For someone proclaiming to be a flag-bearer for the new wave of British death-metal, Celestial Sanctuary churn out some generic and sterile old-school flavoured death-metal. 

The band's debut full-length album "Soul Diminished" now available via Church of Road and Redefining Darkness is getting a lot of attention in the underground lately and I can't really understand the hype, not that it's a really bad record per se, but in my opinion it pales in comparison to other robust releases unleashed by Venom Prison and Cryptic Shift. 

For most of the nine tracks of "Soul Diminished", fast and brutal riffs are intertwined with some uninspired and bland mid-paced riffs that owns more to crossover and hardcore rather than death-metal. Try to imagine any run of the mill groovy metal act from the 90's trying to give some leftover songs a filthy and old-school death-metal twist, there's even the occasional breakdown thrown into the equation. Few tracks deviate from this formula,  with some dull and tedious riffs that  never sound nearly as dangerous or threatening as it should be and a bare minimum of lead work.  

There are however some good moments here, "Relentless Savagery" just like the title indicates shows the four-piece distilling a vicious and ferocious death-metal and "Suffer Your Sentience" that recaptures that decadent, moribund riffing of Obituary and Asphyx. But unfortunately it is not enough to offset the negatives and in the long run "Soul Diminished" won't spearhead any resurgence of the British death-metal scene, better leave that effort to Grave Miasma, Cryptic Shift or Venom Prison, who are all doing a much better job. (5/10)

Jason Hicks

Band info: www.facebook.com/CelestialSanctuaryDeathMetal

Label info: www.redefiningdarkness.com | www.churchroadrecords.limitedrun.com

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It doesn't take a rocket scientist to surmise that Feculent are going to 'bring the filth'. In fact, their name (translated as "foul with impurities") and the crimson mire landscape album art points with a blazing neon sign to such. Though it remains to be heard exactly how the band will go about tackling the premise. Obviously, the name nods to a wide spectrum of styles within the extreme genre. Is this therefore goregrind, pornogrind, brutal death, audio bursting at the seams with pig squeals or something which bears a decidedly more menacing tone?

It doesn’t take long to answer the mystery. Seething with ill-intent, the album commences with a wallop, gripping the ankles of the listener to yank them from their relaxed, unsuspecting, stance towards the dirt.

Grandiose, yet utterly brutal, rhythms in a style akin to Immolation assault the listener, an unhurried yet merciless barbed wire wrapped around Neanderthal club attack, complemented by a tone which might suggest the bands origin; swampland? Perhaps Florida or Louisiana? Guess again. Feculent, ironically, are from a location which the music continues to strongly evoke. I only wonder; is it preposterous to use The Underworld and 'Down Under' as similar terms?

As the album progresses it compounds the archaic, long forgotten, imagery which the first track had successfully conjured. "Host Consumed" bears a bludgeoning motif whose intent goes hand in hand with the low growled vocal accompaniment which especially recalls Tucker-era Morbid Angel. An exquisite track caressing the pleasure sensors. But I have a feeling the album isn't through just yet!

An unmerciful rumble approach, the bending string tendencies of vintage Gorguts and occasional cascading BM riffs result in the undeniable enjoyment and irrefutable replayability of "Weaponization of the Amygdala". It isn't, however, until "A Pit of Unshakable Depths” and "Beneath the Bedlam" (both stunning standouts within an album of especial note) that another strong influence becomes slap-one-in-the-face pungent. This element? The grand malevolence which genre giants Incantation have so painstakingly trademarked in their unwavering dedication to both the genre and their craft. This palpable aura is only cemented by the suffocating, harrowing, nature (the album's final track) "The Grotesque Arena; A Perverse Spectacle" provides. In essence a stellar second half to round out an album which speaks tremendous volumes no matter its frustratingly short length.

Familiar though also meticulously crafted and nuanced Feculent offer six tracks bursting with sufficient weight and genre chops to sate those whose OSDM yearnings have become ravenous as of late.

Based on the caliber exhibited herein one should expect the bands moniker to become part of the cavernous, OSDM, death/doom lexicon in record time.(8.8/10)

Cult

Band info: https://www.facebook.com/Feculent
Label info: https://brilliantemperor.bigcartel.com


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No pretentious narrative-seeking introduction can precede a record like Interstice. The debut record from Tennessee’ newest experimental deathgrind outfit Knoll has its share of existential ponderings in the lyric department, but executes musically as a caustic, rabid twelve-track juggernaut with minimal nonsense. The Memphis underground just got a hell of a lot heavier.

A snarling blend of thundering grindcore, dirty cavern death and noxious noise, Interstice is at once straightforward and unusual. It advances with a serrated knife edge and cuts to the bone just as quickly, hissing through four furious tracks within five or six minutes. The vocals are the most immediately grabbing, a rapid dance between bulky gutturals and some of the most piercing shrieks in contemporary metal. The guitars are a happy balance between dissonant fingerwork and frill-less stompers while the drums pound away tirelessly. The bass work falls through the cracks both in terms of the mix and songcraft somewhat, unfortunately not an uncommon feature of extreme metal. Between the vocals and some of the more pummeling riffs, Venom Prison arise as an easy comparison but Knoll invest more into high tempo blasts and discordant riffing than Venom Prison’s fare.

That’s not to say that Knoll are stuck in one gear the whole time. ‘Grasp’ comes along quickly with a dual guitar harmony that intentionally clashes one against the other melodically to lead into a hellish progression of low tempo chaos. ‘Door To Moil’ and ‘Myr’ are feedback-soaked experimentations into power electronics while ‘Inherent of Life’ settles into a sludgy groove for most of its runtime. But ultimately Interstice tends to stick to fast tempos and pure, unfiltered fury throughout its short length.

Knoll seem to know what they’re about on their debut. There’s experimentation and variety, but not an over-investment into either. They’re certainly not the finished picture, but this kind of confident delivery meeting head-on with great, dynamic songwriting so early on means it’s likely to be a great one when it is.(8/10)

Brett Tharp

Band info: www.facebook.com/KnollVHS

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Don’t know about you, but this is just what the doctor ordered, classic death metal with no frills, overflowing with catchy, cranium-crushing riffs. You can always count on Obituary for some neck-snapping, straightforward death metal and their new effort for Relapse Records, Inked In Blood, offers up plenty of crushing riffs and hooks that will surely incite some vigorous headbanging.

Inked In Blood is a strong album and as always sees Obituary masterfully combining a brutal and blasting death metal with some slower, groovy passages without ever losing the ability to crush. It’s nearly impossible to sit quietly to tunes like "Visions In My Head" and "Violence".

The album, however, isn't perfect as some of the songs get a bit samey at times, as if Trevor Peres and new boy Kenny Andrews are merely rehashing the same riffs, but still there’re enough classy tunes here to prevent Inked in Blood from turning into a tiresome experience. Plus, this beats most of today’s death metal bands who could certainly learn a thing or two about hooks from these veterans.

I reckon this is business as usual for the Florida boys and Inked In Blood doesn’t offer anything new, but they do it so well that it doesn't really matter that we've all heard it before. Accept it for what it is, just turn it up and enjoy some good, straightforward death metal, you won't be disappointed.

Band info: www.obituary.cc
Label info: www.relapse.com

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I never quite understood the expression “forward-thinking” when applied to music or in this particular case, death metal. You may disagree, but there’s no such thing as forward-thinking death metal. The style was invented decades ago, perfected over the years and when you look at the most irreverent and innovative death metal bands of today, they’re simply following the rules laid down by classic acts like Possessed, Death, Morbid Angel and Entombed and adding their own personal touch. It’s not like we’re talking about science.

That said, Norwegian death metal troupe Execration can hardly be called for…err that, or even innovative as the press release suggests. Instead, these Norwegians play an old school death metal style that reminds me of Gorguts at times, so it’s nothing incredibly new or different. It’s not overly technical like the Canadians either, but Morbid Dimensions displays some labyrinthine, dissonant guitars chords amidst the murky death metal madness, which makes the whole experience sound extremely intriguing and confusing. Perhaps a more fitting description would be their fellow compatriots Cadaver, but with Carl-Michael Eide bringing in some of the eerie riffs he used for Virus and Ved Buens Ende. The ability to blend some of the most twisted and sinister riffing with blasting drums and demoniac growls is definitely the album crowning achievement, but unfortunately it’s also what sometimes prevents Morbid Dimensions from being a truly stunning record. See, “Ritual Hypnosis” is an intriguing track in sound and structure that displays such modus operandi with stunning results, with the guitars balancing between a chaotic onslaught to a more dissonant and angular approach. Yet, it’s the same intricacy of the riffs make a track like “Tribulation Shackles” (surprisingly the one that reminds me the most of Virus and Ved Buens Ende) sound a bit stale and lacking in power.

Still, Morbid Dimensions is fairly consistent and has plenty of stunning, disquieting moments that will surely leave a very good impression when presented to fans of Portal, Mitochondrion and Cadaver.

Band info: www.facebook.com/execrationnorway
Label info: www.duplicate-records.com | www.hellsheadbangers.com

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What mere mortal can articulate Incantation's mojo? I can't claim to fully fathom their might, and I most certainly cannot conjure adequate words to describe their masterful discography. As always, their music pits shambling disintegration against putrescent precision and blasting.

On Dirges of Elysium, Incantation ratchet up the doom elements of their ethos, hitting the brakes and summoning pleasant whiffs of Mortal Throne of Nazarene. Satisfying, sinister melodies slither over cadences that both plod and pummel. Such dirge; I approve.

Good death metal is made of moments of indelible madness. Incantation have spent years crafting such abominable abandon, and Dirges of Elysium brings many more of these moments into being. The album features some massive, impossibly alluring grooves that erupt from the mire to induce obeisance; heads will bang. I caught a couple of these songs live at Maryland Deathfest, and they stood up well to the enduring pillars of the band’s back catalog.

Although I've heard many folks pleading to the contrary, I prefer Dirges of Elysium to its predecessor, Vanquish in Vengeance. The production here is a bit fuller, and the sheer weight of these tectonic heavings casts blastbeaten passages in the light of dynamic clarity. Incantation have once again tilled the wretched depths to unearth rapturous annihilation. I’m convinced they can mine superior death until the end of days.

Atanamar Sunyata

Band info: www.incantation.com
Label info: www.listenable.net

Atanamar Sunyata is a software engineer by trade and a herder of cats by calling. He lives in Peekskill, NY, with his wife and three man cats. When the inspiration strikes, Atanamar spouts metal hyperbole for Scratch the Surface, Metal Bandcamp, and his own blog, sunyata – mindful of metal. You can also find him on Twitter @AtanamarSunyata and Facebook.

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Much of the time one's enjoyment of a particular band or album comes down to taste. Sometimes that taste is the bile rising in the back of your throat from whatever sickening and twisted manipulation of conventionality you find yourself suffering through. In which case it's most likely the responsible parties fully intended to induce such an intense feeling of unease. Enter Pyrrhon and their second full-length The Mother of Virtues.

The Brooklyn band take any semblance of “normal” death metal and warp it beyond a reasonable shade of recognition. Their reliance on channelling chaos is discombobulating to the point that trying to focus on the disparate elements becomes futile. Dissonant guitars, wretched bass, intuitive percussion and multifarious and malevolent vocals all vie for attention amid a pervading sense of dread and inherent evil.

If there's one thing the unimaginative listener can latch onto it would be the rhythm section. The drums and bass aren't necessarily typical death metal but their general feel is far less “out there” than the guitars. Their relative steadiness holds as everything else collapses into a churning miasma of dissonance and atonality.

Tracks like “White Flag”, “Eternity in a Breath” and the title track, being the longest, segue back and forth through movements of quiet reflection, crushing doom, vortices of soul-sucking and noisome clamour and skin-flaying death metal. Tempo changes from monolithic to middling to mile-a-minute happen in the blink of an eye. Skittering broken chords giving way to scorching death or heaving lurches is only par for the course. After a listen or two one gets the feeling that the more passive moments are just a cruel trick to sedate the listener before the disembowelment.

The Mother of Virtues as a whole growls with sadistic intent. It bears a boiling intensity of combatant ideologies of instrumentation. The tactic of extreme dissonance and anti-riff sentiment is far from unique but Pyrrhon put their own spin on it. Much of the time it feels like multiple aspects of the same self existing in parallel dimensions where the rules of physics and sound are vastly different. These dimensions have become pierced through allowing the wavelengths of existence to overlap. Sometimes they sync up through self-modulation of frequency but predominantly follow their own circuitous paths of wild imagination.

Pyrrhon are devoted to dissonance and a strict adherence to atonality. The Mother of Virtues is not for the faint of heart or weak of mind. Even then it's a viscerally challenging listen that finds and forces its way into the dark corners of experimentation. If Gorguts, Ulcerate, Artificial Brain and anything Colin Marston (who mastered the album) gets his fingers on gets you foaming at the mouth, take a hit of The Mother of Virtues and the brain-frying madness of Pyrrhon will be your new drug of choice.

Matt Hinch

Band info: www.facebook.com/pyrrhonband
Label info: www.relapse.com

Matt Hinch lives an unassuming life on the backroads outside Forest Mills, Ontario, Canada. He packs in as much metal as he possible can amid factory work, raising three daughters with his wife and working the land. In addition to Scratch the Surface Matt also writes for Hellbound, Metal Bandcamp, About Heavy Metal and his own blog, Kingdom of Noise. Keep up with him on Twitter @KingdomofNoise.

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I’m rarely compelled to live and breathe an album, to opt for total immersion. Sweven is that kind of album, demanding obeisance and awe. Morbus Chron have found a new voice that belies their age, that speaks in tongues of ancient, effortless, and flawless malevolence. On their sophomore LP, the band have blown past the crude and contagious death metal of their debut. They have, in fact, blown past all reckoning.

Steeped in primordial metal exaltation, Sweven is an album that will suffer from attempts at categorization. There are still shreds of death at hand, but much of the material is metal, pure, simple, and unadulterated. Amidst this sweet mother lode of sinister riffs, I hear the primal sensibilities of Judas Priest circa Sad Wings of Destiny. In cascading, somber tremolations, I hear the majestic mastery of Dissection. Bits of hoary Celtic Frost creep into the guitar tone. Somber melodies speak of Maiden made evil. Crescendos of thrashing thunder threaten to Ride the Lightning.

Sweven is rather fearlessly filled with clean guitars. Gorgeous classical inclinations undulate and sway in a fathomless abyss. Many passages recall the boundless, unfettered output of a young Opeth, before pretension and obfuscation set in.

The pacing on Sweven is marvelous and multifarious. Cadences both crushing and sedate are represented, driven throughout by magnificent drumming. Despite the album’s wide-ranging sonic sentiments, the vocals speak only in tones of harrowed emptiness. The lyrics tell tales of abstract astral journeys and dreams of otherworldly grandeur. It all makes perfect sense; you’ll see.

I don’t see any reason to attempt to escape from Sweven’s grasp. I suspect I’ll remain in its sway when the year ends. Revel in Morbus Chron’s masterful madness.

Atanamar Sunyata


Band info: www.facebook.com/morbuschron
Label info: www.centurymedia.com

Atanamar Sunyata is a software engineer by trade and a herder of cats by calling. He lives in Peekskill, NY, with his wife and three man cats. When the inspiration strikes, Atanamar spouts metal hyperbole for Scratch the Surface, Metal Bandcamp, and his own blog, sunyata – mindful of metal. You can also find him on Twitter @AtanamarSunyata and Facebook.

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Like many of metal's underground forebears, it's thanks to the internet that cult Finnish death metal band Convulse's reputation has increased dramatically since its original demise in 1994. With fans rediscovering the band's bestial debut, 1992's World Without God – along with a well-deserved reissue of the album by label Relapse in 2010 – Convulse finds itself in the position of being more respected than ever.

It's no surprise then to find the band back in action. Original members Rami Jämsä (guitars and vocals) and Juha Telenius (bass) were joined by a couple of new recruits for live dates in 2012, and the band released the two-song Inner Evil EP in January this year. Now, close to two decades since it last released an album, Convulse is set to return with a new full-length, Evil Prevails. The album is heavy on the macabre musical atmospherics and lyrical savagery, and brings plenty of old-school Scandinavian pummel. Nothing surprising in that, of course; no one expected Convulse to return with an album replete with über-technical wonderments.

Vintage brutality and the stench of 90s butchery is expected, and that's exactly what's delivered. Gut-punch lurches of grinding riffs, thrash-worthy soloing, and cavernous vocals play out over blast-beaten terrain on tracks like "We Kill Our Kind" and "Reborn in Chaos". Gentler acoustics feature on "Unholy War" and "God is Delusion", and "Oceans of Dust" and "Days Are Dark" make space for doomier, groove-heavy rampages too.

Evil Prevails might well signal Convulse's full resurrection, but there's little evidence of any maturing or progression, as such. Still, that's no bad thing. Jämsä's growls are as throat-scouring as they ever were, the guitars are downtuned to fittingly gruesome degrees, and the album's production is certainly the band's best yet – all dank and dark analog annihilation, with a black metal rawness in its tremolo-ripping parts.

The songs themselves feature gritty harmonizing and plenty of skewed melodies plucked straight from the 90's, and while that means Evil Prevails isn't innovative whatsoever, you can safely mark it down as an album that doesn't tarnish Convulse's reputation in the least. It's a firm reminder that no school is keener on dispensing lessons in auditory violence like the old one.

Craig Hayes 

Band info: www.facebook.com/Convulse
Label info: www.svartrecords.com

Craig Hayes is music writer based in Aotearoa New Zealand. He is a contributing editor, reviewer, and writes a monthly metal column at North American site PopMatters. He contributes loud words elsewhere around the web, on sites such as Metal Bandcamp and Backlit, and at home in NZ, he is a freelance writer and radio producer. Craig favours sounds from the metal, experimental and noise scenes, and has a crippling love of Krautrock, vintage progressive rock, and proto-metal too. You can find Craig losing followers daily on twitter @sixnoises

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You’ll have to forgive me if I’m not fully learned on my Gorguts history. Technical death metal has never been my preferred flavor. So, for my fellow initiates: Gorguts was founded by guitarist/vocalist Luc Lemay in 1989 and went on to become one of the most influential bands in the genre. After a nearly 12 year wait Gorguts returns with 'Colored Sands'. For this effort, Lemay is joined by Colin Marston (bass), Marston’s Dysrhythmia cohort Kevin Hufnagel (guitar) and Origin drummer John Longstreth.

The depth of 'Colored Sands' is done no justice by a cursory listen. Multiple listens are required to fully comprehend its complexity. Gorguts takes the idea of avant-garde to the extreme, pushing the limits of their instruments and the foundations of death metal itself. Conventional time signatures are meaningless as Lemay and crew take atonality, dissonance and tempo shifts to ridiculous levels. When all the members are locked onto the same target, the results are devastatingly heavy. But they never stay long as they quickly fly apart on their own individual trajectories to reveal openness. Again, with neck-breaking swiftness, the pieces are gathered back together to slam the listener into the earth.

That kind of dynamic can be quite abrasive but Gorguts infuse enough melody to soften the edges. Track names actually give a decent impression of the sensations the music presents. “An Ocean of Wisdom” bears both the beauty of a gentle ocean wave and the chaotic violence of the most terrible squall. “Colored Sands” itself is full of texture and shade, panoramic vistas as well as searing harshness.

The chaotic structure Gorguts presents can be a struggle for many to assimilate, but the album’s fulcrum, “The Battle of Chamdo” can help. Strings score what could be a dramatic film or play. As the music takes on different moods and paces, one can envision the scenes playing out. The same goes for Gorguts in general but as death metal with Lemay’s forceful roar narrating rather than classical music.

Still, music that keeps a listener this off balance is not for everyone. The progressive minded and technically inclined will revel in its depth and vision, while those with more of a penchant for predictability may have a difficult time fully accepting 'Colored Sands'. It all comes down to which side of that fence you’re on. But for what they do, Gorguts do it better than the legions of bands they’ve inspired.

Matt Hinch

Band info: www.facebook.com/GorgutsOfficial
Label info: www.season-of-mist.com

Matt Hinch lives an unassuming life on the backroads outside Forest Mills, Ontario, Canada. He packs in as much metal as he possible can amid factory work, raising three daughters with his wife and working the land. In addition to Scratch the Surface Matt also writes for Hellbound, Ghost Cult Magazine, About Heavy Metal and his own blog, Kingdom of Noise. Keep up with him on Twitter @MetalMatt_KofN.

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Through the years, the wonderful world of heavy metal has seeped into many different areas of art and entertainment, with obvious mentions such as films like This Is Spinal Tap or most recently, animation series like Metalocaplypse and Aqua Teen Hunger Force including music from Mastodon.

Now while books are aplenty on metal, not so much in the world of fiction. This is what makes Dean Swinford’s novel, 'Death Metal Epic I: The Inverted Katabasis', the first tale in a young death metaller’s voyage through musical and personal turmoil, an intriguing book to pick up.

Death Metal Epic plays off many clichés in metal bands in their infancy, from members moving out of town to others becoming disinterested in playing ‘this kind of music’ anymore and the one valiant warrior intent on not letting his death metal baby die. The novel sees our protagonist, David, the one-time guitarist in Valhalla fall away from his band due to these very circumstances and only to make things worse, he has a record label on his ass about contractual obligations for a new album and a tour.

This short book takes us through some of the very real pressures that many a small time band found themselves in, and set in Florida in the shadow of legendary death metal bands from Morbid Angel to Deicide to Obituary, David can feel the power of greatness within reach but several road stops and obstacles lead him to a new musical companion, forming Katabasis and a whole new metal adventure that’s only just begun with this first book.

If anything, Death Metal Epic is a fun read in that it’s layered with band references, quips and in-jokes; one highlight being a particular Valhalla critic denouncing their album as “life metal”. At the same time, these aspects can be a flaw. Outside of the already hardened metal fan looking for a light read, Death Metal Epic isn’t going to appeal to many readers. It’s very a niche book.

Given its brevity though it works, and Death Metal Epic sees David go through many a different bump in the road and the expectation of a Part II is more than met with a couple of loose ends left on the book’s conclusion that are enough to pique interests for the next installment.

Jonathan Keane
Follow Jonathan on Twitter @J_K9

Buy 'Death Metal Epic I: The Inverted Katabasis' at www.atlatlpress.com
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Who would have thought that an eight year break from recording new material, which ended in 2011 with the release of the scathing ‘All Guts, No Glory’, would have been the best move Exhumed ever made? The lengthy lapse in time resulted in Exhumed hitting the nail on the gore-sodden head with ‘All Guts, No Glory’ in terms of song-writing, while staying true to death metal’s barbaric tenets. By capitalising on the acclaim and momentum of ‘All Guts, No Glory’, Exhumed have now readied another collection of choice cuts for your delectation in the form of their latest studio album, ‘Necrocracy’.

Besides focusing intently on suturing together sickening, mid-paced grooves as well as, lyrically, taking a noticeable political slant (don’t worry the band hasn’t turned its back on the gore to become Misery Index), ‘Necrocracy’ isn’t a cadaver’s throw away from its predecessor—which is nothing if not a huge positive. The sagacious tempo changes (led by d-beats and a variety of blasts), scalding riffs and solos, gut-puncturing growls and shrieks with enough character and range to actually entertain the amount of hooks sprayed around like blood from a severed aorta, have all returned more memorable than ever before. The Carcass-esque "Coins Upon the Eyes" is straight up fun—well as fun as death metal gets—with the chants of “Die!” sounding exultant and not corny; the vocal hooks of "The Shape of Deaths to Come" and "Necrocracy" are just as effective as the gruesome bass-lines and riffs that cut right through them; and each guitar solo contains equal parts surgical precision and flair—especially those of "The Rotting”. "Sickening”, on the other hand, is literally a blast from the past with its fast paced grind, while "Dysmorphic" just so happens to be one of the best songs Exhumed have ever vomited upon us: Its deathly thrash attack and vocal trade-offs leading to a surprising acoustic guitar break before a serrated riff, intent on taking the head clean off your shoulders, appears out of the blue.

The production clarity on ‘All Guts, No Glory’ and now ‘Necrocracy’ has really benefited Exhumed by allowing the band’s song-writing skills to shine through. But the thing with Exhumed is that, even back in the band’s ‘Gore Metal’ days the same traits were at play only they came smothered in coagulated claret. ‘Necrocracy’ is as clear as you can get in death metal without sounding sterile, and the audible thump suits the band’s increasingly catchy songs. From the blasting beginnings of "Coins Upon the Eyes" to the rampaging finish of "The Rotting", Exhumed have written a record that will undoubtedly satisfy those that still believe actual song-writing in contemporary death metal is a forgotten art (And there are plenty of reasons to believe this). Twenty years on, Exhumed’s slaughtercult continues to grow. This time, however, we all fall under necrocratic rule!

Dean Brown

Band info: www.facebook.com/ExhumedOfficial
Label info: www.relapse.com

Dean Brown is a metal scribe based in Ireland. He is currently a contributing editor to the North American cultural magazine Popmatters and he regularly throws words for a number of other reputable loud noise publications such as About.com/heavy metal, Soundshock.com, MetalIreland.com, MoltenMagazine.com, amongst others. He has a strong affinity for music that shakes souls and leaves debilitating tinnitus in its wake and such obsession has left him financially and medically crippled, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. Follow Dean on twitter @reus85

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I must confess I was never a huge fan of The Black Dahlia Murder and their melodic death metal attack until the day a friend of mine dragged me down to see the band play live. I guess I was bit skeptical about them because their name was often lumped together with this whole metalcore movement, which was rapidly becoming bland and tiresome. Anyway, that night everything changed. TBDM were absolutely crushing and technically perfect and their entire set completely blew me away. At the time, they were on the road promoting their fifth release “Ritual”, coincidently their best effort to date.
Now two years after the success of said work, TBDM return with a new effort, the first featuring new drummer Alan Cassidy and bassist Max Lavelle, who have done a pretty remarkable job here. The injection of fresh blood has clearly revitalized the band’s sound a bit, not that it was lacking in strength or commitment, few bands slay with this level of aggression and intensity, but “Everblack” definitely sees TBDM further maturing into a more calculated death metal killing machine.
The strident “In Hell Is Where She Waits Me” opens proceedings with relentless fury, the combination of blasting drums, spine-wrecking grooves with merciless shredding, ear-grabbing melodies and Trevor Strnad’s dual vocal attack is masterfully executed and tremendously lethal. From that moment on right to the final chords of “Map of Scars”, “Everblack” stomps, smashes and pummels with utmost confidence and intensity, contradicting the idea that some their detractors believe that TBDM have no real appreciation for death metal’s history. They’re wrong, this new album is packed with truly decimating riffs and is surely going to be one of the most significant death metal albums of 2013.

Band info: www.facebook.com/theblackdahliamurderofficial
Label info: www.metalblade.com

 
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Since forming in 1998, Norwegian death metal veterans Blood Red Throne have seen more members getting in and out of the band than a brothel-house in Amsterdam. Surprisingly, despite the numerous line-up changes they have always preserved their identity and stick to their roots, churning out six albums of classic, Florida-styled brutal death metal. Their seventh and self-titled effort offers more of the same, great death metal riffs, powerful double kick-drums and aggressive growls, all delivered with a vicious, brutal intensity. These guys prove their skill at handling both cranked-up, fast death assaults and slower grooves just fine here and they even spice things up by adding some epic, melodic guitar solos like in ‘Torturewhore’ for instance.
There’s no denying that Blood Red Throne are competent musicians and know exactly what they’re doing, but unfortunately, this new effort simply lacks originality and offers the listeners nothing new. Sure it’s a competent and solid death album with some killer riffs that kick ass, but ultimately it fails to stick in our heads. There's not much more that can be said about it, it’s simply more of what they've always done. It’ll impress at first listens and then it will be filed away and sadly forgotten.

Band info: www.facebook.com/BloodRedThroneOfficial
Label info: www.sevared.com

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Sweden’s Entrails are back with their third length release of early Entombed-worshipping death metal, the aptly titled ‘Raging Death.’ Their previous two efforts, ‘Tales from the Morgue’ and ‘The Tomb Awaits’ were pretty satisfying doses of blasting, raw old school Swedish styled death metal, blending some nasty and vicious buzzsaw riffage with some bone-crushing rhythms and caveman growls, and this new work is simply a continuation of that style and approach. No surprises here then, die hard death metal fans will surely rejoice at the pulverising rawness and crushing brutality that emanates from tracks like ‘In Pieces,’ ‘Carved to the Bone’ and ‘Cadaverous Stench.’ That chainsaw, gut-wrenching guitar tone is one of the hallmarks of this album and truly sounds like it was committed to tape by the legendary Tomas Skogsberg at his infamous Sunlight Studios. I simply love it when the riffs literally threaten to rip off the flesh from the bones, and here you almost taste the stench of torsos getting chainsawed in half. ‘Raging Death’ recaptures that Sunlight rancid style perfectly, without trying to innovate or alter it in any way. Entrails simply want to carry on a very worthy legacy started by Entombed and Dismember years ago, and having said that, ‘Raging Death’ is a commendable work that any old school death metal enthusiast must have.

Band info: www.facebook.com/Entrails666
Label info: www.metalblade.com

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When listening to “Putrid Death Sorcery”, two things are blatantly obvious: Necrowretch worships death metal and they’re proud of it.
The French duo comprised by Vlad on vocals and guitars, and Amphycion on bass like to play death metal in the good, old fashioned way, and they hold nothing back, unleashing a genuinely violent and mortiferous attack. The lethal riffs hearken back to the pre-nerd days of death metal and I’m talking about Death, Sarcófago and Merciless here. This record sounds like an unearthed relic from the 80’s, but I wouldn’t call it retro in the traditional sense as the production work on “Putrid Death Sorcery” isn’t really trying to emulate the murky values of yore. I mean, it’s vile and raw, but you can also hear each instrument with enough clarity, which is something it cannot be said about most bands of this ilk. The album opener “Ripping Souls Of Sinners” sets the tone for the album: fast and grotesque. Vlad delivers some grim and raspy screams over speedy and bestial riffs and Mörkk’s (session member who also serves time in black metallers Aldaaron) storming beats.
I must admit that “Putrid Death Sorcery” is not an easy listen, especially for those who aren’t familiar with the bands like Sarcófago and Merciless, but those who like their death metal, vile, fast, raw and evil, this is a veritable feast for their putrid ears.

Band info: www.necrowretch.net
Label info: www.centurymedia.com

 

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Swedish death metallers Tormented have posted a promo video featuring the title track off their forthcoming release “Death Awaits”. If you like old-school death-metal in the vein of Entombed, be sure to check it out.
“Death Awaits” will be out in Europe on March 25th via Listenable Records, and a North American release date is yet to be announced. More info on Tormented can be found here.

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Lots of hype around this Australian group and I never really understood why. Sure they got a great drummer and an interesting concept (influenced by HP Lovecraft’s fictional tales), but musically this is simply a murky, less-skilful version of Morbid Angel. Could it be that all artists that use masks or cloaks are destined for success, or is due to the fact that Portal’s albums were released by Profound Lore Records, which is led by the highly revered Chris Bruni? Whatever the reason, this new work hasn’t changed my opinion. “Vexovoid” is more of the same, expelling a muddy, noisey and tortuous sound that lures the listener down into an excruciating and dark hole. While that experience seems appealing for a few moments, opener “Kilter” for instance sees Portal incorporating a more polyrhythmic approach, offering some interesting and complex time signatures along the lines of Meshuggah, other times it seems to drag on a bit and sound like an indiscernible and agonizing wall of sound.
Fans of the band will surely disagree with me, but the truth is that Portal were never a consensual group, you either like it or you don’t and I just don’t have the stomach to endure such tortuous and excruciating atmosphere.

Band info: www.facebook.com/portaldeath
Label info: www.profoundlorerecords.com

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When Martin Rosenthal departed from The Cleansing in 2010, the bassist didn’t stay idle for long and soon reactivated Corpus Mortale, putting together a new album with intentions to deliver the same brutal and bottom-end death metal that characterized their previous efforts. The Danish group hasn’t strayed from the path they forged twenty years ago, neither have they lost their brutal edge on this new release, but rather show some consistency in their musicianship and song-craft than only comes with ageing. As a result, “Fleshcraft” offers some solid and tight death metal with an old-school vibe, but with a slightly more polished production than most of their peers. Muddy guitars, raging solos paired with some blasting drumming and guttural growls reign heavily throughout these ten songs, sounding like a killer combination of Immolation with Hate Eternal. However, Corpus Mortale are not playing straight ahead for the whole 42 minutes and occasionally throw in some mid-tempos grooves to spice things up a bit.
The saying, "good things come to those who wait" rings absolutely true here as “Fleshcraft” is arguably Corpus Mortale's best release to date. Their fans won’t be disappointed. 

Band info: www.corpusmortale.net
Label info: www.deepsend.com

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The mighty Suffocation are back with a new effort, their fourth full-length album since reforming in 2003 and first to feature Dave Culross on drums (Dave played on “Despise the Sun” EP from 1998).
If you like Suffocation, you’ll surely like “Pinnacle of Bedlam” – ten songs of prime New York style death metal housing that patented Terrance Hobbs and Guy Marchais viciously brutal riffing, the inhuman growls of Frank Mullen, and Culross’ potent drumming. Let me just reassure you that nothing is lost with the former Malevolent Creation drummer stepping in for the powerhouse that is Mike Smith, his performance is simply monstrous.
“Pinnacle of Bedlam” mines the same blisteringly fast, extremely brutal and slightly technical style that made of Suffocation one of the best and most venerated groups in the death metal scene, and although some may argue about the rather clean production work of Joe Cincotta, it can hardly be faulted.
File this one right next to “Effigy of the Forgotten” and “Pierced from Within” for it’s an instant classic. 

Band info: www.facebook.com/suffocation
Label info: www.nuclearblast.de

 
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