Hey mutants, Trevor From The Black Dahlia Murder AKA The Obituarist here. I’m currently reporting from home between TBDM tours. Up next is a brief Canadian run with The Cavaleras performing Roots and two quickies with First Fragment; followed by South America and then our ultimate US tour with Napalm Death, Pig Destroyer, Misery Index, Power Trip and Abnormality, which is sure to be a doozey… needless to say, I’ll be very busy in the coming months.
In the meantime, I’ve got a great round up of 23 solid as fuck new releases (heavy on the death metal) you should be checking out this Fall. I’ve got a talented spread here, lots of great bands and some been I’ve been genuinely very excited about. I am pleased to bring them to you here. Thanks again to anyone who stops by and especially those who give their hard earner money to these bands for their music and merchandise, they appreciate you and I do to. Without further delay, here are 23 rotten new releases sure to decimate your soft, pink parts into utter oblivion.
Carnal Tomb – Rotten Remains
Sick down tuned HM-2 driven ancient death metal art played lovingly by these talented Germans… these guys fucking rip, man. The vocals are tremendously deep and powerful, and the guitars and bass work together to form a nice wall of chainsaws for your ghoulish pleasure with a very Grave-like result. There are also some touches of nasty barely in tune Finnish death metal like early Belial clouding the cauldron here; you can’t lose with death metal like this, it never fails when its executed with competence and passion for the craft. These guys have a foul authenticity to them, and extra coating of funeral dirt that gives them a real sickly appeal. I feel like fans of Undergang, Disma, Innumerable Forms, Funebrarum and that kind of thing would go nuts for these guys… this is downright putrid death from six feet below. Out now on the always dependable source of true old school death, Memento Mori out of Spain.
Grab it here
Cadaveric Fumes – Dimensions Obscure
Nice one here! This tasty EP by up and comers Cadaveric Fumes out of France shares the genre bending aspirations of bands like Tribulation, Necrovation, Horrendous, Stench, Morbus Chron; combining old school death metal with a touch of 70‘s flavored rockin’ progressiveness. The keys laden intro and interludes help ramp up the 70s aspect of things, it helps tie in the whole cosmic aspect the band is going for in sound, theme and artwork. These dudes are masters of expertly unfurling twisted, continuously labyrinthine compositions. They manage to keep the listener enthralled with careful attention to detail and a really nice, expert level flow. The fuzzed yet under distorted guitar tone gives it a retro edge, and by retro I for once mean bell bottom jeans, big mustaches, and conversion vans with beds in the back rather than HM-2 worship. They even bust out a wah pedal! At the darkest, dankest, most deathly moments, greats like Autopsy or early Amorphis are channeled; these guys can drop some polluted, stanky riffs when they want to. One of the characteristics that makes these guys stand out in the clutch of more Swedish flavored bands I mentioned is their love of Finnish death metal groove. They can do the slow, lumbering thing with the best of em. You just aren’t going to get that with the feral and bony sounding Tribulation. The tribal, Autopsy-goes-to-hell plod of the third track “Where Darkness Reigns Pristine” is friggin awesome, it seems like something you’d hear from excellent Norway’s Execration. Overall this is fun, weird, obscure ride through experimentation gone right. The reward was great for these creative risks. Well done, boys. Grab this now and get cosmic.
Grab it here
Coma Cluster Void – Mind Cemeteries
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGBq4U35gy0
Fucking Mike DiSalvo (ex-Cryptopsy) is back! About freaking time! Coma Cluster Void bless our itching ears with bizarre, machinated, deconstructed technical death metal that will dizzy and jar the listener into submission. This is really cool and challenging stuff recalling Gorguts Obscura at times and instrumental freaks Keelhaul others. It’s a twisted and explosive ride. Mike seems right at home amidst the melee of writhing machines; this material is so bonkers technical that it makes And Then You’ll Beg seem like child’s play. I think its really cool that he’s found another really forward thinking ensemble to roll with. I am reminded of the first album from Ion Dissonance for some reason that I cant entirely pinpoint; it has that really damaged, taken apart sound to it but its still extreme as fuck. I also wouldn't be surprised if these gentlemen had an awareness of the works of Human Remains, Deadguy, and Lethargy. Haha, the album name Mind Cemetaries reminds me of that Rage Against The Machine lyric from “Bulls On Parade”… good on ya, mates! I hope this takes off and that we get to see Mike on the touring circuit again as I sadly have never seen him perform before. Coma Cluster Void, fuck yeah!!!
Grab it here
Crematory Stench – Crematory Stench
Yes! More of this, please! Totally foul, garage-y old school death metal of the energetic sort straight out of Costa Mesa, California. It’s pounding, grinding, vile music played with slightly out of tune aplomb… this sounds old as fuck in an awesome way. I’ll bet Repulsion fans could feel this as well as the usual HM-2 junkies. For that extra touch of grave dirt-soiled authenticity, they had the ep mixed and mastered in Sweden. The final product is like a rusty drill right into the ear drum, unapologetic about it’s grossness. They’ve definitely taken some riffing notes from Cali forefathers Sadistic Intent, which is a good thing. These guys know how to bring the darkness with what they do. There is a real horror in these riffs that not every retro minded act can achieve. The vocals here have a very classic sound, tapping a Martin VanDrunen-esque midrange growl that is pretty sick. The artwork has that cool xeroxed look to it. It's a total throwback to the zines and black and white tape covers of yore. If you like Morgoth, Sabbatory, Masada, Sadistic Intent, Asphyx, consider this Crematory Stench ep a must!!!
Grab it here
Dawn Of Demise – The Suffering
Bouncy, muscular, catchy as fuck slamming brutal death metal with an ass kicking attitude. Imagine Suffocation stripped down to a neanderthalic beatdown crazed version of themselves with an awesome, skull cracking production. I guess it’s a bit like old Skinless in their prime. I also hear some sounds that recall Altar’s Red Harvest album, probably just a coincidence, but it isn't a bad thing either. Vocalist Scott Jensen is one sick ass frontman. He commands the mic with his deep and powerful and cleverly varied gutturals, a total master who you might remember from early Danish brutal death purveyors Infernal Torment. He has a booming voice that is sometimes reminiscent of fellow Dane Bo Summer from Illdisposed… positively huge! The cover art is to die for. It reminds me of the glory days. Kudos to Marcho Hasmann, who always delivers the goods and always seems to be striving to improve, just like our boys in Dawn Of Demise, who have definitely brought forth their best thus far in The Suffering.
Grab it here
Dawn Of Disease – Worship The Grave
Two Dawn Of… bands right in a row? How are we supposed to remember this shit? I’m sorry man, I can’t help you, they’re both good and both deserving of mention here at The Obituarist. These deadly Germans play a brand of nice proper decently recorded death metal with a crunchy grindy edge to the guitars and a penchant for ultra quick blasting. Upon first glance they remind me of Coldworker, Mass Infection or Vomitory; but they quickly shapeshift into more melodic territory to great effect. A successful multifaceted attack! The chorus of the first track gets surprisingly feel-y, it resonates like the best moments of modern era Illdisposed or Bolt Thrower at their most melodic. Hell, Amon Amarth would be impressed with the glory Dawn Of Disease manage to conjure. These dudes know how to mix up a lot of different styles into something that is both classic and fresh. I can dig it, immensely. The second song flirts with a brief Morbid Angel slime part, and then its back to hauling butt. These guys really get flying some times. This is just all around great death metal… its varied, expertly performed, gripping, professional. I absolutely love it and I’m glad I finally got around to checking it out. It’s too good for me not to include, even if it’s been out for a few months. Love Mark Coopers artwork here, he’s been a very popular choice in the last couple of years and I can understand why. Get this now, it’s the total death metal package.
Grab it here
Domestic Terror – High On Violence
Damn, I just love these guys. Ever since they kicked me in the genitals with their half of a split with slammer(s) Putrified J, I have had a craving for more of their distinct brand of grindy and brutal death metal madness, and here we are greeted with a quick 3 songer to keep our personal bloodlusts temporarily sated. I see that at Metal Archives Domestic Terror are merely tagged as brutal death metal, but I feel like that is something of a short sell for these guys, I feel like they actually combine a few styles in what they do for something really fresh, including fragments of grindcore and streetwise beatdown. The intro to “Mass Graves” is just unsurpassed brutality, its churning, ugly, and just fucking huge. I love the production here, thick and heavy but not clean. It's chunky, raw, and lively. These guys obviously played this stuff themselves and played it damn well. The verse begins with a massive groove and is met with a dry, low guttural that is pretty frightening. At times they sound like a raw, trashy Dying Fetus. There is definitely some wigger-slam tied in to what they do, but they execute their pit riffs with as much discretion as possible, they are used potently and effectively when the time is right. Pinch harmonics aka my favorite things on the planet are nicely peppered throughout, there is a fairly technical aspect to what Domestic Terror does. Overall, this is an awesome melting pot of sounds and styles and I already can’t wait for the next outing from these Ohio bruisers, hopefully next up will be the bone-crushing full length I know these young guns are capable of. Grab this now, give it a spin, go out and kick someone’s ass and tell them Domestic Terror sent you.
Grab it here
Drawn And Quartered – Proliferation Of Disease Demo
Drawn And Quartered are a dark old school flavored death metal band from the Northeast that have been a staple in the Seattle death metal underground for years, churning out quality output tapping Immolation and Incantation for their foul muses and harboring members of semi-controversial darkened death masters of yore Infester who brought us the masterpiece To The Depths… In Degradation. So far, this has been cassette only, but recently met crowdfunding goals to make a CD version of the demo for which I’m stoked. I felt like the last album was a major step up in quality and something of a turning point; it seemed a bit more european influenced, particularly the scuminess of early Finnish death metal appeared to have been rubbing off on the band and that love of skankiness rears it’s musty head yet again on Proliferation Of Disease. The recording is nice and raw and semi-garagey. I find the sound to be homegrown and loveable. It has that special magic like the best local band you’ve ever heard or a classic scorching demo from 1992 that somehow just now landed in your mailbox after being lost in the Bermuda triangle. The vocals are of a deep, dry and diseased variety that would make Craig Pillard or Will Rahmer proud. I find them to be quite frightening. If you like the fungus covered stylings of Funebrarum, Disma, Innumerable Forms, Incantation or Disciples Of Mockery, you must awaken your inner demon to the foul appeal of Drawn And Quartered, you won’t regret.
Grab it here
Gatecreeper – Sonoran Deprivation
Yay! The day has finally come! A Gatecreeper full length chock full of monstrous old school Swedeath meets crust is finally festering in my very hands. I have been following these guys since being turned on to them by my longtime girlfriend Casey, who went to school with mainman Chase Mason. My love affair with the band began in that first thirty seconds, coupled with that stunning old school cover art, I was as good as gone. Here we see the band slightly more refined and a bit more various in their approach, perhaps from increased input of his now filled out line up. I can only speculate. I feel like it’s slightly more Bolt Thrower injected than the previous output, listen to “Rotting As One,” not a bad thing at all in my world. What sets these guys apart the most from so many of their peers is the immense groove at the heart of everything. It’s just huge. Next and just importantly we have Chase Mason’s furious trademark bellow and mic stand rocking poise. He is the ideal old school death metal vocalist. He has a distorted, ravenous bark and choice patterns that just set this music off in the perfect mosh inducing marriage. He doesn’t sound like LG from Entombed but his presence is just as mammoth and commanding. He always knows right where to sing in the midst of things to maximize ultimate headbangager. The dirgey intro to “Patriarchal Grip” is hair-raising stuff, just perfect. The beginning section of “Flamethrower" is absolutely to-die-for Dismember worship (of the Maximum Killing Capacity variety) that could leave any seasoned thrasher with a neck paralyzing Sunday morning bangover. This is just as brilliant as I knew it could be. These young Arizonians are fitting to take the world by storm. Beware of the Sonoran stampede or be trampled in it’s wake!!! Whether you enjoy the stylings of oldies like Entombed, Interment and Nirvana 2002; or the newer crustier leaning HM-2 bands like Black Breath, Skinfather, or War Master, you’ve just struck death metal gold.
Grab it here
Harm – The Evil
Germany’s old school death metal scene is really a force to be reckoned with nowadays. We’ve got Necros Christos, Revel In Flesh, Sulphur Aeon, Beyond, Deserted Fear, Chapel Of Disease, Rogash. I could go on all night. Germany is home to one of my favorite scenes right now, and one of good old Krautland’s sickest HM-2 wielding exports goes by the name of Harm. You got to love that directness of intent! These cats storm your eardrums with an all out warring mid-paced old school death metal assault. This shit will slowly roll over your splintering skeleton like a Panzer tank. When they pick it up a little bit, a nice fist-pump worthy Hellhammer/Celtic Frost type gallop propels Harm’s ancient death attack. I can see the fest attending German headbangers spilling their steins all over the place right now. If you feel Hail Of Bullets, Asphyx, Nocturnal Vomit, or early Fleshcrawl, Harm could be the incentive to maim you’ve been in search of. Out now on Final Gate records.
Grab it here
Human Enslavement – The Apocalypse Of Hate
Dayum, this is good! Nice modern semi-technical brutal death metal with much groove and some decent slams. Think of the more modernized recent output of Dying Fetus. The dual-vocal attack they employed is definitely reminiscent of Maryland’s most beloved brutal death act. Human Enslavement are an international super group of sorts with members from Russia’s Fetal Decay, Greece’s Human Rejection, as well as statesmen in Cystic Dysentery’s Jim Ross and Monstrosity’s Mike Poggione. The songs are extremely catchy, with a good variety of structure and pace. I'm loving the stop start attack of the third song “New World Prison". These guys sound like real pros to these ears. The bass has a really nice sound and some pretty sick chops worthy of mention, impressive stuff. If you enjoy the works of Unbreakable Hatred, Discarnate, Fetor, Pyrexia, Dehumanized or the aforementioned gods Dying Fetus, Human Enslavement will get your flat brimmed hat clad head nodding along in approval.
Grab it here
Infectology – Innards Of Misanthropic Embodiment
Infectology are a fairly young but exceptionally brutal death outfit hailing from Ecuador, a scene I feel often gets overlooked by brutal hounds on the hunt. There are some really cool bands out there (Gorephagia, Gastrorrexis, Visceral Decay, Morbopraxis, Disphexia) that are worth your time. Gorehouse isn’t really my favorite label by any means, but they have some good stuff tucked in their roster and Infectology is one of those exceptions. Sound-wise, these guys would fit in well with the brutal scenes of the Colombians. They have a similarly unhinged feel to the music and a penchant for wild, trashy drums; the snare is just out of this world pingy, fucking relentless! Like many Latin brutal outfits, the overall feel is very angry and hate-fueled; similar to the aggro put forth by Internal Suffering or Amputated Genitals. The end product is very forceful, not an exercise in finesse and wimpy noodling, but instead a bulldozing barrage of endless brutality. They're not the most intelligent sounding band in the world, but that’s not why we’re here, is it? If you want harsh, psychotic brutality of the highest order, Infectology are the posse you need.
Grab it here
Necroabortion – The Mutation Process
Fuck yeah man, I dig these guys. I became aware of them only semi-recently, having snatched up their previous outing from the almighty Discogs.com. I was happy to learn of this beast coming in to fruition this year. Necroabortion play a tight brand of varied Cannibal Corpse influenced death metal that is sometimes brutal as hell and others quite melodic. The album is nicely recorded but obviously real. I like the sound of it. They are slightly technical at times, they use a little bit of shreddy chops here and there to wisely break things up. There is a surprising low end to the guitars that sometimes surfaces, a djenty 7 or 8 string skronk that is very modern. It’s used sparingly here and I like it, to be frank, it feels fresh. On the adverse side of the coin, their most straight forward brutal death mode reminds me of older Gorgasm, specifically the dual-vocal exchange and the incessant blasting. They also share a similar melodic edge and incorporate the usage of well written soloing to enhance the song. More killer Mark Cooper artwork. The guy is on fire, ladies and gents. Get this now and support these Argentian demons. They deserve it and so do your earholes. FFO: Deranged, Gorgasm, Cannibal Corpse, Prostitute Disfigurement, Spectral Mortuary.
Grab it here
Our Place Of Worship Is Silence – The Embodiment Of Hate
OPOWIS’s debut LP has one hell of a story along with it, one wrought with heartache and hardship, as soon after the recordings were wrapped the band suffered an incredible loss in the unexpected death of bass player Tim Butcher; a tragic blow that would surely have imploded most young bands, but not the monolithic young force Our Place Of Worship Is Silence. Driving main man Eric Netto (formerly of cali black metal sorcerers Lake Of Blood) is one driven son of a bitch, and he wasn't going to let this be the last of the baby he and his friends had worked so hard on; he and OPOWIS collectively found the strength to forge onward; it’s surely what Tim would have wanted for the band, for them to live on in his memory and for their music to be heard. They have recently returned to the live front with new members in tow, including bassist Brent Randel and former Knelt Rote vocalist Charlie Mumma, with great results, a rebirth, of sorts. Now for the tunes at hand encased in this fine slab of blackness. The music is a stoic black/death blend owing a good bit to Swiss two man powerhouse Bolzer, but I find OPOWIS to be a far more evil incarnation of that sound. It’s most recognizable in the syncopated chuggy parts. One of my favorite aspects of Bolzer and it’s utilized a lot here to great effect. Their other most prominent angle is somewhat like Archgoat, black/death that is not afraid to blast, with dark tremolo riffs but not shoddily produced or superfluously sloppy; OPOWIS is thinking man’s black death, not FUKK A GOATBITCH gasmask and ten foot long spikes-wearing black death childishness, know what I mean? These young Californians blend these two styles together in a seamless and ritualistic cauldron. It’s huge, epic and dark as fuck material that keeps it classy, think Ruins Of Beverast. The Embodiment Of Hate is clever, well written purposeful stuff with an overarching vibe of real spiritual intent, they aren’t just phoning in a performance on their instruments here; they believe in what they are doing. It’s a difference that shows in spades. This band is a shining onyx beauty, a rare black jewel to be admired. The album is host to a multi pronged vocal attack that is greatly is appreciated. They are able to do a lot of different things with it and manage to always use it stylishly and creatively; this is an aspect that reminds me of Enochian Crescent, who I absolutely love. The main vocal is low and chasmous, with a nice echoey vibe. Then, there is a higher black metal scream that compliments it. The way the two voices play together is fucking perfect, its frightening at times, like a good black/death band should be. I can’t mention these fellas without speaking of their ties to Teeth who are a phenomenal band as well, and you can hear where their Venn diagrams crosseth over at times. I feel like a new Californian sound is in emergence, so to speak, and these two fine bands are spearheading it. If only Tim were alive to see the impact this impressive record will surely have, he would surely had been excited. Pre-order this now and be privy to one of the finest extreme outings of the year, it’s truly magical.
Grab it here
Punished – The Absent
Serocs main man Antonio Freyre is back with this cool side project of artfully crafted, thoughtful darkened death metal by the name of Punished. I gotta say, I really like the name Punished. It’s such a heavy, serious band name. It takes away any pretense of fucking around. You know what you are about to listen to is going to nothing less than severe, and boy is it ever. These sick Mexicans bring crushing disjointed slightly blackened death metal oppressiveness; a chaotic din of skronky chords and grindy drumwork. Notably, Antonio has enlisted the vocal talents of one Ben Read; the awesome ex-vocalist of Ulcerate who is now residing in Japan. Ben sounds more monstrous than ever here, and as usual his lyrics are nothing short of brilliant The guy has a real way with words to say the very least and a very abysmal outlook on humanity. His lyrics for Ulcerate were stellar and I’ll say that he’s gotten even more depressing and dark continuing his legacy here with Punished. The Absent will leave you with a big red paddle mark on your butt that will make it difficult to sit down for a while. Punished will rape you in the dark showers of iniquity, whatever that means. They will cane you like a graffiti artist in Singapore. They will ground you for the entire summer, with no video games. Prepare your earholes for some real punishment, these young sickos deal it in spades.
Grab it here
Putrefied Cadaver – Weight Of Massive Shots
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQmN_leQe0o
Goddamn, this is pretty savage! Putrefied Cadaver purvey a slam heavy style of brutal death metal with some serious poopy butthole vocals. This guy is a real sphincter, in the best way possible! I like when the song degenerates into that tough as hell stop start breakdown near the last moments of the track… heavy as balls. These fellas have a monolithically heavy groove to them. They smash and stomp like the incredible hulk on a ‘roid rage and I enjoy every second of it. The production is pretty raw but still massive. The snare is nice and real, probably too severe for some of you crybabies out there. If you enjoy really sick brutal death metal that slams that kill ala Kraanium and Ezophagothomia, Weight Of Massive Shots will take much pleasure in crushing you to death.
Grab it here
Sanguine Eagle – Individuation
Wow, this is pretty cool! A nice demo of raw, longwinded black metal with a touch of ambient weird featuring ties to NY’s awesome Yellow Eyes. Their rap sheet said something about both Russian and German bands and I feel like I can hear a bit of the BlazeBirth Hall crew they must be talking about (Forest, Branikald– but this is surely less sketchy, ideologically) as well as Germany’s prolific Nargaroth. If you can value black metal that focuses on atmosphere over speed or chops, Sanguine Eagle will be a beauty to your ears. If you like Paysage D’Hiver, Judas Iscariot, Nargaroth, or Forest, you should be all over this. The tape version (limited at 50) is more than likely sold out but keep an eye on their label here for more updates.
More Info Here
Setentia – Darkness Transcend
Setentia are a progressive, experimental death metal band out of New Zealand cut from the same mercurial cloth of weirdness as fellow kiwis Ulcerate, although Boasting a third(!) guitarist in their calculating ranks, the dissonance on display here has been allowed new heights. If the D-word frightens you, you should probably just move on. These dudes are angular as fuck. Darkness Transcend is deadly serious, post-metal influenced skronkville that is beautifully artsy as well as grippingly dynamic. All you death metal stoners out there, this one is definitely for you. If you like Ulcerate, Ad Nauseam, Gorguts, Baring Teeth, Nero Di Marte or Portal, pre-ordering Setentia will do your body good.
Grab it here
Smut – Slop
Continuing his impressive legacy of greatness in the Razorback tradition of horror movie influenced grind meets death and thrash, Portland’s sleazy secret weapon Maniac Neil has returned to the fold with his newest pus-ridden posse featuring an all-star cast from some of the finest in Oregon’s underground (Witch Vomit, Torture Rack, Fornicator). Your boys in unabashed indecency, Smut! The terrifying opening sample gives way to a raw, garagey brand of that classic Razorback thrash n grind formula that is set to kill all in earshot. Its a fun romp through classic horror glamorizing awesomeness, and Neil’s sound is instantly recognizable to fans of Bloodfreak and Frightmare. He’s still got it. This is way more raw than anything I’ve heard him do and I really enjoy that about it, it ramps up the Repulsion aspect. It’s a homebrewed horror grown right in our own backyards. Fans of Blood Freak, Castle Freak, Cretin, Machetazo and GAF will appreciate the hell out of this stinky, sticky mess of an album.
Grab it here
Ulcer – Heading Below
Sweet, I dig these guys. I’ve been on to them since their last outing thanks to my Polish friend Mol over at SMN. The song called “Fiends Forever” made me chuckle a bit. I’m all for declarations to our beloved art of death. The intro is perfectly evil. I’m talking heavier than a thousand tombstones. These guys are one of the heaviest of the whole heap of HM-2 jockeys, just thick beyond thick, heavy beyond heavy! The organ notes tucked in the first track are nice. Any kind of keyboard accompanying this style of DM takes one right to Left Hand Path. I fall for it every time. The riffs are scorching, the vocals boom in classic Swedeath style, the drums kick you in the chest. These Pols know what’s up when it comes to honoring the past. If you enjoy the buzzsaw infused stylings of Revel In Flesh, Undead Creep, The Dead Goats, Pyre, Coffincraft, Disrupted, or Decomposed (SWE), press play and let Ulcer bore a hole right through you.
Grab it here
Unfathomable Ruination – Finitude
This album just blindsided me… ouch! Hang on a sec while I look for my teeth. In all seriousness, Unfathomable Ruination may have just dropped my favorite brutal death album of the year. It’s that monstrous! I’ll have to admit, I did not give their last album with the shoddy photoshop dick monster on it a real fair chance for whatever reason, perhaps it was the eyesore I was just speaking of, but i’ll I admit to being a douche bag and sleeping on what was probably a sick record, too. I am really glad that I was wrong, this is not at all what I was expecting from this band. This is not what I thought it was at all. Their sound is various and deadly, technical but well written and easy to follow; it’s complex, yet legible. They go a little Malignancy jazzy-spazzy at times but they even manage to keep that understandable. From black metal to post metal there is a bit of everything incorporated here in the immense, shapeshifting Finitude. This isn't some strap up high, black turtle neck wearing, staring at your guitar while sitting on a stool like a nerd shit, this is brutal and exciting death metal and I’m sure its impressive as fuck to behold this live. Right out of the gate, I’m assaulted by a jarring and dizzying blend of styles; something like a more death metal version of The Red Chord. This is, of course, an amazingly great thing, a sound I have been longing for; something I found to be missing in TRC’s absence. Like The Red Chord, Unfathomable Ruination wield a canon of great grooving breakdowns, mind bending riffs wrought with wily guitar harmonics and the rushing feel of an about to derail freight train when going full speed ahead. At times I’m reminded of Infested, Emeth, or Castrensis. There is a lot of experimental angular, skronky moments. This shit is 3D man, I’m telling you it just leaps out of the speakers with so many fresh and creative ideas… really inventive, forward thinking stuff. There are a lot of black metal touches cleverly woven throughout Finitude, it’s a very modern spice they’ve chosen to clearly differentiate themselves from the masses and it totally works. Get this now and be welcomed to the bright, exciting future of brutal death metal.
Grab it here
Vader – Iron Times EP
It’s no secret that I love Vader. How can any death metal head in their right mind not love their brand of supercharged, Slayerized death? This nice yet brief morsel of tunage opens with a ripping death metal track that introduces a really sick NWOBHM/speed metal element from the get go. It’s a rockin and retro aspect I feel like I haven’t heard yet in the band that is in this case really working. The second song is pretty standard Vader fare, nothing new but still better than every other band out there. The somewhat relaxed yet confident pace of it reminds me of their De Profundis album. I am loving this shit guys. I’m totally Praying To The God of War as we speak. Next up are a pair of rockin’ covers, a Panzer X song I was not familiar with followed by Motorhead’s “Overkill”, which I am assuming is meant to compliment the Joe Petagno painting summoning some very Motorhead-esque artwork. I hope this rock thing sticks into the new album, Empire. I would love to hear more of this new sound. In all reality its probably just a one off. Vader has an extensive catalog of EPs, a lot of which are worth looking into, and this one in particular has definitely got me drooling. Hails to Peter and the gods of death from Poland, Vader!!!
Grab it here
Virvum – Illuminance
Wow, this is a really cool one guys. While I consider myself to be largely 'over’ the heavily over saturated world of tech death metal for the time being, these Swiss sickos in Virvum have really surprised me and had me eating my words. They are just outstanding. Virvum play a futuristic brand of technically adept and progressively-flavored death metal that is somewhat in the vein of those crystal-stroking space cadets in Fallujah. It’s very colorful and dramatic music utilizing a lot of atmospherics, all while retaining it’s extremity. At full blast, Virvum exhibit some deadly sounding razor sharp chops. I can’t help but think of post-Necrophagist-era Unique Leader tech shredders like Inanimate Existence or First Fragment. It’s so tight that it’s scary, pretty damned impressive! All music and lyrics were written and arranged by the extremely talented guitarist N. Gruhn, a new name to me, too, but one we’ve surely not heard the last of. The dude is an absolute wizard. He must live in a sensory deprivation chamber, have four arms and a giant Macbook for a head. It sounds to me like this is all he does, bless his heart. The fourth track “Ad Rigorem” is one hell of a song and host to some pretty Castlevania sounding riffs. You know I’m all about that kind of stuff. I like to don my powdered wig for a spot of tea when the mood should tickle my fancy. There is a great deal of dynamics here. It’s a very satisfying listen in this regard, amazing build ups crescendo into gorgeous progressive bliss. They really excel at incorporating that post-metal beauty. These guys have created a world in Illuminance that is creative, curious, and addictively fresh. The intro to the last song knocked the wind out of me it was so good. The note choices are just perfectly heart string tugging stuff. Kudos. I even liked the clean singing at the end. It was done in a way that retained manliness, a hard feat. It kind of reminded of something Dave Davidson from Revocation would do. What a huge finale, what an amazing album. You need this, yesterday.
Grab it here
That’s all she wrote this time, ghouls. These should be enough to keep you busy for a while. I wanted to take a second to thank all of the bands, labels, PR people, and other journalists in metal for being so generous and kind to me. Although this column is sloppily written childish drivel at best, it has been a deeply rewarding experience to attempt to give a little back to the underground from whence The Black Dahlia Murder was dreamt up and that continues to fill my life with joy and purpose.
Thanks for checking out the column… please tell your friends, your enemies, basically anyone with a black t shirt on. Stay tuned for next month's column, in the mean time, stay dead!
Read previous recommendations from Trevor Strnad aka The Obituarist here.
