Jungle Rot--Cruel Face of War (CD/LP) {2026 Unique Leader Records}

uniqueleader.com

9/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Let me preface this review by saying Jungle Rot is a sleeper favorite of mine and nothing they do will ever capture the utter magic of Skin the Living and Slaughter the Weak. Those are masterpieces and they cannot be topped. However, this eleventh album is one of their strongest newer recordings. It's a perfectly acceptable entry into their discography, and probably one of the best. Their trademark groove is intact, as is their thrash side. They've always known when the album needs a fast thrash song or a slower groove-oriented one. Their albums all have a certain flow and this record is no exception. One trick those older albums didn't have is the amazing guitar leads, which adds to the dynamics of their songs. At least, when solos were present in older material, they didn't quite get to this level. Standout tracks include "Maniacal," with its heavy-as-fuck grooves. It may be one of the heaviest songs they've ever written. It has that patented chugging riffery they're known for and reminds me of their old shit. "When the Elders Rise" also hearkens back to their former masterpieces, and is written for maximum impact. Of course, the rest of the songs are enjoyable as well, and they hold my attention perfectly. The only reason I didn't grade this a 10 is because of those early albums being so special to me. But this album is close to being that good, and it should be on your radar to pick up.

Intrepid Onslaught--Cremated Christ (CS) {2026 Independent}

intrepidonslaught.bandcamp.com

5/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

We get three songs and a '70s horror-inspired synth intro from this new Oregon band on their first demo. It's nice to hear a demo that sounds like a demo should, with barebones recording but with all the instruments audible. There are too many pristine recordings these days, and it's nice to hear something dirty. The music reminds me a hell of a lot of older Autopsy, but with a Satanic bent to it rather than gore. It's mostly mid-tempo stuff, content to use simple riffs with repetition to form barbaric songs. Hellhammer comes to mind a little as a possible influence as well due to the simplicity of the songs. The vocals are a low growl that has a lot of throat sound to it, a real throwback vocal style that reminds me of early death metal. I think the first two songs are much too long for the riffs the band uses and they'd benefit from being shorter. The songs are all a bit same-sounding as well, and more diversity in the riffs would help a lot. Overall, not a bad effort, but nothing that floors me.

Razorbreath--El Lenguaje de la Muerte (Digital) {2026 Independent}

razorbreath.bandcamp.com

7/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

This is the first full length from this Mexican deathmachine, and they bring us some seriously heavy HM-2 death metal that worships the Swedish sound, but has some definite influences from metallic hardcore. The more hardcore-oriented riffs blend seamlessly with the death metal riffs, creating a truly dynamic style of songwriting that mixes and matches influences to get the heaviest result. They never lose that death metal feel, though, which is important. The vocals are mid-range to low growls that sort of remind me of a growlier version of Brujeria, but it might be the Spanish lyrics influencing me. I don't think I'm too off-base with that comparison, though. The production is thick, rich, and guitar-focused, which is great for bands with this guitar sound. Surprisingly, they have a bit of melody in their songs, and it's used sparingly and in strategic places. This is a fairly fresh take on an old and worn-out sound, definitely worth checking out if you're into the chainsaw death metal style.

Fleshsphere--Carnival of Flesh (CD) {2026 Independent}

fleshsphere.bandcamp.com

6/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

This is the second full length from this German band. Occasionally they remind me of Vader when the singer goes into a yelled rather than growled passage. I can't really compare them to many other bands, but I do hear some Gorefest in their sound, circa False or Erase. The production is good, a nice-sounding modern death metal production that doesn't favor any instrument over the others. Fleshsphere focuses on groove over speed and have traditional verse-chorus songwriting in a lot of cases. When they do introduce a blast beat it's always violent and intense, and I'd like to see them do more of it, especially with the high vocal they layer underneath the low vocal when they have them over these sections. They have a flash of brilliance in "Imprisoner of Rage," introducing a morbid melody overtop of the main riff, a trick they should use more often. Overall, this is fairly average death metal, but it's enjoyable, and it's worth a listen.

Critical Disaster--Blast of Rebellion Day (CD) {2026 Pathologically Explicit Recordings}

pathologicallyexplicitrecords.com

4/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Here we go again - more brutal death metal from Indonesia in the style of Brodequin and Disgorge. There are no catchy riffs, no break from the brutality, and no standard songwriting. It's all brutality, all the time on this record. Honestly, I can't even wrap my head around this. The riffs and drums are such a whirlwind that I can barely tell where one riff ends and the next starts, in part because they're all so similar. This has always been my complaint with some of the ultra brutal stuff. They're obviously tight as fuck, because they often stop on a dime, and there's no slop in their attack. There's a technical aspect to them, of course, there has to be with stuff like this. It's impressive, but I'm completely lost in the madness. The vocals never stop. This guy sings over every riff in every song. At least his ultra-guttural vocals are awesome. There's no pig shit on this one, just solid guttural growls. If you like ultra-brutality, you may be into this, but if you're looking for cohesive songwriting and structures that you don't have to concentrate to understand, this is a pass.

Infected Cells--Betrayed by Obedience (CD) {2026 Independent}

infectedcellsmetal.bandcamp.com

8/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Infected Cells hail from Brazil, that most metal of South American countries, and this is their first full length, following up a series of EPs that span the rest of their discography. They play true death metal with a heavy and aggressive thrash influence, always remaining quite intense and angry-sounding. They're no strangers to a good solid groove, especially during a breakdown, and this is a band that can write a serious hook in the process. They also win the award for clever wordplay in a song title as well for the track "And the Reek Shall Inherit the Earth." They know exactly when to use a blastbeat for maximum impact and they're adept songwriters. The vocals are quite strong, with an expressive death growl that's dynamic and powerful. The singer is a beast! The guitar solos, when we get them, are quite good, adding to the songs rather than being a distraction. Overall, this is one to check out, my fellow deathmaniacs!

Funebrarum--Beckoning the Void of Eternal Silence (CD/LP) {2026 Pulverised Records}

pulverised.net

8/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

New Jersey's death metal masters have returned, this time in conspiracy with Pulverised Records, after ten years of silence since their last EP offering. All the hallmarks of their style remain - the sludgy downtuned guitars, the charnel vocals both low and high, and the top quality songwriting that focuses on dark atmosphere and ill intent. Of particular note on this outing are the excellent guitar solos. The band is constantly compared to other bands like Incantation, Disma, and Dead Congregation, which isn't wrong, but Funebrarum has their own stamp that they put on this dark death metal style, one of pure class. The thing they do that I enjoy most is when they break into a heavy-ass groove in their songs - it makes the darkened death metal more palatable and memorable to me. I'm a sucker for a good groove, especially when it breaks up dense music like this and gives us a catchy moment. This is top notch death metal with a true underground feel and a band you should immediately check out if you are unfamiliar with them.

Corpse Water--...Something in the Water (LP) {2026 Grindscene Records}

corpsewater.bandcamp.com

5/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Corpse Water from Northern Ireland plays competent death metal with easily digestible songwriting. The vocals are low growls that don't vary much in tone, but are very powerfully performed. The vocal patterns are decent, very rhythmic, which is a favorite approach of mine. The production is nice and clean and clear with all instruments including the bass being audible and prominent. All that being said, there's nothing that really sticks out about this band. It's just very ok death metal and nothing more. Some of the grooves catch my attention but not much else. It's easy on  the ears but also not terribly challenging material. It's a bit paint-by-numbers, with just a few shining moments. I can take it or leave it.

Bleeding--Dispersed Blood Sustenance (CD) {2026 New Standard Elite Records}

newstandardelite.com

5/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

New Standard Elite has definitely cultivated a roster of bands that share much in common sonically - always brutal, always fairly technical, and usually with sub-guttural vocals. The vocals here are definitely in that category, sounding more like goregrind vocals than death growls. They do grow on you after a while, but it's definitely not my preferred vocal style. That said, it fits the music perfectly. The music itself is definitely in the Disgorge camp, with relentless brutality as the sole goal. This isn't catchy stuff, nor it it meant to be I would imagine. However, there are some riffs here that will undoubtedly stick in your head after enough listens. The snare sound is a little pingy, but not too bad, and the drummer is an absolute beast, blasting away behind the kit with zero fucks about your feelings about it. I just wish there was a bit more to distinguish this band from the legions of other bands playing this style, but they honestly do it rather well, so let's not fix what isn't broken.

Cerecloth--Aberrant Phenomena (Digital) {2026 Independent}

cerecloth.bandcamp.com

5/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

I don't know if I've ever heard a death metal band from Costa Rica before. If I have, I have forgotten them. I'm glad I heard this one, and they deliver their debut EP via Bandcamp in digital format. We get five original songs and a cover of a band called Astriferous that I've never heard before. They play a dark style of death metal that reminds me a little of Immolation crossed with Incantation, perhaps with a little Dead Congregation thrown in for good measure. I normally bore of this dark style fairly quickly, but the drumming kept it rather interesting. The drums cut through the murk of the guitars and vocals with a crisp sound. The vocals are low roars, and impressive overall. It's a bestial performance with a lot of power behind it. They include a morbid instrumental track, "Ancestral Contamination," and it was a smart move, not only to give us a change of pace and a break from all the death metal, but to show us a different side of themselves. I like when a band does that from time to time if it's in a limited way like this. Overall, this isn't a record that floored me, but it does get the job done properly, and will definitely earn them fans.

Mortuary--Great Black Earth (CD) {2026 Horror Pain Gore Death Productions}

horrorpaingoredeath.com

8/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Mexico's legendary Mortuary return with a four song EP, and a mighty one it is. The only thing that's changed about this band is the recording quality taking a step up, as it should since the last recording we have from them in an EP from twelve years ago - it's easier to make things sound proper than it was then. All the familiar aspects of their sound are present, with Slayer-esque leads, ripping fast riffs, and late '80s death metal style. My favorite track here is "Black Superstition," with it's Massacre-style verse riff and lower vocal style. I love when bands stick to the style they originated with and don't change too much. Mortuary is one such band. They never change and they deliver solid death metal every time. I especially love the sound of some of the drum rolls, reminding me of very early Sepultura, a sound which I always found fascinating and exciting sonically. In fact, if I had to compare Mortuary to anything to describe it to a newcomer to the scene, it would be Morbid Visions/Bestial Devastation-era Sepultura. Real '80s death metal! I'm just glad this band is continuing to give us new recordings after all these years. Their legendary first record finds its way onto my playlists all the time, and now we have four new killer songs of theirs to enjoy.

Creeping Flesh--God's Acres Rife with Flesh Adorned (Digital) {2026 Independent}

creepingflesh.bandcamp.com

9/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Hailing from the once-fertile grounds of Gothenburg, Sweden, Creeping Flesh bring us Swedish-style death metal on their third record with a bit of a cleaner guitar sound, although the chainsaws are still running here. This time around they've chosen to release this independently, at least for now, via Bandcamp. The production is clean, crisp, powerful, and loud. Someone who knows how to record death metal clearly helmed the recording equipment on this release. Everything about this record is nearly perfect, and the playing is as fluid as newly spilled blood. I really liked the morose, droning melody in the third track, "Upon the Altar of Peace," a slower tune that helps the album breathe a bit and gives us something different. In fact, these little melodic motifs pop up throughout the record here and there, and they remind me in the best way of some of Edge of Sanity's melodies. I can also hear quite a bit of Bolt Thrower influence in this band, with that bulldozer groove they're known for, and perhaps some Hail of Bullets and Asphyx thrown in for good measure. Some of the songs get quite a bit more doomy than what I originally expected. The vocals are not just sung - they're spewed, and with full force. A masterful performance, indeed, one of total guttural glory. I couldn't give this a 10/10, since some of the slow parts bored me, but when this band kicks up into midtempo territory, they're unbeatable. Monster grooves and monster riffs abound.

Pig's Blood--Destroying the Spirit (CD/LP/CS) {2026 Dark Descent Records/Godz ov War Productions}

www.darkdescentrecords.com

6/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Wisconsin has given birth to another blasphemic act who bring us their third full length. At first this appears to be more gasmask metal, but upon further listening this leans quite a bit toward traditional death metal and not as much war metal, although there is a very obvious influence at work here from the war metal genre. Folks often compare this band to Revenge and Archgoat, and they're not entirely wrong, but Pig's Blood is much less chaotic and noisy than Revenge, and much catchier than Archgoat. They bring a somewhat Bolt Thrower-esque approach to the style with bulldozer death metal riffs amid all the war metal influence. It's a nice mix, and one that's hard to believe no one has attempted before. It makes this band have a fairly unique sound and that helps them stick out. Vocally, we have some raspy highs and bestial lows, as is standard for the gasmask set. The production sounds like a bit of a '90s throwback and it's nice to hear. It gives the band a different sound than the other bands that share their influences. I'll be interested to see what they do next and how they evolve. 

Necromorbid--Ceremonial Demonslaught (CD/LP/CS) {2026 Godz ov War Productions}

www.godzovwar.com

7/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Here we have some seriously bestial black/death metal from Italy that borrows their influences from bands like Blasphemy, Black Witchery, and Teitanblood, but deliver their payload in a more musical fashion, with clear song structures and actual hooks, not just relentless pounding, although there is plenty of that! It's also quite heavy on the second wave black metal influence. The production is clean and powerful, with each instrument being audible, combining their forces into a devastating whole that's more akin to straight up death metal than black metal. There are also actual guitar solos here, and they're quite good, although they tend to be quite short. The drummer is particularly impressive, consistently delivering blast after blast, but also using graceful little fills and rolls to accent his work, making it less rigid than some bands playing gasmask metal. Vocally there is a trade-off between raspy high screams and low bestial growls, as its the standard for this style. Necromorbid stand out from the pack of war metal bands by virtue of their musical talent and compositional strength, and breathe a new fetid life into the genre with this effort. Definitely not your average chains and gasmasks band.

Display of Decay--Desolate Dawn, Part 1 (Digital) {2026 Independent}

displayofdecay.bandcamp.com

7/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Canada's Display of Decay have returned with a five song EP of their patented brutal death metal, replete with catchy riffs and intense song structures. This is their first release in three years, and they've gone independent with it for now. There's plenty of technical playing here to sate the appetite of those who crave musicianship in death metal, but there's also plenty of brutality with powerful breakdowns and well-crafted riffs. I hear quite a bit of Cannibal Corpse and Dying Fetus in their sound, but they're delivering it in a way that's all their own. The guitar tone is crunchy and heavy as fuck, and it really delivers a punch in the face where needed. The production itself is clean and sounds like a proper modern death metal production without being too sterile and digital-sounding. The band also understands the importance of hooks and groove, of which there is plenty. The vocals run the gamut of growls, gutturals, and screams, and are quite diverse overall. It's quite the performance. If brutal death metal is what gets you wet, this is a record you should hear, and a band you should get to know. It's quite talented stuff.