Starvation "A Vast Devouring Infestation"

Starvation A Vast Devouring Infestation

2024 Independent (Digital)

2025 Unholy Domain Records (Cassette)

www.facebook.com/UnholyDomainRecs

I’m not sure what went wrong during the vocal recording session, but they’re far too flat and out front, but I got used to it after about the second song. That’s my only problem with it – stylistically they made me think of very early Sepultura and early Deicide, which is excellent. There’s even well-placed reverb, and there’s quite a bit of echo on them. In fact, this entire record gives off that ancient feel, and it reminded me of the late ‘80’s and early ‘90’s for sure. It’s very much influenced by mid-period Death and Cannibal Corpse and very early Suffocation in the riffing department, which is also a plus for me. I’ll want to see what this Italian band does next for sure. This is their debut, and I’m sure they’re capable of a great record.

Ignominious "400 Million Tons of Flesh" (Review)

Ignominious 400 Million Tons of Flesh

2025 Independent (Digital)

ignominious.bandcamp.com

I’ve always liked the word ignominious – in fact I used it prominently in a song or two – and when I saw this band, I had to check them out. I didn’t expect too much since it looked like this effort had some silly song titles, and that’s a fact that it does. Just look at the cover. However, the old adage of not judging a book applies here. The music is very good – a solid death metal effort that’s heavy on the groove but not in a boring-ass slam riff way. They work the grooves into their well-crafted compositions of solid death metal in a way that captures my ear, and they don’t over-do it. They’re also from Ohio, which is my former home state, adding to Ohio’s ever-impressive roster of death metal bands. I’m happy to have stumbled onto their material. It’s worth a listen if you like heavy-ass death metal with groove like Kataklysm, Gutted, or Illdisposed’s groovier material. Here’s hoping they keep it underground and sick for a long time to come.

Master "40 Years and Still Killing" (Review)

Master 40 Years and Still Killing

2025 Independent (Digital)

master.bandcamp.com

I believe a CD of this exists as a tour-exclusive bit of merch, but I could be mistaken, so I listed this as digital. It is comprised of two studio tracks which I believe appear as bonus tracks on a version of Saints Dispelled, their last studio effort, along with four live tracks recorded in 2011 in Italy. Either way, it’s a new Master release, and I’m paying attention! I have long revered Paul Speckmann’s musical projects, and Master is one of my favorites of all time. In fact, when I met him on the US tour with Solstice in Detroit, I made sure to mention to him that Master’s music has helped me through some hard times. When I get a Master album, I always know what I’m getting and I know I won’t be disappointed. I can trust that he’ll not stray from what the core sound of the band has always been. That’s worth a lot to me. This is by no means an essential release since at least the studio tracks appear elsewhere, but it’s worth supporting the band to pick it up from their Bandcamp site.

Mind Snare "33 Curses at the Nazarene" (Review)

Mind Snare 33 Curses at the Nazarene

2025 The Spew Records

www.punishment18records.com

This is one band that’s been around forever that I’ve always given a once-over and not really paid much attention. Hailing from Italy, their sound is much more like the American bands from Florida in the 1990s. This is not a bad thing! The heavy thrashing death metal on offer here is quite pleasing to these metalized ears, and the blasts are fast and vicious like Malevolent Creation. The vocals are delivered rhythmically with distinct patterns, overtop fine songwriting and hellacious riffs. This is their fifth full length since 2000, with demos going all the way back to 1992, but it’s their first full length since their last one in 2014! That’s a long time to fester, and these rotten compositions were worth the wait. I fully recommend this one to death metalists that want that 1990s sound.

Bodybox "3"

Bodybox 3

2025 Maggot Stomp (CD, LP, Cassette)

maggotstomp.bigcartel.com

I really thought from the song titles that there was going to be more I disliked about this album, but it’s thankfully not the case. In true style for the label, this is brutal death crossed with heavy hardcore. I didn’t like the pingy snare sound at all, but the vocals and most of the riffs are great, outside of the slam riffs. They’re pretty standard for this style, nothing truly surprising. The song “Skimping Fuckin’ Idiots” really caught my attention – if the entire album was in a similar vein I’d be very happy indeed. Alas, it’s not the case, but this album is at least worth a quick listen if you like slamming brutal death metal.

Hellysh "13" (Review)

Hellysh 13

2025 Independent (Digital)

hellysh.bandcamp.com

I don’t like the band name. It’s gimmicky and needs some more thought. That out of the way, this is the third full length for this German unit, which from the pictures I’ve seen might be a dad and his two kids forming the band. That’s admirable. The music itself is serviceable, but not anything that blows me away. I’ve definitely heard dozens of similar bands doing this style of death thrash better – think Master with sections of blast beats – but it’s not terrible by any means. Track it down if only if you can’t hear enough new bands or are a death thrash addict.

Phosgene "...and Hope Disappears" (Review)

Phosgene …and Hope Disappears

2025 Independent (Digital)

phosgene1.bandcamp.com

This is competently played brutal death metal from Chile with a heavy emphasis on groove. There’s nothing here I can’t stand, but nothing really reaches out and grabs me, either. I feel like I’ve heard this record plenty of times before. This is their first full-length after a string of EPs and singles going back to 2020. I’ll definitely wait to see what they do next before I form a true opinion. One thing I didn’t like, though, were all the dissonant riffs. That’s just my taste. I hate dissonant riffs. That said, this isn't something I was rushing to turn off or speed along, so they're doing something right.

Ursula "Lords of Impermanence" (Review)

Ursula Lords of Impermanence

2025 Iron Blood and Death Corporation (CD / Cassette)

ironbloodanddeath.bandcamp.com

I was intrigued by this one for some reason, when it hit my promo "pile" (meaning: digital file hoard awaiting review). The name of the band was curious, and I was thinking maybe it was some sort of sludge or doom metal band, but based on the label I thought perhaps not. And indeed, I was right - it was not. This is serious death metal from Singapore with plenty of originality yet enough nods to the styles of the past so that it's rooted in tradition. Think of Repulsion, Impetigo, Master, fast Autopsy, early Death, Celtic Frost, Slayer, Angelcorpse, Nunslaughter, and any other band that frequently gets lumped in with them. You'll be reminded of the styles they represent, but Ursula holds their own with originality, and is easily one of the best albums so far this year. Every song stands apart from the others, and nothing blends together. All the riffs are great, and the guitar solos are nicely structured and enjoyable, and there's one in almost every song. Their songwriting is traditional verse/chorus/verse songwriting for the most part, using the traditional metal approach (and it makes sense since two members of the band played in a thrash metal band prior to this one). The song that stood out the most for me, and is my favorite, is "Slave Driver," with its almost Dream Death style main riff. It's slower, pounding, and evil-sounding. I'll be buying this one at some point in the near future, for sure. If this album is the benchmark of how this year in death metal will go, we're in for a great year. The true death metalists reading this should take note, and take a listen.

Rapid Fire Reviews (Morgue, Disrupting, Cranial Disorder, Blast Agony, Brutally Deceased, General Fibrosis) (Review)

Morgue Close to Complete Darkness

2024 Godz ovWar Productions (CD / LP / Cassette)

godzovwar.com

BADASS TRACKS: Doorways in Crimson Red, Disobedience

BADASS SONG TITLES: Sacrificial Blood, Speculative Fall of the Human Race, Death in Communion

From the same French unit that brought us the almighty Artgore comes this newest effort. This is intense grinding death metal that is quite musical, with lots of repetition in the riffs and good songwriting. The vocals are almost a gurgling growl and remind me a lot of early Amorphis. There are quick changes, good riffs, and excellent drumming throughout this record. They somehow manage to be atmospheric while they blast away, I think due to some of the riffs that would normally be presented with a slower drum pattern by other bands. Their sound remains unique all these years later, especially the warm and well-recorded way it's presented.

Disrupting Conceive to Obliteration

2024 Coyote Records (CD)

www.coyoterecords.ru

From Brazil come Disrupting, and they're technical, brutal death metal with a lot of musicality. The vocals for some reason remind me of Disavowed - perhaps it's a tonality thing. It's not bad, but nothing that blew me completely away. I felt the songs could be a little bit more well-defined, but it may be just the style that is turning me off. There are a lot of dissonant riffs, and we all know how much I like those. It's almost an instant turn-off for me. Perhaps the tech-heads might disagree with me on this record, but that's just my tastes. I wouldn't turn the record off for any reason, but I won't be spinning it often. The cover art is badass, though. I love it.

Cranial Disorder Congenital Depravity

2024 Lethal Scissor Records (CD)

www.lethalscissor.com

This is sold brutal death metal in the tried and true Indonesian style, with plenty of blasting and staccato riffs. The vocalist is excellent. His tones are quality, and his diction (read: understandability) is good. The songs don't stand out as much here, as they blend together a bit due to the style, but the brutal-heads will like this, I'm sure of it, since I am one, and I liked it. I just thought it could be just slightly better in the songwriting department - give me something to make the songs a bit more different from one another. I'll be on the lookout for what this band does next.

Blast Agony Cradle of Brutality

2023 Rapture Records

rapturerecords.com.br

BADASS SONG TITLES: Blood of the Inhuman Torture, Resurrection Absurd, Devourer of Flesh in Spirit

Brazil belches forth another brutal band! There is clearly some Krisiun influence here, and that is understandable. Not only are they death metal gods, but they hail from the same country. For some reason the vocals remind me of some of Severe Torture's material. I hear some Gorgasm in the riffing as well. This is pretty good stuff with decent song structure. The vocal performance is unique and unhinged, almost stream of consciousness in its delivery at times. The music is relentless and intense, and there are some great hooks hiding in these songs.

Brutally Deceased Chasms

2024 Doomentia Records (CD)

doomentia.com

This is Czech death metal that sounds a bit Swedish, but encompasses a lot of different styles of death metal all at once, shifting from violent blasts to ripping melodic death thrash and back again. The musicianship is excellent, with great guitar solos and memorable riffs all throughout these songs. The vocals are very deep, sinister, and rhythmic in their delivery, just how I like them. Every song has great parts, and each is distinct. This is an excellent record and should be getting massive praise!

General Fibrosis Crossbreed Generation

2024 Coyote Records (CD / Cassette)

From Russia comes this band of brutal metalists, with an impeccably recorded, slam-heavy record of death metal. I wouldn't qualify them as a slam band, but a straight death metal band that uses quite a few slam riffs. The slam breakdowns on this record are inventive and emphasize the violence of the music above all else. Comparisons to Kraanium or Analepsy might be made, but they have much more focus on evil-sounding riffs than those bands. This is a seriously heavy record with memorable songs, and it just well-written death metal all around. I recommend it!

Rapid Fire Reviews (Rat Torture Victim, Christ Denied, Defeated Sanity, Repuked) (Review)

Rat Torture Victim Chewed Through

2024 Independent (Digital)

rattorturevictim.bandcamp.com

God DAMN it, I wanted this to be good. The cover is awesome, the name is cool, all that good stuff. The are at least FIVE FUCKING BASS DROPS in the first song along. WHY?! Dead simple lackluster slam riffs abound, interspersed with stupid samples and even saxophone at one point. This is the furthest thing from jazz-infused metal, believe me. It's much more like beatdown hardcore than true slamming death metal. Oh yeah - pingy snare? Check. Nonstop pig squeal vocals? Check. Ugh. Moving on.

Christ Denied Christopsy

2024 Xtreem Music

shop.xtreemmusic.com

Christ Denied are back with this sick fuckin' record of satanic brutal death metal. Total Tomb of the Mutilated and old Cryptopsy worship abounds, but they of course do this so well that you won't even worry about it. Dave's vocals on this are completely badass, bringing several styles of gutturals to bear, and they're all SICK AS FUCK, especially the lowest pitch he uses. Good songwriting, good musicianship, good recording. It should keep brutalists and technical death-heads happy equally. The riffs are especially interesting to me, and they know how to break stuff down before it gets too complicated. The super fast rapid-fire vocals Dave pulls off all throughout the record are incredible. I lost my mind laughing at it until I realized just how fuckin' brutal that really is and how difficult it is to do. I would be hard pressed to imitate any of his styles here. He's that good. This one turned me into a fan for sure, since I hadn't heard their previous records, and I'll be hunting all that stuff down, for sure.

Defeated Sanity Chronicles of Lunacy

2024 Season of Mist

www.season-of-mist.com

Guttural blasting technical sickness abounds on this record, the new effort from Defeated Sanity. Everyone should know this band by now, although I feel they're still quite underrated. This is a band that I know I'm always going to dig when a new record arrives, and is one of the few bands playing at this level of technicality that I consistently enjoy. Their signature "sounds like everything is about to come apart but is tight as fuck" sound is still present. There are lots of stop-on-a-dime moments and excellent heavy-ass breakdowns, as well as jazzy interludes where their virtuosic playing can shine. They always know when to throw us a bone with a simple riff to keep it heavy and interesting. There is a ton of incredible playing on this record, but the drummer in particular shines. I have called them "the Hellwitch of brutal death metal," and I think that moniker stands to this day. They don't sound like them, but they're pushing the same envelope of speed and technicality that Hellwitch does. Standout tracks: Accelerating the Rot, A Patriarchy Perverse, Condemned to Vascular Famine.

Repuked Club Squirting Blood

2024 Soulseller Records

www.soulsellerrecords.com

Bands that immediately spring to mind: the mighty Autopsy, Death Breath, GG Allin, Eat My Fuk, Abscess. With that in mind, you know what you're getting here, but keep in mind it comes melded with the ancient Swedish style that we all love so much, right in between the two camps. I love it. I have to, don't I? I mean, this is Ominous Vomit, and they're called Repuked, and they even have a track (a standout, mind you) called "Rebel of Vomit." Hell yeah. VOMIT METAL. The fuzzy and buzzy production on the guitars and bass, and live-sounding drums, is quite nice, as is the reverb on the vocals to give it that extra-sleazy feel. Filthy headbanging riffs with a true death metal style with punk trimmings. I can't think of much that's better.