“Himsa” is a beautiful instrumental lead by Klara Bachmair’s haunting violin. This goes into “Kilakas Tongue”, as the music gets louder and louder in the mix. Oliver König (bass), Phillip Thienger (keyboards/guitar), David Kempf (drums), and Chris S (guitars), all join in on the fray, with the violin being played as well as keys. The pagan influence, with the various vocal tones and musical arrangements, is all played with much emotion. There is beauty in brutality with Firtan. And with lyrics: Breathing to commit sin, Loving to betray, Prevailing to give in, All hail isine and decay, the band is committed to make the listener think a little when reading the lyrics. Hence, the band has a greater punch to their lyrics, for more of the masses in the extreme metal scene.

“Ambrosia” is beautifully arranged, and with an early pinch harmonic scorching its way into our ears, I immediately smile. An intense gallop with the violin being prominent in the mix and adding that extra layer of black metal goth inspired heaviness. The harsh vocals give way to chanting, then the song gets into faster territory. The harsh vocals do have elements of death metal to them, which, goth-inspired, hit brutally perfect. The song has a variety of tempo shifts, ranging from brutality to atmospherics. The ending part of the track has a killer groove, and then the chanting returns, with the squealing violin entering in even more. Whew….I gotta catch my breath….give me a second… There is a lot going on with Firtan, on this album, with it being more expansive…a lot to take in. Ok ready..

“Ascension” is a seven minute number, beginning with more violins and then a plodding, doomy heaviness with that violin torching your soul. Brooding, depressive, and haunting. This is a seven-minute opening song, before the black metal vocals cut into the mix. The guitar riffing, I must point out, is pretty damn good and creative. The song slows down into ethereal atmospherics before the fast section erupts. It’s a bit jarring. It’s fast-paced, but not blasting. It’s pretty chaotic, as well as hypnotic, and the pagan vocals, at the five-minute mark, are most excellent.

“The Hierophant Way” at close to twelve minutes has so much going on, with the mid-paced section, than faster passages equipped with keys and violin. It’s breathtaking and moody. The song settles into a groove passage that hops about with the pagan vocals. Quite emotional, I must add. The song slows to an acoustic moment which is close to classical music, and guest vocalist, James Dorton (Black Crown Initiate/The Faceless/Ne Obliviscaris), lays down some deep guttural vocals, and this moment is terrific. The song ends beautifully and takes us into the “Shadows of a Dawn Unborn”, closing out the album. A song designed to please classical music fans with saxophones, beautiful female vocals, and an all around beautifully constructed pagan piece to bring this album to a close. Please make note there are various editions, one of which has a cover of Bathory’s “Man of Iron” from the Blood on Ice album. What a perfect ending, as the cover is an amazing rendition of that song.

Helios is one helluva an album by Firtan. Their most expansive one thus far and pushing their creative boundaries beyond what I though possible. At times it can be exhausting with the barrage of sounds and noises. There is so much quality going on pushesd this is in fact a most excellent album,thought requires repeated listens to fully absorb the material. Forward-thinking and most excellent.

The intro is a short ditty of an acoustic guitar piece that is pleasant to these ears, which “Turned into Dust” then brings the death metal to the pedal. The opening riffing and sound remind me of Morbid Angel from their Covenant album, and it sounds excellent. Jay brings his strong vocal influence of Dutch death metal back into the fold with nods to Pestilence/Aspyhx. Amazing. Right before the two-minute marker, the blast takes center stage and will remind you of the blasting Mike Smith was doing on the Suffocation Breeding the Spawn album. I actually mentioned this to Mick not too long ago, and he said that’s his favorite Suffocation album; so, there ya go, folks. Around the 3.30 marker a plethora of guitar solos scorch our pants right off us and then Boom, right into the vintage Suffo blast beats. This is a super strong song with terrific guitar riffing as well as that bass guitar rearing its ugly head too.

The title track has an atmospheric blend to open things up. Alan strumming away on the bass guitar and having it isolated is just excellent. Light guitars in the background do not overpower the bass; they allow the bass to shine in the mix. Once that 1.38 marker hits, though, be prepared. Right into a monstrous blast beat, and it’s absolutely terrific as Mr. Malone shows off his drumming skills. This really takes me back to 1993, with the sound and the Suffocation influence is peak at this point, with Zealot Cult putting their own stamp of brutality on it as well. I do enjoy the band tossing in guitar solos as well, and there are plenty of those on here. You don’t hear as many guitar solos in brutal death metal anymore. I attribute this to the band being rooted in the old-school approach, and I respect that. For instance, if you have the talent to pull off a guitar solo, why not toss it in on an album?! I appreciate that sort of thing.

“Usurper” begins with this double pounding beat that is captivating in its heaviness and catchiness. The song soon goes into the full-velocity blasting hemisphere and does a good job of rearranging your jaw for ya. This is one catchy song!! Excellent guitar harmonies and vocals help this song reach top-shelf status. “Nothing But Hate” is the longest song at close to six and a half minutes. Starting with a blast and then slows down with some spoken-word moments, while the drum rolls are going on in the background. Pretty cool. The mid-paced moments are super heavy, and I caught a pinch harmonic or two. The song ends fairly brutally, and then a soft acoustic piece ends the album, just as it began.

Psalms of Filth is one of the purest death metal albums to be released in 2026. It takes the old and mixes it in with the new. After being away for so long, this is the album Zealot Cult needed to release to remain relevant in the scene. This is brutal, catchy, classic, and all-rounded out in a nice warm production. You can tell a lot of effort went into writing and recording this album. Killer release!

“Death Toll Horror” starts with a synth opening sequence that soon gets into the doomy heaviness that is Wharflurch. Myk Colby is the main man on guitars/vocals and synths, with John Mamo on drums and also vocals, and Cary Smith on bass. But the band now consists of Myk and an entirely new line-up: Stef Wetzel on bass, Jonathan Griffin on drums, and Jerrod Miller on vox. Regardless, this opening song has the monster heaviness we are used to from the band. The hoppy moment at the 90-second mark is especially fun. We get pinch harmonics to boot before the doom hits around the 2.40 section. Sludgy, cavernous, and heavy, just like the Florida swamps, from which the band rises. This doomy moment continues until the end of the song and is depressive and immersive in its heaviness.

“Headless God” is such a great song title. The brooding synths get louder until the music bashes and smashes you in the face, and it hits like dISEMBOWELMENT with the guitar tones and abruptly shifts to the faster moments. The pained and anguished growls are exceptional, as are the bendy guitar riffs. Pinch harmonics are sharp and will slice your body right in half. Galloping death metal madness incites circle pits nationwide. The song slows down and really hones in on that dISEMBOWELMENT influence. A guitar solo, drenched in funeral doom, enters the picture as this song then gets into a slow, grinding heaviness, then back into the speed. One of the very best songs the band has written.

“Revelations ov the Spore Lords” is so damn heavy it moves like a lumbering Lovecraftian entity that is hundreds of feet tall. The song gets into faster territory with squealing guitars and lots of killer cavernous vocal elements. There are some spoken-word vocal moments over the faster parts that are pretty cool. The song slows down and gets slower, heavier, and brooding. This song is drenched in early 90s doom/death metal and another winner of a song.

“Mycodeath and Rebirth / Awakening the Emissary” ends the album at eight and a half minutes and is more instrumental than anything else. There are spoken-word moments, and a very spacey new age feel with the synths. It’s actually a very interesting way to end the album but also coincides nicely with the Wharflurch Presents… Swamp Synth, release I mentioned above.

Mycodeath and Rebirth in the Outer Clusters is a great album by Wharflurch, who has carved out a nice little niche in the metal community. They are pretty original, and the synths add a spacey/horror infused atmosphere to their sound. It’s more expansive than one would imagine. The band is always on pace with creating super colorful designs on all their releases, as they have a bunch EPs and singles too. Plaster that stuff on merch and they will sell like hotcakes. Get this album; it’s original, heavy, and fun to listen to.

“Twas Always a Plan” opens the album with squealing guitars before the classic Master sound comes bludgeoning forward with Paul’s signature raspy, throaty vocals. He still sounds great after all these decades. He does a nice job with his enunciation so you can make out the lyrics. The monstrous speedy double bass, which has been a band trademark, is ever present here. The song has some nods to the first two classic Whiplash albums and that is most welcomed by these ears. This opener is only here to thrash the listener from side to side, with a plentiful helping of death metal. Great and catchy son. And Paul yelling “Fuck off you assholes, and Fuck You” at the start of the song is just plain fun!

The title track has a nice death/thrash opening gallop, which slows down with a weird guitar part around the 1.25 section, that I really dig. There are some cool guitar harmonies and then some speedier drums taking over. The song returns to a slower mid-paced moment, Ite a rather cool mid 80’s gallop enters into the picture, having a bit of a NWOBHM bite to it. Very classic and supremely catchy. A scorcher of a title track.

“Injustice and Lack of Remorse” has some nice isolated bass guitar, showing how he has honed his craft over the years. The death/thrash metal joins in and Paul’s vocals berating us as if we double dipped a chip at some party. The classic gallop is one of the reasons why I love the band still to this day. This gallop screams 1990 and never sounds dated, but it reaches all the way back to simpler times. So, these classic nostalgic moments Paul throws in are nods to the earlier renditions of Master and shows he has not forgotten his roots. And as an old codger, like myself, I respect these moments greatly.

“Within My Grasp” has a classic gallop to it that is worthy of you headbanging your head off that pathetic body of yours, you piece of filth! The song slows back down with Paul’s anguished vocals coming in and the gallop returning. You have to headbang and throw up your horns, in unison while you headbang, to get the true effect. Hell, if I can do it you can as well. “Let’s Revoke” ends the album with some strong Autopsy like moments rhythmically speaking, which takes me back to Severed Survival. So classic, especially with that heavy undercurrent bass sound. The slow down moments are incredibly heavy and that main riff is crucial AF! This is how you end an album folks, strong!

Among the Seeds of Death bests the last Master album and I find this album to be a bit catchier and overall better production. Super fun and Paul has the band firing on all cylinders as usual. With shows lined up and an upcoming overseas tour with Napalm Death, it’s always great to see classic bands touring together. Paul, ya bastid, you did it again. Excellent album!!

She knows my reviews dip into a variety of genres, and this band does hit the mark with industrial/rock/metal/electronica and goth.  I view this band as pretty experimental.  While the members have a past rooted in black metal, this is anything but black metal.  If you dig bands like Marilyn Manson (his more experimental albums), Type O Negative, NIN, and The Sisters of Mercy, you will be able to sink your teeth into at least some of this, but it is a tough listen during certain segments.  Read on to see why.

I am a fan of horror movies.  Pointing out that international horror is kinda my jam.  International horror pulls no punches when it comes to taboo subjects, and anyone, regardless of age, race, creed, or sex, is on the chopping block when it’s time to meet your demise.  Following that framework, we have heavy, and I mean heavy, topics the band covers.  There’s some weird narration that goes on at certain moments, and the ages vary, and it’s either the antagonist or protagonist doing the narration.  Topics such as religion, domestic violence, and a variety of different abuses are all on display throughout these songs; this is a short album, at thirty minutes.

“Fucking the Mirror” opens the album, and I advise against trying to do this, or you will get the ouchies.  Starting with some electronica beats and sounds from the early ’80s, this song is rooted in The Sisters of Mercy.  Goth-type vocals with an 80s new wave sound, also pulling from Depeche Mode.  The song is moody, and I feel all the band members lend their vocals at various times throughout the song and album.  Vocals go from harsh, melancholic, and shoegazy.  All very cool, and I must say I really like this opening song, quite a lot.  The pained vocals, especially towards the end, are pure suffering.

“W*oman’s Eyes” begins with a hellacious opening scream by a woman.  It’s terrifying.  The main goth type of vocals come in with the higher rasp and screaming in the background.  It’s a cacophony of chaos during certain moments.  Due to the vocals being piped in higher in the mix, it can be a lot.  The song picks up the speed a bit, with some industrial metal moments with a squealing guitar backdrop. Midway through the song, we are treated to atmospherics before some more pained and anguished screams and moans take center stage.  “The Orgasming” starts with harsh vocals, coming across as Marilyn Manson in their aggressive tone, then getting into more of the goth type of vocals that he uses, or for that matter, some Type O Negative influence.  This song is melancholic, depressive and a bit on the hypnotic drone side of things.  The song gets progressively heavier towards its end.

“Your Repulsive Husband” has heavier themes dealing with adultery and child abuse.  The opening lyrics of “I chain you in your room mirror child As I need a moment of peace from your screams, But then I fear you might die”, create dread, and frightening imagery.  This song is very new-wave-ish in its music, with a variety of vocal tones telling this story.  There are some varied sounds in the background, as well as a dinging bell, which coincide with some of the lyrics.  This is a depressive and moody number, sure to conjure up some emotions from within.  “Godspeed” gets into more abuse themes, and some thrashy industrial metal, making this the most extreme song on the album.  Definitely some headbanging moments and a very weird, moody guitar tone on this one.  Bendy riffage, which is original.  This and the first song are my faves.  The rest of the songs all follow these mentioned formulas.

Mousecunt is sure to raise some eyebrows with this Orgasmic Mouse debut album.  It’s experimental, boisterous at times, moody, and thematically, maybe one of the heaviest albums I’ve heard in the last decade or maybe more.  I do like this album, but in smaller doses.  I feel a bit dirty listening to it and need to shower now.  Art, in all its forms, is supposed to push boundaries, which I want, therefore, I applaud the band for going in that direction, especially with the album art.  If you enjoy weird, thought-provoking industrial/electronica metal/rock, give this band a chance.  It will also help support the label, in turn.  For me, honestly, I am unsure how many more times I will go back to listen to this one.  Doom/funeral doom can be a tough listen because of its depressive musical and lyrical themes; this band is a whole ‘nother off-the-wall depressive experience.  Nonetheless, it’s pretty cool, though.

The band stays intact with this album, with Anatoly on bass, Efim on drums, Vyacheslav on guitars, and Ivan behind the vox. In the promo, bassist Anatoly (Katalepsy) singled me out to review their newest offering, so I had to jump at the chance to review the album. The new album cover is pretty neat and I think it is a better album design than their debut album. With this album, we get eight songs in 45 minutes.

“Beneath Unhallowed Ground” opens with a bunch of growly and berating vocals, with the music slowly coming together to start building up. This opening goes on for a while with those shouted vocals, and it’s a bit much, since the vocals are way too loud in the mix, although they are very good. The music still retains the old-school Morbid Angel/Brutality flair as a blast beat enters into the picture. Anatoly’s bass still retains the bite and pluckiness that was present on the Katalepsy albums. He has a great bass guitar sound. The blast is ferocious, with some dual-layered vocals, at times. The stomp groove at the 3.25 section features prominent bass work and I do love the sound of the snare drum. Vocals are angry and vicious, just a bit too loud in the mix.

“Condemned to Eden Below” has an excellent rhythm section early on, and it shoots right into the blast beat, then slows down to a mid-paced crunch fest. If you’re not swigging back pints of vodka and slamming, during this part, you need to go back to bed. There are some bendy guitar riffs and then a nice groove section which is sure to get a pit going. The pinch harmonics are tight and it’s always good to hear them well-placed in a song. The tempo shifts are tremendous and there is a guitar solo, that fits in well. Some of the bendy riffage has an Immolation flair. Yet another good song.

“Forever Unsaved”, with some of the spoken-word moments early on, takes on a rap approach. Hearing Ivan, with his thick Russian accent, is an interesting style. Maybe on the third album we will get this style fully realized on a song. For now, it is inserted to have a tough-guy sound to it. So watch out! This song is surprisingly melodic with some progressive and off-kilter time changes. The song sounds rather complicated to play, and there is a squealing guitar in the middle of the song. There are moments where I do not know if I should headbang, throw up my horns or just relax, like I am reading a book near the fire. This song is all over the place. It’s pretty cool, especially the bass solos towards the end of the song; damn, he is fast.

“None Shall Be” ends the album with more of a brooding and heavy buildup. This beginning is slower and quite excellent. There are more atmospherics, taking us on a dreamscape path, before that mid-paced stomp drives home the message. The blasts and progressive/serene moments all tie together with Ivan’s excellent and varied vocals. What a great song to end the album.

Sermon Under Mound is a damn fine death metal album from Gravegod. It beats their debut with song structure, and I quite enjoy the variety of tempos the band tosses in. The musicianship is spot on, with Anatoly’s bass work having the best bass guitar sound on a death metal album for 2026. The band knows when to blast and to utilize it to their advantage and not overdo it. Sure, the vocals are a bit too loud in the mix, but outside of that, everything sounds good. Crank this sucker up, Nostrovia!

With their 12th album, Cursum Perficio, there have been plenty of delays with this sucker. Drummer, Charlie Benante, went on to drum with the Pantera reunion act and that took a lot of time away from Anthrax, as they toured and opened up for the likes of non-other than Metallica, so his priorities were elsewhere. It’s been 10 years since their last album, the magnificent For All Kings and the same line-up returns on Cursum Perficio. Admittedly, outside of the previously released singles, this album did not hit me between the eyes like the band’s last two efforts. This was more of a slow burner, and after several listens I became hooked. The band incorporates some of the most extreme Anthrax moments in terms of speed and crunchy stomping mosh parts. So, let’s get to the review, dang it.

11 songs in 53 minutes, the album opens with a minute long intro, “Persistence of Memory”, that goes into “The Long Goodbye”. I was expecting the band to come outta the starting gates with a fast thrashy song, but they do not. A mid-paced crunchy number that has some commercial appeal to it. The chorus is exceedingly catchy, and the guitar riffing is outstanding, Ian on fire, as usual. Charlie lets loose with some cool drum rolls and there are some creative stop and start moments and soloing going on that is courtesy of Jonathan Donais. The rhythm section tight with Frank Bello’s killer bass lines and Joey’s vocals sound as great as ever. Overall, though, the intro and this song are both more of a whimper, rather than a rallying cry, from a band that has not released an album in a decade.

“It’s for the Kids”, was one of the singles previously released. After a little squealing guitar action, the song rips into the thrash the masses have grown to love and expect from the band with an aggressive and catchy chorus, that slows things down, into a killer circle moment. The squealing guitar returns, a nice drum roll, then BAM!!! Right back into the thrash speed. The Holy Shit moment is the 2.20 marker, and it hits, this is one of the best mosh/slam moments Ian has ever written. So much so, this takes me back to NYHC, with the groove. It is crucial. The pits will be monstrous during this part. Then a nifty and super killer guitar solo erupts that takes us over the speedy parts. This song should have come right after that opening intro, imo. But what do I know?!

“The Edge of Perfection” is that song folks… On Worship Music Anthrax had a little blast going on and this song brings it. At 6:46, this is the longest song, and the soft opening will fool you. The blast at the 32 second marker is fueled with black metal riffing. Something that was bound to rub off on the band with all the more extreme metal acts they have played with in the last 15 years. But that is pure black metal, and it brings a huge smile when Joey is doing some aria ahhhs over these moments. The song slows down with a super heavy lead guitar riff, that has an abundance of melody too. The blast returns with Joey singing over it and the song slows back down with terrific vocals and gang shouted vocals to accompany him. The back and forth of the varying speeds is breathtaking, making this the most extreme Anthrax song to date, and these bastids are in their 60’s now. This is my favorite song on the album.

“Infectious”, takes us back to Among the Living , with the groove and crunch and catchy vocals. The band also showcasing more of their melodic edge, they have also incorporated over the last two albums and I can see this song being played live. There are many points where I can picture the spotlights coming on and the fans headbanging in unison to this song. “NYC 93” brings back the speed and is a banger as it thrashes all over the place with the gang shouted vocals of It ain’t worth doing unless you do it to death is gang shouted over and over with Ian’s parts piped in a little louder, or else he is just much louder than everyone else. Another great song to be in their live set.

“My Victory” closes out the album with it’s tremendous double bass moments and lead guitar riff which will embed in your brain for days on end. The crunchy guitar tone is one of the heaviest Anthrax moments, ever. It is brilliant and Joey belting out the vocals, perfectly timed. This song must be in their live set. It is super catchy, fun, thrashy and has a cute little groove/stomp at the end. That lead guitar riff…..damnit it, Ian, you did it again, you crafty bastid.

Cursum Perficio is an excellent thrashy Anthrax album with the band bringing in all their decades of expertise and moments into this sucker. I’m not a fan of album covers without a band’s logo, therefore I wish the band logo was on here. On the virtual interactive album cover, on Apple Music, it’s actually super cool to look at what’s going on when the music is playing. The production is top notch and honestly if you never liked the band in the past, you’re not going to start liking them now. Although “The Edge of Perfection”, you should listen to for the black metal riffing, over the blasting. It’s not something you have ever heard Anthrax do. And that is why out of new ones, from the bigger bands this year, like Lamb of God, Megadeth, Kreator and Exodus, Anthrax have the best album. They are doing different things and incorporating new ideas, still all these decades later. Welcome back Anthrax, what a scorcher of a crushing album!!

Their mix of Exhumed/Carcass is ever-present. Mark Wallace’s varying vocal tones — the gutturals and raspier vocals — are piped in excellently, as is the production of layering the vocals to make it appear there are two vocalists. At times, Deicide comes to mind with this effect. The guitar solo, hovering over the blast beat, is exceptional, and the grind blast is terrific. Adam Houmam continues to excel in his craft with his monstrous blasts. This song features some very cool drum parts, and the guitars of Mike Flory and his wife Ria Flory are brutal. Ria plays bass/guitars in the killer Emasculator band, by the way. This is a brutal opening number.

“The Autopsy: A Surgical Sonata” is a song title you would expect on a Carcass album, but Cartilage beat them to the punch. Melodic guitars with some of the harmonies are interwoven into brutal riffage over the blasts. The dizzying array of vocal tones and the layering is some of the best I have heard in a bit. Some of the monstrous blasts, especially at the two-minute timestamp, are going to rip your limbs apart in a nanosecond. The song slows down and gallops at a terrific headbanging pace. Once the blast takes over, you had better stop headbanging or else you might headbang that head of yours right off your pathetic shoulders.

“A Lymphatic Labyrinth of Roiling Rot” has an opening guitar riff that is so killer, then right into the Holy Shit blasting madness. This moment is pretty vicious, and with the vocals, I am wondering if another member of the band, during a concert, takes over maybe one of the tones. Because, with the layering effects, the vocalist is either going to have to stick to one tone and another member pipes in the other tone in order to replicate the album moments, or they just forgo the different tones. Hopefully one of the band members helps out with the other tone, since it sounds killer, just like how Dying Fetus and Exhumed have been pulling this off, brutally, for decades. This song moves and grooves, and the double bass drums sound great with one of the best snare drum sounds all year. This song is fun, brutal, and has some pit action moments here and there.

The rest of the songs all follow this formula, with the title track another strong standout, with the Carcass-inspired opening moments and galloping pacing taking over. The song slows down to a mid-paced, bludgeoning crawl and then double-pounding madness. The variety of vocal tones and tempo shifts will keep you on your toes and off your toes as well.

Operating Altar is yet another brutal release from Cartilage, who keeps upping their game. So much so that this band is one of the strongest in their genre class. Songs are memorable and catchy, and death/goregrind is not always something easy to pull off. There is enough harmony on this album to keep some of the technical fans happy, and so much putrid filth to keep us goregrind and death metal fans happy like a clam. Get this dirty, filthy, brutal album now!

You’re welcome, good sir, and thank you in turn! I am honored to be interviewed by the animal who spewed such killer gutturals on early Internal Bleeding. Voracious Contempt is such a fantastic album.

There is a lot of meaning and passion driving Achtung! Destroy The Weak. A motif running throughout the album is the necessity to avoid victimhood and to celebrate and achieve self-actualization and success through will to power and strength. Modernity is plagued with victimhood. It’s a disgusting, weak mindset. Yes, there is a great deal of suffering, challenges that affect people in different ways, etc. People are handed different cards in life. Equality does not exist. With all of this in mind, why choose the path of weakness, curling up in the fetal position and giving up? When life hits you hard, and it hits all of us, don’t be sad. Be mad. Let that rage inspire you. Push yourself through adversity. Be a lion. Be a wolf. “Take life by the balls and squeeze until they crunch.” I just quoted Biohazard’s Urban Discipline. Some in our scene may scoff at me for quoting Biohazard. I really don’t care. They can SMD. That’s a killer lyric from a killer band. And I don’t have any “guilty pleasures” in life. I like what I like, and without apology.

I discuss some Machiavellian concepts and Carl Jung’s psychological discussion of the importance of bloodline, ancestral memory, and connection. I value my father to no end. He was just a small, premature baby born in a hut in Africa, and he worked hard, moved to the West, and became a very successful physician and clinic owner who was recognized by members of Congress. So, I really have no time nor patience when hearing BS about how some people can’t make it in America. Anyone can become anything they want if they desire enough in this beautiful land of opportunity.

Anyway, there certainly was an extensive period between our first album and this — seven years. Trench isn’t going anywhere, though, and while we definitely favor quality over quantity, you better believe that we will never take that long between releases again. In short, a variety of factors are linked to the long wait for the album to come out: Familial deaths, career changes, distance between members, and traveling time involved in getting together. This isn’t a diss to any previous member, but we finally have the right lineup in place with members who are able to write, record, perform, and hit the road with more relative ease and with more ambition. In the meantime, we are eager to showcase this new material on stage.

We were in talks with a few labels, but we ended up choosing Conjuring Records because it’s a smaller label that’s driven by passion, and they’re putting a strong focus on us — an optimal situation rather than being on a larger label that would just neglect you.

As for the artwork, imagery from older warfare, we wanted something simple and true to our aesthetic so that it will remain in your mind’s eye.

How does this album differ from your debut album, and did you achieve the goals you wanted to?

Our demo “put us on the map,” so to speak. I mean that relatively speaking, of course. No one has lofty rock star dreams, and we will always have day jobs and daily hustles. But I digress… When I say that it put us on the map, within our corner of war metal, bestial black metal, and black/death metal, it caught a lot of people’s attention. We have always maintained our war metal roots but never wanted to be boxed in. So, our first album, Hatred Prayer, revealed our passion for death metal and black metal.

I think we will always have continuity and avoid taking any drastic left turns. So, I think the new album is a refined version of the debut but with more elaborate song structuring and phrasing. Vocally, I wanted the lyrical storytelling to come across as though it’s being narrated, to an extent. I remember reading a few Steve Tucker interviews—a huge influence upon me, by the way—when they were promoting Gateways to Annihilation, and he said that he wanted to have that approach, so that it wasn’t necessarily cutthroat and relentless throughout. There needs to be contrast to the extremity in music; otherwise, the potency just gets stale. So on Achtung! Destroy The Weak, the cadence and timbre move according to the underlying thematic tone, very much like a conversation or monologue would flow. While the album as a whole is absolutely savage, it does the same thing on a musical level. I think we achieved that goal. We always want to be extreme, but to make music that is memorable.

Trench Warfare has been around for several years now. Explain what is important in being in a band, writing music, developing your own lyrical and vocal style, which I think you have a Martin van Drunen flair, and what Trench Warfare adds to the scene?

The importance of being in a band varies significantly from person to person. For some people, that may involve fame and fortune or chasing tail. Even in underground metal, some people seem to have those lame goals without admitting it. For us as a band and for me personally, and without intending to sound pompous, creating art that’s meaningful, powerful, and lasting is what matters. It may not reach that many people, but I want as many people to hear it as possible. Some people, including a former member, claim that they don’t care about others hearing the music or what their opinions may be. Bullshit. If that’s the case, recording music wouldn’t be a goal at all. Anyway, the artistic expression, the performance, matters. I enjoy that aspect more than the writing and recording, actually. It’s cheesy to use this term, and it’s overly abundant in our scene, but it is very ritualistic. Everything involved in the process is very cathartic, and I absolutely do need this. If I didn’t have this, the gym wouldn’t be enough of an outlet for my aggressive side. Hell, I’d probably wind up dead or in prison if I didn’t have this outlet. Sure, writing, recording, and performing can be a great deal of fun. But considering the content and intensity involved, there are certainly moments where it doesn’t feel that good. It can be quite uncomfortable, like the feeling a snake may have when shedding its skin.

It was definitely important for me early on to develop my own style and approach, both lyrically and vocally. Good call on spotting out Martin Van Drunen as an influence! I love Pestilence and Asphyx. Along those lines, John Tardy from Obituary has impacted me, Marc Grewe from Morgoth to a lesser extent. And there are a host of others like, again, Steve Tucker. Who else? Barney, Kevin Sharp, and I listen to a lot of hardcore. Lou Koller from Sick Of It All (RIP) and Jon Gula from Turmoil come to mind. Phil Anselmo, of course. My friend in Belgium, Kevin Lerminiau from a band called Wolfskull, and I wrote and recorded a song many years ago when I was over there. He said my vocals sounded like a cross between tough guy hardcore and John Tardy. I can see that.

In terms of lyrical content, so many bands of our general ilk seem to be content to peddle such generic tropes and clichés involving war, death, and satanism. We definitely tackle all of those subjects, except the latter, but I’d like to think we do so in a manner that is much more rooted in reality. I’m not opposed to fantasy lyrics entirely as far as my listening consumption. When I discuss the darker side of existence, however, it is based in reality. We aren’t one of these bands made up of corpse-paint-covered wankers who are essentially engaging in nothing more than vampire cosplay.

Certain references to military and war are oftentimes metaphorical, because life is a battle. Then again, some of it is literal in the way that we want the West to win during conflict, whenever that may be referenced. To that end, we want America to win ultimately. America will win. War will never end, and we need to stay on top. The third World War is already here. It has just begun in a soft sense. I’m not wearing a tinfoil hat. I’m just a realist.

When you put it all together, I think it’s clear that Trench Warfare offers a lot to the scene, synthesizing desired and familiar sounds into an uncompromising expression that is individual and unique.

The scene and fans are ever-changing. With the band splintered in various parts of the country, what are your plans for shows, touring, challenges, and your personal lives? Is full-on touring feasible?

It’s interesting that my recent move from Austin to rural Oregon places us bandmates further apart geographically at the precise time that we have never been as poised to play out and about. What I mean by that is that we are no longer restrained by the work schedules and job constraints of former members. Those factors are understandable barriers, but now that they aren’t in our path, our current line-up is eager to play more shows, fests, and yes, now we can finally tour once the right opportunities are in place.

How serious are you all in wanting Trench Warfare to achieve the next level of success?

Success can mean very different things to different people. Is it measured as far as commercial reach and number of units sold? That’s important for some, not us. In our eyes, success is creating art, performing it, and having it connect with as many people as possible for whom the music really matters. We have had elements within the band who have held the band back, and we aren’t going to put up with that ever again. We are eager, and we are hungry.

Let’s skip around a bit and let the readers know all about your metal reviews and writing for magazines such as Pit, how you got into it, why you did, and the challenges as a writer — like ,did you ever review a band’s album, only to then have them talk smack about the review online or send you their take on how the review should have gone?

After I got my first academic degree, I had all this knowledge about metal, and I just wanted to do something to take my love for it to the next level. I had been in several terrible short-lived bands over the course of a summer, so I didn’t think that was the path at the time. I was a rabid consumer of metal and music journalism, the magazines, fanzines, and webzines; so that made sense. I dove balls deep into it and, as with anything, there have been lulls here and there, but I’ve been at it for more than half my life at this point. I’ve been an editor for Pit Magazine, I wrote for Metal Maniacs, Unrestrained, Hails & Horns, AMP, and Outburn, as well as many webzines. These days, I’m writing for Blabbermouth and Metal Underground. I’ll branch out further in due time. I did news journalism years ago, including crime reporting, and I’m sure I’ll dabble in that again down the road.

There have been challenges, as with anything in life, but I wouldn’t consider disgruntled interview or review subjects as being challenges. You know me, so you’re well aware that I don’t take myself very seriously, but I take everything I do very seriously, including singing and music journalism. I can understand why a band may be upset in the face of a negative review. But at the end of the day, however serious or not a reviewer takes the process, it’s their opinion, so it shouldn’t stick with a band. The most outrageous response to me was when a hardcore band once messaged me following a negative review, saying, “You better not ever show your face in Philly if you know what’s good for you.” I mean, c’mon, dude…

The talented multi-instrumentalist Darren Cesca reached out to me following my less-than-stellar review of Arsis many years ago. He’s primarily known as a drummer, and he did that for them around that time. He had a brief, mostly respectful back-and-forth with me. I didn’t find the album even remotely catchy, to which he seemed frustrated. He insisted that it was catchy and kept pressing me to almost… cave in and agree with him? It was absurd, and I just “left him on read,” as the kids say.

Sean Malone, formerly of Cynic, is another great talent who wasn’t necessarily that pleasant. I was interviewing him for his Gordion Knot prog metal/fusion project, and we were emailing back and forth. Many musicians can be assholes, as you know, so there are a million small situations I’m sure I can’t even remember nor care about, but this comes to mind because he was just exceptionally snooty in his conversational tone. I had no beef with him, really, though. May he rest in peace.

As seldom as I ever see or speak with him, I get along with Phil Anselmo quite well. He was upset and publicly expressed that sentiment when I spilled the beans in a blog about one of his upcoming projects, the nature of it, and so on and so forth. I reached out to him to talk about it, and the beef was squashed essentially.

Those are just a couple of things off the top of my head.

Quick fun question: you’re moving to a secluded island, and you’ve overpacked. You can only take 5 albums. Which would they be and why?

I despise these questions because they’re so fun yet so frustrating! How can I narrow it down? I’ll begin by throwing out some bands who could be included as honorable mentions. Those bands would be, I guess, Soilent Green, Acid Bath and Blasphemy. This could change on any given day, but let me give you five albums in no particular order:

Type O Negative – October Rust

Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath

Pantera – The Great Southern Trendkill

Brutal Truth – Sounds of the Animal Kingdom

Napalm Death – Enemy of the Music Business

As you get older, how are your vocals holding up playing shows and recording? Do you take care of your voice? Any vocal exercises? When was the last time you played live, and what’s on the horizon for touring and shows – do you have a booking manager?

I’m pleased with my voice these days. I think I will continue to improve over time, and my voice has certainly gotten stronger. I do my best to stay well hydrated for general health, gains in the gym, and for singing. Before practicing or playing shows, I always go through melodic vocal warm-ups, about 20 minutes’ worth. I used to do a bit of choir in high school. (In due time, I’d like to perform in other kinds of bands, perhaps doom-related, noise rock or otherwise. I’m not sure. That will happen whenever the time is right.) Anyway, I lifted a lot from those old choir, melodic vocal warm-ups and I’ve supplemented that with YouTube videos. I know that screaming has become an “art” of sorts. I haven’t yet done so, but I like improving my skill set in all that I do in life, so I definitely want to dive into those screaming tutorials at some point.

We played at the end of June in Austin at the Lost Well with our longtime friends in Imprecation. We’ve done many shows with those legendary satanic death metal maniacs. We don’t have anything on deck at the moment other than Mark Madness Fest in Illinois that’s slated for June of 2027, but as mentioned before, we are eager to do as many shows and make the most of any touring opportunities as possible. And no, we do not have a booking agent, but we are open to that sort of thing as long as the arrangement would make sense for us.

Moving musically forward, how do you see Trench Warfare expanding in sound, style, vocally and lyrically?

We will always maintain an element of war metal at our very core, around which we have allowed the growth of death metal into our sound as well as aspects of black metal. Going forward, Dustin Putz will be the primary songwriter musically, and he is doing exactly that. He has already started working on some stuff where the foundation is war metal, but his great passion for bands like Dismember, Autopsy, and Pestilence is also informing the direction. And our drummer JP Campo is fantastic. He is a rabid maniac, but his style is so controlled.

There are some other ideas in mind. I’d rather not spill all the beans, but suffice it to say, it’ll be intense, and we really want to push the envelope of what extreme music can be. Vocally, I’m sure my hardcore influences will continue to shine through. Lyrically, without straying from the subgenres at hand completely, there will continue to be a tapestry that involves history, literature, psychology, and personal experience.

Since your debut album, coming from a band and fan perspective, how has the scene changed? Are you happy with the changes? Too many bands — have shows changed, and what are some current bands you enjoy that are new, as well as older bands that you listen to, regardless of genre?

There is a lack of originality and boldness in all of extreme music, which is annoying. I don’t want to say that’s the case across the board, but it does seem to be the norm, unfortunately. Homogeneous sounds, imagery, and ideals plague the underground, and that’s never what it should be about. Groupthink is lame and weak. That’s the opposite of what we are about. We preach and celebrate the power of individual strength and identity. Of course, there can be pride in some form of group identity, but build upon that legacy. Don’t just be a carbon copy of all that inspires you. Be yourself. That goes for music and life overall, generally speaking.

I’m sure some may say, “Okay, boomer,” about this following point. I don’t care. I keep it real. (I’m Gen X, by the way, but that’s neither here nor there.) Underground extreme music, and I’m talking about virtually every subgenre and style, is inundated with “woke” scene tourists. There needs to be more gatekeeping in that regard. It’s weak and pathetic, and it shouldn’t be tolerated. Sure, you can see how some of that infiltrated hardcore and grind, but it is radical in an absurd way that ultimately isn’t benevolent. It doesn’t belong. It certainly doesn’t belong in darker-themed styles. Music should be extreme, but political extremes are always collectivist in nature. All of that is for weaklings. Celebrate the individual. Equality is a myth. Everyone is handed a different hand in life. Make the most of life. Build your own empire and live on your own terms. I’m speaking about underground music scenes and society at large. And this goes back to the meaning of the album. Self-defeating ideologies and victimhood need to be demonized. Be a lion. Be a wolf. Celebrate the self and free will. The notion of “Will To Power” is fascinating, endearing, appealing, and it needs to be championed.

As far as specific bands that we have been into as a band and as far as my own taste goes, let me see here. I can bring up Blasphemy, Beherit, Deiphago, Diocletian, Nuclearhammer, Genocide Shrines, Tetragrammacide, Wargrinder, Ritual Genocide, Triumph, Archgoat, Morbosidad, Imprecation, Obeisance, Satanik Goat Ritual and Nunslaughter.

Let me add some stuff that I’ve been listening to very recently: Abominator, Atomic Aggressor, Atomicide, the new Neurosis and the new Butthole Surfers, as well as Shane Embury’s solo album. Also, I’ve really been digging some aggressive African hip hop: Nigeria’s ODUMODUBLVCK and Kenya’s Wakadinali.

Before we go, Jay, what would you like the readers to know about Trench Warfare that they may not know? Maybe about all your ridiculous and funny memes on social media and, well, let’s be honest, you sometimes are pretty outspoken on there – ever get any flack for that?

Trench Warfare is your worst nightmare, reader! Jajajaja Again, I don’t take myself too seriously, but I take everything I do very seriously. Social media is great escapism from the BS that we all deal with in our daily lives and with regard to the daily grind. So, it should be fun. I joke around, and I’m outspoken for sure, about life, sociopolitical matters, and pretty much everything. I’m always myself, as everyone should be. I can understand that some need to be mindful of saying certain things due to work-related obligations, family matters, et cetera. That is all understandable. But if one feels the need to self-censor for a metal audience, they are no longer metal. They are just pussies. Full stop. Never let metal be defanged. Metal is a wild beast. May she forever roam free and unrestrained.

I have interviewed Ralf before, reviewed all of his bands, and have talked to him on the phone as well. The man loves death metal, and the Revel in Flesh breakup did not last long, as he put a new band together last year. He brought in Simon Abele (Inner Earth) on guitars, current Rotpit drummer Erik Barthold,

But how do you still capture that Boss HM-2 Pedal classic Swedish death metal tone, Revel in Flesh is known for???? Well, you bring in a longtime veteran and who I consider a friend, Jonny Pettersson, to handle the bass and, most importantly, the buzzsaw guitars. The man is in a ton of current and past bands. Current and past, check out this man’s resume: Henry Kane, Massacre, Heads For The Dead, Rotpit, Wombbath…I mean, I can go on all day. He is another death metal worshipper, and he knows this style of death metal amazingly well. So much so that the Revel in Flesh sound is preserved, mastered, and in some ways a bit angrier on this sixth album. I reviewed their last album, The Hour of the Avenger, and hot damn, that sucker is heavy AF. That was a tough one to beat. Flesh for the Kult of Death beats it.

No cute intro, just a total ‘Fuck You’, we are back. The title track erupts. Getting right into the speed, it’s not long before a brutal blast beat is tossed in. Ralf sounds great, throaty, and alters his vocals back to Revel in Flesh, as he does sing a tad differently in the other bands he is in. There is an exceedingly strong Dismember – Like An Ever Flowing Stream guitar tone on this album, and it’s monstrous. The main tempo of the galloping is sure to keep the headbanger happy. There are a few moments of slowdown with the atmosphere and beautiful guitar harmonies. Melodious, and that is what Jonny knows how to toss in, amongst the brutality.

“Bodybag Inferno” is next with a scorching opening guitar riff that is pounding heaviness. Slow, groovy, and will see some pits moving about here and there. The isolated guitar riff around the 2.20 section is excellent as it gives way to the isolated bass guitar. This stop-and-start moment is a great testament to the rhythm section. It will be a true test to play this sucker live. This is a great middle of the live set song.

“Pool of Blood” brings forth the speed. The buildup is short and right into a blast beat, then into a monumental galloping attack. Then right back into a brutal blast beat. Stupendous lead guitars and soloing. More blast beats, and this is a full-throttle death metal assault on the senses.

“Priest of Flesh” offers a slower and more melodic edge that the band has now incorporated on this new album. This song is moody and has a great double bass rumbling heaviness during the mid-paced moments. Guitar harmonies throughout this song, and quite honestly, some spoken word moments, would have actually worked if they had tried it out. The song gallops towards the end with an ethereal, emotive section that calls to mind what fellow countrymen, Chapel of Disease, started doing on their later albums. Truly is amazing.

The band always closes out with a cover song, and this time it’s Crowbar’s “All I Had (I Gave)”. A very heavy original song, and it’s great to hear the Dismember guitar tone in this song. All the elements and pacing of the original are intact, and Ralf lets loose on some extra growling. Such a fun cover.

Flesh for the Kult of Death is not only a terrific return and improved Revel in Flesh I am very happy to see the band continuing with their color-themed covers. This time we get blue, and the artwork is amazing as the reaper makes a return on this album, as it presides over the festivities.

The production and musicianship are impeccable. I am wondering if the band will be laid to rest maybe next year? The song preceding the Crowbar cover is called “The Last Farewell”, which I am unsure insinuates in any way that this is the last Revel in Flesh album? I am just speculating. Suffice it to say, this album owns and must be in your collection pronto!

“Trait d’Union” has an excellent opening sequence with an Atheist Unquestionable Presence influence on the sound and texture. The instrumentation is superb, with terrific bass lines. Andrea Feltrin has a great set of pipes that will have you thinking of Martin van Drunen. Powerful and enunciated well. The 2.15 section gets right into a blast beat, as the song had been galloping previously. Killer guitar solos and some deep spoken word moments are throughout the song. The rhythm section is on fire!

“Vision” is up next, and once again that bass guitar sound is tremendous, with its techy and proggy plucking away. Jean Claude Rossignol does a tremendous job. Spoken word vocals enter around the two-minute mark, and there is a little bit of a duet, as the growly vocals seem to answer the spoken word moments. Creative. Impressive signature time changes, and any fan of Pestilence/Gorguts/Death/Atheist in the 1991 time period is going to salivate at this album. And if you do not have the debut, you are going to want that pronto! This song is very complex but also very catchy.

“Synaptic Cortex Dissection” starts things off slower as the song has a great crunchy guitar riff, with phenomenal vocals. Thinking I am going to see Martin van Drunen did the vocals on this, I mean, close your eyes and listen to this, to see what I mean. Some stupendous drum work, prior to the 90-second mark, is going to have you thinking of Neal Peart from Rush. Feltrin’s drum work is some of the best I have heard in years. This may be the best drum work, thus far, on any 2026 release. The song gallops along, and the moment at 3.36, with the guitar harmonies and rhythm section, is godly.

“Mirage” closes the album with some extraordinary musicianship, and the double pounding blast at the minute mark will have you headbanging furiously. The song settles into a slower death/thrash gallop with some Cynic madness and guitar soloing. This is mainly an instrumental; however, the whispered vocals throughout the song are mesmerizing. Some growls enter into the picture, as the song fades with classical instrumentation to close this album out.

Reminiscence may be the best walk down memory lane of all those bands I mentioned, in recent memory. Miscreance injects a fire and spirit into this technical wizardry of death metal. Sure, the thrash elements are present, but this is death metal through and through. The musicianship is top-notch and not something I would expect from a band this young. The album cover captures the music, with the swirling and layered moments throughout this album. Just like the album cover, the music is a work of art. What an amazing band.

It’s been since 2019 that Austin’s Trench Warfare released their debut album, Hatred Prayer, and finally the underground gets to rejoice on album #2, Achtung! Destroy The Weak.

A bunch has transpired since the debut album in the band’s camp. The recording lineup and current band lineup are a bit different. The debut album was recorded with Jay H. Gorania on vocals, Tony Goyang Jr. and Dustin Putz on guitars, Jake Holmes on bass, and Ronnie Parmer (Malevolent Creation, Brutality, Amon, etc) on drums.

The current line-up is Jay on vocals, Dustin on guitars, and JP Campo on drums. The current lineup hails from Texas and Oregon, and their debut was suitably brutal with nods to Morbid Angel, Terrorizer, Dismember, and some black metal nods and thrashing too. This new one is a whole different animal. As taken from the promo description: The album was recorded at Come And Track It Studios in Austin, Texas, by John Petri and Justin McClenny, and mixed by none other than Jarrett Pritchard in Florida. This production slays.

“Follow the Circling Vultures” starts with a filthy guitar riff right into the old-school blasting, with Jay sounding a bit more like Martin Van Drunen on this, if MVD also went a little hardcore. Supremely powerful and brutal, Ronnie’s drumming is exceedingly tight and destructive. So yes, some Malevolent Creation influence creeps into this sucker in that respect, because of the increased intensity. This opening song is relentless. This is how you open up your new album after being away for so long. The guitar tone also takes on a Terrorizer tone, so there is a little grind element to the guitar riffs.

If “Dissenter” is not in the band’s upcoming live shows, then I will have to challenge Jay to an arm-wrestling contest. This song has a huge Terrorizer tone and influence on it, in terms of the song length, blasting, and filth. This song is catchy, and the riffs are memorable, with enough time changes to swivel your head clean off your pathetic shoulders.

“Embrace the Flames”, at over five minutes, is long, but encompasses the band’s full sound. Dirty guitar riffing, monster double pounding blasts, and some black metal slow down riffing prior to the minute mark, then right into the fast parts. The song slows down more that gets into the faster realms. Intense. We even get some guitar solos, and the double bass drums are mixed perfectly. They will collapse your chest cavity in a nanosecond or less. Jay sounds like a madman in this song, and this is pure aggression.

“Gluttonous Feast of Perversion” features a nice doomy opening riff for a while that pounds you into dust, as if George “The Animal” Steele is stuffing that turnbuckle down your throat. The speed comes in, then an old-school, early 90’s drum pattern that has Morbid Angel all over it. The midsection part has atmosphere, barking vocals, some cool harmonies, and allows the listener to catch their breath for a moment. This is a beatdown, pit-heaving moment as well.

The title track ends this highly intense album. There is plenty of blasting and high-intensity moments, and about ¾ of the way through, the slower moments take over for a bit. Heavy, moody, and punishing, this moment is one of the best on the album, then more blasting.

Achtung! Destroy The Weak is brutal. With a minimalistic album cover design, Trench Warfare comes out of the starting gates and never really lets up on this. Some of the slower and moodier moments, the band should expand upon and stick with those elements, rather than blasting right after them, all the time. It just makes the faster parts more intense and abrupt slower moments more of that gut punch we all want when listening to brutal music. Aside from this, the songs are catchy, brutal, and this is so frickin’ vicious. Welcome back, fellas!

There has been a bit of a shift in some of the writing, with the band incorporating more technical and progressive moments. For one, the band opens with “Guillotine Horizon”, with an acoustic opening moment. A far cry from what I was expecting. It does not last long as the brutal blasts and pinch harmonics come in, with the musical landscape taking on more of a tech approach. Tyler’s vocals are excellent, with his varying brutal tones as the brutality bludgeons us. The 2.07 section is technical with the guitar solo. The song shifts to a brutal beatdown slam and then clean vocals. What the hell? Fans of this brutal band better be open to new ideas. For me, these new influences are enhancements to the band’s overall sound. And the mastering from Alan Douches makes this the best Torturous Inception has ever sounded.

“Do What You Will Then Die” is up next, showcasing the progressive and technical aspects the band is throwing at us. Then the brutal blasts and Tyler’s filthy vocals take over to slap us from one side of the pit to the other. Some polyrhythms are tossed in with the start and stop oft-kilter drumming. The brutality flourishes with the blasts, the technical moments, the slow grooving slams, and moodier moments. The blasting and technical aspects do take on more of what Job For A Cowboy is doing nowadays.

“Crushed by the Weight of Hubris” has a great opening gallop, taking me back to 1991. The song rolls into a blast, slows down with aggressive vocals and gutturals. There is some dual layering of the vocal tones, and it takes on a Glen Benton – Deicide vibe. The song slows down with softer vocals and more atmosphere, to the death metal. Killer blasts ignite, then the song slows down, with quite a badass guitar riff. Yet another winner of a song.

“I Am What Remains” ends the album, and I think this is more of a realized version of what we may come to hear from the band in the future. Technical, slower moments, but no less heavy. Clean vocals over the blasts, with influences from The Faceless and Fallujah, the band is incorporating a lot more into their cache. There is plenty of brutality and squealing guitars alongside the progressive and technical nature of this song. This song is the band’s most mature and creative song to date. I will go further by saying this is one of the best songs they have written.

Life’s Worth, even at a brief 27 minutes, is the step forward Torturous Inception needed to take in order to separate from all the brutal slam bands in the Northeast section of the States. The music is more intricate and creative, and while I love all their past material, this is the band’s greatest achievement. This is forward-thinking, and I must say the clean vocal moments work exceedingly well during the parts they are inserted. The band is on fire vocally and musically, creating some complicated song structures. Amazing album, fellas!!

Hydrophilous Brood is their Willowtip Records debut, and this is eight songs in thirty-eight minutes. The band packs a ton of time changes, technicality, and brutality into these tongue-twister-named songs. “Nebulous Appendages of Vacillant Seafoam” begins with a short sci-fi intro, which gets right into the guttural growl, and the song blasts along. Allen is a damn good drummer, and he even lends some guitar solos on tracks 5 and 6. He’s also in like a bajillion bands, Tombseeker and Sanguinary Consummation, just to name a few. Garry has a variety of vocal tones, and the influences from Antti from Demilich and Phlegeton, from Wormed, are highly evident in the filthy, burpee gutturals. The time changes and brutality, in this song, are a thing of beauty.

“Driftmoth Vivisector” begins monstrously with the opening blasts and some creative galloping moments, and then goes back into the ruthless blasting. Excellent isolated guitar riff that erupts into a blast beat. You will enjoy the excellent guitar harmonies and the brutal madness, really calling to mind Wormed and Demilich. I love the varying vocal tones and the complexity of the space-themed brutality. We are even greeted with some gravity blasts.

“Biohybrid Virulence” has soft galloping moments, then brutal time changes with the music blasting at full force with mind-boggling instrumentation. The snare drum is able to cut through all the heaviness and has a deep, resonating sound. It is mixed in quite well. The throw-up type of growl at the 1.15 section is pretty gnarly as the proggy moment erupts. The killer double bass comes in over the ethereal/prog moments, and the start and stop moments are played with conviction. Such a great song.

“Serene Aqueous Leech” ends the album. Slow opening moments with jazzy moments. Think of lounge music to get a picture of what is happening in the beginning. Then, at the 55-second marker, that jazzy lounge section turns into the jazz circle pit from hell. The brutality is on full display with the swirling blast beats, and they are fast AF. Pinch harmonics sweep right in to realign your back in 0.0 seconds. The massive amount of time changes is enough to drive you mad and is super creative. The song eventually slows down and ends, kind of how it started.

Hydrophilous Brood is a most excellent release by Sallow Moth. From the trippy and fantasy-laden album cover to a warm and inviting production, this band is class. Super guttural brutality, with tons of time changes and interesting musical passages. Sallow Moth is creative and one of the better, lesser-known, underground bands. You must give this band a listen; they have conviction and are ruthless!

Where Souls Go To Die is their 12-song, 44-minute-long debut album, and it’s pretty much a ripper from start to finish. Whereas Hatriot is Bay Area thrash, with a few sprinklings of death metal, Plague Ritual falls more into the melodic death metal genre; however, those Bay Area thrash leanings do come into play on various songs, as well as early Floridian death metal.

“Pestilential” is a short intro, which is kinda cool, as the ambient sounds and chanting let us know that “In Wrath” will take us on a journey into madness. With a killer isolated guitar riff that erupts into a mid-paced heaviness with blistering double bass, the song then gets into a blast beat. The guitar solo, over the blast, is piped in considerably louder. The song shifts to a slower, groove-laden speed that reminds me of early Machine Head. Vocals are delivered in a throaty and growly death metal sort of way and enunciated powerfully. More blasts erupt with a ferocious growl/scream and plenty of galloping action. The galloping action throughout the album, is that Bay Area thrash nod, and it works well. Some double pounding blasts then traverse into some Death territory, with Leprosy leanings for sure. This is a one helluva song, and the band should open their live sets with the intro going right into this track. Monstrous blast beats on this sucker.

“Behind the Knife”, at under three minutes, has a spoken word intro clip, before the drum roll takes us on some galloping madness. The drum sound is outrageous on this album. Some of that groove hits, and then right into a blistering, swirling, blast beat. This blast will level your neighborhood.

“Forgotten by Time” is a killer song with nods to Death and Matt Harvey, from Exhumed/Gruesome/Left to Die, delivers some killer guest vocals on the 1.33 section. His vocals complement the music quite well, with the music having a great Death sound. The song gets into a pit-heaving moment with Matt continuing with his vocals. The band was generous with his vocal spots.

“The Bloodletting” features a guest guitar spot from Phil Demmel, Machine Head/Kerry King/Vio-lence. The groove on this song is heavy AF, and what a great solo around the 3.13 mark. Terrific, and the song ends as it began, with the soft guitar opening.

The rest of the album is kick ass, with the “Consumed in Black” song really throttling you from side to side and choke slamming you through the Earth’s core. “Master Killer” (Merauder cover) ends the album, and the pace of the original is there, all the nuts and bolts of the original, but with the Plague Ritual tone. Cool cover.

Where Souls Go to Die is an excellent debut album. If you’re into any of the genres I previously mentioned, I think you will dig Plague Ritual. Excellent production, musicianship, and song structures. The songs are powerful, catchy, and at times pretty dang brutal. Get this now!

Houston’s Haserot put out a really nifty little EP Throne of Malice, four years ago. Now we are gifted with their debut full-length album Advent of Suffering and with an album cover that must be seen on shirts!! Cryptos Grimm – Drums, Maurice Eggenschwiler – Guitars (lead), Guitars (acoustic), Brandon Johnson – Guitars (rhythm), Justin McKittrick – Vocals, and Garrick Smith – Bass have put out a 10-song album in 39 minutes, the perfect length of time. With members hailing from Spectral Manifest, Sanctus Bellum, Doomstress, Scrollkeeper, and Helstar, if you were expecting anything less than ass-kicking, then go pound sand.

One of the most noticeable differences, four years later, is more of an emphasis on melodic death metal on this debut album. The title track starts with melodic guitar work, then shifts to a nice death metal speed, very 90’s sounding. Worthy of headbanging your pathetic head clean off your shoulders. Terrific, venomous vocals. After the deathly madness, a nice little guitar solo sweeps in with guitar harmonies all over the place. In some sections, there is a bit of a Skeletonwitch vibe, especially in the vocal department, with the deeper registers paired with some of the raspy black metal tones. At over five and a half minutes, this is the longest song on the album and a very good start to showcase their more melodic edge.

“Poverty of Thought” has a great opening guitar riff. The song escalates into a death/thrashing speed, with a cool guitar solo, over the speed. Cryptos keeps the speed steady on his drum kit, then the song slows down, with some very cool bass lines and a monstrous growl. The groovy, hoppy part at the 1.43 section will get dem pits moving in 0.0 seconds. Truly an excellent moment with more melodic guitar soloing. There are excellent vocal tones and growls on this particular song. Great ending growl as well. This has to be in their live set.

“Tears in Bethlehem” features a guest spot from none other than Marc Grewe, of Morgoth fame, who is still slinging it in a variety of bands, my favorite being Leper Colony. They give him some generous vocal time, starting around the 1.20 section. Marc’s sharp, enunciated tones bite right through and are well-placed. A little over a minute later, Marc is back for the attack. This song is a mid-paced cruncher with a huge melodic edge with the guitars and soloing. Some dual vocals happen later on and this is a real fun, heavy, melodic, and catchy tune.

“The Tenth Circle” has a sort of Bolt Thrower-ish vibe with the opening bludgeoning mid-paced heaviness. The song then slows with excellent vocal tones and a great leading riff. The guitar tone is excellent on this song, like the other songs, and pinch harmonics are added to the mix on this one. More of that ambient, atmospheric melodic nature happens about midway into the song.

“Curse of Haserot” closes things out on this great debut album. More mid-paced crunch. The guitars take on a melancholic tone as the song screams depression and despair. The guitar solos on this track are exceptional. With guest spots from James Murphy and Andy LaRocque. I could clearly pick out the different styles, and I love that Haserot just let the two of them loose on this track.

I have an observation. When band members are in a bunch of other bands, I wonder if some of their other band influences bleed into any of their albums? With the increase in melody on this album, I would say so. I would now classify Haserot as a Melodic Death Metal band, as opposed to straight-up death metal. Advent of Suffering has some excellent musicianship, and the band proves you don’t have to include blast beats in order to be death metal. There were a few moments, however, I was like, ohhh a blast beat would have worked nicely here.

It’s also refreshing to hear an organic-sounding album. The sound is much purer here, having more of the warmth of 90s-sounding death metal. While I am a die-hard Dallas Cowboys fan, this debut album could bring back the Houston Oilers and make the Texans crawl back from the rock they never should have crawled out from. What a good debut album!!

Now we have the 11-song debut album – Madness of the Void. Mitchell Christian – Bass, Amir Abdullah – Drums, CJ Salinas on Guitars, and CJ Salazar on Vocals all know the elements of deathcore and what makes a kick-ass album.

“In Ashes and Creation” opens the album with a synth intro, which stays the course in the background as the beatdown music gets going, equipped with some blast beats. Around the 1.15 mark, the song gets softer, then the heaviness and blasting is interwoven. Lots of beatdown grooves, but at over three and a half minutes, this instrumental wears out its welcome. Way too long to open your debut album with such a long instrumental where there are many areas to toss in vocals. They kinda missed the mark there.

“Conqueror of Kings” is next and is volcanic in its eruption with symphonic elements and terrific vocals. The slam at 1.25 is crucial and quite punishing. The dual vocal elements help out, and the bludgeoning continues with monster slams, getting into a slower type of slams, like The Acacia Strain. We even get treated to a nifty guitar solo. The song picks up the pace with tremendous blast beats and higher, raspier vocals before a more bludgeoning groove. There is a killer growl around the three-minute mark, a shouted vocal style, then back to the gutturals, which lead into a sloth like slam. Slow. Deliberate. Crushing. Heavy. This is the song that needed to open the album. Monstrous.

The band shot a video for “Architect of Bone”, and the song opens up with intensity. Monster blasts and cool guitar harmonies. Vocals are utterly brilliant, and the guitar tone will destroy you. Around the 1.25 section, some ‘bree’ type of guttural vocals, with other varying tones, really keep things interesting. Terrific monstrous growls which extend for several seconds and truly add dimension. There are some Fallujah like ethereal guitar moments, then more stop-and-start blasts and plenty of galloping moments. The slams toward the end of the song deliver a knockout punch fairly quickly.

Yasmine Liverneaux, from Face Yourself, helps out in the vocal department with “Sands of Time”. The song has tempo shifts and a multitude of vocal tones. Towards the end of the song, Yasmine lets loose with some filthy rattlesnake-inspired, snake-like vocals as if she is coming through the microphone and spitting venom in our faces. This song has more killer slams and yet another kick-ass tune.

“Obsidian Empire” has great music, yet at over five minutes, another wasted effort by the band to toss in another long deathcore instrumental. Many areas of this track scream vocals and growls!!! At over eight minutes, “Madness of the Void” closes out this album. Tons of varying vocal tones, and the guitar harmonies are beautiful in this song. The bludgeoning heaviness and blasting at the one-minute mark will level cities from Texas to Istanbul. The rhythm section, at the 1.30 mark, is super powerful, and then we get treated to another guitar solo over the blast, and this moment resembles technical death metal at its finest. This song starts slowing down with a disgusting guttural slam at the five-minute mark. Quiet moments are welcomed in with various sound effects, symphonic in nature, until the music returns with a technical deathcore, polyrhythmic groove. It’s pretty complicated, and this instrumentation piece closes out the album.

If you’re into bands like Worm Shepherd, Mental Cruelty, Whitechapel, and Angelmaker, you will no doubt enjoy Godeater. While the symphonic elements are there, they never become focal points, and the band is quite impressive, musically speaking. Super talented. Their EP was banging, and this surpasses that. Their penchant for these long instrumentals, strewn across the album, is confusing to me. It’s a bit much – rein it in fellas. I’m cool with opening deathcore instrumentals to get the ball rolling, but only for like a minute and a half or so.

Outside of that, the production is crushing, and I love this album cover. Madness of the Void is an impressive debut album that, in some ways, “out-heavies” their deathcore competition; that is how heavy this album is. Great beatdown deathcore!

As with the debut, the band writes shorter songs, and it makes the music more impactful. With a thirty-minute runtime, the band jumps right into “Dhukha” (rough meaning is a type of Buddhist philosophy). I cannot remember the last time I heard an opening song with an isolated bass guitar moment. Regardless, it’s pretty darn cool; then the song gets into a NY stylized blast beat, then slows down, then speeds up. The pinch harmonics scream 1992, and if you liked Suffocation’s earlier efforts, you will most certainly enjoy this. As with the debut album, Nick can toss those gravity blasts around and alongside the crawling slams and guitar harmonies; this is an excellent opening song.

“Summers of Hate” is up next, and this does not have to be a hateful summer, as long as you have some great NY pizza. My fave is King Umberto in Elmont, LINY, in case you give a shit. The double pounding blast beats definitely have Mike Smith’s ears ringing over and over again. Plenty of tasty drum fills and madness towards the end of this brief two-minute scorcher.

The title track begins with a monster slam, and honestly, I would open with this song in a live environment. It fuckin hits hard AF, especially with the pinch harmonics, and the pit would be ruthless with bodies flying all over the place. The main slam riff repeats multiple times throughout the song and is excellent. The technical aspect of the bass plucking and harmonics adds an air of excellence. Cory lets loose with some killer growls on this track. He’s a monster….wait, that’s his last name. Cory-is this really your last name?? Like what is the experience in a professional setting if someone was to refer you, “Good morning, Mr. Monster”??

“Digital Locusts” closes the album and, at five minutes, is the longest song on the album. Starting with gravity blasts, this song takes no prisoners in its approach. Excellent throaty, guttural vocals and some time signature changes during the fast moments, which is controlled chaos. The double pounding blast, at the 1.25 section, will have you thinking Suffo’s Breeding the Spawn album, which there are plenty of nods towards that album, on this release. Killer growls, over the fast moments, and the band even tosses in some jazzy moments towards the end of the song.

The Irredeemable Age is a great album from Thætas. They have upped their songwriting, musicianship, and brutal technical prowess. The band cannot just be lumped in with other NY brutal slam death metal bands. Thætas is doing something different. Yes, the slams are there and yes, the NY style is ever present. But this band is weird, and I mean that in a good way. With their non-linear approach to this death metal style, to their oft-kilter time changes, at times, Thætas has a lot in common with Brooklyn, NY’s Pyrrhon – another sick and twisted band. Nice organic production, warm and inviting. Thætas should be pleased with this kick-ass record!

Not Your Kingdom is the band’s 10th full-length and first one in eight years, their last being For the Cause, in 2018. Joining Freddy is: Paul Delaney – bass, Mike Gurnari – guitars, and Mike Justian – drums.

The band has remained intact for quite a while, and Freddy sounds absolutely maddening on this album. 14 songs in 30 minutes, the band wastes no time, ripping right into “Tethered”. You can feel a NYHC pit starting immediately as this song opens with a killer groove. The band opted to have the album produced in Nashville, TN, and Andrew Baylis really helped to get the best Madball sound possible. Lee Rouse did a stunning mix/mastering job, as this ensures Madball sounds as relevant as they did when first starting out as a bunch of kids.

“Flammable” is next and is ferocious. Blistering speed opens the song, and then out of nowhere, a fuckin blast beat. At 59 seconds, this song swoops in and levels the playing field. Intense NYHC!

“Rebel Kids” is a nod to the band, former members, the NYHC scene, and the philosophy of growing up in NY, back then and how kids thought and felt. One of the catchiest songs the band has ever written, it’s only a matter of time before the entire crowd is singing along live to ‘Let me hear your voices say I’ve been led astray, been led astray’. The grooving and hoppy moments go along with the emotive nature of what the lyrical content is meant to convey. I love this song, and this will be an excellent connection between the band and the live audience.

“Don’t Misstep” was a song selected to be one of their singles, and the speedy opening hardcore attack eventually simmers down to allow that excellent groove to hit, then back into the hardcore galloping attack. This will be a great circle pit song. The song has nods to the band’s earliest material as well as Agnostic Front, no surprise there.

“Life’s a Mural” is a great song, with true NYHC lyrics talking about hypocritical people. If you’re gonna talk the talk, you’d better walk the walk and be true to your values and not be a chameleon. Always improving oneself and basically don’t talk outta your ass. Some excellent guitar moments with an excellent breakdown showcasing the strong rhythm section. The song gets into a rather nice gallop, then slows back down, and once again his track screams, play me live!!

“Chase a Dream” closes out this terrific NYHC album, with some phenomenal drumming as the galloping takes us on a speedy opening path. Awesome and aggressive vocals help move the song along. The song slows down, and we get a nice little isolated bass guitar that is rooted in classic 80’s NYHC, as well as on the west coast, D.R.I. hardcore bangers. The song speaks about staying true, following a good path, and not allowing naysayers to try and tear you down. Excellent album closer.

Before I finish up this review, I must mention the passing of legendary NYHC singer, Lou Koller, from NY’s Sick of It All. He recently passed away from cancer, after it returned last year. Fuck cancer! Lou was a purveyor and staple in the NYHC movement, and the band is taking the time to mourn and some time for themselves. RIP NYHC Brother!

Not Your Kingdom is a ferocious and fun hardcore album from Madball. The band is hellbent to come outta the starting gates swinging and slamming, and that is exactly what they do. Releasing one of their strongest and most intense albums with terrific lyrical content and meaning. You all need to run out and get this scorcher asap!!

Enough of my blathering. You want to know what this band has to offer, and I am here to deliver the news. I must mention the batshit crazy cover design. It’s sick and twisted, and not only does it need to be on a shirt, pronto, but it also goes perfectly with the music.

Seven songs in 21 minutes, and the band opens with the title track. There are some space-sounding atmospheric parts, which will remind you of certain intros from bands like Wormed, Wormhole, Abominable Putridity, on the true real song “Orgy in the Vomitorium”. The music comes in with some awesome bass-plucking guitars and progressive technical death metal qualities. Excellent deep guttural-style vocals as well as some higher, raspier tones. The drum rolls and double bass are excellent. Excellent riffing and there is a really nice slamming groove at the 2.29 section so you can start going fisticuffs. Intermittent blasting and a penchant for the technical, progressive, stop-on-a-dime moments make this a very awesome way to open your debut release.

“Violence Is Virtue” opens with killer blasting and frenzied bass plucking moments. The technical wizardry on display from the guitars shows these skillful bastids know how to write some creative riffs. Excellent vocals and the time changes are flip-flopping all over the place. The 1.09 slower section showcases some of the wild rhythmic and at times, polyrhythms the band tosses in. The lead-up to the two-minute mark is most excellent. Some bashing of the instruments to signal a Holy Shit moment with a growl and going right into the blast. Crafty and nifty, at the same time. The song slows down with powerful vocals, and the musicianship truly shines, alongside some guitar soloing. The solo is catchy.

“Death Cult Liturgy” closes out the ep, opening with a nice, isolated guitar riff. The mid-paced double pounding keeps up until the slower pace enters into the picture. Blasting takes over, and more of that mid-paced super swift double bass action rears its head to slaughter your body into the pit time and time again. This would be a great time to break out that circle pit. During this moment, I believe the band has dubbed it “The Kulczycki Shuffle”. The song slows, and some killer growls, and the music gets softer until it ends.

There you have it, folks. The Enmity Offensive has released a particularly impressive debut EP. Inducing Oblivion showcases skill and finesse in a display of technical brutality. You would expect this type of cohesiveness in a band that has had several releases under their belt, not on a debut EP. This is enough to have Don “Lord Stomache” Decker, rise from the dead. Impressive, brutal, highly skilled, and you must check this band out now!

8 songs where Shane does it all on this album. Who knew this UK specialist in Grindcore had this in him, even the vocals. 8 songs in 42 minutes, and if this album does not embed in your mind for years to come, then I am unsure what type of music will. With leanings towards 80’s industrial and new wave alternative, this is a special album. Think Ministry’s first two albums, The Cure, Depeche Mode, and Sisters of Mercy.

“Spasm Prayer” opens the album with industrial and ambient noises, and I am like, ‘please don’t be like their debut’. The drums come in with industrial noises, synths, bass, guitars, and Shane’s washed-out, shoe gazy stylized vocals. And it’s friggin’ terrific. If this album was released in like 1983, who knows where Shane would have ended up. So catchy, so emotive, and the song moves pretty swiftly. No grind blasts with his signature distorted bass guitar…no, but as an alternative industrialized, new wave song it’s pretty fast and dreamlike.

“The Dreaming Abyss” has fuzzy bass guitar and some distorted vocals, taking on a sinister tone, until Shane’s regular vocals, like the previous song, come on in. There are some atmospheric and melancholic moments on this song. Shane has some very catchy tones as his vocals soar and the instrumentation, some of which is programmed, accompany his vocals perfectly. There are some isolated vocal moments, and the song takes on some of the goth aspects that some new wave/industrial bands incorporated later in the 80’s/early 90’s.

The title track sounds like a nursery rhyme is being counted down with the opening musical arrangement. The song is on more of the softer and slower side with more distorted vocal elements, where Shane begins to sound like a computer, until his vocals are intertwined within. Atmospheric, melancholic, and I sense a cathartic unleashing from Mr. Embury, as you can tell he has put his heart and soul into this project.

“Illusion Guillotine” is a creatively named tune. Some programmed synths/keys start things off, and I feel like I am floating in outer space. Shane’s washed-out vocals, drenched in reverb, enter into the picture and tap into your heartstrings. It’s impossible to listen to this title track and not feel something, as well as a fresh take on the various genres I previously mentioned above. There are some ethereal female vocals in the background, adding to the emotion.

“The Gift of Shame Wrapped in Guilt” ends the album, at over seven minutes, starting with some piano elements and noises. Soft vocals sweep in and out of this dreamlike song, with the variety of noises and sounds throughout. I sense sadness, despair, and grief are all part of the setup Shane has crafted for this album closer. The musical elements gradually become louder and more epic, with Shane’s vocals getting pumped louder in the mix, before the album ends on the softer side. By the way, if you really liked the project, Host, a few of the Paradise Lost members put together a few years ago, you will love this album.

Bridge To Resolution is a fascinating album from one of the pioneers in Grindcore, Shane Embury. Please look at the references above to see the type of genre this is, because if you just like brutal music, this will not be to your liking. Shane is a creative force, and from his vocals to the variety of sounds that are programmed and organic in nature, this is a top album for me in 2026. Was not expecting something so moving and so terrific. The Apple Music full-motion album cover, when playing the album, is brilliant. What a forward-thinking album; truly excellent!!

Seeing that Sickbay had been garnering some underground attention Brian, was like, we are getting this free agent to bring on over to our roster. What a fucking score this is. Lineup-wise, we get Jim Sinon on guitars, John Devito on bass, AJ DeCeile is drumming on the first seven tracks while Chris Puletz drums on “Unholy Incantation”, and Alex Valdez is the new vocalist and crushes it.

I will say this: even with their super-strong Permanent Solution EP, in 2024, Time to Die is Sickbay’s strongest and best release to date. To categorize them as yet another brutal NY slam band, would be a bit of a disservice to the band. They inject something different to their brutality – Doom! The slams are a bit slower at times, than other slam bands, and Sickbay injects a creepy, crawly type of doom to their sound. It is most paramount on this release and damn, this album does slay, way to go Sickbay.

8 songs in half an hour, “Deathly Impulse”, sets things off. A doomy, yet heavy guitar riff gets piped in, then the slam hits at the 27-second marker, and it is ruthless. Alex has a killer set of growly vocals with varying tones. They go perfectly with the slam, and this opening slam may be the best opening slam riff I have heard in quite some time. The song picks up the pace, then right into that doomy, pounding slam. The way the slam is constructed has me thinking The Acacia Strain’s newer stuff. Doomy, sludgy, and pounding.

“Impending Doom” is up next, and the song title is perfecto. A monstrously heavy, slamtastic, doomy punch to the face, gut, and solar plexus. Simple, yet catchy riffing, to embed in your head for days on end. The speed and then groove speed get things going pretty quickly, then back to the doomy, crawly groove. This is so damn catchy, and the double bass, over the riff, is amazing. This song better be in their live set. The song gets into a slower downbeat groove that screams death/doom metal, actually, but done in a NY sort of way. Whatever the case may be, this is an amazing song and it all fits and gels.

You cannot be a NY death metal band and not have the word suffer as a song title or lyric. “Suffer” has some very cool parts with a variety of vocal tones shifting from raspy, almost black metalish screams, to gruff growls and twisted putrid vomitrocious, lower than whale shit type of gutturals. It’s terrific. The groove picks up the pace, once again with a strong drum section. Once the two-minute slam erupts, I am telling you, if played live, this slobberknocker of a section will knock people’s heads off from here all the way to the outer realms of space. Amazing growls and gross burps and belches as the crawling, stomping, doom slam hits some more. Suffocating in its heaviness, this song owns.

I really don’t wanna review anymore ‘cause I want you to head over to Ossuary Industries and get yourself this release and a shirt, but I’ll do one more song for ya. The last song, “Unholy Incantation”, has an amazingly heavy opening slam and a catchy riff. More of those gross, triple flusher toilet vocals, and I am loving the hell outta this track. Super slow. Super doomy. Yet it moves and grooves for you to shake that booty to. Once the metal ends, the song gets into a tribal type of jam. This goes on for a few minutes and is super catchy, as it mimics the earlier part of the song, just with some tribal injection. What a super fun way to end the album.

Yo Sickbay…pull up your bootstraps and get ready mofos. Get on tours and play live as much as possible all over N. America. Get your name out. Time to Die is a special slamming, brutal release. Injecting the doom elements and crafting slams that are not typical for this style, is original, forward thinking, and separates the band from a large amount of bands doing the brutal slam thing. What a fucking monster of an album, JFC!!

Vomepotro is a band that, if you told me they were from Indonesia, I would not have batted an eye. There last album Liturgy of Dissection, dropped in 2009; then the band broke up, only to reform last year with Cristiano Martinez returning on vocals and guitar to bring in David Ferreira on guitars/vocals, Rodolfo Menezes on bass/backing vox, and Kalle Lindfors on drums. What is even more intriguing is Cristiano was not even a band member when the band was created, which was in 1998. So technically, there is not one original member in this band.

Suffice it to say we get 8 songs and the last one, “Festering Degradation”, is a brutal death metal instrumental, which should have had vocals on it. Ending the album like they did, after being away for a while, makes little sense to me. Like toss some lyrics on there, give some growls, the song sounds naked.

Anyway, the album opens with “Fall into Decay”, which is terrifically brutal with TAF (triggered as fuck) double-bass drums and some excellent guitar work. The riffs are well thought out, with the music coming across as somewhat Suffocation, Deicide, and Dying Fetus inspired. Vocals are mid-range to super guttural and are well done. I do enjoy the mix in the bass guitar tone, and it is audible. The plethora of tempo shifts, with the blasts and mid-paced bludgeoning heaviness, is great. The band also tosses in several guitar solos that run the gamut of the tempo shifts. A most excellent opening song.

“Beaten to Death” is kind of what just happened to that old dude at Yellowstone National Park, getting tossed in the air by that angry Bison. The Bison did not want his picture taken, and he sure as shit showed gramps. The 1.15 section has a gravity blast aspect with the bass-plucking madness, and the Brain Drill influence is all over this song from the bass, gravity blasting, and super-swift guitar riffing.

“Abyss of Lunacy” has a most excellent stop-and-start signature time change at the beginning. The song then gets into full throttle blasting with a killer fucking growl over this section. The song briefly slows down, then shifts to the blasting again. The slower part screamed for it to go on for much longer, for a pit, but there is no chance for the pit to start. The technical aspect, on display, is pretty impressive and is definitely a high point in this band. That is their strength, a sick rhythm section.

“Insect Spawning” has an opening clip, setting up the lyrical inspiration. This opening is the best part of the album and my favorite song. It grooves, then gets into a galloping death metal attack. The brutal drum rolls take things to blasting territory before the tempo shifts to a mid-paced onslaught. More guitar solos and swirling blasting too.

Welcome back, Vomepotro. Fall into Decay is a damn fun album and an above-average reformation album. The band has a strong rhythm section and really good musicianship, and they may want to lean on some of the slower, groovier moments on the next album. You have to give riffs and tempos a little more breathing room, rather than out brutalizing your opponents. If you become a one-trick pony, the staying power of your albums will be lost on the audience. I am not saying the band is a one-trick pony, however, there are sections within that need the slower moments to carry on longer, because that creates brutality, actually. Overall, I am digging this album and the brutal factor.

If you’re into bands like Sadus, Warbringer, Cynic/latter Death, you will really dig Inscribed. When you’re thinking of the Sadus inspiration, refer to A Vision of Misery, when the band went into a more progressive/thrash phase. Lucas has a definite John Kevill (Warbringer) vibe to his vocal delivery, immediately heard on the album opener, “Inquisition for Hatred”. Frantic in its pace, the song does slow down, for some well-timed guitar soloing, and excellent bass guitar strumming from Evie. Evie posts a lot of reels of bass guitar play-throughs on some classic death and thrash metal songs – (still waiting for your reel of playing our “Languish in Despair” bass lines).

With an album cover that looks like it came out of 1985, especially with the awesome band logo, the band does not sound dated. Very cool album opener, which is bested by the next song, “Machinery of War”. Awesome bass guitar lines and a really ripping blast beat, equipped with isolated bass guitar moments and a rather intense galloping thrash metal attack. If you are also into newer death/thrash metal bands, like my buddy Vivek’s band, Desolus, you will want to hop on this album in 0.0 seconds. The song slows back down for some progressive moments, taking us to classic tech eras of Cynic/Death/ Pestilence. More guitar solos and the bass guitar is ever present, in the mix, moving that rhythm section along quite nicely.

“On the Stage of Death” starts with the progressive moments of Death. A ripping isolated guitar solo begins before the thrash metal attack. With an organic production to boot, it’s nice to hear drums, which sound real and do not sound like a typewriter. Lucas lets out some deeper vocal tones and has a varying display of vocal tones. He is most comfortable with the Warbringer style of thrash metal vocals. This track slows down to atmospherics and ambience, with an abundance of progressive qualities. During this instrumental section, you can’t help but wonder: where is album #2 going to take us? More excellent bass guitar moments, which have some Maiden/Rush qualities to it.

“Oracle of Chaos”, which was on the EP, is a bit better here, with the improved production and tightness of the instruments. The intensity, especially with the blast, is on full display. Galloping fist-banging mania – baby!! “Formed Through Control” ends the album, beginning with the sounds of ocean waves. Maybe the band recorded some Miami waves for this part. The galloping moments erupt, then slow down, with some very good deeper register vocals. A varying of their tempo shifts, coinciding with their aggression, is how you close out an album properly.

Inscribed is an exciting young and up-and-coming death/thrash metal band. Upon the Twisted Throne is a fun and thrashing debut album. If the band can continue on this course, play live as much as possible, maybe even tour, they could have a bright future. I am enjoying this album immensely!

9 songs in 45 minutes, “Alt/Space” gets things started with an atmospheric buildup, with voices in the background, and the intro works well until “Cryptic Site” starts. Beginning with a crushing groove, Mike’s spoken-word-type raspy vocals are accompanied well by his bludgeoning distorted bass. The excellent main guitar riff and bass hitting at the 2.30 mark will bring you back to Pure era Godflesh with the heavy, hoppy, thumping sounds. The thumping continues, and that catchy riff is most excellent.

“Swamp Flesh” is exactly how I am feeling today. It’s over 90 degrees, and I need to get into the pool. Vocals are piped in higher, excellent, doomy, growly, and menacing vocals. This song actually is pit-worthy with the pounding groove and catchy pinch harmonics. Vocals are enunciated terrifically, and lyrics are understandable. If you’re gonna spend time writing lyrics, you might as well make them audible so we all can test your genius level. Like a lumbering sloth, this song has heaviness all over it. When the main part hits and repeats, such as the 3.44 mark, you cannot help but headbang in unison to the beat. Crafty bastids!

“The Cell Inside” starts softly, and if you ain’t holding up your lighter like it’s 1985, then get the hell outta here. The music hits at the minute mark and is more of a somber, melancholic tone. Depressive, emotive, and you can feel the pain when words/phrases like ‘Worthless, Voices Crying, Never Forgive ‘ are spewed out by Mike. It adds more weight with the lyrics enunciated so well. There are some slow guitar harmonies around the 4.10 mark that have me feeling Iron Maiden. A short time later, the isolated bludgeoning bass guitar rumbles by itself until the music comes back and hits ever so heavily. This is one of the best moments Red Vinter has ever created.

The title track opens with that dirty ass, distorted bass guitar. Drums enter into the picture next. Guitars slowly build up, and the music morphs into a lumbering, crawling speed that is pure Winter worship. Toss in more of that Godflesh Pure sound, more during the depressive moments. The song is not drawn out to 10 frickin’ minutes and is around the five-minute mark, perfect length. Catchy vocal patterns to coincide with the guitar melodies, and the song picks up to a monstrous groove that hits at the 3.13 part. This plodding groove has a bludgeoning beat that calls for beatdowns. Luckily, this part again repeats towards the end. Terrific way to end the album, as well.

If Ghost in the Fog were a drink, it would go down smoooove, like a stick of butter. But due to it being so heavy, depressive, and abrasive, at times, it would be a sonofabitch coming outta you. Tear your insides right out! Ghost in the Fog is the best release from Red Vinter. Catchy, memorable, heavy, and well played. The band is coming into its own and is playing some live shows to boot. Maybe they can try to book MDF for next year. Get this album now!