The Scum--Dead Was the Sun (Digital) {2026 Independent}

thescum.bandcamp.com

6/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

This Colombian band previously released these songs as part of a split, and I really wish more bands would do this - release EPs or compilations of their split material. It's a great idea to spread the songs far and wide, especially with the limited nature of releases today. The Scum plays fairly unique-sounding death metal that relies on simpler compositions and solid songwriting. I can hear some Entombed and Incantation in their sound, but only hints - like I said, they're pretty unique-sounding. The guitar solos are special, and spectacularly played. The vocals are especially wild, with a powerful growl using a lot of mouth distortion, and a double-layered recording technique that makes them sound more powerful. These five songs are definitely worth the price of admission, and it serves as a decent introduction to the band's sound. I just might dig into their back catalog.

Defense Wound / Writhing Shadows--Anticosmic Rituals (CS) {2025 Gurgling Gore Records}

www.gurglinggore.com

7/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Here we have a split with two bands from Alabama that also share members, which is interesting. Defense Wound plays a chunky style of death metal that clearly has some hardcore influences, but it serves to make them heavier and more barbaric. Their three songs are mostly mid-paced and emphasize heaviness first and foremost, leaning on simpler compositions. Vocally, their singer employs deep growls with the occasional high scream, forceful and powerful from deep in the chest. The riffs are top shelf, focusing on headbanging rhythms and smooth transitions, which the drummer assists by sitting in the pocket and providing steady beats. Writhing Shadows has a somewhat similar style, but they have just a tinge of blackness and doom in their sound, coming off as being a darker version of Defense Wound. They're not afraid of big doomy passages, as the first song on the split shows, "Scarlett Fluids." I believe I prefer Defense Wound to Writhing Shadows, but both are excellent bands and I look forward to hearing more. 

Multiwomb--Anatomy of Gorelust (CD) {2026 Grave Island Records}

graveislandrecords.com

9/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Finally, a band has pulled off what I constantly look for in brutal death metal - actual hooks in their songs and memorable riffs with excellent vocal patterns. Multiwomb has all of these things in plenty. The vocals are mid-ranged growls for the most part and it immediately sets them apart from the legions of other brutal death metal bands. The patterns the singer uses are catchy and rhythmic and accent the riffs, rather than simply adding a layer of inscrutability like so many other vocalists. I can actually get my head around a lot of the riffs on the first pass, which is another uncommon thing for a band like this. It speaks to their skill at songwriting. What I appreciate the most is the intensity. So many brutal death metal bands aren't actually intense or aggressive - heavy yes, intense no. So when Multiwomb keeps the intensity up and never stops being aggressive, I am appreciative of it. This is a fantastic death metal record and deserves to be heard by the diehards. It will not disappoint.

Insect Inside--Reborn in Blight (CD/CS) {2026 Gore House Productions}

gorehouseproductions.com

6/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

This is excellent brutal death metal that rides the line stylistically between Suffocation and Disgorge. The bass player is phenomenal and he can be heard quite clearly playing in the spaces between the drums and guitars. The band reminds me a little of Ton in the way the bassist plays so independently of the other instruments. Vocally, we get low gutturals in a few different styles and they're actually impressive - there are some real vocal patterns here, which we don't get much in brutal death metal. There are some elements of slam here, but they don't wear out their welcome, and these musicians are good enough to pull it off and keep it interesting for the listener. The sometimes go on little extended jams, and it's rare to hear this in brutal death metal. They have the technical proficiency to pull it off and keep it entertaining, so more power to them. Overall this is a decent record, and brutal deathmaniacs should definitely get hold of it.

Pestifer--Ravaging Fury (CD) {2025 Iron Blood and Death Corporation}

ironbloodanddeath.bandcamp.com

8/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

This is the second full length from this Portuguese squad, and their first release since 2017. They seem to take a lot of time between releases, as their only other recording is a 2009 demo. This care they take to release their best material is evidenced by this record and the high quality of the death metal that resides on it. They're equal parts Morbid Angel, Krisiun, and Vader, but they're adding something special of their own to these influences. The riffs are tremolo-picked insanity, changing often but repeating enough to form cohesive songs with plenty of hooks. The drummer is a machine, and his blasts are almost militaristic in nature, absolutely relentless with a stiff beat at all times. The vocals are mid-ranged throaty rasps that are full of hate and sound absolutely unique - no one sounds like this vocalist that I can recall. Fans of relentless blasting brutality would do well to investigate this release, and it will not disappoint.

Unpassing--Pyrophoria (Digital) {2025 Independent}

unpassing.bandcamp.com

8/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Unpassing play Demolition Hammer-style death thrash sandwiched by vicious and intense blasting death metal. There are some impressive guitar solos on this EP, and the riffs are memorable. The solos sort of remind me of later era Death material a bit, and the guitarists are fucking wizards. The vocals are a mostly understandable mid-range growl spat out with venom and disgust. The patterns are pretty good, too, rhythmic and punchy, emphasizing the nature of the riffs. When they kick into a blast, it's always intense and powerful, and they use them to great effect. The songwriting is infectious, full of hooks, and the songs worm their way into your brain like a drill. The thrash riffs are all aggressive as fuck and woven into the death metal passages seamlessly to create a cohesive whole. This is absolutely worth going to Bandcamp and downloading, as that is the only format that is available.

Putrisect--Putrisect (CD/CS) {2026 Rotted Life Records}

rottedlife.com

8/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

This is the first new Putrisect material in eight years, and the eponymously titled effort is clearly a statement piece, an announcement that they're back and this is exemplary of their sound. We get five songs plus a Machetazo cover ("Espectro"). I hear a lot of Incantation influence as well as Bolt Thrower, and they're a mix of the two with their own special sauce on top. This is firmly in the '90s death metal revival camp, but is unpretentious and clearly made by fans and competent musicians. Each song has a riff that just crushes all in its path, a riff that sticks in your head and doesn't want to let you go. The vocals are a low and laid back growl, but are suited perfectly to the dark riffs. The music itself is mostly mid-paced, just bulldozing along leaving crushed corpses in its wake. I highly recommend this one, and I'll now have to dig into their back catalog if I can. Pretty good stuff here.

Deimler--Darkness Falls (CD) {2026 Awakening Records}

awakeningrecordscn.bandcamp.com

5/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

This is the third full length from these Spanish deathmerchants. Immolation crossed with Entombed is a good way to describe Deimler's style. The vocals are firmly in the "Dr. Claw" camp, reminding me of Inspector Gadget's cartoon foe with their low throaty rumble. Don't mistake me - the vocals are good. I like them a lot. The problem with this record is that there are terribly few memorable riffs, and beyond the excellently morbid atmosphere, there's not a lot of interest going on here except the guitar solos (which tend to meander a bit, as well). The production is perfect, though, and everything is quite well recorded. The drummer is amazing, let me say that. He holds these nonsense riffs together like his life depends on it, and has a superfast blast style. He also plays his whole kit on this record, since someone has to make this fucker interesting somehow. He can't save these riffs, but he definitely does his best to try.

Caustic Phlegm--Purulent Apocalypse (CD/LP/CS) {2025 Hells Headbangers Records}

www.hellsheadbangers.com

10/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

This is the bastard son of Swedish-style death metal and goregrind, and it's a hell of a combination. A one-man act from the UK, Caustic Phlegm is one of the dirtiest-sounding fucking things I have ever heard. Even some horror movie style synths appear on the record to really set the mood for this gross shit. The vocals are outrageous, with pitch-shifted effects that make the singer sound like he's gargling toilet water (turds probably intact). The riffs are catchy as fuck and all the songs are very well written, with hooks galore, even with the toilet vocals involved. The album cover fits the music so well, it's just perfect, with a diseased fungus creature and sickly greens and purples. The production has a layer of filth over it that further enhances the dirtiness of the record and really gives it a unique character. This is truly original shit, and a thousand percent worth your money.

Yaldabaoth--Profane Shadow (Digital) {2026 Independent}

yaldabaoth616.bandcamp.com

5/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

I will tell you right now that you've never heard death metal like this, ever. It's built upon entirely dissonant riffing, in almost a jazz-like way, and the prog/tech death nerds will probably wet themselves over this release (it does feature a member of Gigan, if memory serves). It moves from dissonant riff to dissonant riff throughout each song, also experimenting with different textures like harmonics and guitar effects, and is truly weird but incredibly talented, with wild drum patterns. The mere fact that someone created a record like this shows their brain works entirely differently from other death metal artists. The vocals are traded off between deep growls with a lot of power behind them and an almost black metal style screech - in fact, there is a black metal edge to this stuff in places. Here's the thing - I truly hate dissonant riffs. This just isn't for me. Sure, I can appreciate the massive talent here, but I can't enjoy it like I do a normal death metal record. It's just too much. I don't want a challenge, I want to bang my head.

Kingdom--Primeval Cult of Strength in the Womb of Suffer (CD/LP/CS) {2026 Osmose Productions}

www.osmoseproductions.com

7/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

This is the seventh full length from this Polish Satanic deathbrigade. I first heard this band with their debut album Unholy Graveyard in about 2003 or so, and I was very interested in seeing what their new release sounded like, and they're still playing quality death metal, just more polished. They've honed their craft since that first record and this recording is pristine, the playing perfect. Their riffs are a diverse lot, often changing quickly from one to the next, and that keeps the intensity high, but there's plenty of repetition and hooks here, too. The guitar solos are rather melodic when they appear, which is nice to hear, and it adds a dynamic to their brand of death metal. The record is paced nicely with some mid-tempo songs spread throughout to break up the faster chunks. There are two vocal styles present, from what I assume is the same singer. The first, and primary, style is a brutal low growl, and the second is a high pitched snarl that is used in a few songs. Overall this is a high quality release, and one that if you should want to check out, you will probably not be disappointed.

Necrosimian--Primal Rot (CD/LP) {2026 Independent}

www.facebook.com/Necrosimian

6/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Leave it to the crazy bastards in my former home state of Ohio to come up with a band name this wild. They give us six songs of well-crafted death metal with a blackened edge. The songs are all longer, coming in at five and a half minutes at a minimum. This is dark stuff, fueled by the same darkness as Incantation or Immolation, although they do not sound particularly similar to either. It's the atmosphere that's the same. The drum sound is excellent - tight and crisp - with a snare sound that has a thick pop to it. The vocals are mostly a low- to mid-range growl, and quite understandable a lot of the time, with drawn-out vocal patterns that still show some planning and rhythm. Not a bad first effort here, and one that the diehards may want to get their hands on if you follow the Ohio scene.

Omegathrone--Predators Make Empires (CD) {2026 Independent}

omegathrone.bandcamp.com

9/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

This band from England plays melodic death metal that meshes traditional death metal with uniquely melodic riffs - this is not the Gothenburg style at all. In this case, melodic is not code for "wimped out." This is real death metal. The vocals are delivered in a quite understandable low growl that's sick as fuck and powerful. It's one of the things that separates this band from other melody-oriented death metal bands. The singer is perfectly produced on the record (and the record overall is flawlessly recorded). They can be extremely fast when they use blastbeats and are quite intense when they do. The riffs here are, as I had mentioned already, rather unique, and there are some things being done that I've never heard a death metal band do, like the high-pitched riffing at the beginning of "Bad Sleep Better." There's quite a bit of technicality here on top of everything else, and it's in service to the songs, making each of them stand out from each other. This is quite good, and I need to listen to it more to let it really sink in. This is a special record, and one that should absolutely be on your radar.

Solnegre--Anthems for the Grand Collapse (CD) {2026 Meuse Music}

www.meusemusicrecords.de

8/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

I typically despise doom death because it seems so much like a gimmick rather than real death metal. Like, let's play slow because everyone else is playing fast, and so much of it is is middling as far as memorability goes. Solnegre is different. This is truly epic doom death with big synths and emotional melodies that soar, especially where the guitar solos are concerned. They occasionally give us a change in tempo, kicking it up to mid-paced, even fast, to give us something to sink our teeth into. The guitars are fuckin' fantastic, really leaning into the word epic, in the same way that a band like Candlemass used to do. There's plenty of room in these songs for the bass and drums to do wonderful things as well, often going off on their own tangents in the space between the riffs. The vocals are typically a low and mostly understandable growl with actual well-developed vocal patterns which so much doom death never has. There are also occasionally higher screamed vocals. The singer is quite expressive for a death metal vocalist, as befits the style, and his performance is top notch. We also get the occasional clean vocal, as well, and these are also of high quality. I wasn't prepared to like this when I set out to review it, but the band won me over, and I definitely recommend this record.

Morgue Breath--Plaga sin rostro (CD/LP) {2024 Behind the Mountain Records}

www.behindthemountain.net

8/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

This might be harder to get hold of since it came out a while back, and I haven't checked availability, but I felt like I needed to spread the word on this monster of a release. Morgue Breath from California play absolutely bestial deathgrind. They compose all their lyrics in Spanish, and have one of the best band names of all time! There are heavy doses of Terrorizer influence at work here, as well as some old Carcass influence. The vocals are traded back and forth between low and high, with the low vocal being brutal and powerful, a deep roar, and the high vocal rasping away almost in the background. It creates an interesting dynamic. This is a real brutal bastard of a record, with intensity that never lets up and just keeps pounding and pounding, hitting the listener with short bursts of catchy riffs in the midst of all the grind. It's just about the right length for a grind full-length, coming in at twenty-six and a half minutes and seventeen tracks. They do throw one curveball on the record, the second to last track, "Ulceramente gurgitando la uncion repugnante." It's a three-minute long doom-fest that helps close the album. The misstep here is that it should have been the final track and it's not, with a short track coming after it. The album would have closed on a more interesting note had this song been last. As it is, this is a nitpicky criticism, and overall the record is absolutely fine, and definitely worth the time and effort to track down.