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.

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.

Vengeance Horde--Rising Vengeance (LP) {2024 Nuclear War Now! Productions}

www.nwnprod.com

8/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Here we have some truly vicious black death metal from the US, and it reminds me of Angelcorpse mixed with Bestial Warlust. One man does everything in this band and he does it all extremely well, even the drums, which notoriously suffer in a lot of one-man projects. This is about as extreme as it gets this side of grind and war metal, and I love every minute of it. I always saw this style as a natural progression from extreme thrash and early death metal, and you can draw a line directly to this from Possessed and Bathory with a stop-off at Angelcorpse and Blasphemy. The drums blast most of the time but the songwriting is dynamic enough to withstand it, and still the songs remain varied and distinct. The vocals are a harsh mid-range raspy growl like many of the bands mentioned in this review already. This is the true shit, for true metalists, and you should do the work and get a copy of this (you might have to get on Discogs to find one)! And take a look at that promo photo, the guy's a beast!

Death Yell "Demons of Lust" (Review)

Death Yell Demons of Lust

2025 Hells Headbangers Records

www.hellsheadbangers.com

8/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Big things were expected when Death Yell announced their comeback some years ago, and signing with the mighty Hells Headbangers solidified, in my mind at least, that it was going to be a good record, since that label seems to cater exactly to my tastes most of the time. It was a good record. So when a second record was announced, I was eager to hear it, of course. Death Yell's style hasn't changed much, if at all, since the infamous demo days, and the metal world is thankful for that. It's still just as extreme and vicious, as heavy and fast, and as well written and well played as the last record. The vocals are still raw and throaty in the mid-ranges, the instruments clean and well-recorded. Hooks abound in these songs and the listener can tell the band has really focused on craft here - these are memorable songs. Anyone whose taste runs to extreme thrash, black metal, or death metal would do well to pick it up and give it a listen. It should satisfy on all those vectors. I know I'll be obtaining a copy for myself before long. I'm glad a band like this has returned to give us those albums they couldn't in the late 80s and early 90s, it's been worth the wait.

Cthonica "Bone Altars of the Vanished Sun" (Review)

Cthonica Bone Altars of the Vanished Sun

2025 Independent (Digital) / Profaner Records (CS)

cthonica777.bandcamp.com

6/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

This is the third full length from this Venezuelan cult. They play a brutal, grinding black/death hybrid that falls more on the death metal side of the equation. Downtuned, chainsaw-like guitars and fast-as-fuck blast beats pound away relentlessly. The drum sound is full of pop and is super smooth, capturing the frantic work behind the kit flawlessly. The blasts are almost the speed of a band like Brodequin. There's as much evidence to claim Grave influence as there is Conqueror or Revenge here - it lies in both wheelhouses. The vocals are deep and cavernous, sometimes croaking, adding morbid texture to the music. Shorter songs would help this band out a lot. The first track is over nine minutes long and I just don't like long tracks - they do, however, take care to try to keep it interesting. They don't always succeed, but they get close. For instance, one track is nearly thirteen minutes long, but it's split up into sections by adding little interludes. Why not just a separate song? It seems an odd creative decision.

Abominablood "Darkness in Planetary Transmutation" (Review)

Abominablood Darkness in Planetary Transmutation

2024 Putrid Cult Records & Ablaze Productions (CD) / Anti-Human Productions (CS)

putridcult.pl

6/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

This is the third full length from this Argentinian band, consisting of one member who handles everything, L. Warpig Venomous Abominator, which is a mouthful to say or type. Abominablood plays vicious and vile black/death metal that owes a lot of its pedigree to Blasphemy, Conqueror, and other similar bands that we sometimes call "war metal." It's a mixture of dark death metal and blasting black metal with rasping growls. There are some interesting tricks, though, like haunting guitar solos (or perhaps textures would be a better word for these), and generally a more death metal approach to the music. The songs are generally memorable, which is a little unusual for this style. Most bands that play this warring style get hemmed in by speed and brutality to the point where repetition is the only way out. Not so much here. When they slow down occasionally, they get truly heavy with big, open, chunky riffs. I found a lot to like here, and while it didn't shatter me and make me rush out to buy it, it's a good listen. Recommended for those who like the style.

Naked Whipper "Chapel Defilement" (Review)

Naked Whipper Chapel Defilement

2025 Iron Bonehead Records (CD/LP)

www.ironbonehead.de

7/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

From Germany comes this vicious warring black/death/grind crew, some real goat metal for the OV readers this time! This is no Blasphemy or Beherit or Black Witchery sound-a-like band - these guys have monster riffs and great songs with their own twist on the style, employing more grind than either of those bands. The songs come at a breakneck clip, one after the other, with no time to breathe. It has the same intensity that Panzer Division Marduk has, which is saying something. There's a decidedly sadomasochistic bent to the blasphemy offered here, like the humorously titled "Top Notch Slavedriver," or even the band's name. The vocals are more in the Archgoat school than anything, but more insane - it's like a grind band got hold of a Blasphemy album and tried to play it after hearing it once. The riffs, and there are tons of riffs, never stop, and it's all killer with no filler. The drums pound and never let up except for the fills, and then it's back to hell for you. This one's a whirlwind, dear vomitees, and you'd do well to pick it up.

Tumba "Blasfemico resplandor" (Review)

Tumba Blasfemico resplandor

2025 Inframetal Records (CD) 

inframetalrecords.com

6/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

From Colombia, this reeks of the old South American sound, and while most would classify this as black metal, I hear plenty of old death metal in their sound, so it gets a review here. This is total 1980s black/death worship - think Sarcofago, Sepultura, Holocausto, Sextrash, Bathory, Hellhammer, and Sodom all chucked into a blender and rendered into a damn fine soup of blasphemy-riddled metal. The riffs are mostly mid-paced affairs played dark and hard, with emphasis on an evil atmosphere. The Spanish lyrics make the record sound all the more evil for some reason, much like how Morbosidad's atmosphere is helped by the same thing. I do hear some Blasphemy influence in the vocals with some of the barks the vocalist performs, which is great. At times, the songs can be overly repetitive, but the riffs are good enough that it doesn't bore me - they just ride the riff until a change makes sense. This is something you should definitely hear if you're a fan of that old sound like I am, and I recommend it for black metal and death metal afficionados alike. Plus there's a badass goat on the cover!

Destruktor "Nailed" (Old Review)

Using the Internet Wayback Machine, I was able to cull a few of my old reviews on the old Ominous Vomit site for use here! Enjoy.

Destruktor Nailed

2009 Hells Headbangers

9/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Firmly rooted in the old schools of black and death metal, Destruktor deliver a nuclear fucking bomb to the face of the metal scene every time they release an album.  They've stepped it up on this one, from playing to songwriting to lyrics.  Their seamless blend of genres is a welcome cacophony - thrash, death metal and black metal all find a home in each and every song on this album.  As a death metal fan, I insist that this is essential listening.  They embody the Australian approach to blackened death and they can also play their instruments well.  Not many of the current wave of brutal black death metal bands are this capable.  The riffs aren't too simplistic, and the drums are light fuckin' speed and spot-on time-wise.  The vocals are powerful low roars, which all good death metal must have.  A death metal band without perverse or powerful growled vocals is just shit.  All told, it's an album that I find difficult to get out of rotation, being every bit as awe-inspiring as the newest Nile or the debut Nocturnal Graves album.  Death metallers need this album, period.  Get it or die unsatisfied.

Gravewurm "Blood of the Pentagram" (Old Review)

Using the Internet Wayback Machine, I was able to cull a few of my old reviews on the old Ominous Vomit site for use here! Enjoy.

Gravewurm Blood of the Pentagram

2010 Hells Headbangers

5/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Rarely can I say that I know exactly what I am in for when I first listen to an album.  Even Cannibal Corpse surprises me with their newfound ultra-technical leanings.  However, there are a few bands that I can honestly say put out the exact thing I expect them to, and Gravewurm is one of them.  Do not mistake:  this is a good thing.  I love when I can buy a record and I get exactly what I expect.  Not every band is that consistent or loyal to their following.  What Gravewurm offers up on this, their final record, after twenty years of existence, is simple, bare-bones, black/death the old way.  Think old Sodom, old Varathron, and NunSlaughter.  I respect the amount of time these blokes have spent in the underground and the faithful following they've built up.  That said, I have a few complaints.  The drum machine.  I hate it.  Period.  It's very samey-sounding from song to song, and without a ton of variation in the riff-work on the guitar, I found myself periodically bored.  Also, the vocals have never typically been a high point for me with these guys.  I've never been a fan of the approach the vocalist takes, as he's very breathy and raspy, rather than powerful.  Just not my thing, and it sounds a bit weak.  A few songs really shine, like the title track, which kept me hooked and definitely won me over, but for the most part, this one is forgettable, much like most of their back catalog.  Trust me, it'll be kept around the house for those few tracks that I loved, but it's not something I'm rushing out to get immediately in my favorite format, vinyl.  Get it if you dig these guys, don't if you don't.  Simple as that.

Grave Desecrator "Insult" (Old Review)

Using the Internet Wayback Machine, I was able to cull a few of my old reviews on the old Ominous Vomit site for use here! Enjoy.

Grave Desecrator Insult

2010 Hells Headbangers

8/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Many are the bands today that look to the bestial styles of Brazil for inspiration.  However, once in a while a band comes along that does everything correctly - Grave Desecrator is one of those bands.  From the sound (very organic), to the songwriting (well done!), to the image of the band (denim and leather), everything screams 1985 Brazilian black/death on this record.  Of course, the recording is better than those days, but that is to be expected and desired.  Grave Desecrator have captured the essence of Sarcofago, Sepultura, Sextrash, and similar bands, all the while melding it into a framework of bestial black metal.  This is easily one of the best bands in this style in existence today, and they fit the Hells Headbangers roster perfectly!  The songwriting is really what grabs my attention.  It all stems from good arrangements and interesting riffs, with plenty of hooks to grab the attention of the listener, all without giving up the extreme nature of the music.  Tech death fans won't be into this as much, but those of us who enjoy the primitive sounds of the old school will love it.  This is a very special band that needs to be heard, and fans of any of the bands mentioned above would do well to snap this up.  It won't kill you with chaos the way some bestial bands do, and it is thoroughly METAL.  I can't recommend this highly enough.

Deadspawn "Bile of the Gods" (Review)

Deadspawn Bile of the Gods

2025 Independent (Digital)

deadspawn.bandcamp.com

8/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Once in a while I come across a band that should be signed but isn't. Now, that may come down to them wanting to control their own destinies, and I respect that, but I feel like a label would be able to push this record into some hands that wouldn't grasp it otherwise. Blackened death is the name of the game here, with attack riffs galore. It's excellent stuff, intense with machine gun drumming that cranks up the velocity just right. There are many melodic leads and some dueling guitar solos, and they're all good. The riffs themselves are a pure fusion of black metal and death metal techniques, melded for intensity and perfect flow. This is a band for guitar fans, mark my words. There are even some memorable vocal patterns in "Architect of Atrocity" and "Graveline," and this is the sort of thing that elevates the record above the mediocre efforts in the scene. This is worth tracking down, even if it doesn't have a physical format yet, it will not disappoint. Plus, you'll support the band directly, obviously, through Bandcamp, which is always a worthy cause.

Coffinwood "Acolytes of Eternal Flame" (Review)

Coffinwood Acolytes of Eternal Flame

2024 Independent (Digital)

https://coffinwood.bandcamp.com/

BADASS SONG TITLES: Salvation Through Radiation, Sacrophagus.

8/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

From the metal reservoir of Poland comes a band with a cool name and a cooler album. This is their debut full-length, with an EP and a single coming before, and I remember liking the EP, but this is a level beyond even that record. Blackened death with a speed-filled attack meets your ears after pressing play, with a very aggressive stance, black metal in its melodies but death metal in its aggression. I was reminded slightly of Destroyer 666, Gospel of the Horns, or even a little of Archgoat or Marduk. But this is more musical than any of them (well, perhaps equally with Destroyer 666). The drummer really elevates this performance, with the proverbial tide raising all boats. It's a masterful performance. The bass tone almost reminds me of DD Verni's on Overkill's W.F.O. album. The singer is strong-throated, with deep tones, perfect for this style, and has developed interesting vocal patterns for the songs. The guitar riffs are supreme. Each instrument adds something special here, and the songs are varied and memorable enough. I want to hear the next effort from this band, but I consider myself a fan already.

Strychnos "Armageddon Patronage" (Review)

Strychnos Armageddon Patronage

2024 Dark Descent Records (CD / LP / Cassette)

www.darkdescentrecords.com

BADASS SONG TITLES: Pale Black Birds, Sweeping Storm of Suicide, Choking Salvation

From the mighty Dark Descent Records comes the newest effort from Strychnos, who are quality purveyors of blackened death metal. They lean towards the epic, with bombastic sometimes doomed out compositions that nevertheless are aggressive, violent, and entertaining. Strychnos doesn't use much in the way of speed to get their extremity across - there are fast parts in most songs, but the focus is on the haunting melodies and crushing aggressive grooves that beg to snap your neck. The melodies are at once sinister and Satanic, angry and powerful.

The vocals are pure hellfire and brimstone, erupting forth with power and style, mostly mid-range and somewhat similar (in a very, very good way) to some of Necrophobic's work. It takes a talented band to keep my interest with slower death metal, and Strychnos does it well. All the songs are catchy, some to nearly earworm levels. Each song is different, distinct, and well-crafted. There is some clean singing on offer here, but not in a typical style. It reminds me a bit of the clean passages from Emperor or Hypocrisy. The lines are sung in a clear, strong, utterly manly style with morose melody and evil intent. The production  is clean and organic, and each instrument shines, capturing a very live feel.

It struck me upon first listen to this how different it was. This is a unique band that's cobbled their influences together in such a way as to sound quite original, and they don't lean on too many death and black metal tropes to do their jobs. This is a special album, and it should find a place on every death metalist's shelf.

Gotthammer "Ancient Nature" (Review)

Gotthammer Ancient Nature

2024 Anti-Human Productions (CD / Cassette)

2024 WolfKult Religion (EP)

antihumanproductions.com

wolfkultreligion.com

Ferocious black death is what's on offer here, in the vein of the red-logo-on-black crowd like Blasphemy, Black Witchery, and Abysmal Lord, and it's almost as good. It's missing just a little something in the songs, and I think that comes with being quite a young band. As the EP went on, it did grow on me more and more, so I think they're on the right track.

I really don't know how the drummer's fucking arms don't fall off. He is relentlessly blasting, and it has to be hell to do live. It's just straight up violence. I'd like, honestly, and I think this is what I was missing, to hear a bit more variation in their song structures and a little less repetition, although the repetition is part of what makes this subgenre unique, I will admit. Maybe just back off the grind for a few moments - Marduk plays at high velocity as well, but they have enough variation to keep it even more interesting. The vocals were great, however - demonic, distorted nastiness!

This should be on your list if you want war metal, black/death or whatever we call it these days - to me it's all death metal and you should support it!

Aberration / Diabolic Oath "Divinations" Split (Review)

Aberration / Diabolic Oath “Divination”

2024 Sentient Ruin Laboratories / 7”

www.sentientruin.com

On this split we get one 6-minute track each from Aberration of Minneapolis and Diabolic Oath from Portland. It’s a nice split, suitably underground-looking, with cool logos and nice gray and black art. Dismembered skeletons hanging from chains are always rad. Each band uses the word “divinations” in their track title, with “Divinations of Flesh” from Aberration and the mighty “Divinations of Wrath” from Diabolic Oath.

Aberration gives us a track of solid death metal, very much in the vein of Incantation and doomier Autopsy perhaps, but with a haunting sound, for some reason reminding me of Von, of all bands. I have no idea why that is, but it does in fact remind me of the Satanic Blood demo. It’s not nearly as repetitious as that, but it might because of the cave-like recording (and that is not an insult – it gives the song its own personality). It’s more intricately played than that, of course. While good, it didn’t reach out and strangle me and I felt it could be shorter, but doom-influenced death metal tends to longer compositions, of course. I’ll be looking forward to hearing more from Aberration to see if they step up their attack, because I’m definitely going to pay attention to them, but I have to hear more to decide for sure if I’m a true fan.

Diabolic Oath gives us a real treat on the B side, and they have a bit more of a black/death inclination, especially in the way the drums come across. This is easily my favorite of the two tracks on this split. Parts of it made me wish I still had hair to windmill! Possibly due to the drum sound or the reverb on the vocals, it reminded me a little bit of Demolition’s portion of the Heralds of Oblivion compilation from 1993 (hunt that sumbitch down if you can, it’s worth it!). Early to mid-period Necrophobic also came to mind during some of the more black metal-styled riffs. Stylistically, of course it’s different than those two bands, with almost a war metal vibe in certain parts of the song where the snare pounds away and the vocals echo malevolently, but the general feel is there. The Gorguts-like (or even Blasphemy-like) grunt with reverb right around the 3 minute mark made me a fan immediately. Badass creative choice there, and it built the intensity of the riff to follow perfectly. I just can’t say enough positive things about this track – it’s a good song. It made me a fan, so I’ll be actively trying to track down their other material for sure.

The Dawn Razor "In Sublime Presence" (Review)

The Dawn Razor “In Sublime Presence”

2024 M&O Music / CD

www.m-o-music.com

I won’t pick this album apart like I normally do, due to it not being what I look for in a death metal record. It’s only tangentially a death metal record, having more in common with progressive metal and black metal than death metal in my estimation, other than some of the vocals and riffs. It’s marketed as black/death, and I don’t think that’s off-base. It makes sense. That said, I’ll explain why I don’t like it much. Let’s dig into this solo act from France.

First, the vocals. They’re passable, but not great. And the clean singing must go. Get rid of it. My heart just dropped during the first track when I heard the clean vocals. They’re not great, and they don’t fit with the aggression of the rest of the music. The last thing I want to hear on a death metal record is clean singing, with very few exceptions. That shit’s for metalcore acts, not real death metal. Thankfully the actual singing doesn’t make too much more of an appearance throughout the record, but just when it should not, it does. I also don’t like the subject material of the album. “Inspired by the ideas and paintings from the sublime movement of the romantic era” is a tag-line from the promo material, and it’s accurate, but this metalist sees that as pretentious pseudo-intellectualism. I don’t give a fuck about art. I want DEATH METAL. Death metal and black metal are ugly, disgusting, anti-art forms and ought to be kept that way. They should be unpleasant to the uninitiated. That’s what drew me to this style of music in the first place.

Those criticisms aside, the musicianship on display where the guitars are concerned is magnificent. Sylvain Spanu can fucking play. He’s a great guitarist. Nobody can dispute that, and his talents are highlighted very well here. I’d love to hear him play in a traditional metal band, since I have a feeling he can fuckin’ smoke many of the guitarists in that scene without breaking a sweat! Serious talent there. The rest of the instruments are ok, nothing insane on display, nothing terrible.

I wouldn’t go looking for this if you’re a serious deathmaniac like me, but if you’re a shred-head or a fan of progressive music, you might do worse than trying it. It’s just not what I want to hear at all when it comes to anything related to death metal.