“The first fruit of this union shall be the band’s long-awaited second album, “Exitum Profundus”, which will be released in the first half of next year.

Formed in 2005, Disma have long stood as a pillar of primitive, ugly DEATH METAL – uncompromising, unhallowed, undaunted. That the band features Craig Pillard on vocals (and now guitar), massively influential for his work on Incantation’s classic first two albums, is almost incidental given how CRUSHING their ominous churn is, like early Celtic Frost and Winter dragged through radioactive sewage. Disma releases have been sparse yet patient over the years, but always superlative in quality; their debut album, 2011’s “Towards the Megalith”, is held in the highest regard, while their two EPs in the past decade have only made that churn all the more punishing.

“Exitum Profundus” is slated to feature nine new tracks for over an hour of music, with returning artist Ola Larsson handling the cover. Plans are also afoot for Hells Headbangers to reissue Disma’s back catalog on all formats. A statement from the band reads: “Prepare for immense ruin and annihilation. The war has begun!”

With a young and aggressive thrash band, I always want to make sure it’s not a one-hit wonder. Knowing Vivek’s love for all things metal and classic thrash, I was happy to hear there is no drop off in quality with their sophomore effort. After a brief, but foreboding instrumental, “The Portal”, the title track erupts, and the first thing coming to mind is classic Sepultura – think Beneath the Remains, as well as Sodom circa 1987-1992. Blistering speed and the 1.35 timestamp will start circle pits all damn day. The music has been tightened up a bit, with a greater emphasis on the production as well. The groove is pure 1988 and is most excellent until the fast blazing thrash returns with guitar solos. The vocals of Vivek and Jimmy, really add to the frenzied assault.

“Threading the Atom” is the longest song at still only 4.50. This song begins with a monster groove. Even has a little Municipal Waste to it. The speed erupts, and it really gets into Beneath the Remains territory, as well as moments of Sepultura’s Morbid Visions, with the crossover into death metal. This song has stop-and-start, very catchy moments, and the squealing Slayer-inspired guitar solos add to the character of the tune. This song is planted in the middle of the album and would go over well planted in the middle of their live set. One of the best songs Desolus has written.

“Visages of Death” shows the band is unafraid to show their melodic leanings, and then Vivek rips into a bass solo and right into the ripping thrash metal. While the band has tightened up their sound, I still like their “live” feeling to the record, and that has to do with the sheer energy the band brings to every song. This song is pretty darn ferocious, and the song slows down, eventually, towards the end with the melodic elements. The bass guitar is piped in a bit louder, which is important to point out, since the notes sound great. The song trails off, and it’s a very cool song ending.

Desolus then does an admirable job at covering Slayer’s “Show No Mercy”. A little more deathly with the raspiness of the vocals. Actually, imagine if Kreator covered this song during their Pleasure to Kill era, for you to get an idea of how this cover song sounds. All the elements of the classic song are intact, with varying vocal ranges to capture Araya’s crazy performance on that album.

“Nefarious Dominion” ends the album with a terrific Slayer-inspired opening guitar riff. A bit of a headbanging gallop takes us along for the ride. The speed is injected with a pounding and angry feel to it. This almost has a primitive quality to it in terms of the feel, and this is a great song to add into their live set.

As much as I enjoyed their debut, Desolus, has topped it with Dwellers of the Twilight Void. Better musicianship, songs, and production. This is what you want out of a young and hungry band. The band plays live shows and tours, and I foresee some bigger tours coming their way. They did just play MDF, and as the band continues along, they are injecting that old school venom back into thrash metal. Something that has been missing for a bit. Great album fellas!

Now, I did listen to Echoes of Primordial Gnosis to be able to compare Land of Darkness, Echoes, and this album, and it appears on Echoes, Soulreaper went in a very slight tangent, while still certainly 90s black metal, it was a bit warmer, and a little more experimental and progressive- just barely.

But on Unveiled Nightsky, as if you couldn’t tell from the album title, song titles like “Born of Winter’s Breath”,  and “Omen of the Cosmic Order”,  as well as the return to the blue Emperor hues of the artwork from Land of Darkness and 2019s Realm of the Bleeding Shadows, Unveiled Nightsky is a return to the more frosty, cosmic style of 90s black metal they have perfected on prior efforts.

The recipe is simple and clear on the influences: Emperor, Dissection, Gates of Ishtar, Unanimated, Sacramentum, Catamenia, etc. Melodic, frosty tremolo-picked riffs with howled vocals and a slight layer of keyboards, though certainly not full-on symphonic black metal.

The Dissection and maybe Dark Funeral (lite) element is particularly strong here, as heard on the second track “Omen of the Cosmic Order”, but all the songs certainly have plenty of hooky, melodic riffs. Especially “Nurtured by the Night”, “Unveiled Nightsky”, “Descent into Hades’ Embrace”, and more restrained, somber “Echoes of a Fallen Crown”. Closer “Drifting into the Depths of Oblivion” ends the album with a gorgeous violin/cello instrumental, an element I’d like to hear more of injected fully into other songs.

But at 30 minutes (28 minutes minus the outro), this feels a little like a long EP, rather than a fully fleshed-out album, and many of the songs just seem to end rather than finish with any sort of climax or closure. Still, what riffs there are are still really good, and Soulreaper has absolutely grasped the genre by the horns, and while very, very productive, I’d like to see him focus a little more on quality, not quantity, as there is something pretty special lurking here.

It’s not just Carcass, though. There’s some heavy Mortician, Last Days of Humanity, and General Surgery hidden amidst the stomach-churning violence on display in their abattoir. Feast your ears on “Scalpel, Scissors…and Other Forensick Instruments” in true Necroticism – Descanting the Insalubrious fashion,n there’s a sample of a doctor and then the drums kick in, punctuating the dialog with killer double bass rolls. It’s a crushing opener with neck-slashing precision, and it’s followed like a musical freight train on fire by “Polyclinic Abattoirs.” Some sick vocals mirroring Jeff Walker’s cheese grater rasp and these riffs… oh my. This is carnage, musical serial killing that leaves you buried alive and gasping for air.

“Obstetric Phantom” has a Symphonies of Sickness vibe to it, gripping like an alligator in the middle of a death roll, this is pure bloody Death Metal. It smells of fresh bile on a hospital room floor.

Haemorrhage already has seven full-length albums under their bullet belts, The Amputation Sessions was their last release in 2023, and it was a demo with the last full-length being We Are the Gore from 201,7 so it’s been a minute since anyone’s heard from them. So now is the perfect time for them to bring their blood-soaked Death Metal back from the proverbial dead.

“Nomenclator Pathologicum” flies headfirst into your gut. A flurry of blasts gives way to a earth-moving Death and Roll banger. This is what it’s all about, sometimes it doesn’t have to be flashy to be heavy. This is a very meat and giblets album from these stalwarts of the Spanish Death Metal scene.

I have to give huge props to drummer Daviti; his beats are head crushing and I can’t go without mentioning Luisma-Guitars (lead), Vocals (backing) (1991-present), Lugubrious-  Vocals (lead) (1993-present), Ramón Checa – Bass, Vocals (backing) (1994-present), Guitars (rhythm) (1994), Ana Belen de Lopez-Guitars (rhythm) (1994-present), Daviti- Drums (2023-present). Talented motherfuckers for sure!

Thrown in for good measure is a savage cover of Dismember’s “Deathevokation” and it’s badass. They capture the brutality of the original while adding their own sadistic touches. Opera Medica makes me smile with sardonic glee, it’s a fist to the face slab of raging, skin-flaying Death Metal.

Do you orgasm blood when you hear Carcass or 200 Stab Wounds? Do you like Mortician? How about General Surgery? If so, you’ll gush oceans for Haemorrhage!

What-fucking-ever this is a nasty piece of work, people. The filthiest production ever heard this side of the Mississippi has been smeared like the blood of Christendom on this EP.

Mayhemic Slaughter of the Heavens (Drums, Vocals (1990-1992, 2001-present), The True Perversion of the Heavenly Father (Bass (2001-2006, 2024-present)and Destroyer of Holy Hymen (Guitars (2018-present) have been spewing Satanic blasphemy since 1990(!) They released a laundry list of splits, demos, and even a live compilation. However, they didn’t release their first full-length album Profanatitas de Domonatia, until 2007, which is when they first came under my radar.

What we have are six tracks in a short 21:11 minutes. This is priest punching, nun raping Blackened Death Metal and starting with “Hung in Golgatha” you know what you’re going to get. Riffs tearing and slashing, with the battering ram drums keeping hellish time.

“The Sixth Hour” strikes with fangs bared, drawing blood with ease. This album doesn’t let up, it refuses to let you go; no matter how much pain it inflicts. Wreathed in Dead Angels isn’t just a Blackened Death Metal album either; it’s got this Punk pulsing heart that shines through.

I mean they are from New England, you can’t get much more Punk than that, and on “Descent from the Cross” and “The Entombment,” that’s what Profanatica does. They chuck these Punk riffs that sound just dirty as fuck against the blitzkrieg of Black Metal drums.

Since their inception Profanatica has done whatever the fuck they want. I mean three ex-members of Incantation doing their own version of cavernous Blackened Death Metal… you can’t go wrong with that shit.

The last two songs consist of the title track and “By Thine Agony” both are equally savage bursts of speed coupled with solid blasting and more soul-crushing riffs. Profanatica spread the heaviness like menstrual blood on moldy toast.

Once again, I have an album that doesn’t disappoint in what it’s intended to do. Wreathed in Dead Angels is a beating, its impaled angels screaming for mercy while this unflinching brutality rips them apart.

You sick fucks who like Incantation, Blasphemy, Nunslaughter and Archgoat will eat this up.

Ladies and gentlemen, what we have here is an early contender for the year’s most disgusting sounding album, both vocally and the guitar tone. The vocals are the most gurgling, disgusting, and the most reverbed vocals I’ve heard since the last Ruin or Seep album. The guitar tone is a barbaric mutilation of the classic Swedish HM2 sound but played in a sewer of guts. The drums, though, do have that annoying tippy tappy snare that a lot of brutal death metal bands tend to use. The end result is a gnarly death metal album that is the zombie mutant baby of early Carcass, Impetigo, the Nihilist demos , Pungent Stench and Molder.

The song writing focuses on reverb filled, oozing, groovy lumbering crawls and lopes like “The Teratophilist”, or “Impose To Decompose”, and throws in plenty of Acid Witch-styled samples and classic 80s, VHS horror film soundtrack vibes. Now, the song writing isn’t that outstanding or memorable, (this is no Molder), and I’m not loving any single track, as frankly, almost everything gets washed out, by the cavernously disgusting production and vocals. But you can still hear the clear classic Swedish death metal influence in galloping moments in the likes of “Fouled, Infected & Infested”, “Flesh Melt Contagion”, and “Soft Bones” bubbling underneath.

But really, this is kind of an album you have to hear and experience it and make the stank face at when it comes on rather than enjoy catchy riffs or moments. Still, between this and Chestcrush, Vasilakos is a guy to keep an eye on.

“Destination: Morgue” is a very brooding opening instrumental.  Extremely doomy and very horror-influenced.  Excellent to open with this, and it’s short and goes right into the title track.  “Children of the Morgue” opens with a sound not too far removed from their most melodic album, Supernatural Addiction.   This title track would not have been out of place on that album, as the opening guitar harmonies are quite excellent.  The speed is the perfect old-school death thrashing speed the band is known for with Amos Rifkin, laying down some great drum rolls.  King, is on fire, as his vocals show no sign of ageing, and they’re quite strong.  The band crafting one of their most catchy choruses in recent memory, this will be the perfect live opener for the band.  Excellent stop and start riffing and a middle section with kids’ voices and then right into a very melodic moment equipped with great guitar solos.  Truly an excellent opening song, destined to become a classic in the Deceased memory bank for years to come.

“The Grave Digger”, is the longest song at a whopping 8.40 and begins as a slow burn.  Excellent guitar riffs to open this slow creepy crawler song.  The main guitar riff is quite catchy and played expertly with Mike Smith and Shane Fuegel riffing like machines.  Les Snyder is still listed on bass, but I am unsure, if he played bass on this?  The song picks up the pace with an excellent shift in the tempo department and it’s a bit off-kilter at first with the melodious riffing happening.  It’s a jam session until King’s vocals come in over the fast part.  The guitar riff over this faster section is once again truly memorable with a nod to the gods of Heavy Metal past with homages similar to NWOBHM during this speedy passage.  I notice a bit of old school Maiden on these faster gallops and that make me grin from ear to ear.  The melding of Death/Thrash/Heavy Metal throughout this album is stunning.  The galloping speed slows down around the 6.15 mark, breaking into that opening brooding pace, which the song started with.  There are several well-crafted riffs across this song and it’s pleasing to this writer to see Deceased return to yet another catchy riff, on this song.  It makes the song and these moments increasingly memorable.

“Brooding Lament” is pure death thrashing madness from beginning to end and not including the interludes is the shortest song at 4.22.  I love how out of the starting gates this song is SPPPPPPPPEEEEEEEEDDDDDDDDDDD!!!  There are some slower moments and a lot of jamming out with this song.  King’s vocals are quite aggressive on this song.

I am still absorbing this latest Deceased album – there is a lot going on.  Ghostly White is one of my top albums from the band and right out of the sleeve this album was played non stop and still is for me.  Children of the Morgue is taking me a bit longer and I’ve had the album for over a month.  This has a great organic production and the song titles and sounds go perfect with the unsettling album cover.  Keep looking at this cover as you will find new things drawn in with each glance.  That is how the music is, there are a lot of riffs and a lot to absorb.

This is another strong album from Deceased who have a full album discography of not one dud.  That is tough to do, but King and the rest of the band continue to Up The Tombstones!!! Time and time again.  Great album from Deceased!!

Reduced Capabilities is more than just a Brutal Death Metal Goregrind album. It’s like a journey into the mind of the most vile serial killer that hasn’t been born yet. There’s bowel rattling gurgle vocals from “newer” vocalist David Duran, a drum machine that really takes one for the team, and guitars that buzz like overdriven chainsaws.

I reviewed their disgustingly good split with Nunslaughter here, as well as the split with Lipoma and Trocar (which was basically an incestuous love child, since the members of Fluids are in the other bands in some way or the other.) Anyway, I recommended them with the intensity of Moses and that brings me to Reduced Capabilities.

This is a motherfucker of an album, nothing but skull fucking brutality and it all kicks off with “Poached” a :58 second Mortician loving blast fest, and just to get this out of the way: Fluids worship Mortician and what’s even better is that they own that shit. Reduced Capabilities means that the band has stripped down to the “Marrow” for this album (see what I did there.) There aren’t any samples, it’s just one after another of searing Goregrind deliciousness with each entrails gorging track after another. “Marrow” is the second track and it shows them flex out a bit there’s blasting but then they hit a slow breakdown (one of many I’m happy to report.)

This is followed by “Grifted” and “Reduced (Gastronomically)” the first featuring some deep piggy squeals while the second is just like the beating a severed head would receive if it were being used as a soccer ball. “Measured Antipathy” has killer riffs galore and it isn’t until the sluggish snail trail of the fantastic “Generational Taint” a slow and methodical gut churning track, a pick axe to the stomach that is then twisted around.

I tend to get apprehensive with albums that are seventeen or so tracks long, and I’m not going to lie, because it has the potential to turn into a sloppy gash of a mess. Reduced Capabilities is not that album, so let me tell you that while it’s only 27:28 minutes long, and Fluids pump so much toxic sauce into the album, it doesn’t lag or become a mess. After “Generational Taint” is the awesome “Soot” a chest beating primate, an angry Sasquatch if you will. I hear some Deeds of Flesh (“Parted”) and Dying Fetus in a couple of the later tracks “Devalued” with it’s ripping tempo changes and the title track, especially. But always, there’s the spirit of Mortician and the swath of destruction they left with House by the Cemetery and Darkest Day of Horror to name two off the top of my head… yes, I know that there’s more.

If you wanted to make the argument that they’re just a Mortician clone, you could, but Fluids are more than that. After the hard-hitting and aforementioned “Parted” and “Unresponsive” there is, wait for it… a cover of Moby’s “God Moving Over the Face of the Waters”… it’s amazing. It isn’t the first time they’ve diddled with electronic sounds and as a closer for Reduced Capabilities it’s a perfect choice.

How does Reduced Capabilities stand up to their catalog? Like a steel soldier. It’s blistering from the opener “Poached” to the final cover track (look at it with an open mind.) Even without samples it’s a crushing album.

Let’s see (scratches beard), if you like Mortician, Lipoma, and Dying Fetus plus the also mentioned Deeds of Flesh. You’ll feel right at home with Reduced Capabilities.

Rounding out the band is Jimmy Frost (guitars/vocals) and Travis Stone on drums, who is also a former member of Noisem, out of Baltimore.  If you love old-school thrash metal, played with intensity and aggression, well you are going to love System Shock and quite honestly with the push they’re receiving from HHR and the quality of this album and their live shows, I expect Desolus to blow up, over the course of 2024 and into 2025 and can see them being on a multi-tier tour, of bands.

10 songs in 42 minutes the title track opens the album title and the immediate thing that will hit you is the production.  This sounds like a brand-new band issuing a statement to all other aging thrash metal bands.  We Are Desolus and we are here to punish you into oblivion and the instruments sound killer with the monstrous-sounding opening drums before the song rips right into the high-velocity speed.  The main scorching guitar riff jumps right out of the starting gates and brings you back to the Persecution Mania and Agent Orange era Sodom period.  That fast and ripping, as well as with the guitar tone.  Some groove, but mainly this opener is fast through and through and has some killer guitar solos.  Great opening song.

The next song “From Man to Machine”, something happens and it’s with the production or promo sound, as the drop in volume is quite extreme as it gets very low.  So I am unsure if this is with the digital promo or is this an issue with the recording.  I have pre-ordered the CD to show my support for Vivek and because this album is great, so I’ll know more once I get the CD. Regardless this second song is a fast thrasher from beginning to end.

“Metal Fetishist” incorporates more high-velocity chaotic thrash metal, with those Sodom leanings taking the stage and incorporating the Sodom era of Tapping the Vein and Code Red, where the guitar tone is extremely heavy and the deathly rasps of Angelripper made those albums bordering on death metal at times, that is exactly what this song has.  Vivek, letting out a Tom Araya type of scream of yore, mixed with a little bit of Schmier from Destruction.  Then the ultimate homage to Sodom happens after that scream and right into the Sodom-laced groove, which this section is literally a part of the “Magic Dragon” song, by Sodom, you will notice that riff and pacing.  I smile from ear to ear during this part.

“The Invasion Begins” has a great opening with the slow section and while I do not have the lyrics yet, I would imagine this may have some sort of science fiction themes with this being an alien invasion or invasion from the dark side, from the very pits of hell.  The song rips with the Sodom influence and Dark Angel moments too, their Darkness Descends album- which is their best album. A variety of vocal trade offs between the vocalists, scorching guitar solos, and thumping thrash speed.  I like how the song stops on a dime, and then gets back into the high-velocity speed.  Another high-pitched scream signals the song will slow down, which it does, then right back into the intense thrash.

System Shock rips from beginning to end with a production, other than the song #2 issue, allowing all the instruments and vocals to breathe and be heard perfectly.  The album cover goes nicely with the music as it brings back the post-apocalyptic terror of mutants and nuclear threats that bands such as Nuclear Assault, Municipal Waste, and Mortillery used to great effect on many of their album covers.  I have been listening to this album non-stop since receiving the promo.

If you love the thrash metal period from 1986-1992, especially with the above mentioned bands, you will thoroughly enjoy System Shock as Desolus are making their mark early on now, putting bands on notice with such an ass-kicking album from start to finish.  Intense, well-played and ready to burn a hole right down your throat and then body-slam you right through a nuclear reactor is the feeling you will get when listening to this album.  Buy or Die!!

December of 2022 had a lot of surprises, and this tight little cassette split was one of them. Seven tracks, the longest being Fluids’ “Heaven-Sent” (3:17) and the shortest being Nunslaughter’s “It’s You I Hate” (.31).

Neither band needs an introduction, Nunslaughter has been around for twenty-five fucking years, and their three contributions, the aforementioned “It’s You I Hate”, personal favorite “Raked Across the Coals” and the sickly slow “Into the Chasm”. These are violent outbursts of raw, Black Metal; bestial and savage with a production that’s as uncompromising as the music cracking your eardrums.

Arizona’s Fluids play brutal as a motherfucking bear attack, goregrind. They contribute four blistering tracks: “Hounded” a short lesson in brutality, “Varicose” a mid-paced at first then blasting maniac track. “Heaven-Sent” is beautifully uncontrollable, vocals are screams from Hell while the music rolls like a poisonous cloud. The album closer “Infantile Mysticism” is a brutal pounder, sort of like that final shovel to the neck that severs the head.

If you like Abysmal Lord and Blasphemy, grimy and sweaty Black Metal you’ll love Nunslaughter, but I’m guessing that if you already love them this will just make that love grow. Fluids get a fuller, more brutal sound. Everything is in your face, with no restraint at all, just right for fans of Fulci, Percusser and Mortician, definitely Mortician. This is a solid cassette that I highly recommend, whatcha waiting for?

Of course, there’s a delicate balance of “the way things used to be” and progression that needs to be struck, right? Civil rights, LGBTQ+ rights, Women’s rights – hell yeah, let’s bring that shit into the 21st century. Actually, so far it’s not really going so well, so maybe let’s get that shit into the 22nd century just to be safe. But social media? Let’s blow it all directly into the sun (yes, I see the irony,  here).

Enter Italy’s purveyors of self-proclaimed “Regressive Metal,” Barbarian – who are turning back the clocks once again to give us a break from the perils of the modern age. Don the leather and spikes and lets get vintage weird!

Now, I have reviewed plenty of these sort of throwback, slightly blackened heavy/thrash/speed metal affairs over the past few years, and to a certain degree, it can be difficult at times to really differentiate one band from another. Barbarian succeeds in avoiding that big ol’ generic pit by leaning fully into their most anthemic qualities. Soaring, earworm melodies, backing chants and vocals that just beg for crowd participation, and the kind of classic, tried-and-true heavy metal pacing that creates a perfect base to let guitarist/vocalist Borys Crossburn’s fantastic riffs truly thrive (BTW don’t read too much into the moniker, there’s no evidence that it has anything to do with the KKK or anything like that). And there are some doozies on here! The back half of the title first track alone has enough top-tier-quality riffs that they could hand one out to 5 or 6 lesser bands as charity, and still have enough left over to make for an impressive album opener. The band also pulls off the impressive trick of keeping things tight as a drum while still maintaining a sense of real grit and grime. It’s like the orc army in Lord of the Rings – they may look janky as hell, but make no mistake, that’s a massive, well-oiled machine of death and destruction ready to come and fuck up your day. It’s a difficult balancing act that results in a lot of bands sounding unnecessarily sloppy for the sake of, I dunno, sounding more evil? Instead, songs like “A Feast for the Beast” and “Fourteen Daggers” sound legitimately sinister and hit with a much greater impact than you get with a lot of similar acts.

You also just can’t fuck with the simple, down-to-the-basics execution of a power trio. Everyone’s performance shines through with purpose, leaving no room for fluff or over-indulgence. With the amount of riff and tempo changes taking place over the album’s seven tracks, nearly all of which clock in over 5 minutes, it’d be easy for it to feel longer and more drawn out than it actually is, but Barbarian manage to pull off the opposite. This album zips right along with sadistic intent, taking you on it’s joyride of mighty, triumphant highs and evil, churning lows with nary a note wasted. Even Crossburner’s solos, impressive as they are, stay restrained and fit perfectly within the context of the song – the best examples in my book coming from track “Chant of the Inflicter,” which carries the kind of fist-pumping, air-shredding leads and melodies that give and self-respecting metalhead an impressive man, lady or otherwise boner. But the band does show they can strip things back even further, and with equal success. The album’s two shortest tracks, “Charity Defiler” and “Regressive Metal,” ditch the solos and just bury the pedal to the floor, hitting you with a barrage of no-punches-pulled riffs and pummeling drums that will undoubtedly open up the pits and work any crowd into a fevered frenzy.

Finding the perfect marriage between a band and it’s record label can often, quite literally, make or break an artists’ career. Obviously, there’s plenty of factors to consider and contend with, but in order for the relationship to work, it really needs to be the right fit for the band and the label alike. To that end, I don’t think I can possibly think of a band to better represent Hell’s Headbangers than Italy’s blackened heavy metal heathens, Barbarian, and Viperface only further solidifies the band as one of the genre’s finest. This one is going to stay firmly in my rotation for the foreseeable future, and I implore you to make it a regular part of yours ASAP.

While Thaumogenesis is by no means a re-think on the band’s already-established mix of Blackened Thrash and Death Metal, it’s again delivered with such an infectious intensity that you’d be hard-pressed to escape its demonic charms. There is not, nor has there ever been any doubts about the band’s technical abilities, but that’s not at the forefront of their attack, either. From opener “Ingress – Thaumogenesis” to closer “Voces Mysticae-Egress,” your head will remain in a constant state of banging with a smile wider than the lake of fire. But where the band continues to bash and pummel with the tools general weaponry they’ve deployed to this point in their career, they’ve made one small, but very much appreciated tweak to their sound – with guitarists Ash Thomas and Matt Sorg opting for more of that Swedish Buzzsaw tone this time around. Don’t get me wrong, they haven’t gone full Entombed-worship here, they’ve just added a good thick dose of HM-2 crunch that just innately gives everything a filthier vibe, and goddamn if it doesn’t sound great here.

On breakneck tracks like “Slaughtered in the Solar Eclipse” or “Quenched from Kapala,” that tone manifests itself in those grinding riffs that sound akin to a dentist’s drill or mortician’s autopsy saw zipping through bone and cartilage. They’re the kind of tracks that muster a sort of maniacal glee as they plow through riff after nasty riff while Kyle Severn’s busy drum work steadily breaks you to shards like a tray of peanut brittle. But then there’s slow-burners like “Invincible in Iron” and “hands of Orrea” that instead take their time to strap you down and saw through your guts with a blood-caked Husqvarna. Sometimes bands who thrive on the more on a high-speed attack have a hard time slowing things down effectively, but that most certainly is not the case here. Thomas’ bellowing lows help these slower sections really dig in deep for maximum impact and beg you get down in the mud and blood along with them.

There’s really no need to point out a standout track or performance on Thamogensis, because frankly, everything just RIPS. The vocals are just varied enough and delivered with the kind of hostile energy that accentuates every note makes everything land with even greater impact. The guitars provide a smorgasbord of deliciously nasty riffs, and the bass tone is absolutely spot-on perfect. Thaumogenesis is an absolute scorcher from start to finish, purpose-built for all your sacrilegious needs. Frankly, I feel no need to waste any more of your time when you could just be listening to this record on repeat like myself, instead. So go! Get out of here! Get your hands on Thaumogenesis now. Thank me later.

Deceased makes a statement with opening with “Spit on Your Grave” (Whiplash cover).  Main man King Fowley has said Power and Pain from Whiplash is one of his favorite thrash metal albums so I’m sure for him to sing this song has to be a dream come true.  The guitar melodies are spot on and King’s vocals really perfectly match the original.

“Sacrifice” (Sacrifice cover) from their debut and best album Torment in Fire also is a standout.  TIF has one of the dirtiest and grimiest guitar tones still to this day. Deceased matches the song to a T.  I always am impressed when a band can emulate and capture the essence of the original and Deceased does just that.  The end of the original song with all the feedback and snarls and screams Deceased have fun with this part.  King letting out some fun screams too.  Artillery’s early material especially their first 3 albums are some of the best thrash metal ever created.  Their 1985 debut Fear of Tomorrow is their best. The vocalist on the first 4 albums, Flemming Ronsdorf had one of the most unique and weirdest vocal tones ever.  Because this album is a personal fave how do they pull off “Into The Universe”, you ask? Really well. King’s vocals are great, of course it is very different than the original, but his enunciation and delivery captures Flemming’s essence excellently. The music is incredible.  It’s a perfect rendition.  The drumming is terrific but the guitar solos really stand out and I have to give my brother King props.  I know that ending scream he belts out, as the original ending was, had to be quite difficult.  But King gets it done and this is my fave cover on this album.

“Take This Torch” (Razor cover) is the perfect follow up. I mean it’s as if the band called me up and said Frank what’s your favorite 80’s thrash songs? and they picked all my choices.   Emulating Sheepdog’s vocals are tough because they’re highly original as well as very high tones at times.  King does a lot of highs in this song.  Had to be tough, he’s not 25 anymore. But he manages to get enough oomph to throw in highs.  Again no easy feat to accomplish. The music is fantastic especially the opening guitar riff which is one of the most intense opening thrash metal guitar riffs in metal.  A true Holy Shit moment.  “Thrashing Rage” (Voivod cover) is from King’s fave all time band.  This is excellent as well as not the first time the band has covered Voivod.  The drumming captures the original drumming perfectly, because  Rrröööaaarrr, in my opinion, still has the heaviest drum sound ever recorded.  The covers of Darkness and Deathwish are excellent as well.

Thrash Times at Ridgemont High is soooo much fun.  A walk down memory lane from the mid to late 80’s era – the golden age of thrash metal.  Deceased have fun with the songs and it shows. The production at Mike Bossier’s Oblivion Studios packs a solid punch and all the instruments come through the mix great.   Get this now!

Land of Darkness is one of the better efforts I’ve heard in the last few years, up there with Vinland and Istapp,  and the man behind the project , ‘Soulreaper’ delivers a really enjoyable, solid homage for fans of Dissection, Gates of Ishtar, Unanimated, Sacramentum, Catamenia and such. As with the peers just mentioned, it takes 90s melodic death metal and gives it a frosty, blackner sheen and sense of brittle energy with some solid and enjoyable riffs scattered around the album.

The likes of the title track, “The Illusive Wings of Death”, “Faded to Silence” and  “Isolation” all have some excellent, shrill, icy blasting while the likes of “Lord Of False Reality” and standout “Crown of Stars” (even effectively using a electric violin similar to Ebony Tears‘ debut early in the song) have a little more somber, atmospheric restraint amid and occasional acoustic break the frosty, tremolo picked ferocity. and there is the requisite acoustic number ” Shaped by Grief”, to close out the album before the ripping cover of “The Dawn of Flames” by one of the genre’s influential, but short-lived standouts, Gates of Ishtar.

A great pick up for the usually much nastier, grimier Hells Headbangers. Let’s hope they can reissue the last album, Realm of the Bleeding Shadows as its just as good, but a bitch to find.

Ahhhhhhhhhhh Nunslaughter…

We’re creeping up here on 35 years of relentless, blasphemous chaos from the band now – and everything about a career as illustrious and heralded as theirs, has been as far removed from conventional as you can possibly imagine. This is, after, only the band’s 5^th full-length studio release in all that time, making this quite the rare occasion! Break out that special vintage of blood and let’s get wild!

Of course, the legendary Don of the Dead is still steering the ship, but this is the first full length with the current lineup of him, guitarist Tormentor (Noah Buchanan of Solipsist), drummer Wrath (Joe Lowrie) and bassist Detonate who’ve all been together for the last couple years, including two split-releases and an EP released just this year, Black Death Phantom – which was actually just a recorded rehearsal with the at-the-time newly-recruited Detonate. That’s the kind of intimate access you get from this band that you just don’t find often in the world of metal, and has created the cult following that I’m sure the band has deliberately been cultivating for nearly 3 and a half decades. ANYWAY, point is that this is probably the first real taste of what this band can be with this lineup, and the bottom line is this: Nunslaughter is still very good at being Nunslaughter. Huzzah!

If longtime fans are gonna find a bone to pick with Red is the Color, it’s likely to be with how GOOD it sounds. Those used to the more raw and frantic energy of their countless live albums and less formal recordings certainly aren’t going to find that here. That said, while it can sometimes be hard to capture that live energy on a recording, this thing still rips – 14 tracks with only two breaking the 3-minute mark, filled with the kind of up-tempo, punk-fueled death metal riffs you’ve come to know and love from these heathens. Right off the bat, burners “Murmer” and “Broken and Alone” explode through the gates with blistering hellfire energy, before “To a Whore” breaks in and slaps with a slightly more measured, but no less in-your face attack. Similarly, “The Tempress” and closer “Below the Cloven Hoof” keep up the paces and make sure listeners leave the album with a hell of a bangover.

The band prove they’re also still capable of heftier, more plodding bruisers, too. “Banished” and “Black Cat Hanging” may well be two of the bands most purely Death metal songs to date, while “Casket Lid Creaks” seems downright sludgy by comparison to the band’s back catalog. But the album’s biggest highlights come from two songs that I do thing belong amongst the bands’ best. Title track “Red is the Color of Ripping Death” seems much longer than it really is, given everything they’ve packed into it’s moderate 3 minutes and 34 seconds. After a slow intro builds the anticipation, the band picks up the pace and carries you through a whirlwind midsection, including a great, earworm chorus and some driving, double-bass backed rumbles, before bringing things to a close with an absolute storm of furious guitars, and an excellent vocal attack from Don of the Dead. Two tracks later is the REAL treat, though – with candidate for antichristian anthem of the year, “Annihilate the Kingdom of God.” It’s among the band’s finest and most immediately-memorable tracks to date, featuring a fucking killer build-up and breakdown with a vocal interplay between Don and – I assume – guitarist Tormentor leading the heretical charge. It’s one of those songs that you just know is gonna be absolute chaos live – I can tell you that much. Host cities of anywhere they tour should honestly be warned ahead of time.

Listen, Nunslaughter owes us absolutely nothing at this point. No band has made themselves as reliably and readily available as they have over their career, with a creative output few bands could possibly hope to match. So to have them put out an album of this quality after all this time – one that comes in, lays waste to everything and gets out before having any kind of chance to overstay it’s welcome? That’s pretty special. And to do it with the kind of fun that they’re clearly still having (seriously, tell me that isn’t the best metal video you’ve seen in a long-ass time)? Even better. I know that, inevitably, a certain section of people are gonna poo-poo all over this for being “too polished” and “too produced.” But honestly? Screw that. This is an album, and indeed, a band worth celebrating. Long live Nunslaughter!

Don’t worry, I’m not delusional enough to think I’m some kind of visionary on that philosophy. Science fiction has been trying to warn us of the perils of our tech dependence and thirst for advancing science for goddamned EVER (Will Shakespeare himself made the prototype for the “mad scientist story” with The Tempest). My point for all this is simply to say that a mistrust of tech is a very real part of my overall psyche. I fucking hate robots. Clowns? Fine. Creepy-ass dolls? Ok. Grotesque, otherworldly monsters? Cool! Robots? GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE WITH THAT.

Anyway, this is all to say that I dig Children of Technology’s vibe. Beyond the grimy, punk-meets-speed-metal crossover thing they’re doing (which is plenty appealing to me to begin with), any time that kind of medium is used to deliver the gospel of “tech is coming to kill you” I’m more than happy to listen, and Written Destiny is filled with enough catchy songwriting and fun, thrashy goodness to make it a thoroughly enjoyable experience, even if it does make my anxiety go a little haywire.

There’s not a whole lot of sense beating you over the head with the details about this thing – much like the New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal thing going on, the classic sound of Speed Metal is back in a big way – and these Italians are another in the line of Hellrippers, Butchers and Vultures of the world, albeit with maybe a little more of a crusty Anti Climax or Amebix gutter aesthetic. You’ve got riffs, you’ve got more riffs, you’ve got barking punk vocals accentuated by the occasional heavy metal high end yelp, you’ve got simple, speedy drums, and uh…. What am I missing? OH! Yeah, more riffs.

Things get off to a raucous start with “Soundtrack of No Future,” complete with the kind of crowd-friendly group chants, thrashy two-stepping and neck-snapping speedy riffs that you’re looking for from a record like this. No frills, nothing fancy, just the stuff you need to get the job at hand done. Follow-up “Creation Through Destruction” keeps the party going with the same frantic energy, throwing in a nice little slight change-of-pace bridge and solo that helps keep the track from being too one-dimensional.

It’s not until 4^th track “The New Barbarians” that you get a real taste of anything really different from these guys, the track starting with a little mid-paced jaunt, and singer Deathlord Astwulf doing a weird kinda, like, Rob Flynn or Jonah Jenkins of Only Living Witness impression. It’s certainly something… different from what we’ve gotten so far! But the changeup doesn’t last very long, as the band barrels right back into their speedy riffage and sneering, punk attitude before you have any time to really notice anything was different.

Like I said, I’m not gonna take a bunch of your time trying to overexplain this thing. The rest of the album plays out like a nostalgic sprint down memory lane filled with cheesy sci-fi/horror flicks, and a fuck-all attitude towards society in general. It may not be my most favorite recent example of this kind of thing, but I’m certainly still here for it. If you’re in to the new age of speed metal that has come back in vogue, then you’ll probably find a lot to like about “Written Destiny.” With their more punk-leaning attitude, Children of Technology do, if nothing else, have something a little different to bring to the table than a lot of their counterparts – and if you have a deep-seeded hatred and fear of robots like I do, even better! Your fears are heard and 100% founded and when the Terminators take over you’re welcome in my bunker. Bring snacks.

I’ll admit, when I found out that Whiplash had left the group I had some worry and trepidation about whether the new album, Unveiling the Threshold, would be as strong as Of the Depths…. Would the new material have any chance of standing up to said album considering the longtime creative duo of Haunting and Whiplash was no more? I knew that Gui had put together a proper full lineup, with longtime session lead guitarist, Lucas becoming a full-fledged member, and newcomers Julien  and Lorenzo Vissol on bass and drums respectively, but would this new team and their creativity stand up to the test?

Would their sound change? Would it command its own authority? Would they still pay homage to those elder, aforementioned influences? Would it still simply kick ass?

??????

Well fear not friends, for Unveiling the Threshold does indeed kick some major fucking ass. Honestly, if any change to the band’s authoritative established sound has taken place it’s one of an even more full on embracement of the punishing Swedeath sound, à la Carnage/Dismember. Seriously, if someone would have told me that Gui had recruited David Blomqvist and Fred Etsby themselves into the ranks of Skelethal, for this new album, I would have zero problems believing them. That’s how relentless and authentic of an album the band has unleashed upon us with Unveiling the Threshold. You want an album highlight? A standout track? Well cast your eight-sided die and let that fickle bitch we call Fate pick one for you, because every single one of Unveiling the Threshold’s eight songs is the real fucking deal.

Not only does every track bring the pain, but the listing arrangement is superb, totally maximizing on the pummeling, lead-tastic, Swedeath groove presented therein. The 1,2,3 opening punch of “Sidereal Lifespan”, “Antropomorphia”, and “Emerging from the Ethereal Threshold” is about as good of a triumvirate beginning as one could ask for. Upbeat Dismember flavored beatdowns, full of catchy as all fuck grooves, fantastic blastbeats (a highlight unto the album itself), ripping solos, and little melodic licks and flairs, à la, you guessed it, Dismember, that simply slay. Not to mention some terrific, guttural and nasty, but not too cavernous, vocals courtesy of Haunting.

The sounds of 1991 prevail, not only on Unveiling the Threshold as a whole but heavily within “On Somber Soil”. The track is full of steely fortitude, mixing a bit of a sinister and foreboding feel to the Swedeath shuffle/gait. It’s chock full of flowing riffs, leads aplenty, and a dynamic groove that is flat out crushing. Crushing is actually quite an apt description for the new album, especially when one hears the sounds of closer, “Abyssal Church…the Portal Revealed”. With doomy, death drenched influenced beginnings that the old Swedish guard mastered so well, morphing into some tasty riffage of a stellar belligerence, as well as a bit of furious drumming (again, Vissol’s drum performance is fantastic on this album, something that has been truly upped since Of the Depths…), and the track ends up being a perfect closing point for the album, fading out to the same aural effects that begat the album with opener “Sidereal Lifespan”.

Granted, if you’re a death metal connoisseur, especially of the Swedeath variety, then there is really nothing on Unveiling the Threshold that you haven’t already been exposed to in some way, shape, or form. Be it from the original elder statesmen themselves, or the many great, and not so great, bands emulating and/or aping the style and genre of a Scandinavian yesteryear. With that said, you would be hard pressed to find a better example or representation, here in 2020, of a much beloved sound to these ears. Much like the pleasure one gets from jamming out to some Gruesome for a “fresh”, yet all too familiar listening experience, the same can somewhat be said about Skelethal and their brand of borrowed brutality. Though to me personally, Skelethal strike with far more of an authentic aplomb that so many of today’s bands, that rely on yesterday’s progressions, seem to be lacking.

Just like the question of where babies come from, I’ll probably never know the answer to the above. Some mysteries aren’t meant to be solved. Anyway… After a somewhat typical introduction, the first track, “Reigning Armageddon” begins. These gentlemen seem to have an infatuation with Armageddon. The first thing I notice is that the production is a lot cleaner than I expected. I won’t claim to be an expert, but any previous album to which I have listened in the “war metal” sub-genre, while not produced poorly, has been rough around the edges, and a bit dirty. While this production is certainly not what one would call “pristine,” it is quite a step up from what was expected.

With that being said, even from the first track, everything sounds like controlled chaos. It’s just about to go off the rails at any moment because of the speed and ferocity, but it doesn’t. I’m reminded somewhat of Mayhem’s A Grand Declaration of War in the production and guitar tone. At times, it feels like a mix of that, as well as latter day Marduk. “Reigning Armageddon” has the tease of a solo a little over a minute in, but then goes right back into the ferocity. Around 30 seconds later, we’re treated to a quick, yet speedy and proficient solo. Another solo happens about 30 seconds from that. This one is a little longer than the first two teases, but holy shit snacks, what a start!

As I go down through the track listing, I say out loud many times; “Oh, fuck yeah, this song is great!” I want to mention just a couple more, though. With its “fuck” leading into a pummeling, “Dajjal United” grabbed my attention, but “Interstellar Deathfuck” might just steal the show. Firstly, the song title deserves recognition, but the main hook actually includes the song title. It also includes some ethereal female vocals, which caught me by surprise. I could go into a deep dive as to what the song title means and in fact have in my mind several times, but who cares? It’s killer and I think too much.

The closing track, “Magickal Wrath,” is a little long for a war metal track, but once again, who cares? If it weren’t for the guitar tone, blasting, and furious double bass, one could be mistaken for thinking this is a NWOBHM track in parts. As is the case with a great number of the tracks on this record, there are fast, killer guitar leads interspersed throughout, and they’re all enjoyable.

If you somehow can’t tell by now, I thoroughly enjoy this record. It makes me want to buy some Impiety merch and deck myself out in corpse paint and leather gauntlets. I expected nothing new brought to the table. Perhaps with my somewhat limited knowledge of the sub-genre, the tricks Impiety have up their sleeve may have been done before by others. However, to call them tricks might be doing them a disservice. These songs are fast, passionate, brutal, virtuosic, and feel like they were written by dudes who were on fire. I’m not sure they are entirely the same sub-genre, but the last war metal record I recall enjoying this much was Destroyer 666’s Wildfire.

I believe Versus All Gods crushes it. More appropriately, lights it on fire, stabs a monarch with it, slays a dragon, and wins a world war or two. That metaphor may be terrible… Anyway, this is the best war metal record I have ever heard, which admittedly is coming from someone who is less than a scholar when it comes to it, but you need to do yourself a favor and give this album a go. You may just end up not listening to anything else.

Opening up with “Nemesis Obsecration” it would be impossible to not hear the roots of Angel Corpse in most of the songs on the album.  If anything, Perdition Temple might be a little bit thrashier and groovier.   Drummer Ronnie Parmer really does a world class job keeping up with Palubicki’s blazing picking hand. “Desolation Usurper” was the promo track used to promote the album and the frenzied trills into lower end trem picking warfare makes for an all-out auditorial assault.  Solo wise this album is loaded with them and they do an excellent job breaking up all the speed throughout the album.  The outro riff on this one is fantastic and they do an excellent job bringing things back to themes earlier in the song to tie it all in.

Tracks like “Eternal Mountain” show a bit of the melodic side of Perdition Temple.  Which is still within the sound of Perdition Temple but maybe just a little bit different from past albums.  It should also be noted that Gene Palubicki handles the vocals with bassist Alex Blume from Ares Kingdom on backing Vox.   Another thing to note is this has the sound of a classic Morrisound album.  “Devil’s Countess” is my favorite track on Sacraments of Descension, for some reason I hear a slight Cannibal Corpse tinge to it.  Probably more so just similar riffing techniques that remind me of them. Especially towards end of the tune.  I hear a little bit of Gallery of Suicide.  Similar chord selection, maybe?   The overall flow of the album is perfect for this style.  Tracks are around three to five minutes and the overall run time is right around thirty-five minutes

Tracks like “Carnal Harvest” remind me a bit of older Ripping Corpse with the use of specific guitar techniques and also cool flange effects in the beginning of the song. “Red Reaping” is another one of my favorite songs on the album.  I can’t say how refreshing the melodic tinges are throughout all of the blast filled speed and chaos. I cannot say anything negative about this release.  Every track is incredibly well thought out and executed.  If you did not get a chance to catch these guys on their last tour with Cannibal Corpse you missed out and should really consider purchasing their whole catalog because these guys are metal as all hell.  Highly recommended.

Before I want to go any further the band did unleash a rather nasty ep in 2002 called Clitoraldectomy, which was and still is super brutal.  Anyway in 1999 the band was solidified with Tony Tipton on guitar, Brian Baxter on vocals/bass, Ben Deskins on vocals/guitars and Dan Baker on drums.  Not may death metal albums are this heavy, folks.  To this day it still slays the majority of what is getting released and then after the band split they reformed in 2018.  They played MDF, some other shows in 2019 and Hells Headbangers was the perfect label to pick the band up.  Since Brian, who plays guitar in Embalmer, it was kind of a match made in heaven.

Hells Headbangers secured the rights to Tales of Necrophilia and put out white the damn reissue.  It’s special and the remastering is perfect.  The first thing that screams at you is the loudness.  Pummeling and the sound crisper.  “Out of the Womb” sounds 1000x heavier.  Those beat down slow stop n start moments are so catchy and vicious.  The double bass collapsing.  The holy shit part is the beginning of the bass solo at the 1.39 mark.  Then the cymbals build up, hit of the drums, guitars and a killer scream, right into the mid-paced slow down.  I swear I began tossing people out their front door, and windmilling them faster then they could say coronavirus got sick from the gorilla magillacutty!  Regurgitation were not about to throw away melody either.  They threw in guitar solos, which was a cool aspect to them.  “Repulsive Genital Disfigurement” never sounded so heavy.  It’s so stupid.  I mean you take Mortician, slow them down a bit, use a human drummer, take certain parts of the 90’s Ohio death metal scene, throw in some guitar solos and bottom end heaviness to the guitars and throw in a blender, with a pinch of Cannibal Corpse, circa 1991.  Out plops Regurgitation.  Seriously Tales of Necrophilia is one of the heaviest debut albums in death metal history.  But catchy is the name of the game and throughout all the brutal heaviness it’s a huge plus that the band could always write memorable songs that would resonate with the listener.

As I stated Tales of Necrophilia has been gloriously remastered and sounds outstanding-great job Tony Tipton. The song “Menstrual Cykill”, from the album, was also the single at the time and the single makes its way onto this reissue.  But this limited edition also contains a bonus DVD.  Thats’ right.  You get the band members cracking recollective jokes on the DVD and then you get a few live shows to boot.  Sound and visual quality is really good.  I cranked it up and it’s awesome.  Everything comes housed in a super glossy media book. So it makes the original, obscene album cover glisten even more.  This reissue is more than any die hard death metal fan could have asked for.  Sound, packaging, bonus DVD and presentation are top shelf.  Buy or Die!

I reviewed this album when it was first released and I raved about it.  I love raw, organic productions and it always goes with Embalmer’s live sound.  It’s natural and brutal.  But when “Dead Female Stalker” comes rip roaring through your speakers you will appreciate the remaster and remix.  Wow.  The sound punches you in the gut, pulls out your intestines, wraps them around your body, launches you into outer space and then proceeds to do jump rope intestines, which is an all time classic, circa 1985.  I am serious when I state the sound is louder, but the remix really captures the guitar and drum sound to their fullest extent.  The sound is a little less “loose” and tighter overall.  The bass drums have more power and the snare really hits home, fucking hard.  The guitar sound has more of a razor sharp menace, cutting through your speakers and tossing your helpless body from side to side with no remorse.

The title track is one of the best Embalmer songs ever and Paul’s awesome long opening growl pierces a bit more with the upgraded sound.  The guitars on this song have a heaviness that is rarely seen in death metal, with its Autopsy dripping influence, that your would find on maybe Retribution for the Dead or Severed Survival.  It’s beyond gut-wrenching and the heaviness not only collapsed 5 floors on the World Trade Exchange, but the entire block.  Embalmer has that knack of crafting heavy, but memorable songs and I cannot tell you how much I love this song.  It is one of the best death metal songs, period!

The three bonus tracks are live versions of “Bonebox” and “Taxidermist” and a re-recording of “Cannibalistic Future”, which was demoed with their former singer, Rick, some years back.  A brutal track in its own right and this re-recorded version with Paul on vocals is better than the original.  As I stated the remixed and remastering really adds to the overall sound experience with everything sounding much better.  The packaging is awesome as it comes housed in a beautiful glossy mediabook.  The attached booklet has pictures, lyrics and great artwork.  This is the ultimate, definitive Buy or Die edition of Emanations from the Crypt.

Okay, I’ll admit that the Chicago, Illinois’ band isn’t some virtuoistic act of progressiveness, but the reality of a band, say Slipknot, having millions of fans and album sales to boot, while a thirty year veteran act still remains somewhat, if not largely, unnoticed, unheard, and undiscovered by many fans of bonafide, real deal death metal seems more than being a matter of “being in the right place at the right time” or a situation of “those are the breaks”. No, it seems simply wrong. And I’m not talking 2+2=5 wrong, I’m talking about the “Oh shit! The hot girl has a teenie weenie”! type of wrong…Whatever the cases for the imbalance of fairness when it comes to the factors of success for metal musicians, I’m willing to bet that Cianide truly couldn’t care less at this point in their careers. At their age, these guys know that being successful doesn’t translate into popularity and riches. Regardless, the death dealing trio have thrown out quite a tasty little slab of brutality with their new five track rager of an EP, Unhumanized.

“Serpent’s Wake” wastes little time building up and unleashing the old school death metal crush Cianide is known for, if you’re familiar with the band, then you know exactly the “crush” I reference. Those of you that may be newcomers can expect a damn fine mixture of  old school sounds the likes of Autopsy, Incantation, Massacre, Asphyx, Master, and so on. Imagine if Paul Speckmann(Master), John McEntee(Incanation), and Bob Bagchus(Asphyx) got together to raise some hell and you’ll know the type of destruction that Cianide deliver. The track delivers a fantastic evil eeriness in the almost dissonant bending riffge that pops up at the 1:47 mark, as well as some top notch Morbid Angel/Incantation vibes in the gooey lurch that crops up around the song’s midpoint. The slower riffage really brings a nice contrast to the track and a straight up punishing feel.

That punishment continues through the EP’s title track and “Weapon of Curse”. The former showcasing a slower dirge of doomy death mixed nicely with a bit of double time, old school flavored d-beat, while the latter provides some quality mid-tempoed beatdowns of late ’80’s/early ’90’s death fueled bliss. The wonderfully ugly influence of Master rears its mighty head in “Traitors”, the song is shorter, faster, straight forward and in your face, and could have easily fit in thirty plus years ago as well as it does today. Closing out Unhumanized, “Shadow of the Claw” takes that slower doomy death dirge of brutalness found on the EP’s title track and maximizes it to its fullest effect. The track is low, slow and can break your back from the sheer heaviness found in its riffing, plus it shows what Black Sabbath may have sounded like remagined as an actual death metal band.

Grade A and damn fine doom laden death metal is what Cianide serves up with this EP offering. Hell, lets be honest, at just a few seconds shy of being twenty-six minutes in length, Unhumanized is just one short track away from being a proper full-length; at least when using the Glen Benton approved Metal Measurement Chart. All in all, Cianide do what they’ve always done when it comes to Unhumanized, and that’s deliver first class old school brutality. The kind of brutality that still tooks its cues from Celtic Frost and marveled at the double bass foot-work of Bill Andrews(Death/Massacre). If I had one complaint with Unhumanized, I’d say that the band delivered the EP’s highlight with opener “Serpent’s Wake”, but that really just boils down to my personal taste and not merited in any real or tangible bad quality that can be attributed to the band or the release, so there ya go…No harm, no foul, Winner winer chicken dinner, this fucker slays, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera…

Embalmer took all their choice cuts throughout their 25+ year existence, and songs they love playing live and I guess you can say are also fan favorites.  They ran through the songs as if they were playing live or rehearsing for a live gig and what you get is an unbridled and furious release.  Also throughout their existence, some of these songs, have changed slightly when played live therefore Embalmer simulates this as if you were witnessing them playing the songs live.  15 songs in 43 minutes to take your head and rip it off and lob it over the fence at your neighbor’s house like a goddamned grenade.  “Bone Box” sounds mighty brutal and Paul’s 20 second opening growl rivals that of former Embalmer throat, Rick Fleming and I just love Paul’s higher throatier growls and then the deeper growl-a thing of beauty and to this day “Bone Box” continues to be my favorite Embalmer song.  And Roy’s blasting is the best he has done throughout his career and the man is in his 50’s, that old dirty bastid.

The title track from their sophomore album, Emanations from the Crypt, is so gut-wrenchingly heavy on this.  I mean originally I thought it was a heavy track, but hearing them re-do it here and making it sound a little beefier, that opening part which repeats itself later on has Autopsy ridden with filth like heaviness soaked all over it, along with some extra eyeballs and intestines.  One of the best written death metal riffs in a long ‘effin time.  Other classics and newer tunes redone all benefit greatly with this simulated live sound.  “The Necro Filing Cabinet”, “Dead Female Stalker”, “The Casket Calls”, “There was Blood Everywhere” will decapitate you from 5 miles away and wipe that pathetic thing, you call a head, right off your now useless shoulders.

The album cover is awesome and reminds me a bit of Mortician’s Reanimated Dead Flesh.  I love the yellow Embalmer logo.  Insert is simple.  Pics and liner notes.  If you are an Embalmer fan this is a must have.  If you really have never heard the band this is the perfect release to start off with since all the songs span the length of the band’s career.  And while Embalmer are busy recording their 3rd full-length now, this is something you want in your collection.  Phenomenal compilation, Embalmed Alive, needs to be in your collection now!

The last album, Surreal Overdose, was one of their most brutal and while there are definitely some elements of that on here-, check out “A Palpitation’s Warning” or “Endless Well” for proof of some mega moments, Ghostly White is rooted more in the spirit of Fearless Undead Machines and Supernatural Addiction. So we get the signature trademark death thrashiness of Deceased, however it’s mixed in with more classic metal and NWOBHM moments this time around.

Sure, opening track “Mrs. Allardyce” comes in with such an ethereal melodic metal sounding guitar riff, which is too freaking catchy for words. The song then erupts into a monster mid-paced moment and King’s vocals, erupt. His vocal mix is more upfront on this recording, and he sounds as great and throaty as ever. The guitar melodies on this particular song are killer and just when you thought there is no way they are topping the classic metal moments and death thrash parts, the 13”+ “Germ of Distorted Lore” comes through with a killer part which sounds like it could have been a riff on As the Weird Travel On. The song moves, thrashes and has some amazing guitar solos. This is mixed with faster moments with some excellent vocal stanzas and catchy verses. The song is the perfect blend of everything Deceased does so well and it never feels like 13”.

“The Shivers” is a highlight for me with an amazing opening guitar riff and excellent and haunting melodies. Excellent drumming from Dave and strong vocals from King. “Pale Surroundings” is the perfect ending song with the haunting and catchy female vocals. Eerie, atmospheric and brilliantly placed. The album was recorded with long time friend, Mike Bossier at his Maryland Oblivion Studios. Great production/sound and it ties in with the 80’s look and feel of the Ghostly White album cover. The booklet is exceptionally designed with the lyrics, illustrations and explanations for each song. One of the finest albums of 2018. Naturally-organic, brutal, well-played and catchy as a muthafu**er. Buy or Die!

The first thing you’ll notice is that, while the album is well mixed, the overall master level was turned down a few notches. It’s one of those albums where you really have to crank up the volume to hear it. This isn’t an issue if it’s the only thing you’ll be listening to, but quickly becomes speaker and ear-destroying if it’s part of a playlist and the follow up album starts before you get to the volume knob! The only thing I would have adjusted in the booth would be to give the kick drum a little more oomph. It’s a very mild complaint that probably wouldn’t register on someone’s radar unless you pointed it out.

There are two vocal styles here: low, gruff, guttural and higher pitch shrieks and rasps. These are “vocals” in the sense that a human throat is producing sound into a microphone. They’re perfect and one of the highlights of the album. The quality of the lyrical content is a moot point as there isn’t a single discernible word in the entire play time. Vocals here are just another instrument which adds to the overall feel of the record. As a brief aside: I can’t overstate how picky I am when it comes to vocals – particularly black metal shrieks and the like. I’ve tossed countless albums into the recycle bin 15 seconds in to the first track because the vocals are put too high in the mix. “Purist” black metal bands, inparticular, need to knock that crap off. Have a competent producer listen to the final mix and then bump the vocals (or should I say “vokills” *slow jerk off motion*) down 30%.

Stylistically, it’s not all blast beats and insanity. In fact, opening track “Corpse of the Crucified”, is a prime example of what to expect of the album as a whole: 13 seconds of face melting grind drumming and blistering shrieks, followed up by midpaced, head bobbing, crunchy rhythm guitar and guttural bellows for the remainder of the minute long track. Honestly, I love the pacing of this album. Every few minutes you get a chance to catch your breath and break your neck with headbanging riffs, and that’s really what keeps me coming back for more: each song has at least one or two parts where I reach over and crank up the volume knob and head bang, either in the bedroom or the car! I really love this release and I encourage anyone with an affinity for acts like Nasum or December Wolves (remember them?) to check this out.