Haserot--Advent of Suffering (CD/LP) (2026 Redefining Darkness Records)

www.redefiningdarkness.com

8/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Texas has a hell of a scene, and Haserot from Houston are no exception to the quality of the bands found there. Reminding me of peak Necrophobic, they almost have a European sound to them. The primary vocal style is a high scream, but peppered in are low growls, often layered with the highs. The patterns are nice, rhythmic, and catchy. Often in the songs they break down into a killer groove meant to bang heads. I love these moments, they're what good death metal is made from. These sections often act as a bridge back to the main riffs or a prelude to a solo, and the songcraft is masterful. These are songs. Speaking of solos, we get plenty of them, full of melody and emotion, but they're often quite short, which is just fine. They serve their purpose. The band occasionally employs a doomed-out section which really serves to vary the listening experience. They have such a variation of tempos and themes from song to song that it creates quite a dynamic listen. This is quite a good album, and I will be keeping my eye on this band. They've definitely impressed me.

Serpent Corpse--Retaliate (CD/10") (2025 Transcending Obscurity Records)

tometal.com

8/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Again I must say it. I really enjoy some of the bands infusing death metal with metallic hardcore, especially when the riffs are as good as Serpent Corpse's. It strips down the death metal to bare bones and adds catchiness and aggression to an already aggressive musical form. Serpent Corpse welds Merauder-style hardcore riffs to a '90s death metal chassis and the net result is a catchy, heavy, solid piece of death metal with aggressive riffs and a ton of attitude. The vocals remind me quite a bit of Entombed in their early days, with that same yelled roar and tone that LG Petrov had. These four songs are well written and a fun listen, and the band even dips their toes into melody here and there for an extra twist, especially during guitar solos. I definitely want to hear more from this band, so I'll probably look into their back catalog, and I'll eagerly await more material.

Vomepotro--Fall Into Decay (CD) (2026 Brutal Mind Records)

brutal-mind.com

8/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

It's been seventeen years since Vomepotro graced our ears with a record, and it's a welcome return, I must say. They're still every bit as brutal as they were, and for those that are unfamiliar, their style is reminiscent of Suffocation, Deeds of Flesh, and Severe Torture. The riffing is excellent and can be very catchy, especially when they find a groove they like. It's quite technical stuff, and the interplay between guitars and drums is tight as can be. The vocals are of the "Dr. Claw" variety, low in the throat and deep, but occasionally there are high screams and gutturals. There are hooks everywhere in this, and the songwriting is to be commended. This isn't just brutality for its own sake, it has intent and direction. It helps that the vocals have good rhythmic patterns, it instantly helps the songs become more memorable. This record is absolutely worth repeated listens and I highly recommend it to the brutal maniacs.

Sarcoughagus--Remnants (CD/LP) (2024 Rotted Life Records)

rottedlife.com

7/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Coming from my former home state of Ohio is Sarcoughagus, giving us some damn fine death metal. There are five new songs here plus two what I believe to be re-recorded versions of songs from their previous full length. Stylistically they remind me of old Death, old Deicide, and Autopsy. The production certainly gives them some personality - it's clean with a raw edge. Vocally the singer boasts a deep roar and his sound is impressive. He reminds me quite a bit of Glen Benton in the early days, especially in the vocal patterns. When they find a groove they like, they stick with it, which I like. There are tons of hooks in the songwriting, classic death metal tricks of the trade, that draw you in and bang your head. I like these new bands that are throwbacks to the '90s - I can't get enough of it. There are so many good death metal bands these days it's almost unbelievable. This EP is definitely worth the price of admission, so track it down however you can.

No Shelter--Remission/Resolve (LP/CS) (2026 This Charming Man Records)

thischarmingmanrecords.com

7/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

No Shelter has mixed a base of Swedish-style death metal with metallic hardcore and it's a vicious concoction that hits like Entombed and Earth Crisis at the same time. I really like the experimentation with mixing death metal and hardcore that's been happening in the underground lately. It always serves to strip down the death metal side into something simpler and catchier, many times improving what would otherwise be ho-hum, more of the same. Vocally, we get hypercharged hardcore vocals like you'd find in a crust or d-beat band, just vicious and pissed off with a metal edge to them. And occasionally he slips into a growl when it suits him, showing he can do both, but I think his primary screaming style is sufficient. This is one of the more unique bands I've ever heard, and no one is mixing these styles quite like this. It's totally original sounding, and they're just playing what they like, and that's great. Now I have to go dig into their back catalog because I now am very interested in seeing if their other records are this good.

Devourment--Pious Impiety (7") (2026 Relapse Records)

relapse.com

6/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

The influential Devourment have arisen to give us three songs of their patented brutal death metal on this new 7" from Relapse Records (I hope they do another string of 7" releases like they did in the old days, that would be excellent). I can always trust that this band, who along with Internal Bleeding, turned slam riffs into a style, will do the style justice. I need not worry about all the trendy junk that I would have to with other bands. They are more technical than a lot of people give them credit for, especially where the drums are concerned. There are a lot of changes and time shifts, and the drummer is there keeping track of it all. One thing I hate is the bass drops they use to add emphasis to a stop/start section or a slam. They don't need those. Get rid of them! They're not super egregious, but they're obvious and part of a trend in this style that I hate. Devourment are the masters of this style of metal, even if it's not my favorite. It's not intense enough for me. But respect where it's due. They're doing it better than ninety percent of the other bands out there, and I just don't need other bands who play this style. Internal Bleeding and Devourment are all I need.

Tombal--Grave of the Damned (CD/CS) (2026 Blood Harvest Records/Unholy Domain Records)

bloodharvest.se

8/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Tombal from Italy give us four songs and a creepy intro on this new release of vicious HM-2 death metal hell. All the typical comparisons for this style apply, but I will say that Tombal is doing things just a little different. They mix some Morbid Angel-style blasts into the HM-2 soup. I love all the big open chords they use as well, it gives the music a sinister feel. These boys have mastered the style and they're easily as good or better than any band playing it today or yesterday. The vocals really stand out, low roars that are performed with piss and vinegar, full-chested and empty-lunged. The vocals are produced well also, with plenty of layering and some cool effects in the right spots. We don't often get guitar solos in this style, but Tombal has them, and they're pretty good, if a bit short, but that suits the music. They also get my award for most badass song titles: "Cemeterial Death Worship," "Funebral Furnace," and "Cathedrals of Rot." This is a good introduction to the band, and I await a full length album.

Nuclear Tomb--Epoch Inhumane (CD/LP/CS) (2026 Rotted Life Records)

rottedlife.com

9/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Nuclear Tomb are back and they're firing on all cylinders on this second full length, bringing us more of their trademark progressive death thrash. Again, this is not pretentious technicality, a "look what I can do" stroke-fest, like so many bands try to produce that call themselves technical. No, these are well-written songs, neatly crafted with precision and emotion. The uniqueness of their riffing is astounding, with little runs and sweeps everywhere, and the drums keep pace with fills and rolls galore. And, they repeat these riffs enough times that hooks are created, and that is the key, folks. Hooks. I talk about them a lot, but necessarily so. They're important in good music. Otherwise it's just wankery. If it's even possible, this may be an even more accomplished work of musicianship than their first record, and that's saying a lot. Every song is unique and totally unlike the others, and has its own identity. That's so hard to do in this music, and I commend the band on their inventiveness. I don't think there's an extreme metalist alive who wouldn't like this band, and I think they'll go quite far if they keep turning in massive records like this one.

Goreworm--Miasmic Solitude (CD) (2026 Transcending Obscurity Records)

tometal.com

6/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

From Canada comes this technical death metal juggernaut with this second record, and first for Transcending Obscurity. There is a fucking lot going on here. You have arpeggios, blasts, plenty of melodic playing, and occasionally straight up brutality. These are world-class musicians playing intricate and precise death metal that will boggle you but not lose you while they do. One thing Goreworm does well that not many technical death metal bands do is create actual decent songs with enough repetition to keep you listening rather than just trying to figure out what the fuck is actually going on in the music. Vocally, the singer uses just about every type of growl and scream imaginable, and his style fits the band well. The vocal patterns have to deal with some wild musicianship, so they're not very catchy, but they're more than ok in the long run. Unfortunately, all the technicality takes away from the heaviness, and that's what I want out of death metal. I want it to be heavy, gross, unforgiving, and intense. Goreworm doesn't have the traits I like in death metal bands. That doesn't stop me from recognizing this album as a musical achievement, however, as it most certainly is.

Gangrenated--Demise Profanation (CS) (2026 Iron Corpse Records)

www.ironcorpse.com

8/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

There's something weird happening in the underground, and it's formed a wave of death metal bands that incorporate goregrind influences, and Gangrenated is at the speartip of that charge. On this five-song EP we get four originals and a cover of "Zombie Apocalypse" by the mighty Mortician, and it absolutely fits with their nasty-ass style. The guitar sound is of the chainsaw variety and downtuned into hell. The production is clear but with a layer of filth, just how I like it. And the vocals are very low, of the Dr. Claw variety, except the very few times where a gurgle or a higher scream is used. If you crossed very early Amorphis or Grave with Mortician and sprinkled in some early Carcass you'd have a pretty good idea of their overall sound. Yes, it's dirty and gross, and I love it. What I really want next is a full length to see what these pukemongers can do with a bit more time and material. They've left me wanting more.

Vomitizer--Release the Rats (CD/LP) (2026 Undercover Records)

undercover-records.de

7/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

You'd better believe we're going to cover a band called Vomitizer in the pages of Ominous Vomit! They have a thing for rats on this record, with the word appearing in no less than three song titles. The songs are rather simple, built on almost doomy riffs at times, but they do a lot with these riffs and manage to craft songs that stick with the listener and have you mouthing the words before the song is over. This band really doesn't sound like anyone else, even in style, and is completely unique. Even when resorting to a blast, just their guitar sound makes them sound different - it's a super crunchy, almost punk guitar sound. Vocally the singer relies on high-pitched screams for the most part, instantly setting them apart from most bands. You can hear the scorn drip from his every word. The band is quite dark, and cover dark topics of religious hypocrisy in their music, which I find very appropriate for their style. Not a bad effort here, and one that warrants investigation into their future recordings. I shall await the next record eagerly.

Pighead--Relapse Into Obscurity (CD) (2026 Rising Nemesis Records)

risingnemesisrecords.de

7/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

I love when I can hear the guitarist's fingers and pick on the strings. I've loved that ever since I heard Kill Em All. Pighead has a lot of that surface noise on this EP, and it makes me like it even more. This is brutal death metal I can really get into - sure, it has modern elements of slam to it, but Pighead is first and foremost a good death metal band. I can even forgive the bass drops because they're not especially egregious like with some bands. The blastbeats are sick, being truly steady and fast, and all the little fills from the drums make the songs way more interesting. There's a level of technicality here that not many brutal death metal bands can pull off, riding the line between being barbaric and being too technical. It's a restrained sort of technicality. The slam parts are reminiscent of Abominable Putridity, and the faster parts sort of remind me of Dying Fetus. They have the same sort of playing style when it comes to the riffing. Vocally we have a guttural growl that's actually powerful (a rare thing) and fun to listen to, and isn't trapped in a toilet all the time. Overall, this is a good effort, and I want to hear more from this band in the future.

Coprolith--Putrescence (CD/LP/CS) (2026 Me Saco Un Ojo Records/Rotted Life Recorcs)

mesacounojo.com

7/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Coprolith from Toronto delivers their first full length and it's a grimy fucker, with music that matches that gnarly cover. They play a dark form of death metal that owes a lot to Incantation, but they've really created something interesting here. The riffs are gross, and slow to mid-tempo, teetering on the edge of doom all the time. It's rather a different approach to the style. Of course the vocals are mainly low roars, and there's plenty of echo on them so they sound like they were recorded in a cave, albeit one with good acoustics. They're totally filthy and awesome - they are produced extremely well. When the band finds a groove, they tend to stick with it, which I like. I've never been a huge fan of this style, but these guys have things in their sound I can sink my teeth into. The riffs are quite interesting at times and even though they're pretty slow overall, I still find my attention being held. I think Me Saco Un Ojo has a winner here, and I will probably pick this up and listen to it again if the mood strikes me.

Gouge--Pure Deathfuck (CD/LP/CS) {2026 Hells Headbangers Records}

hellsheadbangers.com

8/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Again, Hells Headbangers has scored with this release, as they consistently do. It's amazing to me that a label's releases can so closely align with my own musical preferences. Gouge is back after eleven long years to deliver five tracks of pure Repulsion-style death metal as it was meant to be played. There are perhaps little hints of Impetigo influence at work here as well. The vocals are still as unhinged as ever, hearkening back to a time when death metal vocalists pushed at the edges of what thrash vocalists were doing - these aren't growls, but they're definitely death metal vocals, in other words. The production is clear but raw, and reminds me a little of Horrified, but with modern recording technology. It definitely adds to the band's personality, making them sound different than other bands of today. From what I can tell it looks as if the CD version comes with bonus tracks that consist of their out of print debut EP Doomed to Death, which is a good move. This is a quick listen at just shy of twelve minutes but you'll want to replay it at least once since the songs are all excellent.

Sabiendas--Puppeteer of Doom (CD/LP) {2026 Kernkraftritter Records}

kernkraftritter-records.de

9/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Here we have yet another German death metal band (they sure have a lot of death metal in Germany these days), and this is their first effort in six years. The wave of bands putting things out after more than five years is wild - there's just so many. Strangely, I've never encountered this band before, and now I want to hear their whole back catalog. They play a vicious brand of death metal that clearly looks to older Cannibal Corpse and Sinister as influences, but they've put their own stamp on their sound and are quite mature-sounding. The production is a standard modern death metal sound but emphasizes the guitars, which is a wise move with this many good riffs. Said riffs are aggressive, chunky, and evil-sounding, a perfect combination. They also give us quite good guitar solos in some places. The vocals are fucking strong, being low throaty growls with just the right amount of understandability and brutality. The vocal patterns are pristine and rhythmic and they fit the riffs perfectly. I could listen to this vocalist for hours. Just when I think I want to name a standout song or two, another track comes along that's equally as good as the one I was thinking of naming! All the songs are just so good. This is real death metal for the diehards out there and you shouldn't pass this one up.