Woundead--Once Buried They Come Back to Life (CD) {2025 Despise the Sun Records}

despisethesunrecords.bandcamp.com

7/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Woundead come to us from Italy and they play a disgusting form of death metal that hearkens back to the sounds of the early '90s. Death metal has always been the audio equivalent of a horror film, and Woundead continue this fine tradition with a sample from a movie I cannot name as the intro of "Obsessive Gore Compulsion." The intro to the album itself, "Introduction to Macabre Overture," features '70s horror-inspired synths and horrific noises. Plus, we have zombies on the cover! Stylistically I hear a lot of things - Autopsy in the strangled vocals and the unhinged delivery thereof; Desultory in some of the riffs and rhythms. They're just the first to come to mind. However, the band has a fairly unique sound overall and defies comparison beyond that. Maybe, at a stretch, some early Massacre? The songwriting is simpler but satisfying and filled with hooks, each song being distinct and unique. In fact, they do a lot with simple riffs and it speaks to their talent as songwriters. There's no flashiness here to hide behind, just solid death metal. This is definitely a record for the diehards to investigate, and if you like simpler death metal, this could be a new favorite.

Reeking Aura--On the Promise of the Moon (CD/LP) {2026 Profound Lore Records}

profoundlorerecords.com

7/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

This is the second full length from this rather unique death metal band, playing with both melody and brutality. These aspects of the band are meshed so well that it's hard to say there are sections where one or the other quality is more important. They've achieved that rarest of sounds - melodic brutality. Sure, some songs lean more heavily one way or another, but both elements are always present. The vocals are all primarily guttural, but they're performed with a strength that is very rare in a guttural vocalist. He's quite unique in this way. There are times when he resorts to more standard growls, and these are excellent, too. They have these little Edge of Sanity-style progressive moments throughout their material and they're quite welcome as a brief respite from the brutality that surrounds them. IT makes for a varied listening experience. The production is a solid example of a good modern death metal recording, and there's quite a bit of space for each instrument to shine. While not a band I can immediately declare myself a fan of, I will readily admit this is one of the most unique death metal bands I've heard in a while, for that matter in existence today. They play in a section of the field where no one realized a player was needed! They also get the award for making me laugh today with their track titled "Manure Like Magma!" 

Belligerence--Liturgies of the Vile Ones (CD/LP/CS) {2026 Lycanthropic Chants}

lycanthropic.de

8/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

This German band has unleashed their second EP and it's a good one. This is heavy on the Morbid Angel influence, and they're doing a better job of it than those geezers ever could these days. There's quite technical playing present here, and they show it off when the mood takes them, sometimes during slower sections of the songs where they can play around a little more. These are remarkably well-crafted songs with a sense of maturity about them. Entertaining transitions abound, and plenty of changes keep things interesting. Plus, these guys can grind with the best. The vocals are primarily a low growl, but they're expressive and fueled by anger. The singer has perfect technique and sounds quite smooth. I really enjoy listening to him. Production-wise, the sound is solid and modern-sounding, but it's not overdone like so many records these days. It doesn't sound overly digital. I can see why they titled the record after the song "Liturgies of the Vile Ones." This song shows off everything they can do, and it's easily their best song. This one will make it into my rotation every once in a while for sure, and I look forward to what's next from this band.

Necrocysm--Eternal Infernal (CD) {2026 Sevared Records}

www.sevared.com

5/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Here we have more Indonesian brutal death metal, but different stylistically than a lot of their brethren - they're more in line with early Dying Fetus than they are with the Disgorge style of brutality. They're definitely not a slam band, but they do employ elements of it - the overwrought bass-heavy production, the subsonic bass drops when coming in after a pause, and of course the breakdown in the middle of the song. The rest is competent brutal death metal, however, in a modern style that wouldn't be out of place on a larger label. The production is annoying at first, with the drums being too in-your-face, and the kick drums are too loud or something. I can't really put my finger on just what's wrong with it, but it ain't right. The vocals are definitely of the Dr. Claw variety, that vicious enemy of Inspector Gadget, with a throaty style that reminds me of that cartoon character quite a bit. They can definitely play their instruments, and this has a definite technical side to it with some impressive sweeps and drum fills. Overall, it's a pass for me, but if you're a sucker for Indonesian brutality and want something a shade different, this may be for you.

Infected Dead--Invicta (CD/LP) {2026 Independent}

infecteddead.bandcamp.com

8/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Infected Dead from England have given us a four-song EP that just burns the fuckin' house down every time you play it. This is the best sort of technical death metal, full of great riffs and, most importantly, good songs. There are just so many interesting things going on here that it's hard to decide what to write. First, let's start with the obvious, the guitars. These motherfuckers can play, and clearly have wizard levels of talent. There's lots of stop/start riffing, scales, and arpeggios. The riffing is endlessly inspired and inventive. The guitar solos are perfection, and ones you'll want to rewind to hear again. The same goes for the bass and drums as they lay the foundation for the rest. The vocals are quite rhythmic, following the lead of the guitars quite often, as the guitar work is also rhythmic. Most of the time the vocalist uses a mid-range growl but he's also capable of low roars and high screams, and uses them all liberally. I can't compare these fine gentlemen to any other band, they're that unique, but if you like death metal with some real shred, you'll want this.

Vilethrone--Funeral for a Forsaken World (CD) {2026 Base Record Production}

baserecordproduction.com

4/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Vilethrone hail from Spain and play pretty standard death metal which seems to take inspiration from the new wave of death metal bands that load their songs down with groove, which I am fine with. There's also a little black metal influence that raises its ugly head once in a while. They have some decent riffs here and there but not enough of them to really keep me interested. The songs themselves are written well enough with clear attention being paid to good writing, but the riffs just don't cut it for me in many cases. I found the drum sound to be too mechanical, and it's clearly triggered or sound-replaced, which is fine, but this is a particularly obvious example and it makes it sound too rigid. Especially the snare. This one was a pass for me, but if it sounds cool to you, by all means check it out. I'm just one guy with an opinion!

Posthumous Regurgitation--The Coroner's Guide to Cadaverous Cuisine (CD/CS) {2024 Headsplit Records}

headsplitrecords.blogspot.com

8/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Since the band name has a reference to vomit in it, you know we're going to cover it here! Headsplit releases are interesting to me nearly every time, and Posthumous Regurgitation is no exception. This album is excellent. These Oregonian madmen have crafted one of the finer death metal/goregrind hybrid sounds I've ever heard. The roots of goregrind can be heard in their sound as well, with tiny nods to Carcass, but they also have some similarities to Haemorrhage and Butcher ABC. The vocals are mostly natural gutturals and screams, but a pitch-shifted vocal makes an appearance once in a while. It's a rather diverse effort vocally, which not a lot of goregrind can claim. I believe this to be their death metal influences at work. The production is clear but not overwrought like so many albums today, and all the instruments have a nice natural sound. It's a quick listen at twenty-two minutes and change, with nine original songs and a cover of General Surgery, but it's a worthwhile one.

Wormlord--Choices (Digital) {2026 Independent}

wormlord.bandcamp.com

7/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Wormlord, from Finland, play Swedish-style HM-2 death metal that's quite good, and they bring enough creative riffing to bear to keep from sounding like just more of the same. They remind me quite a bit of the early Bloodbath material, right down to production and vocal sound, even if the vocals are a bit higher in pitch. They put enough of themselves into this to keep it from becoming a "worship" band, however. The songwriting is excellent and memorable, and the hooks are catchy enough to do their job. Most of the songs have at least one completely crushing riff in them (aside from the weird acoustic song that is "Ivory Tower" - that came out of left field, feeling out of place on the album, and should have been last in the track listing). The song "Mania" is a standout favorite for me. The main riff of the song is pulverizing after the extended intro winds up the song. This is a rather inspired example of the Swedish death metal sound, and if you're an HM-2 junkie, this one's for you.

Desolus--Dwellers of the Twilight Void (CD/LP/CS) {2026 Hells Headbangers Records}

hellsheadbangers.com

9/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

After reviewing several lackluster records in a row, I needed something to pick me up out of my funk and knock me on my ass, and this album did it. I knew it would since I've seen this band live twice and both times they were world class, and very easy guys to chat with. If you're unfamiliar, they play evil '80s style death metal (at least it's death metal to me), super-fast at all times. They're somewhat similar to Dark Angel and Sadus with their relentless attack, but with a deadlier atmosphere and sicker vocals. They continue with the material that was featured on their first record, System Shock, which I immediately bought after I saw them live for the first time. This time the production seems better than on the first record. They're a perfect band for Hells Headbangers as they bleed the old, evil metal spirit that so many of their bands do. I love the rapid-fire vocal attack and I'm glad to hear they haven't shifted their style at all - they just keep murdering and murdering. Some people wouldn't classify this as death metal, but I sure do, because this sounds like the masters of '80s death metal reincarnated. 

Astriferous--Atavistic Unraveling (CD/LP) {2026 Me Saco Un Ojo Records}

mesacounojo.com

6/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Shortly after I reviewed their Costa Rican countrymates Cerecloth, this new effort from Astriferous arrived in my promo feed. Cerecloth even covered them on their most recent album, so I was keen to hear them. They play a similar style of dark death metal that owes much to Demigod, Incantation, and Immolation, but they've molded these influences into something all their own. They also have little nods to Morbid Angel in a few of the songs, which is nice to hear. Dark synths appear at times in some songs to really drive home the evil atmosphere that they're creating. They have little catchy parts in all their songs that hold your attention and keep you looking for the next moment like it. The vocals are all a low cavernous growl, which adds even more darkness to the mixture. They do get a bit monotonous as the vocal patterns are all drawn-out affairs instead of rhythmic. This isn't a bad effort at all, and if you like darker death metal, this may be a new favorite.

Caustic--Inner Deflagration (CD) {2026 Horror Pain Gore Death Productions}

horrorpaingoredeath.com

8/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Caustic from Spain return with a new full length eleven years after their last effort. While they still have quite a few Cannibal Corpse-isms in their sound, they've created material here that goes beyond mere mimicry, putting their own stamp on the style and adding their own alchemical mixture to the cauldron of death. The riffs are strong, careening from one to another with speed and power, all held together by the brutal drumming and sturdy bass work. We even get solos from time to time, and they're quite good. The guitar tones are supremely heavy and pleasing to the ear, with a lot of crunch. The vocals are another strong point, fierce growls that are also expressive and powerful, how death metal ought to be sung. It's a stellar performance, and one I could listen to over and over. This is technical enough music to require a few listens to fully appreciate, but that's not to say there are no hooks. No, there are plenty, there's just a lot going on here and it takes some time to fully absorb it. This is top notch death metal by top notch players and a fine album is the result.

Scion of Darkness--Horns of the Apocalypse (Digital) {2026 Independent}

scionofdarkness.bandcamp.com

10/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

This Austrian band brings us absolutely bestial death metal that's packed full of intensity and violence, especially when they perform a blast. The riffs are straight up bulldozers, tempered here and there with little runs, and occasionally backing down during verses to let the music breathe, only to dive right back into a blast at just the right time. There's a lot of thrash influence at work here during their "slower" moments, and it's where they show off their chops a little with interesting leads and little embellishments here and there. They're at their strongest when blasting, and I've not heard too many other bands do it this violently and with this much urgency. The drummer is a fuckin' beast. The vocals duel back and forth between high and low, the high vocals reminding me of Pete Helmkamp and the lows reminding me of Dallas Toller-Wade. This is a perfect record and I highly recommend this to all the true deathmaniacs out there reading this. This needs to get picked up by a label immediately for physical release.

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.