Eight songs in 42 minutes. “Gorge of the Dead” was the first single released for the album and opens the album, too. Bludgeoning riffage and Desecresy have their own guitar sound. Of course, it is rooted in Finnish lore with traces of Bolt Thrower, which is something many Finnish bands incorporate. The interesting guitar harmonies are what set Desecresy apart from other countrymen. Around the 2.28 marker, the song picks up the pace. 90’s era speed, some isolated bass guitar is thrown in as well. The song slows and is pounding heaviness at its finest. Tommi’s rough growls are all over this, too.

“By the Slowing Vortex of Time” has an ambient, yet short intro. Start and stop speeds, and Tommi having his growls all over this one. If you are unfamiliar with his vocal style, think Chris Barnes during Butchered at Birth, as well as Will, from Mortician. Deep bellows! Some slower moments ignite the depressive and dense fog that is Desecresy. Luminated around a shroud of atmosphere and creepiness, this song is most excellent. The guitar tone is also fleshed out a bit better on this recording. Some organic and powerful double bass erupts around us, too. Yet another winner of a song.

“Rotting Ghouls” opens with a really nice growl, and the song mellows a bit with the guitar harmonies and drums. The bass guitar comes in every so often, with monstrous distortion, too. It’s heavy, maybe the heaviest distortion Tommi has used in a while. It also does not sound like a wall of mud, thankfully. There are some excellent guitar riffing moments and pounding and slow depressive, heaving heaviness. He uses multiple guitar tracks as well, which creates a full sound. Hearing the harmonies over some of the riffing is pure signature Desecresy. Faster moments develop, but this song is mainly rooted in dark, creeping, crawling terror.

“Vanishing Existence”, at close to seven minutes, closes out the album. Synth-laden intro is piped in quite loudly, so be prepared. This melts right into the slow pounding and heavy music of just drums and bass guitar. The guitars and vocals eventually are incorporated. Double pounding speed and excellent isolated guitar riffing create quite the cavernous tone on this song, along with the deep vocals. Excellent harmonies and some brief guitar soloing as well. More excellent growls and pounding beats! The song ends as it began with the synths.

The Secret of Death is a top album from Desecresy. Memorable, heavy, depressive, and great organic recording. Captures the heaviness quite well. One thing you may not realize is throughout all the band’s albums Tommi has drawn all the album covers. He is precise with his usage of color. Each album boasts a theme and a main color. This one is a deep blue. It would not be a Desecresy album without skulls so he drew a few of them in for ya. The Secret of Death is one killer death metal album!

This album is the 14^th full-length from these Swedish trolls of brutality. Of course it’s a doozy, it wouldn’t be a Rogga album if it didn’t have dirty as fuck guitar tone, feral vocals, and the sickest riffing from the bowels of wherever Hell is in Sweden.

From the blast-laden first (title) track “As Mankind Rots” the pedal is through the floor. “Devoured” is, by contrast, a slower-moving creature. Throbbing double bass catches your breath as the track rolls over you. Paganizer in 2026 is a veritable force of nature. Sporting a glorious production that will leave you gasping on the floor, battered like a catfish on a Sunday evening.

Paganizer plays with tempos like a deranged cat with a mouse. “Aftermath Bleeder” and “Only Maggots” pulse with a prime era Death Metal heartbeat. They get into Bolt Thrower and Hail of Bullets territory on “Put on Your Gasmask” and “Hollow”… think Mercenary and On Divine Winds/ III: The Rommel Chronicles (respectively). As Mankind Rots is the fitting follow-up to 2024s Flesh Requiem because that was a perfect album in its own right.

“A Testament to Madness” and “Afterworld” are incredible centerpiece tracks, providing enough dynamics to keep it enjoyable as fuck. Is this Paganizer’s best album? That I can’t say, it’s pretty fucking brutal, the production, as I said before, is on point. Everything sounds phenomenal, proving that there are no signs of them slowing down anytime soon.

“The Rotting End” doesn’t let up for a second, it being a roller-coaster of tempo shifting madness, and not to be outdone, “One Way to the Grave” brutally ruins your ears… but then “Vanans Makt” comes dancing in. I almost wish the whole album was like this, not saying that everything else is subpar, but this track channels Korpiklaani, and it’s just bouncy as fuck. The addition of female vocals is a secret weapon that hopefully will show up on future releases.

At the end of the day, Paganizer has released another fantastic album (like I was surprised that they did). Chock full of relentless blasting, razor-sharp riffs, and earthshaking drums. Meat and potatoes Death Metal at its finest hour, and you fans of, well, anything Rogga Johansson has done in his career will undoubtedly eat this motherfucker up. So do yourself that favor you keep promising you’re going to do and get this album, before you rot away.

Awakening contains 12 songs and is the perfect amount of time, at 36 minutes. The title track opens the album and is an instrumental, and gets things started in the doomy sort of death metal the band plays. It’s a nice opening piece, and “The Flame” enters immediately with an isolated guitar riff before the swift death metal pace erupts. Paul sounds like a man possessed, singing in some hellish cavern. The tune slows down, and Paul’s deep, throaty, old-school vocals are perfect for this death metal. A neat Autopsy-influenced guitar solo takes form, and once it ends with the pinch harmonic, it gets right into the fast, not quite blast beat, death metal speed. There’s a plethora of tempo shifts, and these slow, doomy, sloth-like heavy moments are outstanding.

“In Battle to Survive” is up next and is something we all do as workers day in and day out, am I right?! Excellent drum rolls start this off with the doomy AF guitar tone, which has enough filth on it to make a pig jealous. After a mid-paced moment, the galloping comes in. Paul lets out some growls and then right back into the slower moment. Some moments in these sections have me thinking of Finland’s Purtenance, with the slogging dense heaviness, doom, and the mid-paced Bolt Thrower type of moments. I swear this album sounds like 199,2 and the organic production is not only warm and excellent, but you can hear everything. The bass guitar has its moments, too. Soon, we are swooned with a nifty guitar solo, then the mid-paced moment, and then the gallop. These catchy parts are strategically written, and I do enjoy that  they repeat to embed in our brains.

“A Ghost in the Mirror” is exactly what looked back at me, this Monday morning, as I was getting ready for work. More doomy heaviness with killer guitar solos and a higher-pitched growl from Paul. I like that Paul growls a lot on this album, as the previous efforts. Growls always add that extra oomph to the music and regular vocals. I see death metal bands moving away from this old school approach, and for me, it’s not a good move. The gallop takes center stage with a killer guitar solo, and in this moment, there is no way you will not be headbanging to it.

“The Spirit”, at under two minutes, is the shortest non-instrumental track on the album. It erupts out of the starting gates, with the double pounding technique, and Paul growling his head off, as if he is feasting on gobs and gobs of chicken that his mother-in-law just brought to the house. This song is just non-stop intensity, and then it’s over, and “To Sleep” ends the album, a 30-second instrumental. This ending tone reminds me of vintage Anathema, with the doomy, melancholic tone.

Awakening sports a magnificent album cover, and it goes perfectly with the music. Deteriorot know the art of writing memorable death metal without inserting blast beats into their songs. There are a lot of doomy elements on this, and fans of Incantation, Disma, Autopsy, and Desecresy should jump on this release quickly. Awesome, filthy, well-played, organic death metal!!

When I listen to this album I am transported back to Butchered at Birth.  This album has 11 songs in 44 minutes, opening with a close to 3 minute long instrumental – “Limbs Regeneration”.  You all know how I feel about instrumentals.  This starts with some atmospheric synths, then the metal kicks in.  It’s heavy, doomy and actually really good, but it’s maybe 2 minutes too long for my tastes.

“Lacerate to Dominate” is up next starting off slow, then picking up to a great early 90’s death metal pace as Dave’s vocals are as filthy as ever.  Sounding like Chris Barnes, in his early prime.  Midway into the song there’s some classic guitar soloing going on, taking me to early King Diamond like vibes.  This song has excellent mid-paced heaviness and thumping galloping old school beats.  Heavy stuff.  And the killer growl Dave lets out towards the end of the song is brilliant.

“Blood Monolith” starts things off a bit cheeky with Dave growling the title a few times.  It’s funny, actually.  GoG punishes the drums on this, the beginning blast is ruthless.  Alex Nihil Bass, Alejandro Lobo/ Víctor Guitars round things off with the rhythm section.  Punishing.  I like good heavy memorable guitar riffs and these guys provide that.  This song gets slower into a filthy doomy crawl that will level cityscapes across the world.  Excellent ethereal guitar harmonies in the middle of the song which traverse into guitar solos.  Great drum roll after that moment to signify the Holy Shit moment with a monster fast section and Dave letting loose again with another excellent growl.  That is something that is missed a lot these days in death metal.  Quality death metal growls, over certain musical structures, which work better than just singing.  Excellent!!!

“Guts of the Gore Gods” get the 2025 pick for the most “G” letters in a single song.  Fast and furious, and then the song settles down to a slower beat, and I enjoy Dave using his higher raspier vocals which are never irritating, like Barnes does.  They fit.  We even get a nifty little bass solo strum fest, listen close for it early on.  This song has some cool stop/start riffage, and over these moments Dave will let loose on a growl and the music over the growl is well crafted.  This happens a few times, allowing Dave’s throaty phlegmy growls to be heard in the speakers to further crush your ear drums.

The title track is yet another display of high quality old school filthy American death metal from Avulsed.  High velocity galloping old school death metal with squealing guitar solos and some excellent mid-paced heaviness and more guttural growls from Dave.  He truly is on fire with his vocals on this album.

Phoenix Cryptobiosis sports one helluva an album cover.  Avulsed knows about curb appeal and album art, for sure.  Some demonic hellion is in chains in a cemetery and looking to destroy the world if it gets free.  The production is organic allowing the heaviness of the guitars to have a warm and not plastic sound to them.  The drums have a killer mix, especially the snare.  It pops, but has a deep resonating, not tinny sound to them.  Dave is all over the place with his bellows, screeching and deep growls.  This is a damn fine death metal album!

But at the tail end of 2024, Revolting dropped yet another album, their ninth, and I wanted to see if the band sparked my interest again, or was this just another Rogga retread? Well to my surprise, The Night of the Horrid has indeed delivered a ‘fun’, catchy take on Swedish Death metal.

The formula, as with most of Johansson’s projects is simple, yet effective, and Revolting is indeed still his catchiest project, with a tone reminiscent of Dismember’s latter catalog. The 33-minute affair is 10 fairly similar songs of melodic Swedish death metal with a focus on galloping,  cantering riffs, and leads that are mostly all pretty identical in pace and speed. Basically the Massive Killing Capacity era of Dismember, with some Death Metal and Hate Campaign thrown in.

As I said, all ten tracks tread familiar territory, but they sometimes hit the mark pretty hard, such as the mid-album run of  “Hell From the sky”, “A Song For the Morbid” and “Shapeshifter”, and the album’s last few groovier tracks “Swipe of the Schyte”, “The Final Journey” and “Mask and Mallet”, which both give me heavy “Casket Garden” vibes.

Revolting remains a predictable if consistent band in Rogga’s arsenal, but I’m glad they are back on my radar with a solid ninth album.

Any fan of true old school death Finnish death metal understands the extreme lumbering heaviness that these types of bands craft with their sound, with some leanings towards Bolt Thrower/Asphyx in some cases with the extreme mid-paced crushing heaviness.  The band wastes no time in crafting cutesy little intros and “Mournful Echoes” begins with an extremely doomy guitar tone and the band has crafted basically a doom death song, as this song is heavy AF-listen to this on a good sound system with a sub-woofer to her the heaving heaviness.  The detractor of the song are the vocal mix.  Way to ‘effin high in the mix and the vocals seem a bit strained.  They are 90’s death metal vocals, but sounds like some of the throaty growls are strained.  The song picks up to a nice 90’s era’s death metal gallop, before cascading downward to a crawl and then “Transitory Soul of the Righteous” comes right in, it’s almost as if is an extension of the album-opener.

Once again the slow grinding guitars are depressive and dense.  The vocals are barked and throaty again, but the mix throughout the album with the vocals front and center, are a bit much, at times it drowns out the music, which is something you never want to happen on an album’s production.  This song picks up the pace a bit, then goes back into a grinding slow doom death dirge (D to the third power).  The growl right before the 2.40 part is excellent and the gallop is like 1988 all over, reminding me of Death, actually in their prime – the Scream Bloody Gore/Leprosy era, if you will.  The song gets faster and slows down some more with squealing guitars.

“An Invisible Master” starts…yes you guessed it, slow…a nice filthy guitar tone before the growl erupts with the galloping speed.  The speed picks up a little more and towards the end some double bass action comes in before the song ends as it began with the guitar riffing, and this time the vocalist is growling away.  “Nekromantik Spiritualism” is over seven minutes and is the album closer and starts doomy and the song picks up some speed and gets into mid-paced rumbling heaviness too, drum patterns, are pretty simple and some nice ethereal guitar soloing comes in equipped with atmospherics and growly spoken word moments.  The double bass, towards the end of the song is pretty fast and works well.

Overall Purtenance’s The Rot Within Us is solid old school Finnish 90’s era death metal, as the band was originally born and bred with.  The band has definitely shifted towards and embraced the doom death metal sound to the proverbial T.  As previously stated the high mix of the vocals, for me, is grating, and drowns out the music.  To me it seems that the music presented on this album is pretty simplistic in nature, which at times works quite well for this death metal style.  The album cover is super cool and whoever crafted the drawing should be commended.  Overall this is good, I was expecting the songs to stick with me a bit more, though.

Under the Sorrow name, they released the Forgotten Sunrise EPin 1991 and the Hatred and Disgust debut album a year later.  It was a tough run for Sorrow with being on the Roadrunner label as the band did not really do any touring and Roadrunner really supported more of the brutal death metal bands, such as Suffocation, Deicide, etc.. at the time.  I was pissed – those Sorrow releases are near and dear to me and really one can say they were one of the purveyors of the doom death metal scene.  When the band splintered Mike went on to be the drummer in a band called Dystopia One, kind of like an experimental carnival type of underground band with synths etc and I had already been in Internal Bleeding for several years.

You can imagine the fanboy in me when Mike would come and see me with IB, live… Much to my surprise I was asked by Mike to lay some brutal gutturals down on Dystopia One’s second album Attempted Moustache and I am on the songs:  “Skinheads Don’t get Hathead” and “Big D”.  Then decades later I am reviewing Brett’s atmospheric black metal band, Journey into Darkness and a couple of those releases on this very site, and I have been in touch with Brett on multiple occasions….blah, blah.

Death of Sorrow is 8 songs in 46 minutes with Andy Marchione returning to vocals/bass and Billy “I’m not related to Joe” Rogan also returning to guitars and Mike and Brett still at it.  I love the album cover as there are homages to early Sorrow with the demon-melting corpse from the Hatred and Disgust album making an appearance and the Roman numerals III to signify this is the third Sorrow release, very clever.  They also cover a song from the Apparition demo, Human Fear, “Hidden Fear”.

“Doom the World” starts things off with a nice opening beat and the song has a cool jumpiness to it and the signature Sorrow guitar tone is ever present.  I was not expecting that, I was expecting something different, therefore to hear this and Mike’s drumming, I remember all too well is melting this bastid’s dark heart.  Andy does not sound like he missed a beat with his vocal delivery.  Honestly, he sounds like he did in 1992 and he lets loose on some killer 90’s era death metal growls – pure excellence.  There’s a bunch of guitar solos towards the end and the song stays at a mid-paced speed until “Judicial Falsity” comes in next and the mid-paced moments are there and the song picks up speed as well.  The slower doom death dirge at the 3.40 section starts rearing its ugly head and I enjoy the guitar harmonies, but at the 4.13 part there is a little growl and the bludgeoning heaviness erupts into a groove and this would actually be a great headbanging and circle pit moment.  This part is terrific and one of the best moments the band has ever written, especially when Andy’s vox comes in.

“Required Irrationality” has some squealing guitars and cool solos and more doom death dirge with some atmospherics, making this a really good song.  The covering of their early material with “Hidden Fear”, is like a new song as it’s about double the time as the original, making this song over 9 minutes and the original song was 5 minutes and some change.  This new and improved version is one of the best songs Sorrow has written.

The production on “Death of Sorrow” actually retains the organic nature of the band and really sounds like it could have been released right after Hatred and Disgust.  All the instruments are mixed in quite nicely and…well….fuck, welcome back to the scene Sorrow, Death of Sorrow, is sooooooo damn good!

Fleshgore is a Ukrainian band that has been around since 2000 with 5 full-length albums under their belt, and somehow with everything going on (and multiple lineup changes), has managed to belt out a sixth album, and it fucking slays.

The above referenced bands are pretty much all you need to know. This is pure NYDM with so many goddamn grooves and slams, that Frank Mullen’s chopping hand would fall off. Literally, every song on this killer album has some sort of Dying Fetus/Suffocation-like stomp and breakdown that cull from Destroy The Opposition and Effigy of the Forgotten. 

Where to even start? The album gets right the fuck to it with an opening groove immediately starting “Distorted Lights”, where the Dying Fetus influence isn’t just worn on their sleeve, it’s fucking carved out of their arm flesh.  Or how about the title track’s massive grooves, or the killer waltz-y stomp of personal favorite “Inhuman Existence”, or loping, pinch harmonic devastation of  “Buried Truth” or the huge grooving march in “Hive of Insanity”? It keeps going and going and  I can literally keep going and cover every track right to short, sharp closer “Ad Astra”

All of it is rendered with a nice big, but razor-sharp guitar tone and vocals from Italian transplant vocalist Michele Borniotto, who is channeling his inner Jon Gallagher/Jason Netherton with dual deep growls and shouts with aplomb. Just listen to “Frail Utopia” and tell me thats ‘s not pure Gallagher/Netherton/Voyles era Dying Fetus worship through and through.

 Carnival of Flesh is also one of those albums that makes me go back and buy a band’s entire discography. It is also one of those albums that I get every year that is a late-year/December release that jacks with the year-end list that I’ve been carefully crafting for weeks.  And this year it’s Carnival of Flesh.. Good Job guys.

I’ve reviewed their last several albums and have been in touch with Tommi for some years now. The new album actually has some new things going on. A shortening of a track list with 7 songs, however the songs are lengthier and I notice a greater emphasis on sludgier passages. “Rivers of the Nether Realm” opening, and at close to 7 minutes erupts-into a signature Bolt Thrower right out the starting gates. Rumbling heaviness and excellent double bass until the Desecresy sludge kicks in. Those signature ethereal and creepy guitar melodies, which Desecresy are known for, tak​e center stage. The undercurrent of bass guitar heaviness is also emphasized more. We even are treated to a cool little bass guitar isolated moment which is terrific. The song speeds up then slows. Check out the 4.40 mark. This section is dense and suffocating. A true heaviness many bands wish to achieve but never do. Plus, it’s original as all hell. The melodies return to end the song as I feel like I’m being lead through an ultra-thick fog that I cannot even cut with a knife. Christ this part is heavy.

“Echo Beyond Time” is up next. Great slow buildup with Tommi laying down magnificent early 90’s era death metal growls. Really going deeper and at times sounding like my buddy Will from Mortician. Yes, Tommi out does himself on this album. A faster moment comes in mixed with Bolt Thrower sections until the doom death sludge wraps us all in low carb tortilla wraps and flings us across the ocean. Prior to the 4 minute mark the rhythm takes on a bouncy feeling with the guitar riff. super cool moment and then the haunting melodies return to tear through your soul.

“Cataclysmic Phenomena”, I believe is their longest song they’ve written. At over 8 minutes this has a slow buildup like a good 70’s horror film that was actually scary. Slow, dirgy and filthy. This song then gets into some more Bolt Thrower mid paced rumbling madness. Tommi sounding possessed and then the tune rips into a quicker moment before leveling off and getting into punishing heavier moments. The creepy guitars strangling the listener with the melodies as Tommi let’s more filthy growls and grunts erupt from his diaphragm. The 3.50 part with isolated bass guitar and guitar melodies is perfect. The song going back n forth with faster moments. The 4.40 section is ultra-heavy and a mass of dark riffage taking place. The song eventually trails off in an atmospheric fashion.

The rest of Unveil in the Abyss is equally awesome with “Dissolve Through Obscure Worlds” ending the album in a filthy fashion with some monster heavy riffs and a cool atmospheric moment erupting into a primitive blast beat. Desecresy is not the most technical band but realize the complexity of a song is making it less complex. These riffs always stay in my head. I’m not forced to have my head explode over 10,000 BPM’S with a million riffs. It’s why I go back to Desecresy all the time. One of my most listened to death metal bands. Tommi- you did it again you son of a gun. Please support Desecresy as they are a special gem in the death metal scene. Buy or Die!

Killing Addiction was an overlooked band and I would have bet years ago a second album was just not going to happen, therefore my hopes were set high for this release.  Patrick Bailey, Chris Wicklein and Chris York all are back in top form, as they were on the debut album, to bludgeon the listener to death.  The title track comes scorching through at under 3 minutes the song is vintage 90’s death metal and Patrick’s vocals sound so killer.  The song is fast paced and “As Utopia Burns” is up next.  Mid-paced and some excellent guitar soloing early one.  I really like the double bass drum sound.  For some reason they really stick out in the mix.  The guitar riffing at the 1.20 with the vocals coming in and out is a thing of beauty and then the fast part comes right in.  Some double pounding drums to rattle your fillings, before that awesome mid-paced guitar riff returns.  The classic beat after that will have you doing circle pits all damn day.  More guitar soloing and melodies.  This is an excellent song.

“Destroyer of Worlds” has a very cool opening and reminds me a little of early Gorguts with the opening – some of the riffing is a bit dissonant.  These are areas, which the band used to great effect on their 1993 debut.  Some of the dissonance on this song will harken back to Immolation’s earlier efforts as well.  Regardless, the guitar soloing comes back in and slower riffs which are just well-played throughout.  The fast double bass returns, more slow down and then quicker paces.  The vocals are just spot-on-sounding perfect and you can make out the bass guitar sound as well.  This song must be in their live set list.

“Lives Unworthy of Life” starts off rather chaotic.  A lot going on and then the song settles into a mid-paced speed, with more early Cannibal Corpse stylized death/thrashiness madness.  It’s killer, especially with the phase shifter guitar effect around the 1.50 part and more dissonant riffing.  I will point out the production on this album is great.  It brings out those weird sounding riffs, never muddies the sound and the notes and instruments are all discernible.  The 2.48 slower part, a groove moment, with some of the double bass kicking in and start and stop riffing and vocals would turn a pit upside down and shake all the people to the floor.  This must be in their setlist, going forward.  I love this song.  It’s that good.

“The Chaos Older than Time” is close to 6 minutes and has some great isolated guitar riffing, and you know this is a slow build-up, before the drums start crashing in, but the melodic, yet heavy riff is lightly picking.  Then the mid-paced rumbling heaviness comes in and then a quicker pace and the vocals over the music are excellent.  The excellent guitar riffing over the double bass continues and it’s quite a riff.  More epic moments erupt and this song has all the trademarks of Killing Addiction’s strengths.  There’s the dissonance, soloing, strong rhythm section and outstanding vocals.  This is my favorite song on the album.

Killing Addiction’s Mind of a New God is an excellent death metal album taking us back to the early 90’s.  The band proving they know how to write quality death metal.  There’s a few blast beats thrown in here and there, but not all that often and that’s fine.  Killing Addiction are about the heavy, catchy and weird riff patterns and the vocals are just super incredible on this.  Patrick stays with one tone throughout the album, but he does throw some raspy moments in, every so often.  But his main tone is just excellent, as they’ve been on the prior releases.  The production on this album is the best the band has achieved therefore they are brought out even more.  The album cover is great and kinda creepy.  That’s not Papa from Ghost, is it?  Anyway kudos to the band for continuing with their band logo, putting out this second overdue album and really maintaining that excellent 90’s death metal vibe.  Great ‘effin album fellas!

9 songs in 43 minutes and starting off with “Contempt of God”, there’s an intro of sorts right before the monster stop n start blast and then going into a nice mid-paced groove, before the vintage 90’s galloping death metal beat rolls in.  Vocalist Kirill sounding eerily similar to Frank Mullen off the Despise the Sun ep.  So it’s super brutal and venomous.  Drums are chest collapsing  yes that production is so damn heavy it will throttle you with a Jim “The Anvil” piledriver to the mat. Many intricate drum patterns and the guitarwork is spot on and the riffing is the best the band has ever achieved.  About a minute left to the song the monster groove section is beyond punishing.

The title track features a guest vocalist appearance by label owner and Avulsed singer Dave Rotten.  I have such mad respect for Dave.  I have followed him from the Repulse and Drowned Records days.  Hell he is responsible for releasing one of the greatest death metal albums of all time – Pyrexia’s Sermon of Mockery and yes I still have the original copy!  Anyway the title track alternates with brutal blasts and I can pick his gutturals at the 2.20 section – around that area are some excellent vocals and growls.  One of the things I notice a lot on Obscurantism Apogee, is that start and stop style blasting.  It’s really cool and kinda different, maybe because they use it frequently.  Pay attention to the end of the song with that last 30 seconds creating a sinkhole slam.

I have been in touch with the guitarist Max for several years now and he has been a longtime supporter of my vocal work in and out of Internal Bleeding.  When he asked me a few years ago if I would be interested in doing vocals for the new Ossuary Anex album I was like, absolutely.  As I previously stated I was already a fan of the band and had all their music – so I was super honored.  He actually was offering for me to do the entire song.  So generous, but sometimes I get a bit…, what’s the word…being asked to be a guest on an album I am extremely humbled that a band would want my vocals on their album, so the honor is all mine.  I always feel it’s more of an enhancement with a guest vocal appearance and I do not want to detract from the band’s focus and make it all about me, so I declined the entire song offer.  So I am on 2 songs; the last 2.  The main one “The Beyond-Man” features several long Rini signature growls as well as me throwing in a yup at one point.  And then vocals across the song and towards the end.  Then the last and longest track on the album, “The Great and Celestial Massacre” (love the name), has a long growl from me towards the beginning of the song.  So yes thanks again fellas – the collaboration came out awesome and the songs are quite intense.

Ossuary Anex’s Obscurantism Apogee is severe brutal death metal seeing the band making leaps and bounds as song writer’s and having one of the most bludgeoning productions, in recent memory.  You feel that gut punch over and over and over again and all the instruments sound excellent.  The layout of the booklet is exceptional and they even threw in a live shot of Dave for his vocal appearance and a recent live shot of me from the Internal Bleeding tour, 2 years ago, for the Bloodletting Tour.  So that is really something super cool for me to see.  If you love ultra-brutal death metal, played exceptionally and with deliberate conviction you have to pick up Obscurantism Apogee.  Please like Ossuary Anex’s FB page and the band is also on Bandcamp.  The band has worked very hard on their musical progression and it truly shows.  Top notch.  Buy or Die!!

They followed that up the following year with the    Awaken from Slumber album.  That was a very heavy, but a little uneven effort, with some abrupt song endings and some loose musicianship.  I interviewed some of the members around that time, because I wanted to welcome them back into the scene, since they had been gone for so long.  …to Spread the Flame of Ancients was and still is a killer third album, from them, and Paradox of Existence in 2017 was a nice 4 song ep and super heavy, but as always, retaining their doom and gloom heaviness to go alongside the Bolt Thrower type of rumbling heaviness which has always been an influence, in many Finnish death metal bands.

Now returning with their 4^th full length album, Buried Incarnation, Purtenance recorded 9 songs in about 39 minutes.  Songs are a little more streamlined than their 2015 3^rd album, which I am still a huge fan of – …to Spread the Flame of Ancients.  “Into the Arctic Gloom” is a 2 minute doomy sort of intro, with some signing towards the end of this mostly instrumental.  “Shrouded Vision of Afterlife” starts immediate as a plodding death/doom number and stays mostly in neutral for the song’s entirety.  The guitar riffing is great and the guitar sound excellent.  Super heavy and doomy.  Some of the song reminds me of songs on Asphyx’s self-titled album.  Very heavy and depressing.

“Under the Pyre of Enlightenment” has some excellent guitar melodies and extraordinary growls.  The song gradually picks up some speed and gets pretty damn fast and then the song gets back into the doomy moments and then into some Bolt Thrower type of rumbling heaviness.

“Deathbed Confession” is the longest track, at close to 6 minutes, starts with some excellent heavy and emotive guitar melodies. The rumbling heaviness returns and great old school death metal vocals.  Aabeg Gautam is the new vocalist, as well as bassist.  He also does the same for Dying out Flame – who put out the great  Shiva Rudrastakam 6 years ago – hey we need that follow-up now!  “Burial Secrecy” ends the album with a nice guitar melody over the doomy and heavy riffing.  Again, getting into the cavernous territory as the heaviness is quite dense and some really nice bass guitar work.

Buried Incarnation is a damn fine death metal album.  There is a little bit of a return to some of the loose style of musicianship – more in the drum category.  At times, a bit off, not as tight as the drums needs to be.  Second the production is a little rough around the edges, especially the drums.  The drums on the past album, were more hard hitting with the snare and double bass.  The double bass, on this, are more of a pitter patter, as opposed to a sound you feel in the chest – how double bass drums should reverberate.

Regardless of those issues, I really enjoy this album, because it’s Purtenance and maybe a little doomier as well.  I notice them putting the breaks on some of the blast parts and going for a really doom/death type of album – overall it works quite well.  Purtenance waves that flag of early 90’s death metal loud and proud.  This is awesome.  Check the band out and please like their FB page and pick up their releases.

Opening with “The Gate”, this is one of the strongest songs the band has ever opened with.  The killer guitar riff is not without melody, early on, until it gets into the bludgeoning steamrolling heaviness and the isolated guitar riff around the one minute mark is killer as the song picks up speed and then gets right into that creepy guitar melody, from the beginning.  One of the most memorable riffs for 2019.  At the 2.35 mark the isolated riff gets into more atmospheric passages with the plodding bass and snare drums and then right into a massive guitar riff, which is as thick and dense as an early Spring fog.  The opening guitar riff closes out the tune and one of the best songs Desecresy has ever written.

“Fringes of Existence” is another highlight.  Terrific opening guitar melodies, with a lot of atmosphere and then right into a fast part, not blasting, but fast death thrashy beat, then back into the awesome guitar riff and then right back into the fast part.  You don’t know which end is up and the song has crazy time changes and the atmospheric guitar moments mixed in with the ferocious heaviness is something Desecresy does exceptionally well.  They do it to a point that I have yet to find a band that combines such weird emotive, atmospheric guitar melodies mixed in with bludgeoning heaviness.  “The Damned Expedition” has such a punishing ending to it with the guitars and plodding nature of the song.  “Forms in Echos” ends the 11 song 37 minute album and it’s mostly and instrumental. There are some vocal lines in the beginning, but by and large the song is devoid of vocals and I’m just not a fan of closing out an album with instrumentals, but Desecresy can pull it off somehow and keep my attention.  It actually is befitting to end the album with the song and the melodies and riffs are super emotive and strong.

So there you have it.  Desecresy’s Towards Nebulae is a strong album, on par with the last album, The Mortal Horizon, in terms of song structures however the production on Towards Nebulae destroys the past album and overall the songs are more fleshed out this time around.  It could have something to do with Tommi now a little more confident as operating the band himself, because this album slays from beginning to end.  Little hiccup of the packaging.  The physical cd while it looks different than the physical cd of The Mortal Horizon on the Towards Nebulae cd rather than the album name printed on it, a fuck up happened and The Mortal Horizon album name is printed on it.  Dave, from Xtreem, explained it to me.  Something like this can have a tendency, as it did me, create unnecessary consumer confusion.

The booklet is simple with the lyrics in there and Tommi once again does the artwork.  The continuance of the blue color shading from the prior album permeates this cover.  This is a real creepy and weird cover and again the use of light shading is phenomenal and the cover fits Desecresy’s sound perfectly.  Towards Nebulae is one of the strongest albums Desecresy has released and this needs to be in your collection, now.

Here’s one of those reissues that has be scratching my head. There are plenty of albums that deserved  a reissue- for example Desecrator’s Subconscious Release a few years ago, or God Macabre‘s The Winterlong, or Gorement’s The Ending Quest. Hard to find albums that were overlooked, or before their time, badly produced, or just amazing records that went out of print. So honestly, please tell me of I’m wrong- was anyone reading this site really, truly clamoring for a reissue of  Killing Addiction‘s 1993 debut Omega Factor?

Originally released on the legendarily bad JL America, (that should be a clue), I missed this album the first time around, and probably for good reason- it’s not really very good. It’s OK, a rough and ready melding of early American death metal (Suffocation, Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel etc) , thrash and technical metal, but certainly nothing I would deem worthy of legendary status needing a reissue.

There’s some OK American death metal chugging , squealing and blasting going on, and the title track, the album’s best cut is a solid number , but then after that with ” Equating the Trinity” and “Nothing Remains” delivering the same song, I’ve lost interest with the boring riffs and faceless growling vocals. Even attempts at being a little more experimental such as “Impaled”, fall flat.

If you really are a collector of obscure, unnecessary releases, as a bonus, you get 1991’s Necrosphere EP and 1990s Legacies of Terror demo along with a remastered version of Omega Factor, which still sounds pretty rough, and these 6 tracks are even rougher. There are no other bonuses  such as liner notes or stuff, just a slighter more colorful take on the cover art.

When you consider 1993 also saw the release of Covenant, Individual Thought Patterns, Screams of Anguish,  Elements, Stillborn, Dreams of the Carrion Kind, and Breeding the Spawn ( where the fuck is THAT reissue????) and that’s just the notable American releases that year, Omega Factor seems almost comically neanderthal and amateurish in its delivery and style, even compared to more obscure, underground  releases of that year like say Rottrevore’s  Iniquitous,  Deteriorate’s Rotting In Hell, or Morta Skuld’s Dying Remains. But I suppose that’s some of the charm, and maybe this is a bit of a ‘cult’ release due to its competition that year, but I personally don’t see it .

To those with ears virginal to the sounds of The Grotesquery, it probably will come as no surprise in finding out that Rogga Johansson (Paganizer, Ribspreader, Down Among the Dead Men, Putrevore, Echelon, Johansson & Speckmann) is involved in this project. After all, one can hardly throw a rock in the extreme metal scene without hitting one of the man’s many bands. Add the mighty Kam Lee (Mantas/Death, Massacre, Denial Fiend, Bone Gnawer, Akatharta) and bassist, Johan Berglunnd (Echelon), and drummer, Brynjar Helgetun (Johansson & Speckmann, Cyrpticus), and what you get is a solid, well crafted, impressive, and enjoyable body of work that successfully blends the better moments of the member’s previous and present bands into an old school, head stomping slab of horror flavored death metal. A little Swedeath might (Entombed, Bloodbath), a little huff and heft of the U.K. (Bolt Thrower, Benediction), and of course, a bit of Floridian/Americanized brutality (Massacre, Denial Fiend) all wrapped up in a skin suit aura of Crypticus and Fetid Zombie.

Friends, I’m not going to lie to you. There’s nothing on this album that you haven’t already heard before, but don’t let that, let you pass this thing up. Original or not, this is some extremely well written material and more than solid. In fact, I’d say every track on The Lupine Anathema is a winner, with no real slack or filler to be found; including the short narrative track/ almost title track, “The Lupne Anathema: Advent of the Werewolf”, and its brief but informative tale, influenced of Lovecraftian lore meeting Algonquin legend. Whether it’s the Gothenburg meets Denial Fiend opening and driving melodious flair of “By Feral Ways”, or the fatttened groove and melodic and sinister tremolo happenings within “The Faceless God”, or the aptly titled, and one of my personal favorites, ”Dark Cry of the Wolf”, you’ll have plenty of great material to sink your teeth into. The ability to channel acts like Nosferatu and Sisters of Mercy into an ever so slight vibe within the group’s already established sound in the aforementioned, “Dark Cry of theWolf” is quite impressive and adds to the zeal and avidity that The Grotesquery manages to capture.

Also adding to that ardor is, of course, the stylings of Kam Lee. Admittedly, Lee’s involvement in The Grotesquery is a big draw for me. Not that the man has ever really been a multifaceted vocalist, but what he does, he does damn well. And what he does, is not only deliver and provide some intriguing storylines and killer growls and gurgles, but he also maintains an air of fun within his serious demeanor of esophageal rampages. An air that is upbeat, raucous, and in your face, very punk like in attitude, but full of death metal fervor.

Through and through, The Lupine Anathema is a really good and sometimes great album that kicks some old school ass. If you’re a fan of any of the member’s prior and/or current bands, then I don’t see how The Lupine Anathema wouldn’t be appealing to you as well. The band really seems to take the time to give each track its own identity and personality, yet they fit together with one another like pieces of a puzzle, bringing together and completing the overall picture as a whole perfectly. With a variety of tempos and change ups within each song The Grotesquery achieves a top-notch atmosphere of dirty, dank, organic, earthen forebodingness that should really satisfy many a metalhead. Hopefully, the group has a lot more material planned for us fans, as I feel their best album has yet to come, which truly makes for an interesting and exciting future ride for fans and listeners.

To be quite honest, that is damn near everything you really need to know in regards to whether or not you, as a listener, will enjoy 11:11. If you, like me, are a Sinister fan, and you hold those first four full-lengths in pretty high regard, then you shouldn’t even think twice about picking up a copy of 11:11. While Neocaesar is its own band and is forging its own path, one cannot deny the unmistakable tone and spirit, or Sinister-isms, if you will, that permeate whithin every track of 11:11. Whether it be “From Hell”, and its old school vibe that would fit perfectly between Hate and Agressive Measures, the fat catchy riffs of upbeat blaster “Invocation of the Watcher “ , or the mid-paced punisher of album closer “Blood of the Nephilim”, this behemoth of the Netherlands stomps with every bit of aplomb and fortitude of the many times over, aforementioned band that a couple of these guys originally sprang from.

Without a doubt, picking an album highlight is quite the task as no specific tracks really outshine the others in any particular way. A good thing, as there are no real stinkers to be found, but a bad thing as well, as there are no real monumental moments to be found either. Though personally, I did enjoy “Victims of Deception”, with its prominent bass, slick groove, intelligent change-ups, and its flares of etherealism that pop up towards the last 1/3 of the track and “Angelic Carnage” and its fattened, angular death goove, a tad more than the other songs. I  especially dug the latter track’s faux ending, which lead back into some great syncopation and tasty bits of slight melodicism.

Originally self-released by the band a year ago, Spain’s Xtreem Music has since picked up the album and given it a proper label release, much to the delight of many a metalhead. Chock full of groove, rhythmic flow, and melodic licks that’ll make one damn near yearn for death metal’s golden years, the actual plausibility of you being a fan of Neocaesar is obviously, quite simple. Are/were you a fan of Sinister, especially of those first three, and I dare say four, full-lengths? If not, then may I say “thanks” for hanging in past the first paragraph, though if the answer is a resounding yes, then you are in for a nice little treat as Neocaesar and 11:11‘s aural delights sit firmly, and proudly in that classic era of …well, you know who…

The title track opens with an acoustic intro before erupting into a mid-paced power-thrash rumbling with killer guitar solos.  One of the singers Klemen emulates is the great David Wayne (RIP) of classic Metal Church/Reverend fame. So wonderful to hear and in some parts I close my eyes and it brings me back to 1984, sounds unreal.  The song is a slower tune, but is dripping with riff after memorable riff.  Klemen hitting some incredible highs towards the end of the song.  “Drones” marches on with some thrashing and a classic beat at the 25 second mark.  You’ll know it once it comes on and you will be holding the horns high with this.  Ivan doing some great drum rolls, high-hat and cymbal hits.  The song picks up to a quicker power-thrashing pace and it’s pure 80’s thrashing with excellent vocals patterns and Grega and Andrej having some killer guitar melodies and riffing.  New bassist, Nika, well she provides a real nice bass guitar sound, adding to a more powerful rhythm section for Eruption.

Don’t forget Ivan knows how to blast away and with “The Yearning” you’ll be treated to some outstanding power, grind blasts that recall Pathfinder and guitar solos over the blast are perfect.  Super powerful tune.  Tough to find a favorite song.  I know Jason “Hey sorry I had to raise the rent at the Brill Building” had to get himself away from The Brambles, as you was frequenting it too much, and said how much he loved “Seven Archons”.  I could not help but agree.  The chorus is fantastic and the song starts out thrashing out the gates, with a little pinch harmonics thrown in, to knock you back into your chair.  The 1.17 part is when the chorus comes in and is so catchy with the music and vocal patterns.  Summoning some killer power metal moments, this is one of my favorite song moments for all of 2017.  Luckily this repeats again, a little later on.  I cannot get enough of this part, it’s magical.  The production on Cloaks of Oblivion is perfect, no complaints, the booklet packaging, album cover, musicianship-all of this release Shows how much Eruption put into this album.  I can tell it was not an easy album to make.  Strong and complicated strong structures with so much catchiness-this is not easy to do folks.

The long wait, between releases was worth it.  I encourage Eruption to continue adding the power metallish elements to their monstrous thrash sound and to develop even more of those catchy choruses.  It’s just the tip of the iceberg with Eruption, I can tell.  Cloaks of Oblivion is a tremendous album and has a lot of classic elements thrown in, which I appreciate.  Will be on my best of this year, easily.  Buy or Die!!

I find The Mortal Horizon bringing more of their atmosphere back, from prior albums, which I love.  I loved their last album, Stoic Death, but it was missing some of that atmosphere and with a full two years between releases, The Mortal Horizon, brings it back ten-fold.  “Amidst” gets into a fast passage and then Tommi’s haunting guitar melodies and I am noticing the guitars are slightly heavier and Tommi does a bang up job on vocals.  He sounds similar to Jarno, just deeper.  The 2.19 moment with the simple drums patterns and guitar melodies really work at isolating the music and this is killer when the fast part comes in and then right back into the demolishing mid-paced roll that feels like tank treads are burying you in the mud.  “Percussive Necromancy” has a great and haunting beginning with a killer off-kilter beat.  The 34 second isolated guitar part is the Holy Shit part as it goes right into a mid-paced rumbling heaviness that is filthy and disgusting.  There are some fast passages to the song and the true organic nature of Desecresy is one of the many things I appreciate and love about their music.

The Mortal Horizon ends with “Approaching Infinity” which begins as sort of funeral dirge, doom/death number.  Very depressive and the haunting guitar melodies return to swallow your worthless soul.  While it’s cool, it’s an instrumental and I am not a fan of records ending with instrumentals.  There is a lot of atmosphere soaked in on the track, but maybe placing the track in the middle somewhere, would have worked better.  This really is my only gripe with an otherwise strong release from Desecresy.  The Mortal Horizon is drenched in heaviness, doom, gloom, depression, organic and true stripped down heavy death metal.  Desecresy are not technical, not blasting, but stay true to form on this album.  The haunting guitar melodies are on display throughout the album and on “Perpetual Waves”, with the killer bass guitar lines is a thing of beauty.  Desecresy’s songs are easy to headbang to and a wonderfully catchy as well.

Tommi once again creates a phenomenal album cover.  Their album covers captures the essence of their music and the use of blue tones against the black landscape is excellent.  He also places light in all of his covers and how it reflects is just eerie.  I love it!  Played with emotion and passion, The Mortal Horizon is a wonderful release for 2017.  Buy or Burn in Hell!

Blistering and enjoyable is what I got though, along with other telling adjective praise, such as tight, furious, skillful, awesome, powerful and obviously, capable and competent. Original though? Not in the slightest. Of course, when we’re talking about a band playing/rooted in the throwback style of ’80’s thrash metal, originality isn’t really an option. The thrash greats have already brought the pain and paved the path. No, originality is now replaced by authenticity; and when the songs are done right and the execution slays, today’s authenticity can (arguably) take the place  of yesterday’s originality. Holycide achieves this authenticity in spades, proving that not being a pioneer in the sound does not make them less potent.

Storming out of the gates with “Afterworld Remnants”, its aggressive thrash mix, both modern and classic in its fury, sets the table for what is to follow; a musical smattering of Eastern and Western hemispheres, of Exodus, OverKill, and Dark Angel working within the might of the Teutonic titans (Sodom, Kreator, & Destruction). Vocally, Dave Rotten (Avulsed), resides in a John Tardy(Obituary)/Kelly Shaefer-esque(Atheist) tone but with that aforementioned Teutonic viscious attack. Rotten’s thick and heavy accent shines through as well, giving the material that somewhat weird and sometimes annoying, but overall, intriguing charm that Vader and Unleashed produce. In fact, a lot of the feeling I get from Rotten reminds me of that Unleashed/Johnny Hedlund type of victorious attitude.

Picking an album highlight is nigh impossible, and even redundant honestly, as every song of Annihilate… Then Ask!‘s ten track affair stands solidly on its own two feet. From  the Anthrax meets Destruction rhythms of the album’s title track, to the intense Vader-ish beatdown of “Motorhead”, or the quick paced pummeling of “Deserve to be Erased, with its impressive drum work and speedy fills, each composition is guilty of offering something worthy of a fist pump or a windmill inducing neck wrecking. The mid-paced stylings of “Bonebreaker” really gets the head moving, with its catchy, tight riffing giving way to speedier territory at the 2:30 mark, with some tasteful fretboard runs adding some great flair. The track flawlessly shifting at the 3:52 mark into darker thrash pastures is superb, even if it is only for a few fleeting moments.

“Leather, Spikes, Chains, and Blood” is a fast, blasty thrasher, reminding me a bit of Exhorder at times. The track has some great dynamic change ups with fantastic soloing and bass work rising up around the 2:10 moment, followed by some well done raspy spoken word and some continued impressive lead work. It’s a pulsing number with a catchy, cheesy chorus and some nice gang shouts to help top things off. Album closer “Back and Forth” continues to bring the pain with devastating drums and Slayer-esque leads kicking things out until a sweet bass line breakdown quickly sets fat riffs and syncopated drums into effect. Deathly vibes take over at the 2:03 mark, complete with blasts and gutturals, shortly giving way to laid back riffing and slower, elegant lead work  pushing the material forward as Rotten continues in his more standard Avulsed death vocals. The track eventually makes its way back to thrash realms, proving that this song is aptly titled, as it indeed goes back and forth from a thrash majority and death minority.

I have to hand it to the guys in Holycide, they’ve crafted a damn good album in Annihilate… Then Ask!, with every member really bringing their A-game when it comes to their individual performances. The drums of Jorge Utrera are furious, yet controlled, capturing the essence of thrash perfectly, and knowing when to give a bit more in the “modern”metal sense as well. Holycide‘s wielders of the strings aren’t any slouches either. Guitarists Miguel Barez and Salva Esteban are tight and accurate, and their lead work is top notch. The album’s solos are plentiful as well as fluid, and at times, technical, though never becoming too flashy or superfluous. Last but not least on the individual front, is bassist Dani Fernandez. His tone and attack is not only aurally reminiscent of D.D. Verni (OverKill), but his presence seems equally important to the concept and construct of Holycide and its material.

Capping things off with a crisp, punchy, crystal clear production (almost a bit too clean and clear), and cover art that recalls some of the classic pieces from thrash’s glory years, and Annihilate… Then Ask! becomes quite a kick ass and even endearing album of blistering thrash metal fun.

Detailing the second Punic war between Rome and Carthage, including Hannibal’s ill fated march across the alps and loss at the Battle of Zama at the hands of General Scipio, Carthago Delenda Est delivers the same epic, war mongering, Hellenic and ethnic driven take on death metal. With the help of Stormlord’s Riccardo Struder, who produced the album and arranged the bombastic Romanic orchestration and choirs which are as rousing as the clarion of battle, and the death metal itself is equally competent, and might even be a little more beefy than Spartacus.

As with the last effort, to say ADE is a Roman version of Nile mixed with Rotting Christ would be a little bit of simplification, but also a little bit accurate, especially if you throw in a  touch of Fleshgod Apocalypse (listen to start of closer “Sowing Salt”). But it’s hard not to listen to the likes of the opening title track , “Across the Wolf’s Blood”, ” Zama: Where Tusks are Buried” or “Excidium”, and not get a vibe of a more controlled Nile. But there are worst vibes you could have. Each of the album’s ten tracks, all falling in the perfect 4-5 minute range, are damn solid, with a good mix of flat out blasts (“Dark Days of Rome”) and militant rumbles (“Mare Nostrum”), all littered with the Roman/folk elements and choirs/instrumentation that give it that much more depth and austere pomp. That said, I had a hard time picking out a standout or favorite track that makes me want to oil up, throw on a loincloth and enter  the Gladiatorial arena, like say “Mars’ Unpredictable Favor” from Spartacus,  though “Scipio Indomitus Victor” and the aforementioned “Sowing Salt” (from the ancient act of spreading salt over a conquered foe’s land) come close.

New drummer Commvudus does an admirable job of replacing George Kollias, and new vocalist Nero has a much more commanding bellow than former singer Flavio (and I’d just like to mention that in my review of Spartacus I did state the album’s only downfall was that it needed more authoritative vocals……just sayin’), resulting in a awesome album, that’s as good as Spartacus, and again bound to be one of the year’s better death metal albums.

“Fortes fortuna adiuvat”

Enter Russia’s Grond, and their second album, Worship the Kraken. New to me, this 4 piece deliver no frills, chunky, catchy death metal that has strands of Dave’s own Avulsed as well as other bands like Six Feet Under, Benediction, Primitiv, Illdisposed, Asphyx, Humiliation, any Rogga Johanssen and other straight up death metal bands. Even with the nautical/Lovecraftian themes, Grond just do riffs. Big burly, mid paced chuggers that get your neck snapping.

A meaty guitar tone and pounding rhythm section deliver the goods, while drummer Konstantin “Kist” Kovalenko delivers the vocals  with a no nonsense deep, commanding growl. There’s no sweeps, there’s no mystical atmospherics, just rumbling big riffs that pound over and over again like the crashing tide. From opener “Invocation” to “Typhoon is Coming” the 10 tracks trundle with utterly satisfying crunch and heft. Standouts include the third track, “Steel Coffins” and the monstrous groove of “Below the Thunders”, possibly one of my favorite pure death metal tracks of the year so far.

A cover of Goatlord’s “Blood Monk” surfaces in the middle of the album, but I would of had no idea if I had not read the album credits as it fits right in, sandwiched between “White Waters of South” and the kickass march of  the title track effortlessly. And the guys can pick up the tempo a bit here and there as shown on “Kronos the Devourer” or “Devonian Tyrant”.

Xtreem is having a pretty solid run in mid/late 2016 with the likes of Ade, the much improved Ashcloud, always reliable Ribspreader the new Sorcery and this, so I look forward to see what else Dave Rotten brings us in the near future.

“Fixed on Killing” pairs a rampaging, Slayer-tinged light speed thrash riff with a barrage of bowel opening blast beats while vocalist Avsky psychotically splits his vocals at the torso between lung-scraping screams and vomiting pig trough puke.  Drummer Beist frenzies through the double-bass and blasts so quickly that you’d swear the percussion was programmed while Neeraj’s bass lines are deliciously audible throughout.  Another asset to the band’s vile, audio violence is their Floridian slowdowns where a groove is established in the fine tradition of genre grandmasters Obituary.  It’s these unusual fetid switch tactics that make The Sickening more than just another faceless blast-fest.

The churning, staccato thrash riffs that intro “Unnamed Horror” excavate some chugging, galloping runs that are hard to avoid head-banging to unless you’re in a mental ward lockdown complete with a straightjacket suit and tie.  The Sickening’s sheer variety of riffing works because guitarist Markspist never lingers in one mode for long as this tune clamps down tight on some sludgy doom grooves, schizophrenic Sepulturian thrash (think Beneath the Remains) and a Gatlin gun spray of corrosive blast beats that often open up into more direct time keeping that highlights the lurching, loping death/thrash riff-groove shakedowns.  Perhaps the most adorably titled track on the album, “Throat Hole Ejaculation” is a slab of venomous death metal damnation with big bulges of double-bass giving way to light-speed gravity blasts where the vocals spew holy water vomit across every inch of the madness.  Thick grooves often whip into a frenzied series of more melodic lead notes but the majority of this stuff is uglier than your aunt’s corpse drug out from the depths of a raging house fire.

Shaper, noisier chords lend a blackened ear rape to the gut-ache throb of “Lord of Decay’s” murderously fast, riff-fat.  It’s like these guys went on a rampage in the nearest barnyard and swallowed all of the farm animals whole.  Descending doom chords trigger acidic vocal trade-offs between bellowing growls and sneering permafrost shrieks while the tempos only bother to slow down in a few key moments.  Some of the swampy, mud-stink deviance of Goatwhore feels like it’s coming through the fog here and there but keep in mind that The Sickening are pound for pound an altogether filthier proposition than the NOLA greats.  Infectious, Slayer-minded thrash riffs are run through a woodchipper of bone-splitting death/grind mutilation during “A Mind Deranged,” a song that ends up as anthemic as it is completely unapproachable for those with a more genteel mindset.

The plundering salvo of “Powertool Sodomy” and “Suffer for my Pleasure” daringly balance gnarled, tree twisting mid-tempo sludge runs with mass murder death metal, leaving the album to wind down with the shrieking banshee speeds of “Consumed by Hate” and “Abort (the Fetus).”  “Abort (the Fetus)” is a Vile cover from the underrated Stench of the Deceased classic done to perfection.  I’ve even had the pleasure of seeing the original article perform it live, so these guys sure don’t skimp on the meat of the song.  The Sickening does it justice and then some, losing none of the original’s internal organ removal tactics.

Sickness Unfold is a top-tier death metal album in my book with frequently engaging songwriting, killer riffing, and malevolent vokill trade-offs topped off by superb rhythm playing.  The only complaint I could see being levied against the record is the drum production, but I find the crispy snares and overall taut to the point of breaking drum tuning a rather refreshing flavor amongst a sea of ultra-tech death metal bands who favor the clinical over the bloody raw and in your face style of slamming.  The Sickening means business…check these crazy motherfuckers out!

The first interesting thing I noticed about the album is the great album cover artwork.  At first I actually thought it was a cover for some Hooded Menace album.  The booklet is layed out nicely with lyrics too.  The song “Preventio” features some very nifty guitar soloing and the production of the guitars retains the bands trademark sound, but taking into further, heavier and denser territory.  I love how the song begins with a blast beat, and then hits that groove and the guitar tone is like a razor wire lopping your head clean off your pathetic shoulders.  Killer old school guitar melodies at the 1 minute mark that literally took me back, like over 2 decades, before erupting into the furious blast, then back to the killer old school groove.

“Waiting to Be Free”, features some stunning doom/death metal moments not too far removed from Asphyx and even Hooded Menace.  Doomy, depressing and most of all heavy as a mother effer.  Vocals are brutally deep, understandable and pained groans to varying degrees on this track.  Close to the 2 minute mark we are greeted with a slower funeral dirge moment that then picks up into a galloping rhythm.  This part is the perfect part to hold up your horns and realize how amazing this part is, in its old school brutality.  “Kaaos on Kanssamme” (Chaos Is with Us) is the perfect album ender.  Fast, slow and heavy.  The 1 minute mark has a killer part and the guitar part for some reason reminds me of Sarcofago’s tune “Christ’s Death”.  The 2.40 part has more of the killer doom death beat and this part slays.  This beat eventually trails off and the album ends.  11 songs in 46 minutes.

Purtenance’s …to Spread the Flame of the Ancients is one of the heaviest albums for 2015 and the song writing is stronger than ever.  This is true and brutal death metal.  No tomfoolery, just plain ass kicking death metal from start to finish.  Killer!!!

The mighty Chasmic Transcendence was released a mere 1 year ago and that album was ultra-memorable.  The band focusing on shorter songs, thus increasing the amount of songs, 14 in all.  Stoic Death focuses on 8 songs, averaging at 4 minutes a piece.   The production is a bit thinner, than their 3 previous recordings; however I still love Stoic Death and Desecresy are still one of my favorite Finnish bands.  “Remedies of Wolf’s Bane” gets things started and the rumbling heaviness comes in and is smothering.  Song picks up some speed, before going into a monstrous heavy beat equipped with an awesome guitar melody, from Tommi.  Jarno’s vocals, this time around, sound a little more like Chris Barnes, from the first and best Six Feet Under album, Haunted.  Some of the beats, sound a bit like old Six Feet Under too, which is not necessarily a bad thing.

One of the things that Desecresy does so well is the atmosphere.  Blending in a bleak and cold feel to their sound I always feel like I am in a desolate, stark landscape when listening to them. I love the feeling their music emotes.  I have to mention “Funeral Odyssey”.  I was cranking this in my truck and my 5 year old son said “that’s a catchy song”.  I nearly fell out laughing and told him how right he was.  The beginning has a menacing guitar melody with an ultra-heavy bass guitar thumping bottom end that will create sink holes in your neighborhood.

Let me go off on a tangent for a moment.  Desecresy’s bass guitar sound has more distortion this time around.  A monstrous tone, that resembles early Napalm Death.  I’m loving this and the way the bass guitar is isolated at certain times.  Anyway this particular song is hypnotic with the guitar melody that comes and goes throughout the track.  Add in the rumbling double bass and you have a mixture of bleak, darkness, yet an undeniable catchiness that will stick in your head.

The layout has lyrics, but no liners of where/when the album was recorded.  I imagine they have used the same studio like previous releases.  Tommi does all the bands artwork too and the band has tweaked their logo once again.  I have loved all of his art and the last album he experimented with the addition of light into the art.  Exceptional choice of white to contrast the surrounding darkness, on this album as well.  Each album has a color.   Arches of Entropy was red, The Doom Skeptron blue, Chasmic Transcendence green and now Stoic Death, is purple.  And let’s not forget the skull creatures, that are always popping up.  The color and music are an extension of one another and I love how the band pays attention to this.  Desecresy’s Stoic Death is awesome and an addition in my best of this year.  Buy or Die!!

Truly Nailgun Massacre are the Netherland’s version of Autopsy.  I have pressed repeat on this tune so much, it’s getting to the point of stupid.  This album is actually catchier and meatier than the last several Autopsy albums.  Other highlights are “Casket Full of Fun”, with its Macabre like styled humor in the lyrics and vocals.  You will be singing the title over and over and over and over.  This is a slow burner of a tune and brillian

Nailgun Massacre are intent in keeping their style rooted in early 90’s death metal.  While Autopsy is clearly their main influence, the likes of Asphyx and early Entombed creep in now and again.  The band also does not incorporate, just like their debut, blast beats into their sound.  It’s not needed and the production is spot on.  One helluva heavy and catchy album.  All instruments breathe and nothing overtakes anything else.  The layout is magnificent and Nailgun Massacre have hit a home run with Boned, Boxed and Buried.

They have bested their self-titled album, which I thought was impossible and have crafted one of the finest death metal albums this year.  Organic, heavy, ultra-catchy, and true old-school brutality.  Buy or get your head lopped off!