Bleeding--Dispersed Blood Sustenance (CD) {2026 New Standard Elite Records}

newstandardelite.com

5/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

New Standard Elite has definitely cultivated a roster of bands that share much in common sonically - always brutal, always fairly technical, and usually with sub-guttural vocals. The vocals here are definitely in that category, sounding more like goregrind vocals than death growls. They do grow on you after a while, but it's definitely not my preferred vocal style. That said, it fits the music perfectly. The music itself is definitely in the Disgorge camp, with relentless brutality as the sole goal. This isn't catchy stuff, nor it it meant to be I would imagine. However, there are some riffs here that will undoubtedly stick in your head after enough listens. The snare sound is a little pingy, but not too bad, and the drummer is an absolute beast, blasting away behind the kit with zero fucks about your feelings about it. I just wish there was a bit more to distinguish this band from the legions of other bands playing this style, but they honestly do it rather well, so let's not fix what isn't broken.

Cerecloth--Aberrant Phenomena (Digital) {2026 Independent}

cerecloth.bandcamp.com

5/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

I don't know if I've ever heard a death metal band from Costa Rica before. If I have, I have forgotten them. I'm glad I heard this one, and they deliver their debut EP via Bandcamp in digital format. We get five original songs and a cover of a band called Astriferous that I've never heard before. They play a dark style of death metal that reminds me a little of Immolation crossed with Incantation, perhaps with a little Dead Congregation thrown in for good measure. I normally bore of this dark style fairly quickly, but the drumming kept it rather interesting. The drums cut through the murk of the guitars and vocals with a crisp sound. The vocals are low roars, and impressive overall. It's a bestial performance with a lot of power behind it. They include a morbid instrumental track, "Ancestral Contamination," and it was a smart move, not only to give us a change of pace and a break from all the death metal, but to show us a different side of themselves. I like when a band does that from time to time if it's in a limited way like this. Overall, this isn't a record that floored me, but it does get the job done properly, and will definitely earn them fans.

Mortuary--Great Black Earth (CD) {2026 Horror Pain Gore Death Productions}

horrorpaingoredeath.com

8/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Mexico's legendary Mortuary return with a four song EP, and a mighty one it is. The only thing that's changed about this band is the recording quality taking a step up, as it should since the last recording we have from them in an EP from twelve years ago - it's easier to make things sound proper than it was then. All the familiar aspects of their sound are present, with Slayer-esque leads, ripping fast riffs, and late '80s death metal style. My favorite track here is "Black Superstition," with it's Massacre-style verse riff and lower vocal style. I love when bands stick to the style they originated with and don't change too much. Mortuary is one such band. They never change and they deliver solid death metal every time. I especially love the sound of some of the drum rolls, reminding me of very early Sepultura, a sound which I always found fascinating and exciting sonically. In fact, if I had to compare Mortuary to anything to describe it to a newcomer to the scene, it would be Morbid Visions/Bestial Devastation-era Sepultura. Real '80s death metal! I'm just glad this band is continuing to give us new recordings after all these years. Their legendary first record finds its way onto my playlists all the time, and now we have four new killer songs of theirs to enjoy.

Creeping Flesh--God's Acres Rife with Flesh Adorned (Digital) {2026 Independent}

creepingflesh.bandcamp.com

9/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Hailing from the once-fertile grounds of Gothenburg, Sweden, Creeping Flesh bring us Swedish-style death metal on their third record with a bit of a cleaner guitar sound, although the chainsaws are still running here. This time around they've chosen to release this independently, at least for now, via Bandcamp. The production is clean, crisp, powerful, and loud. Someone who knows how to record death metal clearly helmed the recording equipment on this release. Everything about this record is nearly perfect, and the playing is as fluid as newly spilled blood. I really liked the morose, droning melody in the third track, "Upon the Altar of Peace," a slower tune that helps the album breathe a bit and gives us something different. In fact, these little melodic motifs pop up throughout the record here and there, and they remind me in the best way of some of Edge of Sanity's melodies. I can also hear quite a bit of Bolt Thrower influence in this band, with that bulldozer groove they're known for, and perhaps some Hail of Bullets and Asphyx thrown in for good measure. Some of the songs get quite a bit more doomy than what I originally expected. The vocals are not just sung - they're spewed, and with full force. A masterful performance, indeed, one of total guttural glory. I couldn't give this a 10/10, since some of the slow parts bored me, but when this band kicks up into midtempo territory, they're unbeatable. Monster grooves and monster riffs abound.

Pig's Blood--Destroying the Spirit (CD/LP/CS) {2026 Dark Descent Records/Godz ov War Productions}

www.darkdescentrecords.com

6/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Wisconsin has given birth to another blasphemic act who bring us their third full length. At first this appears to be more gasmask metal, but upon further listening this leans quite a bit toward traditional death metal and not as much war metal, although there is a very obvious influence at work here from the war metal genre. Folks often compare this band to Revenge and Archgoat, and they're not entirely wrong, but Pig's Blood is much less chaotic and noisy than Revenge, and much catchier than Archgoat. They bring a somewhat Bolt Thrower-esque approach to the style with bulldozer death metal riffs amid all the war metal influence. It's a nice mix, and one that's hard to believe no one has attempted before. It makes this band have a fairly unique sound and that helps them stick out. Vocally, we have some raspy highs and bestial lows, as is standard for the gasmask set. The production sounds like a bit of a '90s throwback and it's nice to hear. It gives the band a different sound than the other bands that share their influences. I'll be interested to see what they do next and how they evolve. 

Necromorbid--Ceremonial Demonslaught (CD/LP/CS) {2026 Godz ov War Productions}

www.godzovwar.com

7/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Here we have some seriously bestial black/death metal from Italy that borrows their influences from bands like Blasphemy, Black Witchery, and Teitanblood, but deliver their payload in a more musical fashion, with clear song structures and actual hooks, not just relentless pounding, although there is plenty of that! It's also quite heavy on the second wave black metal influence. The production is clean and powerful, with each instrument being audible, combining their forces into a devastating whole that's more akin to straight up death metal than black metal. There are also actual guitar solos here, and they're quite good, although they tend to be quite short. The drummer is particularly impressive, consistently delivering blast after blast, but also using graceful little fills and rolls to accent his work, making it less rigid than some bands playing gasmask metal. Vocally there is a trade-off between raspy high screams and low bestial growls, as its the standard for this style. Necromorbid stand out from the pack of war metal bands by virtue of their musical talent and compositional strength, and breathe a new fetid life into the genre with this effort. Definitely not your average chains and gasmasks band.

Display of Decay--Desolate Dawn, Part 1 (Digital) {2026 Independent}

displayofdecay.bandcamp.com

7/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Canada's Display of Decay have returned with a five song EP of their patented brutal death metal, replete with catchy riffs and intense song structures. This is their first release in three years, and they've gone independent with it for now. There's plenty of technical playing here to sate the appetite of those who crave musicianship in death metal, but there's also plenty of brutality with powerful breakdowns and well-crafted riffs. I hear quite a bit of Cannibal Corpse and Dying Fetus in their sound, but they're delivering it in a way that's all their own. The guitar tone is crunchy and heavy as fuck, and it really delivers a punch in the face where needed. The production itself is clean and sounds like a proper modern death metal production without being too sterile and digital-sounding. The band also understands the importance of hooks and groove, of which there is plenty. The vocals run the gamut of growls, gutturals, and screams, and are quite diverse overall. It's quite the performance. If brutal death metal is what gets you wet, this is a record you should hear, and a band you should get to know. It's quite talented stuff.

Ascended Master--Crepuscular Gloom (CD) {2026 Void Horror Records}

ascendedmaster666.bandcamp.com

7/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Yet another vicious band from Ohio has arisen from the Trumpian muck of the state and given us their first new material in six years, and a full length at that. They play a solid mixture of death, black, and thrash metal that is seamlessly woven together into a whole that is greater than its components. The guitar playing is talented and the solos are well-constructed. There's a lot of melody and a lot of intricate playing overall. The vocals remind me of a mix of later-period Chuck Schuldiner and Ihsahn, and it's an effective style for the singer and fits the music perfectly. They have an almost progressive approach to some of their material, like the beginning of the titular track but it's tempered by true metal atmosphere and relentless power and intensity. They don't get carried away into "look-what-I-can-do" territory. The whole album has an almost epic feel to it due to the melodies they use. This is definitely worth your time and money, so pay attention, metal heathens, and visit their site to get your fix.

Evilbreed--Astral Imprisonment (CS) {2026 Ironbound Records}

ironboundrecords.bandcamp.com

7/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Evilbreed from Indonesia eschew the utter brutality of a lot of their countrymates, instead opting to draw influence from the bands of old. They remind me quite a bit of Autopsy crossed with Entombed. The longest song here is 3:10, with most songs coming in around 2:15 or so. Upbeat, almost punk style drums drive the band forward, and the riffs punish measure after measure in a most pleasurable way. The vocals remind me of L.G. Petrov in their delivery and inflection but not in tone - this singer's voice is higher, almost crust-like in his screams. It's a powerful performance and probably my favorite part of the album. The arrangements and writing is on the simpler side of things, which really fits this band's sound. Complicated riffing would make them into something else entirely, and I don't want that for them. Devotees of the old gods should especially pay attention to this record, it's worth a listen or two.

Come Back From the Dead--Ad Nauseam (LP) {2026 Coffin Entrails Sound}

comebackfromthedeadofficial.bandcamp.com

8/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Come Back From the Dead hail from Spain, and this is their first release in seven years, a four-song EP on twelve inch vinyl. Previously they've released two albums and an EP, all of which were good. This is blissfully old-school death metal, hearkening back to the roots of this music, with influences that I can hear from bands like Possessed, Death, Nunslaughter, and Sepultura, but adding a modern production as well as influences from across the death metal spectrum, especially the Scandinavian sound. The vocals remind me a lot of L.G. Petrov's early Entombed work, and the singer does it very well. The guitar solos are fabulous if a bit short, injecting a little melody into their sound. The production is warm and perfectly suited to a band that's a bit of a throwback like this one. The drum sound truly shines, especially the cymbals. The ride cymbal pings away sweetly when it's used. The bass guitar is also quite audible and that's unusual in death metal. Each song is quite distinct and catchily written, and this EP is a great introduction to the band if you've never heard them before. This is definitely worth picking up at least digitally.

Choke Me--A Violent Phenomenon (Digital) {2026 Independent}

chokeme.bandcamp.com

6/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Choke Me play fairly unique-sounding grindcore that occasionally veers off into hardcore of a violent persuasion, and crust influence rears its sludgy head here and there as well. Everything on this recording is pushed to the limit, to the point of distortion, with fuzz on the guitars, drums that thunder, cymbals that hiss harshly, and vocals right on the edge of noise. There's a surprising amount of melody for a grindcore band, which is when the crust shows through the most sharply, with riffs that remind me of a melodic death metal band at times. I don't believe I've ever heard a grind band combining these elements in quite this way and come out the other side with cohesive and at times catchy songs. Vocally, there are two primary styles - a raspy high vocal and a guttural low vocal. Occasionally a shouted or sung phrase peeks at us from behind the wall of noise as well. This is grind that's worth a listen or two. While it didn't floor me, its intensity and originality is definitely worth the time invested.