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.

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.

Pandemic Outbreak "Torment Beyond Comprehension" (Review)

Pandemic Outbreak Torment Beyond Comprehension

2025 Godz ov War Productions (CD/LP/CS)

godzovwar.com

8/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Pandemic Outbreak give us a mix of Bay Area style thrash while adding death metal of the highest order to the mix. This mixture of material gives them a fresh sound among all the mediocre death metal bands of the day, and I think it will serve them well. At times they remind me of Death, at other times Demolition Hammer, and yet others of the German thrash masters. The vocalist has clearly focused on his delivery. His growls are rhythmic and well-placed. There isn't a lot of power behind the vocals, though, it's more of a spoken growl. It fits, though, and allows the singer greater pronunciation overall. This band can really write a song, with each track distinct and different, yet forming a whole that's clearly the same band. One moment that immediately stood out to me was the absolutely brilliant dueling vocal section in "Consumed by Flames." I can still hear it in my head. Just a monster hook. Some maniacs might be put off by the lighter sounds the thrash side of the band brings, but I am perfectly fine with it. Track it down and worship it!

Morgue "Close to Complete Darkness" (Review)

Morgue Close to Complete Darkness

2024 Godz ov War (CD/LP/CS)

godzovwar.com

7/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

From the same metalists that brought us Artgore, we have a fifth studio album. Now, my last point of reference with this band was in fact the debut album, so I missed a lot of progression in between, so this review is more like a comparison of how their sound has progressed and what I think of it. They've matured, but the focus is still on good songs, good riffs, and a morbid atmosphere, just not as focused on gore. They're darker, with more of an evil feel than in the past. Although the gore is mostly gone, they're still nasty and heavy, and the core of the music still resembles the band on that debut album. I can hear similar themes in the riffs from album to album. Musically, this is a near-perfect outing, with fast and precise drumming, imaginative riffs, and a claustrophobic atmosphere. They've gone from a goregrind influenced sound to a dark beast of death metal, but the carcass is still recognizable. I recommend this one for any fan of the band, past or present.

Toughness "Black Respite of Oblivion" (Review)

Toughness Black Respite of Oblivion

2025 Gods ov War Productions (CD/LP/CS)

godzovwar.com

9/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

This is talented death metal from Poland, their second full length for Godz ov War Productions. I never thought I'd hear a band that does Demilich worship, but this is it. I'm not even sure if it's intentional, but all the hallmarks of that band's sound are here - the technical riffs, complicated arrangements, and good solid death metal. There are some shades of Atheist (the playing) and Immolation (the vocals especially), and it reminds me in places of Ton from Ohio. This is technical death metal without being pretentious about it, which is what I look for in a band like this. There is no masturbatory "look-what-I-can-do" bullshit, but real technical death metal with great playing woven into good songs, on the level with other masters like Hellwitch, Gorguts, or the aforementioned Demilich. The bass player is especially wizard-like, and his playing is extremely impressive, with jazzlike runs behind the riffs, complete with slaps and sweeps. The guitars shred constantly as well, with riffs galore. While the vocals, as I mentioned, reminded me a little of Immolation, they also remind me of Jim Sadist of Nunslaughter or Stevo from Impetigo - the "Dr. Claw" school of death metal vocals. Gravity blasts make the occasional appearance, too, in appropriate places where their intensity really helps the song. They're flawlessly executed, and it sounds absolutely brutal. Every song here is full of hooks and wonderful playing, and I look forward to hearing more from this band. Now I have to go track down each of these albums physically if I can, because I'm a goddamn fan now.