Goreworm--Miasmic Solitude (CD) (2026 Transcending Obscurity Records)

tometal.com

6/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

From Canada comes this technical death metal juggernaut with this second record, and first for Transcending Obscurity. There is a fucking lot going on here. You have arpeggios, blasts, plenty of melodic playing, and occasionally straight up brutality. These are world-class musicians playing intricate and precise death metal that will boggle you but not lose you while they do. One thing Goreworm does well that not many technical death metal bands do is create actual decent songs with enough repetition to keep you listening rather than just trying to figure out what the fuck is actually going on in the music. Vocally, the singer uses just about every type of growl and scream imaginable, and his style fits the band well. The vocal patterns have to deal with some wild musicianship, so they're not very catchy, but they're more than ok in the long run. Unfortunately, all the technicality takes away from the heaviness, and that's what I want out of death metal. I want it to be heavy, gross, unforgiving, and intense. Goreworm doesn't have the traits I like in death metal bands. That doesn't stop me from recognizing this album as a musical achievement, however, as it most certainly is.

Infected Dead--Invicta (CD/LP) {2026 Independent}

infecteddead.bandcamp.com

8/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Infected Dead from England have given us a four-song EP that just burns the fuckin' house down every time you play it. This is the best sort of technical death metal, full of great riffs and, most importantly, good songs. There are just so many interesting things going on here that it's hard to decide what to write. First, let's start with the obvious, the guitars. These motherfuckers can play, and clearly have wizard levels of talent. There's lots of stop/start riffing, scales, and arpeggios. The riffing is endlessly inspired and inventive. The guitar solos are perfection, and ones you'll want to rewind to hear again. The same goes for the bass and drums as they lay the foundation for the rest. The vocals are quite rhythmic, following the lead of the guitars quite often, as the guitar work is also rhythmic. Most of the time the vocalist uses a mid-range growl but he's also capable of low roars and high screams, and uses them all liberally. I can't compare these fine gentlemen to any other band, they're that unique, but if you like death metal with some real shred, you'll want this.

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.

Black Hole Deity--Profane Geometry (CD/LP/CS) {2024 Everlasting Spew Records}

www.everlastingspew.com

9/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Black Hole Deity play wickedly technical death metal that doesn't lose its roots amid all the fancy playing. The riffs may take a few listens to sink in, but sink in they do, and with a vengeance. Their technical playing adds so much intensity to their sound since so much of it is done at light fuckin' speed. I can hear some Nile influence in their sound, but just enough that it doesn't ruin their originality, and is simply a case of wearing their influences on their sleeves. The vocals are strong yet understated, delivered primarily in a mid-range growl. The riffing is mighty, with totally unpredictable passages that take the listener by surprise, but do not descend into tech-wankery or overcomplicated bullshit jammin'. They're perfect for what this band is trying to accomplish. An acoustic interlude with a guitar solo appears in the middle of the record, and is a nice change of pace to get us set for the second half of the record. I love when bands do this - I was always a fan of Broken Hope's interludes for the same reason. Anyhow, tech death freaks should check this, as should anyone into fiercely musical death metal. It's a monument to death.

Vile Apparition--Malignity (CD/CS/LP) {2025 Dark Descent Records/Me Saco Un Ojo}

mesacounojo.com

7/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, this is Vile Apparition's second full length. They play vicious death metal that reminds me of old Suffocation and old Cryptopsy, but with much more repetition and groove. The same level of technicality is there, but they don't lose the song in it. They do, however, throw a lot of changes into each song to keep it interesting, and they succeed there. One of the biggest differences between those aforementioned bands and Vile Apparition is that they generally have heavy grooves in their songs, as I noted, that serve to make the music even catchier, and for extended periods of time. It's not just all technical death metal. It's like a perfect mix of old-school death metal and technical death metal, and it's a beautiful balance they've struck. The musical chops on display here are impressive, with each member having total control over his instrument. One nice touch on the record is the acoustic interlude "Pulverised Dreams," which was a smart move, and it breaks up the two halves of the album perfectly. While this album didn't completely floor me, I was very impressed, and I look forward to more from this band. We'll see what else they can do.

Brain Stem--Nullified (CD/LP/CS) {2025 CDN Records}

www.cdnrecords.com

8/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

Brain Stem play modern sounding death metal with plenty of groove and a quite percussive attack, with plenty of technicality. During their more melodic moments (which are few and far between) and during some of their groovier moments, they remind me of Kataklysm, even though they don't sound terribly like them. It's more the rhythms that make me think of them, and the songwriting. The drummer turns in a fabulous performance and I would definitely consider him one of the top drummers in the scene today. In fact, all the instrumentation is this talented. The guitars and bass are technical, and weave a tapestry for the drums to color. The vocals are the high point here. They're incredibly well-sung, using all sorts of growling techniques, sometimes in the same measure, and the vocalists delivery is rapid-fire and forceful as fuck. He elevates this from just another talented tech death offering to something I want to listen to, because of his vocals. He also knows when to use each of his different growls for maximum effect, and routinely embellishes his lines with little grunts or extraneous roars. It's quite the performance, and one I'll be listening to again soon! I hope to add this to my collection at some point.

Pithy "Agonizing Plexus" (Review)

Pithy Agonizing Plexus

2025 Wasted Existence Records (CD)

pithy.bandcamp.com

7/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

This is the first full length from this UK-based deathmachine. They're heavy, brutal, and technical with enough chugging riffs to keep my attention in the midst of all the overwhelming technicality. The vocals alternate between several styles of gutturals, as well as other more standard growls, and the singer swaps these out flawlessly during his performance. Sometimes he switches it up in the same verse, and he's talented and unique-sounding. There's plenty of grind influence in this as well, and you can really hear it in songs like "Fascia." Many of the more technical riffs swirl in your ears in what's almost like a circular motion (yes, I ascribe things like this to sounds I hear sometimes, I think in shapes at times), and are almost tornado-like in their attack. It's a devastating mixture of hellish instrumentation. I recommend this for deathmaniacs and tech-heads alike, it's just that good. 

Abyssalis "Adaptation" (Review)

Abyssalis Adaptation

2025 Transcending Obscurity Records (CD)

tometal.com

6/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

This is wickedly technical brutality, and with a monster of a vocalist that has perfected a rapid-fire delivery over top the quick twists and turns of the music. There is melody and guitar harmony in all the madness here, and it's quite original sounding. This is a little too technical for me, really, although I really enjoy when they take a moment and inject some heaviness or melody into the tornado of tech death. Fans of 2000s technical death metal like Necrophagist may be enamored with this release. Clearly this band is immensely talented and I have no idea how in the world they remember how to play stuff this complex. I'm sure it's not easy! I could listen to this for the vocals alone, however, since the vocalist is sick as fuck, with his deep-chested roars and the ability to rattle off words like a machine gun. This is worth your time if you're into the technical side of death metal.

Unknown Subject "Democracies Die!" (Review)

Unknown Subject Democracies Die!

2025 Independent (Digital)

unknownsbjct.bandcamp.com

7/10 CRUSHED FUCKING SKULLS

This is not what I expected from Finland. This is wickedly technical death metal with a beast of a vocalist who sounds remarkably like Corpsegrinder. It's technical, yes, but not to the point of being masturbatory. The songs are craftily written, and this is one band that's not afraid of repeating a great riff. They use proper verses and choruses, as well. Some clean vocals creep into the tracks, much like Emperor's use of them, but they only add to the music, rather than detract from the brutality. They're usually added with a darkly melodic passage and they're used sparingly. Cannibal Corpse's recent work is clearly an influence on this band, and you can hear it all through their songs. The vocals are fucking strong - every bit as clearly produced and understandable as Corpsegrinder's, with the singer's own little inflections. The patterns are incredibly well done, punchy and rhythmic, adding to the power of the music. I love music with a good vocalist, and this one really does the job.

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.

Ancient Necropsy "A Mass Grave Under the City" (Review)

Ancient Necropsy A Mass Grave Under the City

2025 A-N Records (CD)

ancientnecropsy.bandcamp.com

BADASS SONG TITLES: The New Era of Witch Hunting, Agents of Decease, Garbage Pail Beings

This is the first full length from Ancient Necropsy in 10 years, their 6th overall. They've been around the block, having albums released on Nice to Eat You, Goregiastic, and Mutilated. That's not a bad pedigree. I remember hearing them around the turn of the century and I remember them being quite loose in execution (I keep saying "they," but it's really a one-man band).

They still have the oddball riffs and pingy snare but the songwriting is miles better than what I remember. There's even surprisingly melodic passages, like in "The New Era of Witch Hunting." There are a lot of guitar harmonies utilized on the record, especially during more technical riffs. Ancient Necropsy has fully developed their sound, and it's quite distinguishable. It doesn't blend in with all the other bands out there in the scene. Other bands could also get a lesson in how to slam properly with the track "Tectonic Shift." That's a heavy bastard.

Overall, this album is a huge improvement from what I remember. There could perhaps be a bit of a better flow to some of the riffs - they can get a little too weird, but I'll take originality where I can get it. The vocals are the strongest part of the record by far, being varied and interesting. They elevate the record above "just another brutal death metal album." The tones and patterns the vocals use are thoughtful, precise, and sick as fuck. Highs, lows, and in-betweens are shown off, and it's a masterful performance in that regard.

Rapid Fire Reviews (Morgue, Disrupting, Cranial Disorder, Blast Agony, Brutally Deceased, General Fibrosis) (Review)

Morgue Close to Complete Darkness

2024 Godz ovWar Productions (CD / LP / Cassette)

godzovwar.com

BADASS TRACKS: Doorways in Crimson Red, Disobedience

BADASS SONG TITLES: Sacrificial Blood, Speculative Fall of the Human Race, Death in Communion

From the same French unit that brought us the almighty Artgore comes this newest effort. This is intense grinding death metal that is quite musical, with lots of repetition in the riffs and good songwriting. The vocals are almost a gurgling growl and remind me a lot of early Amorphis. There are quick changes, good riffs, and excellent drumming throughout this record. They somehow manage to be atmospheric while they blast away, I think due to some of the riffs that would normally be presented with a slower drum pattern by other bands. Their sound remains unique all these years later, especially the warm and well-recorded way it's presented.

Disrupting Conceive to Obliteration

2024 Coyote Records (CD)

www.coyoterecords.ru

From Brazil come Disrupting, and they're technical, brutal death metal with a lot of musicality. The vocals for some reason remind me of Disavowed - perhaps it's a tonality thing. It's not bad, but nothing that blew me completely away. I felt the songs could be a little bit more well-defined, but it may be just the style that is turning me off. There are a lot of dissonant riffs, and we all know how much I like those. It's almost an instant turn-off for me. Perhaps the tech-heads might disagree with me on this record, but that's just my tastes. I wouldn't turn the record off for any reason, but I won't be spinning it often. The cover art is badass, though. I love it.

Cranial Disorder Congenital Depravity

2024 Lethal Scissor Records (CD)

www.lethalscissor.com

This is sold brutal death metal in the tried and true Indonesian style, with plenty of blasting and staccato riffs. The vocalist is excellent. His tones are quality, and his diction (read: understandability) is good. The songs don't stand out as much here, as they blend together a bit due to the style, but the brutal-heads will like this, I'm sure of it, since I am one, and I liked it. I just thought it could be just slightly better in the songwriting department - give me something to make the songs a bit more different from one another. I'll be on the lookout for what this band does next.

Blast Agony Cradle of Brutality

2023 Rapture Records

rapturerecords.com.br

BADASS SONG TITLES: Blood of the Inhuman Torture, Resurrection Absurd, Devourer of Flesh in Spirit

Brazil belches forth another brutal band! There is clearly some Krisiun influence here, and that is understandable. Not only are they death metal gods, but they hail from the same country. For some reason the vocals remind me of some of Severe Torture's material. I hear some Gorgasm in the riffing as well. This is pretty good stuff with decent song structure. The vocal performance is unique and unhinged, almost stream of consciousness in its delivery at times. The music is relentless and intense, and there are some great hooks hiding in these songs.

Brutally Deceased Chasms

2024 Doomentia Records (CD)

doomentia.com

This is Czech death metal that sounds a bit Swedish, but encompasses a lot of different styles of death metal all at once, shifting from violent blasts to ripping melodic death thrash and back again. The musicianship is excellent, with great guitar solos and memorable riffs all throughout these songs. The vocals are very deep, sinister, and rhythmic in their delivery, just how I like them. Every song has great parts, and each is distinct. This is an excellent record and should be getting massive praise!

General Fibrosis Crossbreed Generation

2024 Coyote Records (CD / Cassette)

From Russia comes this band of brutal metalists, with an impeccably recorded, slam-heavy record of death metal. I wouldn't qualify them as a slam band, but a straight death metal band that uses quite a few slam riffs. The slam breakdowns on this record are inventive and emphasize the violence of the music above all else. Comparisons to Kraanium or Analepsy might be made, but they have much more focus on evil-sounding riffs than those bands. This is a seriously heavy record with memorable songs, and it just well-written death metal all around. I recommend it!

Rapid Fire Reviews (Rat Torture Victim, Christ Denied, Defeated Sanity, Repuked) (Review)

Rat Torture Victim Chewed Through

2024 Independent (Digital)

rattorturevictim.bandcamp.com

God DAMN it, I wanted this to be good. The cover is awesome, the name is cool, all that good stuff. The are at least FIVE FUCKING BASS DROPS in the first song along. WHY?! Dead simple lackluster slam riffs abound, interspersed with stupid samples and even saxophone at one point. This is the furthest thing from jazz-infused metal, believe me. It's much more like beatdown hardcore than true slamming death metal. Oh yeah - pingy snare? Check. Nonstop pig squeal vocals? Check. Ugh. Moving on.

Christ Denied Christopsy

2024 Xtreem Music

shop.xtreemmusic.com

Christ Denied are back with this sick fuckin' record of satanic brutal death metal. Total Tomb of the Mutilated and old Cryptopsy worship abounds, but they of course do this so well that you won't even worry about it. Dave's vocals on this are completely badass, bringing several styles of gutturals to bear, and they're all SICK AS FUCK, especially the lowest pitch he uses. Good songwriting, good musicianship, good recording. It should keep brutalists and technical death-heads happy equally. The riffs are especially interesting to me, and they know how to break stuff down before it gets too complicated. The super fast rapid-fire vocals Dave pulls off all throughout the record are incredible. I lost my mind laughing at it until I realized just how fuckin' brutal that really is and how difficult it is to do. I would be hard pressed to imitate any of his styles here. He's that good. This one turned me into a fan for sure, since I hadn't heard their previous records, and I'll be hunting all that stuff down, for sure.

Defeated Sanity Chronicles of Lunacy

2024 Season of Mist

www.season-of-mist.com

Guttural blasting technical sickness abounds on this record, the new effort from Defeated Sanity. Everyone should know this band by now, although I feel they're still quite underrated. This is a band that I know I'm always going to dig when a new record arrives, and is one of the few bands playing at this level of technicality that I consistently enjoy. Their signature "sounds like everything is about to come apart but is tight as fuck" sound is still present. There are lots of stop-on-a-dime moments and excellent heavy-ass breakdowns, as well as jazzy interludes where their virtuosic playing can shine. They always know when to throw us a bone with a simple riff to keep it heavy and interesting. There is a ton of incredible playing on this record, but the drummer in particular shines. I have called them "the Hellwitch of brutal death metal," and I think that moniker stands to this day. They don't sound like them, but they're pushing the same envelope of speed and technicality that Hellwitch does. Standout tracks: Accelerating the Rot, A Patriarchy Perverse, Condemned to Vascular Famine.

Repuked Club Squirting Blood

2024 Soulseller Records

www.soulsellerrecords.com

Bands that immediately spring to mind: the mighty Autopsy, Death Breath, GG Allin, Eat My Fuk, Abscess. With that in mind, you know what you're getting here, but keep in mind it comes melded with the ancient Swedish style that we all love so much, right in between the two camps. I love it. I have to, don't I? I mean, this is Ominous Vomit, and they're called Repuked, and they even have a track (a standout, mind you) called "Rebel of Vomit." Hell yeah. VOMIT METAL. The fuzzy and buzzy production on the guitars and bass, and live-sounding drums, is quite nice, as is the reverb on the vocals to give it that extra-sleazy feel. Filthy headbanging riffs with a true death metal style with punk trimmings. I can't think of much that's better.

Enfrenzied "Banishment of Sentient Miscreations" (Review)

Enfrenzied Banishment of Sentient Miscreations

2025 Pathologically Explicit Recordings (CD)

www.pathologicallyexplicitrecords.com

BADASS SONG TITLE: Monolithic Decay

This is well-recorded, extremely well-performed US technical death metal. Some parts are reminiscent of Malevolent Creation's more technical moments, and some of the bass playing is reminiscent of the mighty Alex Webster of Cannibal Corpse. The bass is actually quite prominent in the mix, which is unusual in death metal, in the same way it's prominent on Overkill's W.F.O., meaning loud, clear, and talented. The guitar players can also write a hook in amongst all the advanced playing and technique, which is a welcome relief from most technical death metal. Other bands should take note, this is how it's done. Just because you're playing advanced material does not preclude the ability to write good, memorable songs with hooks! There are actually some surprisingly violent riffs as well. The singer has crystal clear diction and has clearly worked on his pronunciation. I recognized that a mile away since I myself did the same thing when I was singing for the most part. I always tried to remain understandable. His rhythmic delivery really helps the band stand out. The four tracks and interlude here are great, but I want to hear more and see if they can deliver this level of intensity and songwriting on a full-length. I'll be paying attention! The cover is excellent, too, with a distorted creature working its way down some nasty arcane steps, and it reminds me of the covers of the '90s.

Cognitive "Abhorrence" (Review)

Cognitive "Abhorrence"

2024 Metal Blade Records (CD/LP)

www.metalblade.com

I don't generally like much deathcore material, but this is, as they say, the exception to the rule. I've known about Cognitive for a long time, well before their signing to Metal Blade records, since they toured incessantly and came to Ohio for a lot of shows, often playing with Fully Consumed, if I remember correctly. Their blend of technical death metal and deathcore was good then, and it's good now.

There are a few new tricks here, like the clean vocals on several tracks, which are very nicely performed and not at all the sing-song-y stuff that a lot of modern bands use. They're still metal as fuck. They moved out of some of their death metal influence, and moved into more of their hardcore influence, and that's ok. It works for them. That's not to say the death metal on offer here is diluted - nay, it is not. It's simply more understated than they were at the beginning, nut the death metal that is here is absolutely vicious, as are the hardcore riffs that they mix in. They bring serious heaviness in the riff department, and most songs, of course, have a breakdown, and they're generally extremely heavy and veer away from some of the "deathcore chug," although there's a tasteful amount of that here also.

It's easy to see where death metal fans and hardcore fans are able to get into them, as has been the case over the years. They hooked me with their fine songs very early on when I saw them live, and they've continued to refine and evolve their sound to perfection. I believe they've hit their apex here, and it will be hard to follow this record. All the songs are extremely memorable and diverse, yet staying in their death metal crossed with hardcore lane (lanes?). They've increased the speed over the years, and there's some blazing fast blast beats on this record. The production shines as well, and it's not overly loud, thankfully. Even the clean vocals are mixed right, avoiding the pitfall a lot of deathcore bands have when they push those over the top of the mix and make them sound out of place. Like Cattle Decapitation, they pay attention to how those vocals sound and it's mixed appropriately. Overall this is a damn fine job of a record, and I'll look forward to the next one for sure. I always pay attention when Cognitive puts an album out.