:29
2. Devout Sacrifice 4:29
3. Surge of Cruelty 4:32
4. Consenting Brood 3:19
5. A Blood-Soaked Offering 3:41
6. Ritual Carnage (Instrumental) 1:34
7. Tribal Savagery 3:40
8. Tortured Flesh 4:58
9. Mark of the Demons 5:07
10. Innocence is Raped 3:48
11. Hung from the Rafters 4:03

Band members
Darren Cesca – vocals, all instruments

Guest musician
Mac Smith – vocals on “Devout Sacrifice”
Brian Forgue – vocals on “A Blood-Soaked Offering”
Adam Mason – vocals on “Tortured Flesh”
Flo Butcher – vocals on “Mark of the Demons”

Album Review – Wrath of Belial / Embers of Dead Empires (2025)

Danish Death Metal juggernauts return with fire and fury on their sophomore full-length opus, casting a harsh light on human cruelty and societal decay.

Pulling inspiration from Death Metal legends the likes of Aborted, Suffocation, Cannibal Corpse, and even the progressive might of Mastodon, Aarhus, Denmark-based Death Metal juggernaut Wrath of Belial returns with fire and fury on their sophomore full-length opus, entitled Embers of Dead Empires, the follow-up to their critically acclaimed 2017 debut Bloodstained Rebellion. Mixed and mastered by Mendel bij de Leij (Aborted, Severe Torture, Cytotoxin), with drums recorded under the skilled engineering of Jacob Bredahl at Dead Rat Studios, and featuring a brutally futuristic artwork by world renowned illustrator Daemorph, the new album by Kasper B. Hornstrup on vocals, Jonas L. Thomsen on the guitars, and Anders F.S. Mikkelsen on bass, with support from session musicians Alex Bossen (of OXX) on lead guitars, and Bastian Thusgaard (of Soilwork, Dawn of Demise, and The Arcane Order) on drums, while the live lineup now includes Richardt Olsen on the guitars and Bent Bisballe Nyeng on drums, is a savage, refined, and punishingly tight release that casts a harsh light on human cruelty and societal decay, featuring ten meticulously crafted tracks of  Brutal and Melodic Death Metal packed with razor-sharp riffs, breakneck drumming, and searing vocals.

Dismantling Logos is absolutely insane from the very first second, with guest drummer Robin Stone (of Ashen Horde and Norse) crushing his drums manically while Kasper roars like a demonic entity. In other words, the album couldn’t have started in a more ferocious and exciting way; and Alex and Jonas shred their axes without a single drop of mercy in Mask of Commiseration, offering more of the band’s demented blend of Brutal and Technical Death Metal, followed by The Secular and the Divine, a lecture in Technical Death Metal with the infuriated growls by Kasper walking hand in hand with the inhumane beats and fills by Bastian. The stringed weapons by Alex, Jonas and Anders keep breathing fire and violence in Embers, showcasing the band’s trademark fusion of intricacy and darkness, whereas the metallic, rumbling bass by Anders adds tons of groove to their sound in Visions of the Annointed, being more than perfect for some hard hitting action inside the circle pit.

Bastian shows no mercy for our damned necks an bodies in Atonement, hammering his drums nonstop in the name of classic Death Metal, therefore keeping the album at a humongous level of animosity; followed by The Devouring Mother, one of the heaviest, most infernal of all songs, led by the brutal guttural by Kasper while the band’s guitarists shred their instruments in the name of sheer aggression. There’s absolutely no time to breath to the sound of The Marble and the Sculptor, a no shenanigans, in-your-face Death Metal attack by Wrath of Belial that should work majestically if played live; and the band then sounds even more infuriated in The Stench, a visceral lesson in extreme music where Bastian steals the spotlight with his ruthless and precise drumming. Lastly, the band’s final attack, titled Weight of the Transcendent, offers more of Kasper’s demented screeches while Alex and Jonas keep firing their trademark hellish riffage nonstop.

Fans of bands such as The Black Dahlia Murder, Aborted, and high-speed Death Metal with a razor-sharp melodic edge will have a great time listening to Embers of Dead Empires, which in the end is more than just a record, but a sharpened spear aimed at the heart of apathy and decay. Hence, as Wrath of Belial ignite the underground once again, you can start following the band on Facebook and on Instagram for news, tour dates and so on, stream their music on any platform such as Spotify, get more details about the band from CDN Records or by clicking HERE, and of course grab your copy of their ruthless new album from the CDN Records webstore. Danish Death Metal has never sounded stronger than now with Wrath of Belial, and if you think you have what it takes to face Embers of Dead Empires, I’m sure you won’t regret getting pulverized by the music found in the band’s newborn beast.

Best moments of the album: Dismantling Logos, The Secular and the Divine, The Devouring Mother and The Stench.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 CDN Records

Track listing
1. Dismantling Logos 4:49
2. Mask of Commiseration 4:23
3. The Secular and the Divine 3:49
4. Embers 5:19
5. Visions of the Annointed 4:05
6. Atonement 4:14
7. The Devouring Mother 4:07
8. The Marble and the Sculptor 3:30
9. The Stench 4:11
10. Weight of the Transcendent 4:42

Band members
Kasper B. Hornstrup – vocals
Jonas L. Thomsen – guitars
Anders F.S. Mikkelsen – bass

Guest musicians
Alex Bossen – lead guitars (session)
Bastian Thusgaard – drums (session)
Robin Stone – drums on “Dismantling Logos”
Richardt Olsen – guitars (live)
Bent Bisballe Nyeng – drums (live)