Montreal Technical Death Masters Cryptopsy returns with their eighth studio album As Gomorrah Burns. It was written over the last two years during the pandemic and they wrote and recorded this in a cabin to add to the horror movie-like ambiance.  This is the first full-length album since their 2012 self-titled release featuring original guitarist […]

New York’s Contrarian has been an active contributor to the progressive death metal scene for quite some time now. Having released five full-length records through Willowtip Records Contrarian has decided to release an album of older material. What makes this release interesting is that all the tracks are instrumental. Founding members Jim Tasikas and Ed […]

California’s The Zenith Passage returns with their second full-length album Datalysium.  It has been seven years since their debut album Solipist was released.  I was very much impressed with their debut full-length.   These guys have an incredibly progressive and mechanical approach to technical death metal. This is the second metal blade album I have heard […]

Here we are in 2023, 5 years after their last effort (2018s Reduced to Flesh) and these long-time thrashers from Denmark are now on their eleventh studio album.  Hatred Reborn is another in a long line of awesome death/thrash albums going all the way back to 2001’s self-titled debut.  Hatred Reborn also marks the debut […]

I have been looking forward to this one. First off, the cover artwork is fantastic.  I am going to want to mail order this and get a shirt as well.  “Demonic Totem I Am” gets the album going.  The opening riff hook has a Deeds of Flesh Vibe to it and even more so when […]

Kansas’s technical death metal powerhouse Origin return with their eighth full length record Chaosmos. Paul Ryan, Mikey Torres, Jason Keyser, and John Longstreth waste zero time pummeling the listener with the opening track “Ecophagy.”  The track starts off with a strong hook and then proceeded to get progressively more technical as the track goes on. […]

Portugal’s Analepsy return with their second full length album Quiescence. Having been five years since their last release it is quite immediate that the production values and song writing have both stepped and slammed up. Opening things up with “Locus of Dawning” the guitars fade in with some cool layering and harmony. I can hear […]

Jeremy Turner from Unmerciful turned me on to this unique project of Origin lead guitarist Paul Ryan. Ryan called Maentra.  Based out of San Francisco Maentra play a really unique mix of death metal, grindcore, and tinges of industrial. Kundalini Rising kicks off with “Muladhara”.  I was surprised to hear that Ryan does not play […]

Krakow Poland’s Redemptor return with their fourth full length album Agonia.  I had previously reviewed the groups 2017 release Arthaneum which was one of my favorite albums of that year. Agonia is an excellent follow up album that has a slow build to it which is worth the wait.  Opening with “Tectonic Plates” Daniel Kesler’s […]

In a year chalked full of incredible technical death metal Minnesota’s Sunless present their second full length album Ylem.   If you are not familiar with Sunless, they are a three piece that features former members of the group Australis and The Body Beneath.  What make Sunless unique are their arrangements.  I cannot think of too […]

A love of Video Games, Lovecraft, and Morbid Angel.   An Interesting mix.  Tim Rowland’s solo Alchemy of Flesh project is one of the biggest surprises of the year in my opinion.   The attention to detail in gear selection and sound is quite impressive here.  Something else that catches my attention is the killer artwork by […]

Who is the mood for some awesome new U.S Epic Doom? Sign me up!   Being from Minnesota and friends of Brad Miller (Among the Serpents) I was extremely excited to hear he was assembling this group.  Come June 2021 here we are with Grief Collector’s En Delirium. I must say that recruiting Robert Lowe (Ex-Candlemass, […]

Denver’s Noctambulist return with their second album, The Barren Form.   I was not familiar with this group and wanted to check out their material.  It is quite pummeling and reminds me a bit of Hate Eternal and Virtriol at times.  I do wish at times that the guitars had a bit more clarity as at […]

Austin Texas’s Cathexis return with their second full length effort Untethered Abyss.  I have been spinning this album for the last few months and my first impressions of them were a black death band with influences like Immolation and Ulcerate.  They are a bit more varied in terms of groove and riff variety.  The Title […]

Wow! This is unique.  Picture a band from Copenhagen that at times can sound like they are from Gothenburg and then other times where they sound like tech era Death.  For fans of Quo Vadis, and Arsis.  I get that.  Steve Di Giorgio plays bass on this.  Okay, I am intrigued.  I guess it was […]

The consistency of Everlasting Spew Records knows no bounds!  Imagine if you will putting Broken Hope, Monstrosity and Sinister in a blender.  Here is the thing though, you cannot add any lyrics.  Because they do not have any.  Now, this is a bit of a bold move here, but I think that these songs are […]

From Minnesota comes Obsolete, a technical death thrash project of Lucas Scott (Sunless, Ex-Australis) and Patrick Ruhland (Ex Australis, Grand Demise of Civilization, Ambassador Gun). Opening with “Still” Scott and Ruhland paint a unique atmosphere with the combination of frenzied riffs reminiscent to Anata or Psycroptic.  The material is quite tight and punchy, and I […]

Well, here is something fun in 2021 I was not expecting.   Hailing from Stavanger Norway Deception play a hybrid stay of technical, melodic death thrash.   As crazy as this sounds.  Picture Yyrkoon mixed Darkane.   Originally called The Art of Deception, The Mire is Deception’s third full length.   Clocking in at over 47 minutes these guys […]

Hang tight, there is something wrong with the earth’s gravitational pull.  Holy schnikes is this heavy!  Buried’s Oculus Rot has been in my daily rotation for the last few weeks and I am excited to go over how awesome this album is.  First, Buried features Joel Sta and Robbe V (Ex Pyaemia).   I was excited […]

Jeeeezus!  San Francisco California’s Ominous Ruin debut album is here and it’s a hell of a first effort. If it is conceivable to think of a heavier Spawn of Possession or Archspire these guys might very well be in that mix. “Ritual” kicks off this forty-six-minute clinic in riff fury and intensity. Guitarist Alex Bacey […]

Well, Well! 2021 is getting started with some pretty fun metal releases right off the bat.   Founded by former members of Enfold Darkness the Final Tyranny wastes zero time in getting the listener’s attention with opening track Tyrannical Reign of the Deceiver.” The opening drum fill leads to a very aggressive beginning of a very […]

Ever wonder what it would sound like if you mixed Disgorge with Malignancy? Germany’s Focal Dystonia is absolutely melting my brain and may be answer to my own question.  Featuring guitarist Floor Van Kujik (Korpse) and drummer Florent Duployer.  This one would have completely missed my radar had a not just randomly took a chance […]

Poland’s Azarath return with their 7th full length album, Saint Desecration.   Founded by Inferno, drummer of the mighty Behemoth.  Azarath play a fun style of black death similar to the likes of Krisiun, Immolation, and also country mates Hate.   Things open up with “Death, At Will” which starts with a nice clean guitar part before […]

2020 continues to throw forearm smashes in my eardrums in the form of awesome Death Metal.  I have been following Incinerate since they started in 1998 which is around the same time that I started my first band Pentagoria.  I had met vocalist Jesse Watson at Milwaukee Metal fest that year and was excited to […]

Around three years ago I reviewed this amazing progressive technical death metal band from Amsterdam.  I was absolutely floored by their debut album Esoteric Entity. The band’s second album, Neoconception is a concept album revolving around an asteroid hitting earth. “Downfall” opens things up and the madness begins.  If you are not familiar with Spectrum […]