Hammerthrone--Hammerthrone (Digital) {2026 Independent}

hammerthronetx.bandcamp.com

10/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

This band hails from Texas, and this is their first and only release so far. This is strong, nasty death metal that puts me in mind of slower old Bloodbath, but with a less pronounced Swedish style - they use a lot of mid-paced groove to split your skull instead. Every song has at least one absolute crusher of a riff that just bulldozes everything before it. The vocals are fucking strong, deep chesty growls that punish the listener for thinking they can withstand the assault. The guitars are dirty, but I can't decide if an HM-2 is involved here or not (I'm leaning on not). They're crushing, like everything else on the record, and they're crisp and crunchy as well as dirty. This band is definitely in the camp of the '90s death metal revival with their focus on heaviness and piledriving groove, and they're up there with the best of the new bands like 200 Stab Wounds. The production is fantastic, heavy as fuck. I want to see what this band can do with a full length if their first EP is this damn good.

Chronic Hate--Defeating the Oblivion of Life (CD/LP) {2026 Time to Kill Records}

timetokill-records.com

7/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

This is the third full length and first new recording in five years from this Italian band. They remind me a little of the mighty Diabolic with their straight-ahead style and technical drumming, and perhaps a little of Morbid Angel at times, too. The guitars have a little of that sludginess to them that Morbid Angel is known for. The vocals are fuckin' brutal, with low growls from deep in the chest, evoking power and hate. The production is perfect, not overly digital sounding, but modern and clear like a band like this ought to have. They also clearly take some influence from black metal and it shows up occasionally in their songs. The musical ability of this band is far beyond what a lot of death metal bands can muster, and they don't let showing off affect the songwriting. They play well and write well. This is not a release to simply gloss over if you're paying attention to death metal - you should hear it at least once.

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.

Gluttony--Eulogy to Blasphemy (CD/LP) {2026 FDA Records}

www.fda-records.com

7/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Gluttony play Swedish-style death metal and they're from, well, Sweden. This is their fourth full length and the first since 2022. The playing is quite talented with respect to all the instruments, and these gentlemen have clearly mastered their instruments. They're not afraid to approach melody, as can be heard in the track "Hung from Entrails" with its anthemic riffing. This band is playing this style at a very high level, laying waste to the many pretenders who play like this, or rather attempt to play like this. The vocals are strong and expressive, a vicious growl that remains understandable most of the time. This band has riffs and songwriting chops, and their riffing reminds me a lot of times of the greats like Grave or Entombed, but with At the Gates influence for some extra melody. If you're a fan of this style, then this is a must-have, but even if you're not, it's worth a spin or two. They do it better than most.

Kadavereich--Perversa Mysteria (CD/LP) {2026 Godz ov War Productions}

godzovwar.com

6/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Kadavereich play heavy, sludgy death metal with a thick production and a wall-of-noise approach to the craft. I really like the drum sound on this album, understated yet clear and very easy on my ears. The band has quite a dark sound, much like Immolation or Incantation, but they don't necessarily sound like them. They just have a similar atmosphere. Some creative use of dissonant riffs appears in these songs, which I notoriously dislike, but for some reason here it doesn't bother me much - I think it has to do with the fact that they don't dwell on them for too long, and that they're fairly unique in nature. The guitars are a bulldozer, just plowing through everything in sight without regard for your fucking feelings. The vocals are quite strong, deep roars with a lot of power and conviction behind them. The vocal patterns aren't catchy or terribly rhythmic, but used more as an additional instrument with long, drawn out growls for the most part. I found this to be better than average stuff, and it's definitely worth a listen or two.

Holy Death--Paradice (Digital) {2025 Independent}

holydeathdoom.bandcamp.com

9/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Now this is doom death I can really get into. Their slower moments are still heavy as fuck and above all catchy, and they vary their tempo in the songs enough that it remains interesting and totally unique. They fuse almost hardcore-style riffs to a death metal frame, and operate mostly in mid-paced speeds, making heavy use of groove and fucking ugly death metal riffs. The singer uses a yelled growl with real sack to it, reminding me a little of LG Petrov on Wolverine Blues. Even when playing slow, they manage to sound dangerous and threatening, bleeding anger and hatred from every note. I really like this record and it's probably the first doom death record I truly enjoyed in this history of the form, and it's all because they remain aggressive even when slowed down. They're remarkably intense the entire record. I highly recommend this slab of metal, and I look for great things to come from this band in the future.

Keitzer--Pandemonium Humanitas (CD/LP) {2024 FDA Records}

www.fda-records.com

7/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

How have I never encountered this band before? This is their eighth full length since their debut in 2001, and somehow I missed hearing them in all that time. Keitzer play furious deathgrind that reminds me of the mighty Misery Index, having a similar song dynamic of blasts juxtaposed with groove or slower riffs. When they do slow down, they have an almost Bolt Thrower-esque riffing style with melodic leanings to the riffs. We get occasional solos, and they do them right, all blazing notes and soaring melody. There is decidedly more death metal than grind on this release, though, leaning more toward bulldozer riffs, but the songs' lyrical content is more in line with grind, being about social issues, war, and things like that. The vocals are quite powerful, being delivered in a forceful growl that cuts right down to the bone. I enjoyed this quite a bit, and I recommend it.

Effigy--Hail to Thy Dark Lord Resurrected (CD) {2026 Chaotic Carnage Records}

chaoticcarnagerecords.bandcamp.com

10/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

This record is a total reworking and re-recording of Effigy's 1995 effort Hail to Thy Dark Lord. I've never heard the original, but I can instead review this on its own merits. This is solid '90s style death metal with plenty of both heaviness and speed, sporting excelling songwriting. The vocals are mid- to high-range growls, and the singer is quite understandable. His diction is perfect. Some of the songs, like "Rotting Remains" and "Embraced by Evil" have anthemic riffs that lend themselves to being quite memorable. The traditional verse-chorus-verse structure of the songs really helps them stand out, and they worm their way into your brain on the first listen, begging to be listened to again. These guys are riff masters, and I definitely want to check out the entire back catalog at this point. Highly recommended.

Concrete Icon--Voracious Streams (CD/CS) {2025 Memento Mori Records}

www.memento-mori-es

7/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

This is the third full length from this Finnish death metal act. They focus on heaviness over speed, and they do this with jagged riffs that snake in and out of the rhythms with ease. It very much puts me in mind of some early Gorguts meterial in a way, but with a bit more groove to add to the heaviness. There's a technical aspect to the band for sure, with some off-kilter rhythms and complicated riffs. The vocals are delivered in a mid-ranged mostly understandable growl, the singer's diction and patterns being very well-developed. It's not terribly intense material up until the blastbeats hit, which kicks it up a level, mainly because it's mostly mid-paced. As I mentioned, heaviness and atmosphere over intensity and speed. But, when they do kick into high gear, it's very effective and suitably ferocious. I enjoyed this record quite a bit, and I look foward to digging into their back catalog.

Hierarchy--Wager of the Damned (Digital) {2026 Independent}

hierarchymtl.bandcamp.com

10/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

It's rare when I encounter an EP that I wish was a full length, and this is one of those times. Hierarchy play a vicious version of Swedish style death metal, which I normally approach with great caution due to so many bands sounding the same, but this band has riffs and hooks galore in these four songs. They rely a lot on groove, and that's a brilliant thing to combine with the buzzsaw guitars, lending the material a devastating heaviness that rivals any of the masters of this style. The vocals are a higher range growl, which sets them apart in the sea of bands playing this style. The singer is female, and she's brutal. Whenever this band drops into mid-paced passages you can expect a groove that will crush you fucking dead. The riffs are so goddamn good that you'll want to listen to this again and again - I gave it three passes through immediately. I can't say enough how good this is, and it's totally worth getting thy ass to Bandcamp and downloading it.

Open the Coffin--Once Alive Always Dead (CD) {2025 Black Hole Productions}

www.blackholeprods.com

6/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

This is Swedish-style death metal we've all heard before. I always approach this style with caution because so many bands are just less exciting Entombed wannabes. Open the Coffin, though, is a bit different. Right out of the gate, they offer some good riffs, the occasional blastbeat, and vocals that are on the higher end of the spectrum. The vocals are yelled rather than growled, and they remind me of classic Brazilian bands like Sepultura circa Morbid Visions. It's the quality of the riffs that makes this style work or not, and this band has good ones, each song having a signature badass riff that's not just more tremolo picking. The production is pretty easy on the ears. This style can sometimes be quite noisy, but that's not the case here. It's quite natural sounding. The album does drag a wee bit as it plays, so they haven't totally escaped the pitfalls of the style, but they're definitely well above average, and worth your time to seek out.

Dysmorphic Demiurge--Of Chaos and Eternal Night (Digital) {2025 Independent}

dysmorphicdemiurge.bandcamp.com

6/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

This Knoxville, TN band has given us their fourth full length, and it's not bad. Dysmorphic Demiurge play brutal death metal that incorporates some slam elements but not enough to make them boring. They're adept musicians that aren't afraid of melody, and it seems they have some progressive metal influences, manifesting in several songs with off-kilter rhythms and melodic passages. They do have the good sense to keep it interesting during the slam parts and stay away from the typical approach of bands that use them. The vocals are strong, sung in a low growl that occasionally descends into guttural territory, and the singer has perfect tone. He's wonderfully recorded. One thing on this record I can't forgive is all the stupid-ass bass drops they use to emphasize tempo changes going into slam parts. I hate that shit. However, overall, this band does brutal death metal a bit differently and might be worth your time if you like actual death metal with a dose of slam.

Putrid Offal--Obliterated Life (CD/LP/CS) {2025 Time to Kill Records}

www.timetokill-records.com

10/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

This is the band's third full length and first in five years. They play intense and violent death metal with a distinct grindcore influence that seems to stem from some early Carcass influence. The riffs are incredibly well thought out, optimized for maximum possible violent intention. This is clearly a seasoned and proficient band with ample songwriting skills, and a welcome addition to my collection because of that. Songwriting is a fading skill in the scene, and I'm glad this band hasn't forgotten how it should be. The songs never let up the intensity, working blasts around the grooves for optimal catchiness, and the band remains ultra-heavy while doing it. The vocals are a barrage of high and low dueling vocals with the low vocals taking priority in most songs. This is an absolutely perfect record in every way, and I recommend tracking it down immediately.

Horrific Visions--Remnants of Atrophy (CD) {2026 Comatose Music}

www.comatosemusic.com

8/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Finally, Comatose Music has hit the mark with this release. Horrific Visions play brutal death metal that reminds me a little of Regurgitation during some of the more frenetically fast parts of the songs. This band has fuckin' riffs and they know how to use them to create songs that have some catchy moments. The vocals are a super-low growl that I refer to as "moaning zombie vocals," since they remind me of the zombie noises in the legendary Lucio Fulci film Zombie. The songs have plenty of hooks that catch your attention and the musical ability to actually hold it. There is a mid-album interlude that really helped to break the album up and set the tone for the second half, which explodes out of the gate with blastbeats and aplomb. This is what brutal death metal should be: creative, aspirational, and original. It's unconcerned with trends, flavor-of-the-day sounds, or what's going on in the scene, and is just good, straight-forward, catchy, brutal fuckin' death metal. Horrific Visions has a monster on their hands here, and I hope for more.

Engorgement--They Rot Beneath Our Floor (CD) {2026 Comatose Music}

www.comatosemusic.com

3/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Well, this album contains the trifecta of things I fucking hate in modern death metal - ridiculous constant bass drops, pig squeal vocals, and what basically amounts to a hip hop intro. Sure, the guitars are heavy as fuck and they play in the Devourment style of brutal death metal, but I cannot stand what they're doing musically otherwise. If this had actual decent vocals and the bass drops were eliminated, I think it could actually be a half decent record. I will say I like what the drummer's doing. His performance is dynamic and full of personality as he hammers away beneath the slam. Other than that, this is a hard skip for me, and it's what I consider to be a very trendy release.

Sermon to the Lambs--Sermon to the Lambs (CD) {2026 Comatose Music}

www.comatosemusic.com

5/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

The best way to describe this band is Morbid Angel meets Brodequin, complete with the sludgy riffing style of the former and the pingy snare of the latter. Vocally, the singer uses deep gutturals that help them stand out in a brutal death metal scene obsessed with gurgles and squeals, and occasionally he changes to a deep, low growl for emphasis. The vocals aren't terribly powerful, but they do the job nicely, and I feel it's the strongest part of this release. The guitars are tuned down so low that even fast riffs sound a bit slow, always sludgy, with a layer of mud over them. My biggest problem with this release is that there are very few catchy riffs or hooks, even ones common to brutal death metal, and it's completely monotonous the majority of the time. I think part of my dislike comes from the particularly wooden performance of the drummer. There are very, very few fills or rolls to break up the blasting and double bass. They are doing some things different sonically, and that in itself is a feat in this style of metal, but it's not enough to push them over the top for me.

Misericordiam--Nothing But Machine Now (Digital) {2025 Independent}

misericordiam.bandcamp.com

7/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

I remember seeing releases by Misericordiam (which is hard to type) make the rounds in the mid- to late 2000s, and I had just assumed they were a standard brutal band and never did have a chance, nor a desire, to check them out. A glance at their Metal Archives page tells me I was probably right back then, but that this band has changed, and I believe changed for the better. They now play a mixture of brutal death metal, hardcore, and grindcore, and it's not a bad thing. They remind me a bit of Dying Fetus with the same combination of groove and brutality, but with a distinct grindcore feel to some of the passages that is a welcome addition to that style. This is brutal yet absolutely heavy, and it's intense from one end to the other. It rarely lets up, it just keeps its oppressive foot on your fuckin' neck. I really like the big, dumb, chugging riffs like at the beginning of "Coffin Occupation," they really know how to heavy shit up. I could do without some of the more experimental aspects of this, though, like the clean vocals in certain spots and the hardcore style breakdowns when they appear. But those are small parts of an otherwise excellent release, and I won't let it get in the way of enjoying it.

Scalp--Not Worthy of Human Compassion (LP) {2025 Closed Casket Activities}

www.closedcasketactivities.com

8/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Scalp play an unholy amalgamation of death metal, grind, and hardcore, but I would probably classify them overall as grindcore. Vicious fucking grindcore, at that. This is hyper-aggressive and monstrously heavy shit, crushing riffs and lightspeed blastbeats combining with frenzied vocals to annihilate the listener's ears. The singer is truly pissed off, using a scream that has all the hate in the world wrapped up in it. He's backed up by another member of the band, the guitarist, who belts out low death growls with force and violence. This is the kind of grind I can get behind, just incredibly heavy riffs that whip up into blastbeaten insanity on a dime. I'm not entirely sure if an HM-2 is being used on the guitars, but it sure does sound like it. I highly recommend this record if you're a grind freak like me, it's absolutely worth the effort to track it down.

Invictus--Nocturnal Visions (CD/LP/CS) {2026 Me Saco Un Ojo/Memento Mori/Iron Fortress Records}

www.mesacounojo.com

8/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Three venerable labels have come together to release this monster, a straight-forward death metal record that's heavy on the real metal feel. These guys are true maniacs, I can tell. They keep the intensity fairly high from song to song, which is nice to hear, but occasionally they lay back in the pocket to facilitate a lead or chorus. We get plenty of talented lead guitar work, which is truly unusual in death metal today, and honestly it's a breath of fresh air to hear a band do it. The vocals aren't super powerful, but what they lack there they make up for with their guttural tone. They're smooth and evil-sounding, reminding me a bit of Dying Fetus' low growls with a more old school flavor. These guys remind the listener at some point in each song that they can both play and write a good song, as well. They're truly gifted musicians. This was very enjoyable overall, and a worth purchase for the deathmaniacs in the scene.

Aposento--No Safe Haven (CD/LP) {2024 Xtreem Music}

www.xtreemmusic.com

7/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Aposento play a style of death metal that I would categorize as a vile mixture of Sinister, Deicide, and Cannibal Corpse, wearing their influences on their sleeves for all to see and hear. The vocals are a low growl that's occasionally punctuated by a higher scream. There's a lot of musical talent here, and while their style hearkens back to the Floridian greats of old, there are little flourishes all over the album to remind you that talented musicians are at the helm of this ship. They maintain a fair level of aggression, rarely falling victim to what a lot of brutal bands do whose music is intricate to the point of stagnation. I especially enjoy the bass player who is constantly doing wild shit behind the riffs and has some real personality to his playing. This is a decent record, and one worth tracking down if you like the old Florida sound.

Heads for the Dead--Never Ending Night of Terror (CD/LP) {2025 Pulverised Records}

pulverised.net

8/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

I've not heard this band's previous three full lengths, but if this is anything to judge by, they're creating some damn fine death metal. They ought to be, with the talent they have in the band, including members of bands like Wombbath, Revel in Flesh, Ribspreader, and Sentient Horror. They play death metal that could be compared to the Swedish style, but without the chainsaw guitar sound. They do one very, very different thing that I liked, and that was the addition of horror-movie style synths and atmospheric keyboards. They're used sparingly and to absolutely wonderful effect. They make it sound absolutely natural and not like a gimmick - it's an integral part of the record and it would only be a very ok death metal album without them. It's that transformative. Vocally it's strong but standard fare, with low growls and some high rasps. There's even a Goblin tribute track that has a bastardized synth line stolen from the movie Suspiria, which is probably Goblin's most known contribution to the horror movie soundtrack genre. I really liked this record, and I look forward to the next one if it's along these lines.