Howdy Halloweeners, Trevor Strnad AKA The Obituarist here with another round of sick ghoulish extreme metal to keep you screaming this holiday. As you revel in early November’s candy spoils, think of those of us who were stuck driving from Wichita, Kansas to Farmington, New Mexico on Halloween. It’s a sad way for me to spend one of my favorite days of the year.
The good news is, we’re meeting up with Napalm Death November 1st to begin an ultimate tour across the states featuring Pig Destroyer, Misery Index, Power Trip and Abnormality in various combos at various dates. I’d like to see all of you there and please, bring me some sweets… I’ll be a happy fatty. In the meantime, feast your eyes and ears on some of the sickest up and coming new extremity available.
Almyrkvi – Pupil Of The Searing Maelstrom
Almyrkvi are a bizarre Atmospheric Black Metal entity hailing from the creative shores of Iceland, who have been major proponents in the black metal scene in recent years. Created solely by Sinmara/Slidhr’s Garðar S. Jónsson, Pupil Of The Searing Maelstrom is a dark, fantastic foray into unknown worlds of weirdness. Atmosphere is the name of the game here folks, Almyrkvi excels in weaving a transcendental tapestry of strange and perverse elegance. The first song, Primeval, reminds me a bit of the amazing Junius… it’s got a cool melancholic vibe and sublime clean vocals. Second track, Shrouded In Blinding Light starts out with a more sinister aura than the first. I am reminded of the heavily textured works of Terra Tenebrosa. It’s dense, dark, perverted and frightening. The programmed drums give it a slight industrial pulse. The third song is grounded more in black metal, anchored by a familiar blast beat, but no less haunting. There is an incredible amount of tension built by these songs. I can’t help but feel like Amyrkvi enjoys toying with the listener, the intent here is both to surprise and scare you. If you enjoy the outside of the box efforts of Darkspace, P.H.O.B.O.S., Stagnant Waters or the aforementioned Terra Tenebrosa, you’ve just found your next nightmare.
Grab it here
Blasphemer – Ritual Theophagy
Blasphemer are back!!! Back but in a slightly different form. As expected, It’s still absolutely brutal and technical as fuck. The riffs still operate on that flowing stream of consciousness Disgorge type of style that I just love. Blasphemer offer up an endless barrage of labyrinthine riffs that are clear enough for a good stoned man to happily follow and psychotic enough to keep him coming back. That’s my main enjoyment out of this type of band, and decrypting the maze of riffs in Ritual Theophagy is an immersive task I am happy to take it on. They wisely scaled back the triple vocal attack that was a tad overwhelming on the last releases. In fact, there’s a lot more breathing room over all, these dudes are applying a newly learned restraint… its nice. Also interesting is the change of drummer to American skinsman Darren Cesca, who now holds the throne for Deeds of Flesh. I enjoy the evil nature of this album. It definitely feels more blasphemous in theme. The samples tieing the album together, the wicked riffing style, it all comes to a head as an oppressive brutal and evil force that cannot be stopped by normal means. I was high as fuck listening to this when the end of the second came on with it’s evil as hell accapella “I AM A FASLE PROPHET… GOD IS A SUPERSTITION!" high scream chanting, it honestly scared me. The last song is particularly foreboding, the demonic vocal over a lone frosty black metallish guitar riff looping in a horrific miasma. This is album is absolutely mental high grade ultra brutal death… these guys are teetering on the high end of the brutality scale amongst a growing elite of sick bands worldwide that just absolutely fucking decimate. It remains an exciting time for brutal death metal in lieu of Defeated Sanity’s proverbial shot in the arm to the scene’s creativity level and New Standard elites successful rise to glory helping to raise the awareness of this great scene. Grab this and support the mighty Comatose records.
Grab it here
Bodybag – Hard Death
Fuck man, hard is right! This is huge. Just fucking mammoth. If you haven’t knocked your own tooth out by the end of the intro alone, I might have to check your pulse to see if you’re truly even alive. Bodybag fucking kill. Like the singer’s former outfit No Zodiac, These Chicago bruisers exist in that violent grey area territory between a hardcore band and an old school death metal band of the chunky east coast variety. It’s one part Blood For Blood and two parts Internal Bleeding. Thuggish hardcore vocal gangsterism over relentless slamming and neanderthalic death. There are some gigantic grooves, too, from the Obituary school of thought. Imagine the scariest extra from Oz fronting a death metal band between working out and crushing peoples skulls as a past time. If you are into Venom Prison, No Zodiac, Disgrace, or Xibalba, you’d better get on this. Out now through the always awesome Rising Nemesis tributary label, Rising Nemesis Record Record and Tape.
Grab it here
Brutally Deceased – Satanic Corpse
Brutally Deceased fucking rip! I’ve been a fan of these Czech deviants since their Dismember worshiping Dead Lover’s Guide album. I eventually ended up playing alongside them, Contrastic and Illdisposed in Denmark with my band The Black Dahlia Murder… pretty friggin’ cool when that happens. This is the bands third album now, and while it’s deeply rooted in Swedish DM like Dismember and Entombed, there has been some definite growth in terms of songwriting and overall originality since DLG. A lot of this material is pretty high energy, fueled by punkish beats that keep the fists clenched and pumping. It’s an infectious attribute. Crowned by some killer artwork by the ever impressive Paulo Girardi, Satanic Corpse is geared to turn heads this season. Don’t miss it!
Grab it here
Carnophage – Monument
Ah yes, one of my favorite Turkish brutal outfits has FINALLY released their sophomore album Monument through Unique Leader records after what seemed like forever… I had about given up waiting when WHAM! this sucker pops up out of nowhere after 8(!) long years of silence. These guys were signed back in the day by the Unique Leader I knew and loved, and not the deathcore pandering shark jumpers they have become in recent years. While the debut Deformed Future was a great technical and brutal album in most respects, the production was a little strange and I think was a turn off for a lot of people. Thankfully, that has been majorly rectified here… this recording sounds incredibly full and forceful. 2016 finds Carnophage’s cut throat brand of technical and gooved out death metal more fierce than ever. After an obscure sounding intro track, Second Genesis is off to the races, reclaiming their rightful throne as the baddest technical death metal band from Turkey. Serpentine grooves, deadly chops, and ferocious vocals are in no short supply here. Same with a welcome variety. Carnophage know how to dial the extremity down a bit in favor of some more relaxed moments to help mix things up before launching back into 300mph warfare. I am loving the hell out of this. If you dig Kronos, Decimation, Trauma, Dissenter and other muscular and technically inclined DM, Carnophage will give you the brain scrambling you’ve been looking for.
Grab it here
Dehumanized – Beyond The Mind
Holy shit… I was not expecting this. East Coast death legends Dehumanized are back with their second album since reforming (for the second time) in 2011 and it fucking crushes! To be honest, the inital comeback Controlled Elite just didn’t do a lot for me. Many Dehumanized fans seemed to jump right on it, but for me, it fell kinda flat. This on the other hand is absolutely the best slice of NYDM i’ve heard in some years… probably since the last Pyrexia and the semi-recent Afterbirth demo. Guess I’ll have to give the last one another shot, perhaps I was just being a douche bag. It happens. Music like this is a dying breed these days. I’m glad there are still some bands carrying the torch of one of my favorite 90's sounds. If you like the old school of slam as spearheaded by Internal Bleeding, you’ll be right at home with these seasoned death veterans. The album has a really nice professional flow to it. The way it unfolds grips the attention enough to keep the listener stoked track after track. The recording is of outstanding quality. I love the drums… those are some tough kicks. I found the entire record to be quite easy to listen to in one satisfying, ass-kicking gulp. I just can’t say that for a lot of brutal death metal… as a genre I love it but there are very few parties out there who can create an album this professional, varied and solid overall that just demands to be listened to from front to back. The cover art is something of an eyesore, but yes it does tickle that retro-loving funny bone we all harbor. It looks like an eyesore that would have been used in the past… I can imagine it on a middle of the road JL America or Wild Rags release from 1994. I am a very nostalgic person and Beyond The Mind is playing to all of my weaknesses. Buy this phenomenal album, you will NOT regret it.
Grab it here
Départe – Failure, Subside
I want to start this by thanking Season Of Mist for being the great label they are. In my mind, they are the new Relapse, where Relapse has generally lost the plot, eshcewing their death metal roots these days in favor of head scratch worthy College kid hipster crap (save wunderkind Gatecreeper and Ulcerate). SoM however find the sickest of the sick, the most cutting edge challenging metal out there and Départe are no exception to their credo of out and out quality. What Départe present here in the immense Failure, Subside is quite stunning. If you dig bands like Gorguts, Zhrine, or fellow countrymen Ulcerate, you’ll find a lot to love here. Yes, Départe is one of those D word bands, taking dissonant textures and long winded structuring to ultimate heights. The pace here is mostly slow and relaxed, with an expansive, open feel that breathes and swells. I’m not sure I would call this death metal or even extreme, but whatever it is it is quite cool. I couldn’t listen to this all the time, it’s definitely a mood type of music. But when it’s right, it’s right… these dudes deliver the weird I sometimes crave. I can’t imagine being in a band with this much dynamism, it’s so far removed from what I do in The Black Dahlia Murder… must be exciting to present something so serious yet artfully inclined. Some cool clean vocals emerge from the hazy din, I was pleasantly surprised by this. If you know me, you know how hard I am on those who which to bring clean singing in extreme metal, I for the most part, despise the fuck out of it. If you want some immersive challenging music that escapes the norm, Départe could be the departure you seek.
Grab it here
Dissevered – Agonized Wails of Disseverment
Good old New Standard Elite. They never seem to fail in delivering the utmost extreme brutal death going from all corners of this planet. I commend label head Dan Osborn for unearthing the foulest of the foul. The sickest of the sick! Dissevered hail from the southeast Asian country of Laos, which isn’t exactly known for it’s metal exports. In fact, they are one of only 4 (!) Laonese bands listed by Metal Archives in all subgenres, the only other of which I am familiar with being fellow brutallers Sapanakith (RIP). I find it quite heartening to see bands popping up where it’s obviously quite faux pas to do so. One more win for the ever growing brutal death underground. Dissevered play a brand of churning and grinding brutal death that is part Brodequin and part early Devourment. It’s an ugly, horrifying, subwoofing freakshow that’s not for the faint of heart. It’s not the most intelligent take on brutality, but I don’t think thats what we’ve come here for anyway. No Defeated Sanity influenced prog stuff here, these dudes are sheer Laonese savagery. The snare is an out and out assault, just the way I like it. I’m sure it’ll send many of you running/screaming in the opposite direction but not me. The more perverted, alien, and fucked up a brutal death record can be, the more I’m into it these days. I have been completely desensitized to the norms in extreme death metal, and somehow, Dan Osborn seems to know that… he always digs up the depraved goods. Dissevered definitely have that frightening X factor… what they do is plain scary! If you like being bulldozed by Embodied Torment, Amputated Genitals, Sick, Baalsebub, or Excoriation, you’d better get on this!
Grab it here
Ecchymosis – Abberant Amusement In Cadaveric Vomitplay
Man, New Standard Elite’s lineup has sure taken a turn for the depraved lately and Thai slam crew Ecchymosis are amongst Dan’s most freakish signings yet! Like their labelmates Hymenotomy, Ecchymosis are filthy and raw slamming brutal death metal with a snare most will love to hate. These guys are absolutely fucking disgusting… I love goresoaked, boneheaded brutality like this. If you like Infectology, Carnivore Diprosopus, Animals Killing People, or Orchidectomy, don't miss this fine offering of ultra brutal lunacy!
Grab it here
Ernia – Ernia
I was tipped off to the greatness of Ernia by one of my tour mates I’ve kept in contact with, Mitch Luna from Noisear/Maruta. That alone should be enough to tell you how deadly this is, Mitch knows his grindcore. Between grinding with his bands, Sega Genesis sessions, and his job of video editing (you may have seen his work in some porn and Malignancy lyric videos), Mitchell does’nt have time to fuck around with weak shit, either. A nice filthy, dirgey intro starts this beast of an album, just before the band takes off into full blistering grindcore throttle. This shit is furious. These guys utilize the same raging HM-2 guitar sound as classics like Rotten Sound, Cerebral Turbulency, and Gadget. Ernia has a similar fury but not without an experimental side that helps keep things interesting. “Forest Part I” introduces a weird clean guitar passage There is some thoughtful variation and an attention to detail throughout Ernia’s playing time that keeps it from stagnating the way I find a lot of grind records to do after a few songs. Overall, this is really good. Thanks Mitch! Press play and see what the hype is all about
Grab it here
Escarnium – Interitus
Nice long player of darkened death metal from these Brazilian ghouls. A definite success here, this shit is powerfully bleak. These guys are undoubtedly some evil mothers. Escarnium have a positively sinister vibe going here in songcraft and production. It ranges from a mid-speed blast to a slow, destitute crawl. Without a doubt, a bubbling cauldron of Incantation and Immolation are at the heart of Interitus. There’s a lot of ghoulish low string riffing and plenty of putrid, food-poisoned harmonies that both the McEntees and Vignas of the world would be mighty proud of… truly filthy stuff. It’s raw yet pretty full, with a smoggy soil dipped guitar sound. Sounds pretty perfect for what it is. A few songs in I found myself really entrenched in this. It’s just good. Black as absolute pitch and rotten as three week old road kill. The vocals are of a low, dry booming variety. I would call them Craig Pillard-esque. The kicks have a nice rumble to them once they get going… sounds real and cool as hell. The whole package is not anything you haven’t heard before; but I quite like it. It’s familiar, in a good way. I could see these guys being at home at Dark Descent records alongside Maveth and Father Befouled… that might help you get the picture. If you dig Resurgency, Ectovoid, Embrace Of Thorns, Cruciamentum, Necros Christos. Incrust. Dominus Xul, you'd better check this one out!
Grab it here US
Grab it here EU
Fatalist – The Bitter End
Fatalist are a really great darkened osdm outfit hailing from Ventura, California. They have ties to several great bands permeating the underground of the Northwest including Uphill Battle, P.O.O.R., and Exhumed and offers authenticity to spare. First thing I have to mention is how perfect their HM-2 fueled tone is… haven't heard one this face ripping since that Terminate album from a couple years ago or Dismember's Pieces ep. The bulk of what Fatalist does is transplanted from the soils of ancient Sweden (early nineties) and they do it damn well. This stuff is a perfectly crafted tribute to what was… a labor of complete undead love.These guys have riffs straight out of the grave dirt. The vocal is a dark, spitty, yet understandable mid range growl… I personally love it. It reminds me of the first Necrophobic album in this way. There is a good variety of tempo and feel. A nice variety overall. I find it incredibly easy to take this whole album on in one sick dose. I commend Fatalist for keeping it interesting where a lot of retro minded artists seem to forget the creativity a lot of these old swedish outfits had. They’ve mastered quite a foul musty atmosphere in The Bitter End. In the midst of the third track, Coloured Red (love the European spelling btw… nice touch), there is an incredibly sick riff that makes you feel like you are descending into fathomless depths, spiraling down into the flames. If you swear by the ways of old, check this Fatalist album out now, you won’t regret it!
Grab it here
Homewrecker – Extinction By Design
Nice ep here folks! Homewrecker play a violence inciting brand of hardcore injected death metal. It's got a filthy old school DM crunch and mean hardcore grooves combining for one ugly monstrosity that will have your head banging and fingers pointing. You'll hear Bolt Thrower a lot in their sound, but in the same song theyll do some street-wise moves that would make Terror proud. The vocal is cool as fuck, definitely of a death metal variety. Some of the pronunciation recalls Morgoth, which is dope. I am enjoying this wave of crusty death born within the hardcore scene. Bands like Homewrecker, Gatecreeper and Harm's Way are just killing it right now. If you like to brandish weapons made of bone and worship fire, Homewrecker could be the Neanderthal jams you need.
Grab it here
Infecting The Swarm – Abyss
Lacerated Enemy records out of Czech just cannot be stopped right now. Label head (and Godless Truth singer) Zdenek has had a really good couple of years as a label. He’s seen major growth and rightfully so, he always churns out a sick line up of releases highlighting some talented up and comers like Vulvodynia, Konkeror, Veld, and Coprocephalic just to name a few. Young German horde Infecting The Swarm are of this same impressive ilk. To me, they sound like a more futuristic and modernly produced version of what brutal legends Disgorge does. Perhaps more outwardly understandable overall due in part to the recording’s clarity. As with the very heart of Disgorge’s sound, there is plenty of NYDM beatdown throughout Infecting The Swarm’s sophomore album… the chugging and choking is just monstrous. It would make Suffocation proud. It’s nice to have an album chock full of churning and various breakdowns rather than having a whole song be one long one on an open string; this will always be my preferred route with slamming death. If you enjoy the blast n’ slam stylings of Flesh Consumed, Posthumous Blasphemer, Rotting Obscene, or Inveracity, check these sick German’s immediately.
Grab it here
Martröð – Transmutation Of Wounds
Martröð is a supergroup if there ever was one, host to contributions from members of substantial black metal outfits the world over, including Leviathan’s Wrest, MKM from Antaeus, Alex Poole of Chaos Moon and a cast of characters from the revolving icelandic black metal scene. Martröð wield an entrancing brand of black metal expirimentalism. Heavy on dissonance and dread filled atmosphere, this international supergroup is pitch black supremacy for the thinking extremist. The guitars writhe and swirl in a melee of riffless obscurity, resulting in a din of blackened unease. There are some unnerving synth chords jusy beneath the surface, augmenting the mood to further depths of perverted bliss. I feel like Martröð fit in well with their Icelandic peers Svartidauði and Misþyrming (with whom they share a member)… they have the same ability to paint everything around you black in one fell swoop. It's immersive stuff. The two songs featured here are long but easily draw the listener into Martröð’s world of the ancient and bizarre. The second track has a bit more of an open feel, not as suffocating as the first song but equally scary none the less. Get on this now and take a trip into the negative zone! FFO: Deathspell Omega, Irkallian Oracle, Misþyrming, Odz Manouk and Svartidauði.
Grab it here
Mithras – On Strange Loops
Goddamnit this is SO good. Mithras clearly LOVE Morbid Angel, particularly the album Heretic… they are always going for that same weird boxed-in guitar sound from Heretic that sounds like a metal zone pedal plugged straight into the mixing board. Mithras began with the sound of that particular album, took 40 hits of acid each, and then wrote and recorded this album during a lazer light show at a planetarium. It’s bizarre. It’s beyond cosmic. It’s other fucking worldly. It could be the best Death Metal album of 2016. Imagine Trey Azagthoth after being abducted by aliens. He is put back down in Florida, he locks himself away and he writes this effect happy mindfuck. In reality, this wildly creative, mind bendingly psychadelic death metal mastery is from the minds of but two forward thinking UK warlords. Leon Macey handles Guitars, Drums, and Synths while Rayner Coss drops the bass and vocals for Mithras. Impressive, gentlemen! If you like the aformentioned gods Morbid Angel as well as works by Golem or Altars, check this out immediately and be blown away!
Grab it here
Odiousembowel – Mephitic Sermon EP
This is pretty great, guys. Odiusembowel are a grinding and technical brutal death outfit which started in Christchurch New Zealand as has since relocated to Melbourne Australia. Formalities aside, these guys possess some grisly blood-soaked chops! This particular little shot in the arm features bonus awesomeness in the vocal brutality of non other than guttural master Jeremiah “Blue” Jensen of Guttural Secrete and Euphegenia fame. I wonder how he hooked up with these kiwi maniacs… it’s a nice pairing for sure. Blue sounds like a horrible shit monster as usual, but also drops quite a few spitty high vocals that are pretty damn wicked. It adds to the grind side of Odiusembowel’s barrage, which reminds me of Truculency or Malignancy. Aside from the twisted shrapnel riffage, there are some groovy stomping parts woven throughout Mephitic Sermon, and the beating they indulge us in is a welcomed one. This is a cool band and I’ll be surprised if this is the last we’ll hear from them. The band is selling physical cdr copies through their facebook… message them for details. Hoping these guys get the memo and get this fine release up on bandcamp, where I’m sure it would thrive.
Get At Them Here
Osmosis – Deciduous Altars of Obscure Liturgy
Nice! This is different. Spanish technical brutal death metal with a dark, dissonant edge. A mash up of brutal death, grindcore, and a touch of gasmask toting black/death. I love the hellish divebombing gutiars… it’s got that Slayeresque “you’re in hell now" abyssal atmosphere. The band features the immense drumming talents of Italian beast Alex Venders, who brutal hounds will know from his forays with Devangelic and Indecent Excision. This is a really nice and original blending of styles. Mainman Mikel (ex-Carnivorous Voracity) is an impressive musician and has innovated something here as far as I am concerned. Kudos to that. I would like to see more Brutal death try to go this dark and evil. I hope that this sound is something that can catch on, I would certainly like to hear more from this cross pollination. If you crave a brand of brutality that is different and fresh, look no further than Osmosis.
Grab it here
Scorched – Echoes Of Dismemberment
Dude, Scorched are not fucking around. They will cremate you. You will be cruelly napalmed …Scorched like that fucking Tank game I used to play in my computer class… Scorched Earth! Yes! That was it! You’ll soon be blackened skeleton just smoldering in the driveway with Uncle Owen and Aunt Veru; there is simply no chance of escape! It’s no secret that Scorched is one of my favorite bands currently. I am always spouting off about them on my twitter and repping their gear. I’ve bought up everything they’ve put out thus far, and I’ve loved every solitary second of it. I am a Scorched fan boy to the bone. Out of the entire heap of newer old school flavored death metal bands to pop up across the world, there’s just some kind of magic in what these guys do that puts them above the rest for me. You can tell they really love death metal… this affinity permeates everything they do. They are addictive. I have been nervously anticipating this album on which the band claims they have tuned even lower than previously… it sounded like they went lower between the demo and the split with Gatecreeper and now this is even grimier… I was apprehensive when I first heard about this. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it, as they say. I didn’t want them to entirely lose their lead-driven edge in favor of a more floppy-stringed, Finnish death sound. Thankfully, this is a nice middle ground of both worlds. They did scale back the Bolt Thrower a bit since the demo (they had a nice post-For Victory thing going on) but they still have the sweet solos that color up the songs so nicely, some clever harmonics/guitar trickery and a nice helping of good ol’ stanky Abhorrence style dirt. The retro synth intro and interludes are pretty decent. I appreciate what they are trying to do them and the whole ‘movie poster’ look of the album. It’s like the soundtrack to a good B-movie gore flick that never actually existed. It tickles my Razorback records funny bone a little bit. These Delaware (huh?) demons are set to make some waves with Echoes Of Dismemberment. You’d be a total bunghole not to get into this. Hopefully I can fulfill my destiny and see them in Detroit or in my travels somehow. Some how, some way, I will be Scorched. Jeevs, prepare my urn.
Grab it here
Sentient Horror – Ungodly Forms
Wow! This is insanely good! Sentient Horror may hail from New Jersey but their hearts lie with Sweden. Ungodly Forms is fine album and Sentient Horror’s brand of ancient death metal worship is truly excellent tribute to the fuzzed out days of yore. The songwriting here is quite remarkable, the creativity and variety involved are factors that really sell Sentient Horror’s authenticity… they sound professional as all hell. They literally sound like missing band from back then. I hear a lot of Edge Of Sanity, particularly influence from their Unorthodox album (which is a favorite of mine) both musically and vocally, it’s no wonder the band chose to work with Dan Swano for the albums mastering. Like Dan, this dude’s got some pipes… his voice just booms. It’s freakin’ huge. The album was painstakingly mixed by Horrendous mastermind Damien Herring and the result is a massive classic wall of sound. It’s just perfect for what they are going for, in my humble opinion. I like the sound of the toms, it seems like they were intentionally made to sound like those weird digital toms that are on the first handful of Sunlight Studios albums (Entombed, Carnage, Dismember etc). Nice stringed touch in “A Host Of Worms”. What a great song. Every song is good on here, for realz. This album is solid as fuck.
I dig the cover art, looks like a twist on Electrocution’s Inside The Unrea”. You can definitely tell it’s gonna be an old school romp just from the packaging. Sentient Horror have a sure knock-out of a record here, don’t miss out! Out this December on Redefining Darkness records (USA) and Testimony records (Europe).
Grab it here US
Grab it here EU
Traitors – Mental State
A while back I did a round up of my favorite Downtempo releases of the year, and I totally spaced on Traitor’s crushing full length debut The Hate Campaign, which was insanely dumb of me. It was truly the best release of the style that year, sorry Black Tongue. Eventually I was able to rectify my mistake by joining them for a guest appearance for their following ep Night Terrors. As far as I’m concerned, Traitors are just the absolute kings of what they do. There is no band more earth-shatteringly heavy, monolithically groove-laden nor well produced than Traitors. They have the sickest breakdowns of the whole lot and hold a vicious trump card in the disgusting vocals of Tyler Shelton. His voice is frighteningly low and massively tough, yet understandable. You can’t help but rally around whatever angsty negativity the man spews. He is an infectious preacher of absolute hatred. They have been inching toward a more Nu Metal influenced sound with each release, and Mental State is no exception to this evolution… this is the most bouncy, wiggery stuff yet from this young Floridian outfit. Check out those awesomely wacky Korn guitar effects. I admire these guys tireless work ethic. There seems to be a real do-it-yourself ethos behind this whole down tempo deathcore movement and Traitors are a fine testament of what can be achieved these days with smart marketing, decision making, and of course, taking advantage of the ease of self distribution in the bandcamp era. If you like to bounce, kick people in the face, lift weights, etc, Mental State could be your new soundtrack to life.
Grab it here
Under The Church – Wake the dead/Confer The Vile
Under The Church are a raucous, grave dirt soiled International outfit churning out disease ridden old school death metal of the Swedish variety. They are fucking foul… no one could say a word on the authenticity of this brand of cadaveric sleaze. With this new quick two song 7 inch, the band struts their rocking brand of Autopsy energized death with aplomb. Its raw, garagey and fun. It also very notably features ex-members of Nirvana 2002, who are legends from Swedens early death metal explosion. If you like the zombified death metal stylings of Repugnant, Bone Sickness, Bastard Priest or Tormented, you’d better get woke to these rotten chainsawing HM-2 sickos.
Grab it here
Vimur – Exegesis
Caught these guys a while back at last year’s Blood Of The Wolf Fest out in Kentucky… great band featuring members of the awesome Disfigurement as well as the equally gnarly Ectovoid. The blasting, militarized feel of Vimur’s frost coated attack reminds me of the faster era of Judas Iscariot or at times even our old pals Marduk. It’s raw, sometimes haul assin’ black metal fury with a super live sounding drum kit, replete with frosty china abuse. When they get going, they are moving pretty quick. Sounds fucking deadly! I can dig it. They actually toy with the pace of the songs quite bit, they appear just as competent in the slower, more melancholic moments as they do blazing at 2000mph. The second song has some seriously dangerous sounding riffs, they drive that “You are now totally fucked" vibe right home through the gut. Overall, this is nice, creative, solid as fuck black metal EP offering and a great band to have on your radar if you dig Valkyrja, Marduk, FIN, and the like. Nice stuff!
Grab it here
World Hater – Make It Stop
Texan grinders World Hater do some serious damage over the course of these four songs and feature members of the awesome Endless Disease, who’s crusty black metal assault I have featured here at The Obituarist earlier this year. If you like Insect Warfare, Whoresnation, Chiens, Six Brew Bantha and that kind of ripping grind, you’d do well to check these pissed off mofos out.
Grab it here
Happy Halloween, freaks! Get a new cavity for me, and cram in as many crappy old horror movies as you can. My advice is start with Night Of The Creeps. That’s a good one. Thanks again to everyone who is paying attention and for so many nice bands and labels for reaching out to me and making my quest a little easier. Cheers to all show goers, merch buyers, word spreaders… we need more of you all. Until next time, stay scared!
Catch The Black Dahlia Murder on tour with Napalm Death this November. Dates here. Read previous editions of The Obituarist here.
