Pissrot--Absolute Form (CD/CS/LP) {2026 Iron Fortress Records}

ironfortressrecords.com

8/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Tennessee has birthed an unholy crew in Pissrot, who play a decidedly vile form of death metal that reminds me of a darker version of 200 Stab Wounds with perhaps a little Torture Rack in there for the twenty ton powerlifting riffs. They focus on groove and heaviness over speed, and it fuckin' works. They have a tinge of Incantation's darkness to them with downtuned guitars and cavernous vocals, as well as the occasional doomed-out passage in the songs. The songs themselves are fairly catchy, especially when the grooves hit, which is always my favorite part of any good death metal - without a bit of groove there's not as much in the way of hooks. Pissrot have figured this out with their bulldozer style and fuzzed out rhythms. The mix is claustrophobic, sludgy, and gives the record its own identity. I like that they didn't go for a super clean sound, it would dilute what they're doing. It hearkens back to the great records of the 1990s in this way. I highly recommend this for fans of the new wave of death metal, and anyone who just wants a record that kills.

Sewer Altar--Fever Dreams of Vengeance (CD/LP) {2026 783 Label}

www.783label.com

10/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Sewer Altar from Finland merge death metal, grind, and true hardcore punk in a similar way to Misery Index or Terrorizer, but with a focus on grind, catchiness, and intensity. There are also some Bolt Thrower-esque moments that really give the songs heaviness and dynamics. This is a record that any death metalist of any stripe can pick up and sink their teeth right into, it's so catchy and song-oriented. There's zero pretentiousness here, just some talented guys writing excellent deathgrind. They break many of the songs down with vicious thrashing riffs at strategic times to maximize the violence, a lot like a hardcore band would do. The riffs are truly inspired and nasty, being an amalgam of styles that blend together into a cohesive whole, but remaining true deathgrind the whole way. And, just when I think the album can't get any better, it does, with riff after riff crushiing my face. Any fan of Terrorizer or deathgrind in general would do well to investigate this record. I believe this band has appeal past the individual style ghettos that we impose on our music, and that all fans of death metal would enjoy this album. Highly, highly, highly recommended.

Necromonger--Emanation of the Dying Perceptions (CD/LP/CS) {2026 Xtreem Music}

xtreemmusic.com

6/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

There seems to be very little information out there on this band from Bulgaria outside of the promo email I was sent. Mixing goregrind and death metal in a fairly unique way, Necromonger bring fuzzed-out bass, mid-tempo drums, and thickly distorted guitars to bear on this opus of sewage. This is simple stuff, eschewing the needlessly complicated playing that so many bands seem to pride themselves on, and is effective nonetheless. I hear influences from Autopsy, Haemorrhage, and Impetigo (particularly Impetigo) in their sound, and perhaps slowed-down Mortician due to the tunings they're using, but they're not beholden to any particular sound - this is fairly unique, as I had mentioned. The vocals are mostly a guttural growl, veering occasionally into goregrind territory with what I believe to be pitch-shifted vocals, but I could be wrong. This is brutality of a completely different nature, and was really a breath of fresh air to review, with so many bands sounding exactly the same these days. While it doesn't bulldoze me completely, it's pretty good overall, and worth a shot if you want something a bit different.

Anasarca--Achlys (CD/CS) {2026 Selfmadegod Records}

www.selfmadegod.com

8/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Back from the grave yet again, Anasarca gives us their fifth full length, and the first one in nine years. I've been familiar with the band since the old days, and I find that they've gone on to perfect their style on this release, being a straightforward death metal record with plenty of musical chops and good songwriting, just as I remember their past releases. The blastbeats and double bass are stupendously fast, breathing life into riffs that might not otherwise stand out so much. There's a fair amount of melody that creeps into the guitar playing, and it's a welcome sound, serving to make their songs much more dynamic. The vocals are fiercely sung in a low growl with little variation but a lot of brutality and conviction, and his tone is quite smooth. The vocal patterns are memorable, as well. The record is quite easy to listen to, and it should be on your list of priorities to give it a listen.

Circle of Blood--In Praise of Darkness (CD) {2026 Grindhead Records}

www.grindheadrecords.com

10/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

This crew from Australia has unblessed us with their first full length. These gents remind me a little of countrymates Abramelin, but more technical where the drums are concerned, and of greater quality in general. There's also quite a bit of Morbid Angel influence here. The production is crystal clear and professional-sounding, but it's not a soulless pristine recording. It's just a great modern death metal recording with all that entails. The vocals are amazing - the singer puts everything he has into this effort, and it shows. His vocals are nasty and powerful, running from low growls to high screams, sometimes within the same measure! Their Morbid Angel-isms are countered by heavy grooves, and it serves to really amp up the heaviness, and creates hooks that make the songs even more memorable. They also have a very technical aspect to their playing - these guys know their way around their instruments intimately. There are little flourishes all over this record from all the instruments that really enhance the songs. This is monstrous death metal for the diehards, and I highly recommend it.

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.