Devilpriest--Where I Am the Chalice, Be Thou the Blood (CD/LP) {2025 Nuclear Winter Records}

www.nuclearwinterrecords.com

6/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

This is the third full length from these Polish deathmongers. They play dark death metal with a tinge of blackness and a cornucopia of blastbeats. The lyrics are like occult rites put to music, pure devil worship, and they appear rather sincere! The songs are a bit longer than I usually like, but their compositions are dynamic enough for the music to withstand it without being boring. There are plenty of changes and riffs in these songs that prevent boredom on the part of the listener. This is intense stuff, blasting along at ripping speeds most of the time, with the singer raving over top of it all like a demonic high priest. This is by no means something we've never heard before, but it's an enjoyable listen, and worth tracking down.

Pyre--Where Obscurity Sways (CD/LP/CS) {2025 Osmose Productions}

www.osmoseproductions.com

5/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Pyre hails from Russia, and this is their third full length, the first for the venerable Osmose. Their sound is sort of like a mix of Grave and Asphyx, with the barreling riffs of Grave and the vocals and sludginess of Asphyx at the forefront of their sound. Lest you think they're purely derivative, they have tricks of their own, like excellent guitar solos and well-developed vocal patterns. The production is warm and easy on the ears, and ear fatigue from this release is not a problem. My only issue with this record is that the songs themselves aren't terribly memorable. There's just not much here to vary things song to song, and the riffs aren't that imaginative. It's definitely not intense - it's quite laid back, actually. Your mileage may vary of course, and the musicianship is just fine, this just isn't something that tripped my metalist trigger is all.

Skullhammer--Where Skulls Pile High (LP) {2026 Fucking Kill Records}

skullhammer.bandcamp.com

7/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

This is Skullhammer's first full length and only release other than a handful of singles. They play absolutely crushing death metal with a very bright production that accentuates every instrument equally. The mix is perfect. The drums hammer like a machine gun, especially the double bass that's galloping along most of the time, and the cymbals have a crisp hiss. Vocally, the singer has a similar cadence and style to Johnny from Unleashed, but his tone is more extreme, with much more growl in it, but he remains very understandable and intelligible. The songs are mostly mid-paced, meaning they're extremely heavy, and you won't find many blastbeats on this record. They rely on the mid-paced groove to be heavy and it works well. They actually have some things in common with death doom acts, using an even slower pace to build back up the intensity. I thought this record was quite enjoyable, and definitely worth at least one listen. I imagine it will grow on me over time.

Tymvos--World of Abominations (CD/CS) {2024 Iron Fortress Records}

www.ironfortressrecords.com

8/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Hailing from Scotland, this is the first full length and only release from this band other than a demo in 2021. They play a bastard cross of styles, between Morbid Angel and Benediction. I mention Benediction specifically because of a few of the riffs and the vocals, which call them to mind. The production is nice and warm and really gets that '90s death metal sound right. The bass guitar is especially audible on this record and his sound reminds me of DD Verni a little bit. They've masters the rolling tremolo picked riff and the songs have a great flow to them because of this and the double bass technique used. The vocals patterns are especially noteworthy, the singer's breathy, chesty style bringing the lyrics to life, accentuating the music perfectly. He also knows when the shut the fuck up and let the music do the work! This is not a skill that some vocalists have, and must be learned. I really enjoyed this one, and I'm sorry I was late to the game on it! 

Sulphuric Rite--Wormgod (CS) {2025 Deepswarming Bloodmagik Records}

dpswrmngbldmgk.bandcamp.com

5/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

This five-song EP is the only release from this Ukrainian band. The band reminds me a lot of Grave and Autopsy, with perhaps a bit of the old Floridian sound in the riffing. The problem with this EP is that it's just so helplessly average, and nothing really sticks out that makes it special in any way. This is death metal we've heard a thousand times, with nothing to propel it out of the murk. The vocals are cavernous, which is in vogue right now, with a lot of reverb on them, but not enough to make them too muddy. They're indecipherable anyhow, which is fine. All the musicianship is tight and the instruments are well-played, it's just that this style has been done to death in the last few years, and my ears are tired of it. If there was something more unusual about this band to help them separate themselves from the pack, I wouldn't just dismiss them like this, but unfortunately that is not the case here. 

Caesarean--Wretched Decrepitude (CD) {2025 Horror Pain Gore Death Productions}

horrorpaingoredeath.com

10/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

This six song EP is full of deadly riffing and tight blastbeats, resulting in strong grind-influenced death metal. They remind me a little of the first two Gorerotted albums, Mutilated in Minutes and Only Tools and Corpses, which are classics in my mind. The dual vocal attack is excellent, and the high vocals are an especially intense screamed style, while the low vocals remind me of Bill Steer. The intensity never lets up from any of the instruments, and forward motion seems to be these songs' defining trait, alongside brutality, of course. Every riff is catchy and every song is memorable. We also get an excellent guitar solo in the song "Perverse Formulary of Human Fluids," which doesn't last long but really adds a dynamic to the song. In a scene where so many bands don't seem to care about writing forceful and intense death metal, this band is a breath of fresh air. I am now a fan, and I look forward to more from this band. Give me more of this intensely performed death metal!

Necronomicon Ex Mortis--Zombie Blood Nightmare (Digital) {2026 Independent}

necronomiconexmortis.bandcamp.com

7/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

It appears this band has a habit of releasing a swath of singles digitally before a release, and that seems like a good way to promote engagement, especially if the single is a different version of a song. Smart tactics. On to the music. Necronomicon Ex Mortis play death thrash with tight musicianship, and there's no slop at all. I feel like fans of the old Razorback roster, like Ghoul and Frightmare, would like them a lot with their focus on '70s and '80s horror films. The vocals are snarled in much the same way as Jeff Walker's vocals in Carcass, especially when compared to the Necroticism era. They use blastbeats judiciously and it really helps to make the music more intense at certain times, making certain of their riffs shine. The guitar playing is absolutely perfect, with complicated solos, intricate riffs, and impressive arrangements. Does all this translate to great music? Yes, for the most part. They do a fine job, and don't get lost in their ability to jam. Solid horrific death thrash here, and worth the time and effort to go find.

Fecundation--Moribund (CD) {2025 Obliteration Records}

www.obliteration.jp

8/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

I don't know if I've ever heard a brutal death metal band from South Korea before - I can't recall any. This reminds me of Dying Fetus musically and vocally, but there's almost an Indonesian style of brutality going on here as well. The songs are quite good, and they really sink in on multiple listens. There are plenty of little catchy hooks in the midst of all the wildly technical playing. The musicianship on display is astounding - we even get great guitar solos in some songs, which is very unusual for brutal death metal. It speaks to a depth of composition that most bands cannot summon. If you, like me, are sick of all the Devourment clones and Disgorge clones in the scene, this is one band that will act as a palate cleanser, and it's worth going to the effort to track down their material.

Carbonized Eyesockets--Morbific Putrefaction Accidents (Digital) {2025 Independent}

carbonizedeyesockets.bandcamp.com

8/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Carbonized Eyesockets hails from Russia, this being their first full length and only release other than a single that arrived prior to the album. They plays Repulsion-style deathgrind that may also have some Terrorizer influence, and some from goregrind like old Carcass. The vocals are quite muddy in the mix, making them sound truly extreme, just a low-level deep roar that's growling away over the music, half buried by the guitars. The blasts are extreme, and we get gravity blasts occasionally. They're tight and they're intense, bringing a real personality to the grind. This is important when operating at speeds like this, because suddenly the drummer almost leads the band since boring drums can really harm deathgrind. His double bass work is lightspeed-fast in certain songs, too. Carbonized Eyesockets do what is so difficult in grind, and that's writing memorable songs that really catch the ear of the listener, even with all the relentless blasting. This is truly a great release, and I hope for continued success from this band.

Dysmorphia--Morbid Atrocities (CD/CS) {2025 Iron Fortress Records}

www.ironfortressrecords.com

9/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

This is the third EP from this heavy-ass band, who as of yet have no full lengths in their catalog of releases. We get five songs of serious nastiness on the EP. Dysmorphia plays relentlessly heavy death metal infused with some influence from hardcore, mainly in the big breakdowns they use in their songs. It's not an off-putting amount of hardcore influence, and it seems to make the music more song-oriented and catchy. Punk sensibility, in other words. They're definitely a part of the new wave of death metal bands with their focus on groove and stomp over straight-up brutality, and honestly it makes them heavier than most brutal death metal bands. Brutal bands too often get trapped by speed and can't be as heavy as they truly ought to be. I happen to prefer death metal with powerful vocals and riffs and we get that here, and tons of it. If adding hardcore to our revered death metal means bands get heavier, then I'm all for it. This EP is heavy as fuck, and I loved every minute of it. Speed can only go so far, and Dysmorphia has figured that out. Plus, the cover is fucking amazing, and it caught my attention immediately. 

Inhuman Condition--Mind Trap (CD/LP/CS) {2025 Listenable Insanity Records}

This band was formed by ex-members of Massacre, so it's no wonder they sound a lot like their former band, and with the addition of Terry Butler from Obituary on bass, you can imagine that they get compared to them as well. They operate in the same thrashing death metal space that Massacre does, hearkening back to the late 1980s and early 1990s with their sound. I think the vocals could be more powerful, and the singer is quite breathy. I want to hear some real roars, and that just isn't on offer here. The songs seem a bit overwrought to me as well, a bit long-winded, just going on for a little too long in each instance. I respect what they're trying to do and have done, but it's just not as good as it should be. This is my first exposure to them, so it's possible the first two albums are a bit better. I'll have to investigate.

Dying Remains--Merciless Suffering (CD/LP/CS) {2025 Maggot Stomp Records}

maggotstomp.bandcamp.com

10/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Dying Remains hails from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and this is their first full length, and a mighty one it is. They definitely fit in with the new wave of death metal that's occurring right now, and all the hallmarks are there - straightforward brutality mixed with heavy groove, chunky riffs, and a nod to the bands who came before. They keep it heavy and keep it groovy, and this is what makes them great. It's just good, solid death metal with few frills. The vocalist has a mid-ranged hybrid yelled growl and it helps to set this band apart from the imitators. This shit crushes everything in its path with stomping riffs and mid-paced violence. Some of the grooves remind me of Dehumanized, but with a less New York approach if that makes sense. This is a perfect death metal record, and you won't find many of these new bands that are this good. This is a monumental effort, and one that belongs in any death metal collection. I know it will be in mine.

Heruvim--Mercator (CD/LP) {2025 Redefining Darkness Records}

www.redefiningdarkness.com

5/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

I hate when I have to review and album and the only description I can really muster is "very ok old school death metal," or something similar. Unfortunately, that's what I'm doing here. There's just nothing that truly makes this record stand out from the hundreds of other bands playing Bolt Thrower inspired death metal. Sure, the production is clear and crisp and the musicianship is perfect, but other than the very progressive bass playing at times, I don't feel anything special about this release, and death metal should make you feel something. I've just heard this band a hundred times before, and this one isn't doing much different to separate themselves from the other bands at all.

Subscum--Massgrave Summit (Digital) {2025 Independent}

subscum.bandcamp.com

6/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Subscum play crushing deathgrind that really sounds like no one else I can identify. The growled vocals have a supremely obscure echo with tons of reverb and distortion, and the high vocals are almost puked-up sounding, with a bunch of effects on them. The guitars are a chainsaw to the brain, and they may use an HM-2 pedal to achieve this sound, but I'm not certain about that. It could just be layers of distortion. They seem to take plenty of influence from Assuck and Napalm Death, and that's a plus. This is a very short record at just five songs, and it's all quite noisy, with a lot of experimentation with different sounds in the intros and outros. I definitely want to hear a longer release so I can analyze this band a bit further, because I see a ton of potential here. If you want a short grind release to pick your day up, this would be the one.

Atomicide--Manifest of Aversion (CD) {2024 Death Division Rituals}

deathdivisionrituals.bandcamp.com

8/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

I remember when Atomicide's demos were making their rounds in the underground, back when paper 'zines were king. At the time I didn't think much of them, but as this album shows, they've grown into a real force. Musically, they're a cross between death metal, thrash metal, and war metal, and they've openly called themselves war metal in the past. They do have all the hallmarks of war metal, with long scrapes along the strings, relentless blasting, and blower guitar riffs. However, they're much more nuanced than the average war metal band, with a multitude of riffing styles and not nearly as much repetition. They're just as much Morbid Angel as they are Blasphemy. The vocals are delivered in a low growl, bordering on a bark at times, and it fits the music perfectly, making them a bit more death metal in sound. This is a fine effort with excellent songs, and every devotee of truly underground death metal should seek it out and get nuked by it.