If you’re not already familiar, I suggest you do yourself a service and track down, at minimum, the last full-length from 2023, Rejecting Obliteration. Unbeknownst to me, they also have 3 prior albums listed as “deathcore.” While they have certainly branched out from that genre branding, it’s a good way to start describing their sound.

However, they have transcended the deathcore subgenre by taking a progressive death metal turn. As their previous genre has grown stale, it wouldn’t surprise me to see others do the same. Take, for instance, the title track, “The Hardest Thing About Being God is That No One Believes Me.” Believe it or not, the title is mentioned several times. It’s awkward at first, but then it gets stuck in my head. Before that refrain is a bombastic, heavy, yet skronky beginning. Furious drumming, along with a down-tuned riff, brings us to the three-minute mark, which is where the song title is repeated. Once you’ve heard it several times, it may become a moment where one pumps their fist.

If you’re looking for something on the progressive side, “Coalescence” has you covered. This is also a track with many deathcore elements. The down-tuned main riff chugs home that point. Halfway through, it’s still a deathcore tune, but far more focus is placed on the “death” part. Vocalist Stace Fifield’s hardcore shout is mostly the “hardcore” part. With around two minutes remaining, the song brings in a woman vocalist, Hera, to perform clean vocals for the remainder. It may be slightly anti-climactic given this is the end of the album, but not this review.

I’m going to go back to the beginning with “Arrows of Golden Light” for that honor. After a 30-second intro, clean guitars come in, but the background foreshadows where it’s going with the opening growl. The entire track, all eight-plus minutes, feels like a massive build. The blast beats and lead at nearly the halfway point mitigates the chaos only slightly. A deathcore bludgeoning begins with a few minutes left, but it quickly clears with clean guitars and some symphonics/keyboards in the background, which have a subtle presence. Double bass drums then accompany it all until it crashes and ends.

In the beginning, I must admit not being impressed. However, since I held the band’s previous album in such high regard, I continued to give this a shot. It rewards the listener with repetition. I started to remember bits and pieces with each listen until I realized there were parts from nearly every track stuck in my head at certain points throughout my normal days. That’s when my perception changed from it being a good listen to an engaging, enthralling one. Admittedly, it’s not as good as its immediate predecessor, but to do anything other than mark The Hardest Thing About Being God is That No One Believes Me” as a complete triumph would be a travesty.

Well, Im right there with you- that era was my mutha-fucking jam. But Maryland’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra has got you boi.

From the “eeee-yough”  and first notes of the opening track “GGO”, goofy samples, and classic 00s song titles like “The Difference Between You and Me Is I Never Got Caught”, “Gage Lanza 2: Return of the Red Hammer” and “I Never Believed in Magic ‘Til My Dog Turned into a Snake”,  the early deathcore influence is hot and heavy and ninja kicks you right in the face, and keeps kicking until the short 30 minute or so affair is over.

Album is self produced, with a final touch and master from Mychal Soto (Peeling Flesh), and it sounds nostalgic as fuck, adding to the retro vibe that’s already hammered home with the galloping, slicing melodic riffs and leads and three pronged guitar work of course, old school breakdowns (and pre-breakdowns!).

Tracks like ” I Can’t Save You” (with Matt McDougal from Boundaries), “Gage Lanza 2: Return of the Red Hammer”, “All I Feel Is Cold” and “Mithrandir” have the throwback vocals, shreddy structures, and gait that will make fans of the style grin from ear to ear. No orchestration, no demonic pig squeals or snarls  (there are some ‘reeeeeee’s though).

And the album never outstays its welcome, being over before you know it, but not before delivering a solid album for those that were front and center for those early Summer Slaughter and Sounds of the Underground tours back in the early and mid 00s.

A large part of this is their ambition when it comes to blending several genres. Take for instance the laid-back, lounge sounds inspired by the story of Ron Burgundy and a banana peel (J/K), “Slipping Burgundy.” Vocalist Chelsea Murphy’s soulful clean vocals are accompanied by clean guitars with a build lasting up to nearly 3 minutes into the track where everything gets heavy, and Chelsea’s vocals become appropriately harsh. Then you’re treated to double bass and a dreamscape not dissimilar to Fallujah. The bottom drops out with around two minutes left, slipping into the sounds permeating the opening of the track, but only for a moment.

The Fallujah sounds also begin the album, with the title track, “Bioluminescence.” However, it’s basically the sound of that band mixing with furious black metal. It’s clear why it’s the title track because if Dawn of Ouroboros were to have a sound, this would be it. It’s quite a feat to make the title of the album and the track an earworm, so hats off.

Despite the band painting with a large palette, of course, the heavier or more brutal songs stand out. One of the finest examples of this is “Static Repetition.” At this moment I understand why they say they make music for themselves, as it’s very difficult not to be enthralled with this. The track is unrelenting, yet of course, still brimming with beauty. It’s certainly what the band specializes in.

From the heavy and unrelenting, “Mournful Ambience” journeys back into quiet beauty. It’s just Chelsea and a piano to close the album, and it works well. For many other bands, this would be seen as a change on which to expand for further releases. However, this is not something out of left field for the talented musicians in Dawn of Ouroboros.

While I will shy away from calling this their masterpiece, it’s tantalizingly close. I struggled with the review because I didn’t grasp the growth contained. Yes, it does still sound like a great band on the verge of something spectacular, but they’re even closer than before. Dawn of Ouroboros continues to improve with each album, and I’m happy to have been along for most of the ride.

Sure, there are adequate vocalizations in the opening track, which is the title track, but I don’t quite get what I wanted until the intro of track two, “Pulped.” A proper isolated bass, a little riffage, then an “OUGH.” An appropriately oozing solo hits, then a shaky, Martin Van Drunen-style pained growl brings in the main, galloping riff. Whether I like it or not, when the song title is screamed, more than once it has sounded like “pooped” to me. It is what it is.

A friend of mine said Molder is just RIFFS, and “Bursted Innards” begins with an excellent one, as well as one of those pained groans. I live for those if you didn’t already know. It’s not uncommon for there to be passages with no vocals, as those appear all over the album. I also enjoy the pace of many of their songs, which are punk-energy. In other words, “Bursted Innards” is a macrocosm of Molder.

Seemingly slower on the spectrum is “Corpse Copulation.” It begins with a dirge-like riff and nasty solo, but it quickly goes back into fast-paced and energetic. At less than three minutes, it’s on par with most of the other tracks since the album itself has ten and is less than 35 minutes.

To close the album is “Nothing Left to Ooze,” a phenomenal song title. It’s a little longer, but still less than 4 minutes. Just as with the rest of the tracks, I get exactly what I want quickly, which is a furious riff and an “OUGH.” I could probably just stop there. I won’t make it that easy on you, though. It feels like this song, as well as the album, is over before being able to fully absorb it. Luckily that merits listening again. If you’re here for the riffs, you’ve come to the right place.

As expected, I dig it.  I’ll continue listening to it for a while, along with stellar albums from a lot of the other big names in this new school death metal collective. They all decided to release bangers at the end of the year, and it’s taking up a lot of my free time. While the recordings are excellent, Molder truly shines on stage. I also wake up the next morning with a sore neck, and I can’t wait to see these songs live, whether my neck likes it or not. OUGH!

Where else to begin than with the opener, which is also the title track. Maul embraced a doomy side with the background melodies with Garrett’s blast furnace vocals accompanying. It’s not long before a galloping riff takes over. There’s a breakdown, but the best part is after it with an instantly hummable, yet anvil-smashing slow riff.

Perhaps even better than the opener is the next track, “Blood Quantum.” It’s filled with solos, cavernous vocals, and so much heaviness it could be mistaken for the Golden Corral buffet line. Right before the two-minute mark is probably the heaviest with the stops and starts. The vocals here could rival John McEntee.

Considering I have Maul merch with the “Midwest Death” phrase, let’s talk about the longest track on the album. The band of course has some churning riffs, but goes quiet around two minutes in, with only a clean guitar and spoken word vocals. Of course, when the other instruments come back, it’s made heavier because of that brief interlude. It’s a microcosm of the whole band’s aesthetic and sound, don’tcha know?

Ope, I probably could have done better with that last line, so let’s correct it by talking about “Each Voracious Lick.” Of what, I am unsure. I’m almost always going to comment on a great heavy riff that includes pinch harmonics. I also enjoy when a song breaks down, not a “breakdown,” mind you, but when a song has no guitars, but only bass, drums, and vocals, which happens in one section. While this track is heavy enough to bore you a new butthole, it’s short and leads well into the final track.

That final number is called “Drawn to Drowning.” It’s not experimental, it’s not ambient, but another heavy, bouncy track. The chunky riff, once again with pinch harmonics is just the epilogue to the story of excellent riffs. After the lead, the last thirty seconds are just another beatdown, and it’s the kind to which you’ll likely find yourself returning willingly.

I want to apologize for the lateness of this review, but I feel it had to get out there in the world. Between the season changing in my neck of the woods to fall (it kicks my ass at first), and having a full-on mental breakdown, it just fell off my radar. However, that was not for a lack of words or thoughts to describe this burly, hulking, beast of an album. Maul delivered again and damn it, it’s tied for #1 as well on my recent death metal reviews list.

This new slab of death is loaded with bangers. Take for example the title track, which is second in the order. The bass presence certainly stands out amongst the furious double bass. One of their biggest areas of growth on this album is the hooks, and there’s a meaty one here. Alexander Jones uses one of my favorite under-utilized vocal techniques, the loogie.

“We know, we know, we know” The next track, “Brandish the Blade” is another scorcher. I will automatically assume you lack a pulse if that part is not stuck in your head. There’s a solid hair-swinging, windmill head-banging, breakdown as well, which is all too short. If you haven’t checked out this album or song yet, the time is now.

“Cramped Caskets (Necrology)” is another one of my favorites. It has another killer refrain, and a meaty main riff. There’s a succulent breakdown, too. The last two tracks I’ve mentioned will most definitely be added to their live shows.

Fuck though, because the next track “Bounty Hunter,” has a shorter runtime, but a thick, fat hook as well. Perhaps the best on the album. The breakdown or just the bridge with its pinch harmonics will rock your tits off.

If there’s a criticism to be had here, I guess maybe there could be some experimentation. Seriously, though. I don’t think anyone cares when an album is this heavy and catchy.

I simply have to mention “Disattachment of a Prophylactic in the Brain” because mind condom? I suppose that could be used for conversing with idiots so one does not become dumber by default. Otherwise, the track is still more of what you’d expect, which is simply well-produced, badass, chonky riff death metal. I believe the best breakdown with another appropriate hocked (that’s how it should be spelled) loogie is here.

I was going to talk about the last track, but I should wrap it up. Like a mind condom. I mentioned in my Ripped to Shreds review that it was the best of the 3 new death metal heavy hitters’ albums. Firstly, I just received a 4^th, and secondly, More Insane is at least tied. I will admit the production at first took me by surprise because it is a little thin. However, overall, Undeath has shown growth, and dare I say, maturity. I will however point out that maturity in death metal is kind of an oxymoron. I could not, however, recommend this enough.

Regardless, they’re back with their sophomore album Lightless Expanse, which sees them in super skronky form. Think Ulcerate without being as oppressive or suffocating. On the opening track “Stygian Abattoir,” they’re here for one reason, which is to establish dominance. That’s the same goal I have at the buffet table. After a somewhat brief intro, the riffing, including a brief tremolo section, is punctuated with some The Black Dahlia Murder level highs and lows. They don’t wait long for the first solo, either, which starts around 2 minutes in. There’s also a chorus, so they’re not just dragging their knuckles on the ground.

In my opinion, the best kind of womb is a “Voidwomb,” and on track 2, Glacial Tomb agrees. With a pants-shittingly heavy riff including some pinch harmonics to punctuate, a forward bass presence, and a short breakdown, this visceral track is sure to get some pit asses shaking. Sniff at your peril.

I do want to point out this album is more for those who like their death metal on the slower side, but there are fast sections, such as the beginning of “Seraphic Mutilation” and “Worldsflesh.” The latter has multiple faster sections, including the frantic solo one.

In the beginning, it almost sounds like “Wound of Existence” could dip their toes into industrial metal or even the dreaded nu-metal tag. It’s not to be though, as it quickly transitions into a fist-pumping riff. If you’re into pumping your fist at every downbeat like I do, that is. There’s a brief chorus, as well as multiple quick guitar solos.

I must admit, if you came into this album looking for variety, you’re not going to get it. Is that a bad thing? I don’t think so. I’m quite fond of this style of “punch your neighbor in their fucking face” death metal, especially live. That’s where this type of metal thrives, and I may test that out within the next couple of days as they’re playing at my friend’s venue. It would be definite if a recent injury did not put that into question. Stairs and injured ankles don’t mix well. As far as the album goes, I could use more. I don’t mean runtime, either as it’s only 36 minutes. As I implied at the beginning of this paragraph, with not much deviation, most of the songs sound just like the last. I like it but doubt it has much staying power.

The Way of Ancients, the second album, shows no sophomore slump as Volcandra incorporates a lot more atmosphere into this album with “Birth of the Nephalem” starting things off, with the rumbling drums and excellently crafted guitar melodies, the song gets faster and faster.  The blast beats kick in with the raspy black metal vocals and then the lower register death metal growling comes in and they sound great – Dave showing us he can bounce in between a variety of tones.  Around the 3.45 mark, one can hear the nods to Fallujah with those technical discordant and atmospheric moments.  The death metal vocals return as well and the song has a plethora of tempo shifts.  This is an exciting album opener!

“Nemesis Confession” starts off with some atmospheric sounds and then at the 45 second mark – BOOM!!! Right into the blasting metal madness, do not, I repeat, DO NOT, crank those headsets up, during that atmospheric ethereal buildup because you will blow your eardrums out once that music comes blasting in.  It’s unnerving how the music comes in and that also makes it quite interesting.  Check out those guitar melodies at the 2.28 section over the blast – simply mesmerizing and different than the norm.  The nice little growl at the 3.05 marker then right into that vintage 90’s death metal gallop will make you hold up those metal horns and thrash around the room, like a lunatic.  There are guitar solos over the blasting sections and elements of this band will have you thinking of classic Skeletonwitch, with the melding of death and black metal.  This is a terrific song and one of the best the band has crafted in their early career.

“The Blackened Temple” has a great opening melodic black metal riff right before the blast beats come in and these moments are excellent and that great main riff returns multiple times throughout the album and it’s quite catchy.  The title track ends the album and has a variety of tempo shifts, however it’s mostly a slower, atmospheric number drenched in emotive qualities, which the band does quite well.  It’s an excellent song to end the album with.

The Way of Ancients is a great release from Volcandra and sees the band incorporating more atmosphere and emotive qualities to their scorching blend of melodic death metal with smatterings of death metal across this sucker.  The production is the best the band has ever had and the songwriting is even stronger than their past releases and I loved those releases.  This album cover, is lacking a bit, though, as I prefer their prior release covers, this one seems a bit too basic.  For a title The Way of the Ancients, I would have expected something a little darker and more evil.  Small gripe on my part because Volcandra is an exciting band that I hope continues to release such quality music in the future.

All this is to say that I’m not proud that I’d let my younger self, led by my own insecurities, somehow reach back through and steer me away from Wristmeetrazor before now, just because of some meaningless bullshit spewed by the gatekeepers of the metal world. That was dumb. That said, it has given me a chance to keep my thoughts about Degeneration as pure as possible, so I’ve still avoided listening to their prior work to ensure a completely blank slate. For all I know, maybe their previous releases really were butt. No idea.

What I can tell you? Degeneration goes so fucking hard. It smokes. Fuck me sideways.

So I should probably preface this by saying that this recent late-90s/early-00s metalcore reboot led by the likes of Dying Wish, Year of the Knife and Jesus Piece is very much right up my ally. We’re talking a period of time where I really started to cut my teeth on heavier, more underground acts. What prefaced that, aside from the usual suspects of Metallica, Pantera and Slayer et al, was of course being smack dab in the middle of the Nu-Metal movement where, specifically, I found a real love for the likes of more Industrial-forward acts like Static-X, Powerman 5000, White/Rob Zombie and Coal Chamber. My personal tastes have certainly evolved over time, but many of these acts (certainly the specific ones mentioned) I still very much enjoy unironically and unashamedly to this day. I mention all of this because Degeneration is about as perfect an amalgam as you’ll find of these two styles. Yes, I know, Wristmeetsrazor is hardly the first band to combine Metalcore with Nu-Metal elements, but hand on heart, this might be the best version I’ve heard to date, and it only takes the album’s first track to make the point crystal clear. The bouncy, heavy opening riff of “Turn On, Tune In, Drop Dead” lies right at the intersection of Coal Chamber and Machine Head boulevard, before launching into a throwback Metalcore riff that would have fit in just fine on an early Eighteen Visions or Bleeding Through record. It’s a friggin’ ripper of a start, but of course, any good metalcore album need breakdowns, and boy is this one a doozy – starting first with a pure Devildriver refrain/build up they just explodes into the kind of planet-smashing breakdown that put the likes of It Dies Today and Remembering Never on the map. It all puts me in dire need of a pair of, like, camo cargo JNCOs. That’s gotta be a thing, right?

This is just the beginning of as good a 4-song stretch to start an album as I can recall from recent memory. Where “Turn On…” kinda threw everything in WMR‘s arsenal at you in a neat little sub-3 minute package, “Static Reckoning” goes for straight Metalcore glory, hitting first with a melodic, thrashy riff straight from the classic As I Lay Dying playbook, and culling the same vibes by not shying away from a big, dual vocal chorus that’ll stick on first listen. The bow on top is, of course, another crushing breakdown that will properly rattle your speakers and get any crowd moving in short order. “Trepanation” follows with another track that really lays all the cards on the table, tapping even further into their Industrial/Nu vibes with a track that could well just be a love letter to Dez Fafara’s (Devildriver, Coal Chamber) entire career, hitting with some immense grooves and synth-led atmospherics while still maintaining a distinctly Metalcore base. I think it’d be fair to say this feels as authentic and true to the band’s style and influence as and WMR track to date, and allows the band to stretch out and get even more comfortable with their unique identity. That said, the seesaw goes back toward more straight-Metalcore with “Xeroxed Reflection” which, for this reviewer, is the album’s finest offering – again leaning shamelessly into huge, earworm choruses, some really catchy riffing, and perhaps the band’s most earth-quaking breakdown yet, the kind that could re-start the rotation of a stalled planet, only to break it completely apart with subsonic destruction. It’s an absolute unit of a track.

From here, the back-and-forth interplay between Industrial experimentation and straight-up metalcore brutality continues. “DogdayGod” sees the band tapping into their innermost Cybergoth, creating a striking (and I’m sure divisive) middle ground where Nine Inch Nails and Godflesh shake hands with Sick of it All. Personally, I’m really digging it – but if it’s not to your taste it’s only here for about two and a half minutes before we’re right back into Metalcore again with “Love Thy Enmity” and quick-hitter “Culled and Forgotten,” both of which opt for no-nonsense brutality to make get their point clearly across. What’s funny is, the titles alone are pretty good indicators of what to expect stylistically from each track. You may not be surprised to find tracks like “Synthetic-51n” and “Negative Fix” see the band leaning more into their Industrial/Nu-Metal leanings (though make no mistake, the latter gets plenty heavy, including a monster breakdown), where “No Ceremony,” and “The Vanity Procession” stay more straightforward on the Metalcore path. I love everything Degeneration is putting out there, but there’s definitely still room for the band to further integrate and streamline these ideas into a more cohesive, fully-integrated idea. I’d lie if I said it doesn’t make the album play a bit more predictably than it has to, but it’s also delivered with such conviction and ability that it’s easy to overlook. That said, perhaps no track exemplifies the still-present disconnect than closer “Greatest Love Offering in the History of the World,” the first half of which prominently showcases their Metalcore roots, before coming to an abrupt halt mid-build-up, going to silence for about 10 seconds, then returning with an altogether new, VERY Goth-forward track that, quite honestly should have just been an entirely separate track. I mean, I’m not even talking Goth-y Nu Metal here, I’m talking the likes of Moonspell or Sentenced, certainly a little Type O in there for good measure. And it sounds really fucking good! Really well pulled off, just… where the hell did it come from?! And why present it… like this? I want this band to embrace all their influences and do what they want to do as artists, I just hope they keep working towards making it a more cohesive, fully-articulated sound. Always room for improvement, right?

So sure, there’s still areas of growth left for Wristmeetsrazor, but as a whole, Degeneration is still just a goddamn blast of a listen that I would not hesitate for one second to recommend to anyone and everyone, and really look forward to watching this band evolve and become more and more comfortable with who they are as artists. Don’t let yourself get swept up by preconceptions and bullshit like I once did with this band – just get your hands on Degeneration and enjoy a fine example of metal ingenuity and progress. I know for sure I’ll still be thinking about this one by year’s end.

10 songs in 21 minutes, so the grind label applies, but only generally as there’s more going on here. On the first track, which is barely over one minute, they show their riffs, the harsh vocals, some gruff cleans, and some pit worthy breakdowns. It’s over fast, though.

If you’re looking for something longer, that sounds personal and I’d recommend checking Craigslist, but as far as tracks here, none qualify. “Human Offense” crosses the 2-minute mark with its punk rhythms and ever-present bass. The riffs are straight grind, though. Just past 2 minutes, it all comes to a chaotic close.

“Rope Drag” is the very next one and it smokes. With a death snarl/spit to start, frontwoman Liz Selfish dominates while also giving the instruments time to breathe. It’s heavy as, you know, something weighty. Elephant Seal?

As is tradition, the two last tracks are the longest. “Sugar Bastard” is second to last.  Powerviolence? Punk? Grind? If you ask the band, according to what I’ve seen, they call themselves “Bimbocore.” I just knew there was a breakdown coming a minute in, but it’s not really the case. No slight, it’s just not what I expected. The track is still groovy as hell.

Bringing up the end is the title track, “Social Grace,” if you couldn’t already infer. The breakdown is almost immediately. There’s another, though with about a minute left. It ends the track and therefore the album, fading out to officially close it.

Just like the album, this review might be short. However, with music in this genre, that’s the game. It works when the album is so good that you want to listen again immediately. With Social Grace, I want that. I was skeptical because I’ve seen them a couple times now, and some of the most entertaining spots are between songs when they use pop hits, mostly from my era when I was a young elitist and hated it, but now appreciate it for what it was. It doesn’t matter and they’re not missed. High marks indeed, and I’ll continue to proudly wear my pink Brat Mean Girls shirt. Well done and highly recommended!

The gentleman at the heart of Far Beyond is one Eugen Dodenhoeft who does not have much to his credit other than some time in virtually identical sounding the international duo Euphoreon, but he has released two other albums under this moniker dating back to 2005.  And both projects seem heavily influenced by Wintersun, with long songs, though Far Beyond is a bit more moody and introspective and has slightly less speed-and shred-driven songs, preferring a more languid grandiosity.

The more mid-paced, but still rousing bombast and bombast is driven by Dodenhoeft’s epic keyboards and choirs, though the programmed drums aren’t quite as dynamic. He used a standard melo-death rasp as well as quite heavy use of clean vocals, which aren’t terrible, but also don’t really stand out.

With only 4 songs which run from 8 to 10 minutes and 3 interludes, the album the standout moments are often buried deep within a song such last couple of minutes of “Symphony of Light”, the nice little jaunt about 4 minutes into “Tempus Figit” or the cool little march in the closing title track. All of it is well-produced, lavish, and dripping with choirs and orchestration.

And all of these things make the album a winner in my book and a solid release overall, and I hope Far Beyond continues to develop and improve with future releases.

What doesn’t surprise me is its excellence. Starting with what I thought was just going to be a quick mood setter, “Emergence,” while brief, indeed sets the proper expectations, leading into “The Inexorable Earth.” Blast beats everywhere, clean, yet visceral production and an unrelenting throat-shredding vocal performance are just a few of the characteristics that stand out upon first listen. In some of the vocals, the bite at the end reminds me of Atilla (Mayhem vocalist, not the awful band of the same name).

A bit longer and nearly halfway through, “Within Our Dominion,” immediately showcases the brilliant drum performance, as well as the shiny guitar tone. That main riff is catchy as hell, too. The death metal vocal approach, as with many of the tracks, blurs the lines between black metal and death metal, but who cares? Sometimes they’re so low, they’re almost in brutal slam territory.

When checking the album cover for this, you know it’s going to be dark and heavy, but maybe I wasn’t expecting it to be so intense. There are infectious melodies, mostly in the solo sections, but the intensity is nearly unrelenting, which some will see as a positive, and I’m not saying it isn’t. Just that I would enjoy a little more melody. Give my neck a break!

No, though. As the album nears its conclusion, a death metal Emperor seems to have written “Ghost in the Smoke.” The melodies abound, once again, especially in the extended solo section, but the blasts are fast and relentless once again. Maybe they’ll finally give the listener some long-awaited reprieve on the longer closing track.

“Winter’s Embrace” is that closing track and you may have guessed that answer is “no.” Well, good scholar, you’ve been paying attention. You’re correct. However, there is a somewhat lengthy instrumental section, which sounds straight out of Blashyrkh. However, it’s as brutal, just missing the vocals. It’s not like they brought out the grandpa’s guitars for a fire pit sitting.

As you might have noticed, there are faults. The unrelenting pace is the glaring one, which may not even be factor if the album wasn’t 45 minutes. While that’s not egregious, it’s a factor. Don’t get me wrong, Depths is still highly enjoyable and worth many repeated listens. I also have the sneaking suspicion that listening to it even more than I did to review, will be rewarded. So, give it the time it needs to burrow into your skull.

But look, 23 years is a long time to be sticking with the same band, right? Hell, even 18 years would be a lot, which just so happens to be how long vocalist Jason Peppiatt has been at Psycroptic‘s helm. So who could blame him for needing to venture out a bit? To stretch his legs and refresh the system with a whole new and different project to keep the creative juices flowing at maximum capacity, which I’d imagine why he’s decided to go completely wild and… start a Death Metal side project… with the help of Psycroptic drummer David Haley… Listen I said Tasmania is small OPTIONS ARE LIMITED.

I’m being intentionally obtuse here, obviously, because actually Domination Campaign, if you hadn’t caught their debut album Onward to Glory in 2021, is quite a different beast than Peppiatt’s regular gig. Where Psycroptic blows you away with technical wizardry, Domination Campaign, as the name suggests, is pure and simple aggression. We’re talking war-themed Death Metal in the style of Death Metal. No frills, no fuss, just churning, grinding heft with a newly increased dose of melody to make every Bolt Thrower and Sinister fan sit bolt upright in rapt attention. This is a record that will give every Asphyx or Hail of Bullets fan a semi in 5 notes or less, and a full-on, diamond-hard soldier at full salute by album’s end. Full transparency: my pants are real uncomfortable right now.

Also full transparency, this is far more my preferred kind of Death Metal than the Tech-forward offerings of Psycroptic. I will make no attempts to compare the two because, well, it’s pointless, but from first note I knew Domination Campaign and I were gonna get along just fine, with opener “Time to Die” getting things started with the kind of drumming onslaught that could kickstart an entire army into a blitzkrieg attack. Coupled with some heavy, straight-ahead, aggressive riffing and Peppiatt’s instantly recognizable vocals, it’s a celebration of everything good and mighty about classic Death Metal – a notion made even more clear on “The Iron Beast” which, as much as I’m thoroughly enjoying Peppiatt’s guitar work, truly showcases how much of this project’s juice is driven by Joe Haley’s militaristic, thematically spot-on drumming. It’s a masterclass, elevating the simple but hugely effective riffs laid down throughout this record, including the one unleased at the 1:38 mark that makes me want to start a non-mechanical, completely hands-on home demolition business. Just grab a sledge hammer and fucking get at it. Even when he does decide to get weird, like backing the final breakdown of “Winds of Death” with some jazz grooves (because why the fuck not?) it doesn’t come across out-of-place. It’s just super interesting.

This record truly has no let-up. It doesn’t so much take you on a journey as much as it just drop you right into the middle of a World War II campaign and let the ceaseless horrors assault your senses from start to finish. The super groovy “D-Day” hits with the intensity of its namesake, putting you directly on some French beach as machinegun fire rains down around you, artillery shells blasting in every direction. I especially love the slowed, epic break leading directly into the track’s pulverizing bridge. It’s the sound of a tank phalanx slowly and inevitably grinding bone and guts beneath their treads as they advance over a battlefield, leaving nothing but human pulp in its wake. The sheer droning heft of “Storm the Lines” is enough to make any regiment trying to defend their ground feel doomed, the inescapable fate of their brutal demise becoming more and more clear with every volley of enemy fire. That hopeless feeling continues to “Pit of Disease,” which seems to drag you face-first through every stage of onset madness that I’d assume would come from being trapped in a fetid pit of rot and decay – from the panic of it’s frantic, chaotic beginning, through the lucid awareness of Death’s presence just over your shoulder, to the complete mental breakdown that comes from waiting for it to pounce. It’s as brilliant as it is pummeling, which is, I can tell you, VERY.

The relentless energy of A Storm of Steel is such a nice little surprise to stumble across in the new year, and I’m feeling really confident this is one I’m gonna keep coming back to throughout the year. Certainly, there’s no questioning the pedigree of the musicians involved in this project, and the end result is a fantastically effective, even if pretty straight-forward record any Death Metal fan should be more than thrilled to add to their rotation. The riffs are plentiful, the grooves bone-shattering, and with just the right amount of melody thrown in, this is a really easy record to put on and enjoy right away. Check it out PRONTO.

Oh Bats, how dost I love thee. “Egyptron” is like their version of “Powerslave”, it fucking soars and dives like the namesake nocturnal creature and is a 5:00 minute epic in its own right; oh, and it features the Egyptian Lover (yes, that one) who raps on the track. “Rusted Gold” is a Thrash Metal Country Western Ballad, say that three times fast. I digress, because it is a brutal song despite the added genres, I threw in there, the chorus is bombastic and triumphant, think of Lorne Green’s “Ringo” but on amphetamines.

Other bangers are “Materialize”, “Dreamstealer” (which is not a ridiculous take on “Dreamweaver” by Gary Wright, in case you were wondering) and the catchy as hell “Secular Saw” however it is the closer, “Bats in Your Hair” with the most insane saxophone solo courtesy of Gavin Kerins. Philly comments: “BATS is a testament to our exploratory spirit – it’s the weirdest album we’ve ever made, but it feels totally like us. Some of these pieces venture into unfamiliar territory: melodic here, grinding there, even funky in spots. It was very freeing, and the result is catchy, powerful and fun.” Indeed, it is, sir.

Bats is an album that has become a constant in whatever rotation I have. Sometimes an album just grabs you by the face and gives you a giant smooch before ripping it off. This is that record. I urge you constant reader, pick up this one and listen to it everyday. You won’t be sorry.

And that continues with the, again epic, space-themed follow-up. As you can tell from the cover, we are talking about space opera levels of galactic battles traversing the stars between vast cosmic entities and such with titles like “War Vessel”, “Sky Breaker”, “Promethean Fire”, “Gemini” and “Star of Extinction”.

The quality from the debut from the songwriting and the production is consistent from the debut. But It seems the album takes a while to really take hold. No knock against the likes of early enjoyable tracks like “War Vessel” or “Nocturneous” or 90s Gothenburg-styled “Gemini”, but it’s after the In Flames cover with the epic instrumental track “Promethean Fire”, where things really take off.

After that, we get “Star of Extinction”, a blisteringly melodic, stomping number, then the fiercely catchy and personal favorite “Paradigm Shift” with an absolutely gorgeous melodic lead riff, that highlights how good Astralborne has the potential to be. The sweeping “The Pillars of Creation”

As with the debut, the album closes with an epic title track ( the outro “Cadence of Sorrow” notwithstanding), this time 9 minutes instead of 12.  And like the prior title track, its the album’s standout, delivering a truly epic crescendo and climax to the album (with a brilliant cello bridge into the song’s superb second half), that as I said, builds and builds as it gets better and better.

But also with the debut, the album runs about 10 minutes too long and almost 56 minutes, which is a shame as all the really great stuff is in the album’s back half. But still, a damn fine album from an upcoming US band that should only get better.

They don’t take long to show you and they keep it simple. Meat and potatoes death metal is the name of the game here. The guitar tone is crisp as well as crunchy. Like hash browns. Potatoes, as I mentioned? When the third track “DeathCollector” starts after a few short ones, the vocals in some parts take on a sewer-drenched effect. You’ll know what I mean when you hear it. While the song itself could be considered mid-pace, their “mid-pace” is still quite fast. There is certainly more of an Asphyx doomy part with about a minute left, but it gives way to some speed quickly.

My favorite track is the fifth one, “Terrorizer.” There are some more of those sewer-drenched vocals, but where the track shines is about halfway through with a monstrous breakdown. However, in this section, while it’s heavy as hell, I don’t feel like the production allowed for its heft to properly shine. Perhaps that’s the main downfall of this otherwise solid affair. I could have used some more bass and fuller guitars. While not bad, it just sounds sterile. Just the way I like my women.

Speaking of women, I like to provide them an “Internal Expansion,” so track 7 is right up my alley… or theirs. Who knows at this point? It’s a nearly five-minute pummeling number, which I once again believe would have benefitted from a healthier production as well as some vocal variety.

Moving on, another slower track, relatively speaking, stands out to me. It’s track 9, the closer. It’s called “Rearview Guilt” and is the longest one at slightly over 5 minutes. As I’ve listened further, I do hear the bass more, specifically in this track. Around a minute in, it felt as if the band was going to appease those who like to pick up change in the pit, but it wasn’t meant to be, just back into the verse. After around 4 minutes, I felt sure it was coming. It had to! The song instead gets doomy until a raucous, brief solo section at the end.

That’s it and I’m whelmed. Death metal has been my favorite genre for the last couple of years. What the kids are doing is all right with me. Maybe that’s why I’m not as fond of this. It’s just not that specific kind of nasty I long for these days. If you’re into the old-school, meat-and-potatoes death metal, this release should certainly charm you out of some cash in your wallet.

There’s so much improvement and honing of skills on display that it’s apparent almost immediately. In the opening track, “Healing Grounds,” it’s clear Chelsea Murphy has stepped up her vocals, as she runs through her soulful cleans, but uses high rasps throughout. Her deep gutturals also come into play. The weeping melodies bring to mind Insomnium, but only if they did post black metal.

A lengthy track called “Levitating Pacifics” is just shy of being in the middle of the album. It’s about 8 minutes and has an intro with some clean guitars, very subtle background synths, and it lasts for nearly 3 minutes before it gets heavy. Blasts, lower growls, and tremolo-picked harmonies sync well together. This does not let up until around 3 minutes left where a spoken word section begins. This seamlessly transitions into a clean vocal passage, despite the fact the drumming never lets up. If there were any doubts before this, Dawn of Ouroboros has dived headfirst into progressive black metal.

The first half of the album is no slouch, as proven by the tracks I’ve just mentioned, but the latter 3 are perhaps the best on offer. “Castigation” feels like an interlude and when you look at its runtime, it seems obvious, but that’s not exactly the case. It begins with some soft-spoken words, but make no mistake, it turns vicious and has a slight metalcore bounce in its latter half, not completely abandoning those elements from their first album.

The closing track, “Velvet Moon,” is where it all comes together. There’s no lengthy intro, and Chelsea’s throat-shredding vocals are focused on destroying everything in their path immediately. I seriously hope she’s okay because they sound painful in parts. The vocals are at odds at least on the surface with the somewhat warm melodies, not unlike Ghost Bath or Kardashev, two instantly recognizable bands in the post-black metal subgenre.

I alluded to it before, but this new album is a step up in every significant way. It’s difficult to describe what’s different about Velvet Incandescence as opposed to other post-black metal albums. Perhaps it’s passion and overflowing youthful confidence. Perhaps it’s the feeling that this group seems as though they will continue to evolve creatively. It could be the tease that this is excellent, a definite must-listen, and album of the year contender, but their best work still seems to be ahead of them. We should all feel fortunate to witness it.

But in 2020, Colorado’s Fires In the Distance released their killer debut, Echoes of Deep November, a more melodic take on death/doom with some very nicely done orchestral arrangements from guitarist Yegor Savon.

Well on the all-important second album, Savon called in some additional help with some of the arrangements with Randy Slaugh (who has helped out with some string arrangements on The Devin Townsend Project and Unearth) and Mac Christensen, whom I could find nothing else about. As well as a full-string quartet.  to render those arrangements. And boy does it show.

Savon and co were no slouches, but Air Not Meant For Us, is exponentially better from start to finish than the debut. And not just because of the heavily increased string/orchestral/piano use, which adds some absolutely gorgeous atmosphere to some already brilliant melodic/melancholic death/doom. Everything has been upped: the songwriting, the vocals and the absolutely massive production are also beefed up.

Opener “Harbingers” immediately delivers the goods and shows off the new orchestral elements with some stellar, stirring strings and piano backing the steady lumber. And the gorgeous little piano refrain that arises around 4 and 7 minutes in, is simply wondrous. It sets the bar pretty high for the rest of the album.

Luckily, the next few songs are up to the task. “Wisdom of the Falling Leaves” opens with a somber cello, before a thunderous, more urgent Insomnium-styled gait and a melancholic/melodic riff to die for.  Again, a couple of lovely string refrains break up the hefty lope with killer results.

“Crumbling Pillars of Tranquillity” brings a more tampered doomy plod, but then there is a bit of an anomaly for me with “Adrift, Beneath the Listless Waves”, which is an instrumental number. I never really cared for instrumentals, but “Adrift” is utterly and knee-wiltingly perfect. With a chord progression similar to John Murphy’s “Adagio on D Minor” from the Sunshine movie, but with added strings and piano, it gets you right in the gut.

The next two songs have the tall order of following up basically 5 perfect melodic doom-death songs as “Psalm of the Merciless” is a pretty standard death/doom mope, but closer “Idiopathic Despair” almost recreates the brilliance of the album’s lead-off tracks, with an Insomnium vibe again, but still flocked in the album’s amazing string and piano work.

With Air Not Meant For Us, Fires in the Distance has catapulted itself into elite status with a second album that most bands dream of, and is going to be in the conversation for album of the year at a lot of publications I imagine. Definitely this one.

So why aren’t they?

I can’t quite put my finger on it. They check the above boxes with aplomb and could certainly be in the same ballpark as say Fleshgod Apocalypse. But ultimately as much as all the elements are well done, Triumphs is just lacking a certain something to prevent it from being a much more impactful listen for me.

The 9 lengthier songs (plus a cover of Naglfar’s “I am Vengeance”) for the most part, all kind of have the same pace and structure; busy, blasty, shreddy riffs and solos, rasped vocals and a layer of synths that should be utterly rousing and enthralling, especially considering the epic saga being told. But none of them truly standout or grab me, or any parts of any of the songs even.

Its all …..just …pretty good? From “Revenant of Valor” to  “A Tyrant Rises as Titans Fall” I’ve got absolutely no recall of virtually any moments from Triumphs when its over. The guys are good at their instruments, the production is modern and clean and certainly, they weave an epic tale, but I don’t feel the need instantly revisit a song or a riff at all at any point. The synths are pretty constant, but never generate anything truly sweeping or epic, they are just sort of ‘there’.

Even the mid-album song “Serpent Kings Venom”, the rare slower song on the album fails to generate any sort of blood-pumping, war-mongering emotions. The only songs that come close to garnering my attention are the following track “His Riastrad” and the saga’s concluding number “A Tyrant Rises as Titans Fall”. On the positive side, the album ending on Naglfar cover, however, hits all the right notes, but that’s easy considering what a ripper the original was.

It’s a pity these guys fall into the all too common tech metal pitfall of ‘great musicians, not great songwriters’, as I want to love them soooo much more. But for now, they, and Triumphs is a bit of a tantalizing letdown of sorts.

This review is going to be published long after the album has already been released, but I wanted to take my time with it, as everyone should. Simply put, I love Birth of the Marvellous, but for a while Of Golden Verse wasn’t connecting with me. When this happens, one can decide to write a hasty review or keep listening before jumping to conclusions. I didn’t have my mat with me, so that was impossible.

To begin, I was slightly intimidated, but not overly, considering the album is 10 songs and 49 minutes, which is about my limit. However, a song like “Royal,” quashed my apprehensions quickly. It has a rumble quite like earlier Tool before they overused it on every song since. It doesn’t hurt that the vocals are slightly reminiscent of Maynard. However, unlike current Tool, the build in this track is worth it and goes somewhere. Sorry, Tool. Maybe don’t wait 100 years to release a new album that’s a boring retread of everything else you’ve ever done.

I swear I’ll stop talking about that band and focus on Sermon because they deserve your attention. On the entire album, the production stands out as warm and clear, but it also has an analog feel. This is not easy to achieve, but every instrument has its place in the mix and can be heard.

This shines on “The Distance,” which is a slower track. The drumming stands out because of the excellent performance, but the soaring vocals are also the cream of the crop, or as the Wheel of Fortune iMac game in my 8^th-grade science class said; “cream of the crap.” This is not to say the track has a slow crawl because there’s certainly a driving riff in there, but the highlight is the ending of this 6-minute monster, where it’s smooth, not quite isolated vocals as it fades out.

It’s so difficult to pick a standout track, as there are several, making for an enjoyable listening experience. The band, and by “band,” I mean duo, has done an excellent job crafting an album full of tracks with different flows and crescendos, ensuring it’s never boring. However, I will say perhaps my favorite is “Golden.” It has an eerie synth beginning, which isn’t distracting, nor does it last long. The vocal hook of “they weigh them down” is in the verses, but the chorus is a slight variation. It’s quite brilliant. If ever you thought the band didn’t riff, this track will prove you wrong as well. It’s quite brilliant.

As I mentioned previously, this album may take a while for it to get its hooks in you, much like the bands in the introduction. If you spend enough time with it, all of its brilliance will be revealed as one hell of a progressive metal album. In my correct opinion, there’s not a moment wasted, not a second of being let down. Not only does each track stand on its own, but together they make an excellent second offering, which I believe surpasses the first. Don’t sleep on this surefire AOTY contender.

Lest you forget there is black metal within their “folk black metal” genre tag, the first short track, “The Battle of Sudden Flame,” will quickly end your confusion. It’s nasty from the beginning with harsh vocals, blast beats, and a tremolo picked riff. It’s a short burst of only around 3 minutes, which includes some background strings, so you know essentially what to expect.

Of course, there are several standouts, including the acapella “Requital.” It’s slightly over 2 minutes, and despite the lack of instrumentation, does not even feel slightly out of place on the album. It does lead directly into the viciousness of the next one, “Sepulchre (Don’t Vote).”

It must be said that a significant number of the tracks are short bursts, but all of them add to the atmosphere of this very well produced affair. Take for instance “Cruel Optimisms,” which is about half instrumental, half spoken word over the instruments. Sometimes, you just have to say what’s on your mind and not scream it.

This is where the album also really takes off. The next track, “In the Shadow of the Past,” has a beautiful violin section to begin, and it continues once the drums, bass, and guitar kick in. Once that part ends, there’s a palm-muted heavy section with excellent harsh bellows, but the beginning part comes back for a short time before launching into a faster, heftier section, which includes brief choral vocals. Following that blast section is a clean picked section to end the track.

That section leads perfectly into perhaps the best track on the album, which begins with a clean picked acoustic and some strings. This is another shorter track at barely over 4 minutes but has the best chorus of all. With excellent lyrics such as “Fuck every prison and fuck the bastards that put us in them, though I have this creeping feeling that the dark is closing in, I’ll still fight for freedom for every living thing,” you know what these gentlemen are about, and I’ve always been picking up what they’re putting down. It’s brilliant.

All that I really need to say is that folk metal is not typically my go-to genre in metal. It’s not often I enjoy, let alone thoroughly, but this album, as well as their previous, and a few other bands, are special, including of course Panopticon. 2023 has been stellar so far, and this is an early AOTY contender. Don’t miss it, even if you’re like me and only barely into folk metal.

Firstly, this album is a progression from their other work, which is not to discount it. However, it’s so well done that it feels like this is the top of the mountain for which they were reaching. It’s a concept album with an underlying story, but each song also stands well on its own, even the ones that are meant to be together.

The opener, “Euphoric Parasitism,” does an excellent job of setting the stage with a characteristically slow build. The song basically stops on a dime and changes a little more than 2 minutes in. I must admit that every time vocalist John Yelland sings the line “my body’s withered like an old fruit rotting,” I expect and hope he says “Fruit Roll-Up.” He doesn’t, but that might be the only letdown. The chorus is excellent, and the key flourishes in the background blend seamlessly.

I wanted to mention track 2, the title track here, but cut that part out, which I saw coming early on.

However, what I did not see coming is track 4, “Daughter of Swords,” with its blasting, squeals, and almost tech death opening. Upon the first listen, I looked down at my iPod (make fun of the old guy, you fucks) and wondered if I somehow started another album. Once the heavy main riff comes in, it still sounds slightly like a different band, almost like Dream Theater’s Train of Thought. Cheesy as it may be (this is power metal after all), this is the best chorus SO FAR on the album.

This takes us to tracks 5 and 6, “Ursa Minor” and “Ursa Major.” If you couldn’t already tell this album is personal, the lyrics right in the beginning will hammer that home. The first part also is the first time the phrase “brother bear” is mentioned, and while it may sound lame at first, it’s clear this is meaningful. In the latter track, the repetition of the “brother bear” phrase is unexpectedly catchy and emotional.

Of course, the longest track is the last one, “Metamorphosis.” There are some great leads, some somber horns, and of course the lyrics to match. The heavy subject matter comes together here in all 9 minutes. It’s rare that a long, mid-paced power metal track is worth the time, but this one certainly is. It’s beautiful, especially those closing lines.

As I mentioned previously, I haven’t indulged in a lot of power metal this year, but Judicator might render any other exploration unnecessary. What the band has done is something I have always wanted from power metal. Sure, dragons, wizards, and yes Blind Guardian, we know you guys take a yearly sojourn to the real-life Middle Earth just to jack off. It’s weird, but it’s fine. Dedication to their craft and what not. What I really want is for it to be personal and emotional. In other words, I’m impressed, and expect this album to make several year-end lists. It’s their best work yet. Pony up some coin.

In the first track, “Self-Help Book-Burning,” after the intro sample is over, if it wasn’t beforehand, they clarify how they feel about you with a quick “fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you.” I assume this is to the people who call them technical death metal because of the members other projects. Don’t get me wrong, this first track is so fast and furious it would make Vin Diesel erect. It’s a bruising pace, but there are no widdly widdlies to make it “tech death.” They do bring the groove, however in a, dare I say, melodic section with a little over two minutes left, but don’t worry. No clean vocals. Sam Bean still growls viciously enough to make you think you need a young priest and an old priest.

If you’re looking for something melodic, look no further than “Harvest of the Skulls,” which is a little longer at just shy of 5 minutes. Yeah, I said “melodic.” I’m sure there’s some sort of web search filter the boys have set up for this kind of thing and they’re going to find me and leave me in a bloody pulp for saying that, but it applies. The vocals and drums are still vicious and heavy, but the guitar takes a more laid-back dissonant approach for most of the runtime, but the last minute is well worth the wait.

One quality Werewolves possess is the capability to come up with brutal creative song titles. For example, “Nuclear Family Holocaust,”, which has a stellar, slightly unexpected pinch harmonics section. Otherwise, it’s another blast in the ass.

If there’s one downfall to the proceedings, it’s that by the time you get to the final two tracks, “Pride and Extreme Prejudice” and “Watch Your Mouth” respectively, one could be forgiven for thinking it all sounds a bit “samey.” At 9 songs and 35 minutes, that’s only an issue if getting your dick kicked in for that amount of time is a problem. I, however, am a masochist. So, with all that being said…

Despite what the band themselves say, you should buy this. Maybe they’re playing some reverse psychology of sorts because they seem like the type of gentlemen who don’t think you should listen to anyone or have them tell you what to do. However, they’re telling you that you shouldn’t buy their music. Luckily, I have a degree in reverse psychology and proctology from the University of Phoenix online, so I understand these assholes.

Or do. It’s your life, do whatever floats your penis. Either way, you don’t regret it.

Anyway, let’s get down to business. After a suitably murky opening track, the first real standout on this sickening sumbitch is the title track, “Engrossed in Decay.” Tom G. Warrior himself would be proud of the opening riff and the “OUGH” that comes along. However, I must say on the first several listens this song sounds a lot like John Tardy fronting Tomb Mold. Every riff here will get you moving, though.

The songs here sound fresh, although of course a little moldy, and dare I say, fun? Take for example “Huff the Stench,” which could refer to my opening paragraph. The first half of the song can only be described as a dirge, but the second half picks up the speed significantly, almost leading up to another “OUGH” before the song concludes.

The more I listen, the more frontman Aaren Pantke sounds like Martin Van Drunen, not John Tardy, which speaks more to his variance in shouts within the same style and is no insult. However, he does have the tendency to just make sounds, a lot like the legendary Obituary frontman, sometimes leaving long periods between any vocals at all and allowing the instrumentals to breathe, as in track 9, “Decomposed Embryos,” which has several of those “OUGHs” and “AHHs” before the vocals really take off about a minute and a half in.

After that, the closer, “Cask of Maggots,” of course the longest track, riffs your face off for 2 minutes before actual vocal lines come in. However, this song has a hook, believe it or not. With dirty riffs and suitably slimy solos, as well as a filthy, yet still stellar guitar tone standing out, this is the perfect way to close out the album.

This album caught me by surprise and is most certainly my favorite to come out in this nasty death metal style in some time, certainly my favorite this year. As I mentioned previously, this is nearly 50 minutes, but every single time I listen, I feel like it flies by in about a half hour. This is a strong contender for OSDM album of the year, and I hope these guys come around on tour as I’m sure they kill it live.

Where was I…? Oh, Undeath. Right. I reviewed their debut and enjoyed it for what it was, and I mention the above because this band is HYPED. All caps. A lot of this old school death metal gets the same treatment (see Sanguisugabogg) and your local death metal band who has no competent idea of song structure or how not to sound like a backed-up toilet live deserves all the hype, too, there’s no reason to hate these guys just because of a push. Listen to the music. If you like it, great. If not, move on.

I’m writing about this because I like it. To begin, there’s a quick little bass rumble before Alex Jones’ (not that one) vocals hit you Frank Mullen style. As far as production, his vocals are up front, carrying the hook. This is a groovy, mid-paced romp until halfway when the speed picks up, then a stellar guitar solo takes over. It lasts longer than expected, then we’re back into the main hook, and the song is over. All of that in about 3 minutes.

When “Rise from the Grave” hits a couple tracks later, it catches me a little bit by surprise. It’s not like they decided to write a Dio-esque ballad about dragons or angels, but the death thrash opening riff was a little unexpected. It all builds up with a sneaky hook and solid groove about 2 minutes in.

The next one, “Necrobionics,” however is the standout for me. The main verse riff is guaranteed to get you moving. A little over 2 minutes in, when they speed up momentarily, I enjoy the use of the China cymbal breaking up the blasts. This is another short, groovy monster.

If you’re looking for something a little slower, well that’s too bad…

Not slower, but slightly different is track 9, “Bone Wrought.” It’s quick, almost crossover thrash in pacing, and that solo tease is right out of that sub-genre’s playbook. That ending groove is spectacular, though.

The last track I’ll mention, which is the closer, “Trampled Headstones,” makes me want to see these guys live. It’s a solid, mid-paced beatdown, which is par for the course here.

10 tracks, 36 minutes, done. Listen to this. It’s worth your time. Put your preconceived notions aside and just enjoy the music. It breaks no new ground, but what really does? If that’s your criteria, you’re listening to the wrong genre anyway. Show these guys some support. Believe it or not, they do deserve it!