Death Metal

Cardiac Arrest – The Stench of Eternity Review

By Steel Druhm on May 18, 2024 in Reviews, Death Metal, 20 comments

“You can’t listen to everything out there and we all have gaps in our metal detection system through which plenty of quality product sluices out. Still, I’m left wondering why I never spent time with Chicago’s death metal maniacs Cardiac Arrest until last week. Active since 2004 and with 7 full-lengths under their belt, this is a Windy City death institution that I completely slept on despite AMG having reviewed their 2018 opus A Parallel Dimension of Despair. On eighth album The Stench of Eternity, these scuzzmongers deliver a nasty sound mixing classic Floridian death with the uglier side of grind and crust and occasional flirtations with meatheaded slam.” Chest pains are the best pains.

Hemotoxin – When Time Becomes Loss Review

By El Cuervo on May 17, 2024 in Reviews, Death Metal, Progressive Metal, Thrash Metal, 35 comments

“Over the course of two prior releases I’ve reviewed, Pittsburgh’s Hemotoxin has failed to truly wow me. Their idiosyncratic brand of deathy, thrashy metal stretches slightly towards progressive ground, but they also demonstrate an admirable willingness to eschew any bloat across their tight releases. Despite these strengths, frantic songwriting and an arguable lack of focus have hamstrung their memorability and consigned them to “probably cool live but no point to return” territory. 2024 sees their return and I was cautiously optimistic to hear whether When Time Becomes Loss would be the record to elevate their discography.” Blood and soilwork.

Goden – Vale of the Fallen Review

By Dear Hollow on May 16, 2024 in Reviews, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 11 comments

“New York City’s Goden embodies the spiritual successor of Winter, a quietly influential death/doom outfit who amassed a devoted cult following 1990’s acclaimed full-length Into Darkness and follow-up 1993 EP Eternal Frost. Original guitarist Stephen Flam and guest keyboardist Tony Pinnissi created the new chapter of Goden, 2020 debut Beyond Darkness (an homage to its parent act) ambushing fans and newcomers alike with mountainous riffs, frosty synths, and vicious vocals – virtually only held back by the act’s obsession with a billion synth interludes. With follow-up Vale of the Fallen, it becomes all the more crucial for Flam and company to continue its trajectory of success.” Winter is coming (back).

Hell:on – Shaman Review

By Holdeneye on May 13, 2024 in Reviews, Death Metal, 103 comments

“The band hails from Ukraine, and when Russia invaded their homeland, I decided I’d throw a tiny bit of support their way by ordering said CD. I received a response from the band, telling me that all of their merch was trapped in an office in Kyiv, which, at the time, was under direct Russian attack. When I told them they could keep my money regardless of whether or not they’d ever be able to fulfill the order, they wrote back, “Thank you! It will be shipped if we and/or our merch will survive! We believe in our country as never before, and Ukraine will stay!” I eventually received that CD, and its back story makes it one of the most precious in my collection. Years later, the war for Ukraine still rages on, and fortunately, so does Hell:on.” War, merch, and peace.

SYK – eartHFlesh Review

By Thus Spoke on May 13, 2024 in Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, Progressive Metal, 21 comments

“Bereft of a lyric sheet or any promotional explanation, I’m unsure why SYK chose to spell the title of their fourth album like they have. eartHFlesh draws attention with more than its unusual spelling though, with a dark, provocative cover, and the fact that it marks the band’s signing with Season of Mist. The Italian collective have been steadily building on a groovy, quirky brand of progressive death metal, distinguished largely by the cleans of now ex-vocalist Dalila Kayros. With her gone, and the group pivoting to primarily unclean growls, and a further turn, if slight, towards the more extreme corners of the genre, a new form of SYK emerges for the first time. eartHFlesh is a critical turning point.” New flesh, new friends?

Stuck in the Filter: March 2024’s Angry Misses

By Kenstrosity on May 11, 2024 in Stuck in the Filter, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Deathcore, Heavy Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Occult Rock, Powerviolence, Thrash Metal, 67 comments

March Filters bring April POWERS.

Six Feet Under – Killing For Revenge Review

By Iceberg on May 9, 2024 in Reviews, Death Metal, Groove Metal, 75 comments

“Oh my, look what has fallen into my deceptively large, crystalline lap. A brand new slab of knuckle-dragging caveman death metal from USDA-certified veterans, Six Feet Under. They’ve blazed a bloody trail of resentment and glass-eating rage through these hallowed halls, rarely resting long before moving on to the next hapless victim reviewer. Said reviewer happens to be me, resident master of the masochistic arts and winner of the highly attended AMG lottery for Six Feet Under reviewing rights.” No hole too deep.

From Dying Suns – Calamity Review

By Dolphin Whisperer on May 9, 2024 in Reviews, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Technical Death Metal, 41 comments

“Before I even laid eyes once on the glorious pixel art that adorns Calamity, From Dying Suns had sold me on their debut promise of progressive death metal. Hailing from the great French north of Quebec, and pulling performers whose live credentials include heavyweights like First Fragment, Augury, and Obliveon, this side-scrolling informed album, this full-length offering stood before itself with veteran swagger.” Storming the tech-death castle.

Unearthly Rites – Ecdysis Review

By Steel Druhm on May 2, 2024 in Reviews, Death Metal, 39 comments

“Unearthly Rites are a new kid on the block in Finnish death metal, with only an EP to their name prior to the release of debut full-length, Ecdysis. Formed by scene vets with time spent in Sink, Hexhammer, and Fuck-Ushima, they bring plenty of experience to the party. What Unearthly Rites offer is a ghastly amalgamation of raw old school death, grind, and crust, curated and designed to cave in your face with the resulting unnatural sound profile.” Earth as mass grave.

Crawl – Altar of Disgust Review

By Kenstrosity on May 2, 2024 in Reviews, Death Metal, Punk, 42 comments

“Crawl, to put it simply, sounds pissed off. Not one to fuck with, Crawl’s sound hearkens to those HM-2 legends we all know very well (Entombed, Dismember), but filtered through the punky swagger and unlimited ire of acts like Goregäng and Vomitheist. Knowing all three of those things—HM-2 pedals, Goregäng, and Vomitheist—found a warm bed in the death mansion that is the prolific Transcending Obscurity Records, most of our readership automatically know what to expect from Altars of Disgust.” HM-2 and YOU.