In great murky noise and in a wicked culmination of sludge and noise rock, Alienatör gift us with their thirteen track record titled Pariahs. Within this release you are to find nothing else but abrasive in your face music that does a great job of snapping your head back before you realize what’s going on. From beginning to end Alienatör offers up a truly murky, chunky yet noise filled sound that tears at your ear drums, but in the best possible way. Each track is a madhouse of artery stopping, head banging sludge and noise rock that you cannot simply turn away from.
Once you hit play you hear a twenty second static filled intro complete with news clips regarding drug use, and you quickly realize what you have stumbled in to. As soon as the intro fades, you immediately become hit with buzzing murky riffs that are backed by hard hitting drums and manic vocals that are screamed at you from every angle. The first full track you come across titled “False Hope” is a hard hitting, in your face offering that hits you immediately and ultimately traps you within the vortex of chaos that Alienatör produces here. Each track that follows the intro is a chaotic sludge filled wall that storms at you from every direction never giving you a chance to escape the noisy, sludge filled blitzkrieg that Alienatör ushers forth.
Through and through Pariahs is a record that gets right underneath your skin from the very beginning. This record does a great job of manifesting itself in your brain from the get go having you thrash around and bang your head until your brain bruises. Each track is a force of sludge filled reckoning that is incredibly potent and explosive. These thirteen tracks are volatile and explosive as each one shoots straight out of your speakers to provide you with a truly whiplash inducing listen that you will not soon forget. Bombastic and neck bending from the beginning to the end, Pariahs never stops its noise riddled rampage until the final scorching note crosses the boundaries of your speakers.
With all of that said, each track really is great and something to behold. The musicianship is great, the vocals are varied and solid, the production is clean and the song writing is good as well and that all comes together to create something that is wholly entertaining and unforgettable. Each of the thirteen tracks that are harbored within the chaotic walls of Pariahs are great as each one is just as good as the last. If you are looking for something unique, new, heavy, entertaining and head banging, you don’t have to look much further than Pariahs.
Never to be put in a box or pigeon holed, TripleMurder uses their heavy eclectic sound to produce variety and diversity. There is a lot that TripleMurder has to offer within their six track EP titled Pre-Meditated. From groove filled riffs, to heavy break downs, to searing solos, to varied vocals and more, TripleMurder packs this EP to the bursting point. Through six offerings, Pre-Meditated provides a wickedly heavy yet entirely memorable and entertaining listen. The one problem that you will run in to is that this EP is not nearly long enough, but that is a purely selfish complaint. Through the twenty plus minute run time you are treated to cohesive and very solid metal all the way through that will sure please the gnarled ears of death metal, deathcore and fans beyond those genres.
TripleMurder wastes zero time getting you acclimated and acquainted to their cohesive metallic sound as they set in immediately as soon as you press play. There is no intro to warm you up as TripleMurder thrusts you head first into their brand of head caving metal as they feed you chunky riffs that are backed by ripping grit filled vocals that pierce the wall of tumultuous drumming and shredding riffs. The meshing of death metal and deathcore works well here as TripleMurder sew the two heavy genres together to create an overall cohesive, groove filled and technical sound that is hard to deny. Each track is a well written storm of death that comes out swinging aiming to engulf you in all of its fury.
It isn’t just the grooves, or the killer vocals or the solid drum work, but it is also the breakdowns that tie each track together well too. The breakdowns are used sparingly throughout Pre-Meditated making them have more impact on each track. Not only are they used sparingly, but they aren’t your typical chugging, unearthly down tuned break downs either. Each one is neck bending heavy of course, but they seem to have more substance to them and each one is different from the last making each one unique. This all adds to the variety and diversity that TripleMurder utilizes to their immense benefit.
Through and through, Pre-Meditated is a very solid release. One that brings the heavy in droves, but it also is incredibly memorable and entertaining. Each track is just as good as the last and TripleMurder really show off their song writing abilities through each track. The six offerings present here are unique, heavy, varied, well constructed and much more which ultimately creates an incredibly great listening experience. As mentioned above, the only complaint is that this isn’t long enough but that’s just purely selfish.
TripleMurder has created something here with their debut that is flat out great through and through and really nothing else needs to be said other than that.
Pre-Meditated will be released September 20. You can pre-order this EP here and here.
Check out the official music video for the track Cannibalistic below!
Titled Reflections of Horror, death metal outfit Abysmalist offers up a true, grime filled, grave stomping style of death metal that summons the sound of the ancients. Bleeding raw and grisly, Abysmalist treat you to four tracks that reach around the eighteen minute mark. Within those eighteen minutes you come face to face with flesh gnashing and ripping death metal that leaves you cold in a hollowed tomb. Filled with terrorizing horror and death, Reflections of Horror is a potent and vile offering that fills you with dread. Through and through this is a ripping release, one that will see you into your own early grave before the concise eighteen minutes is up.
Gutting from the first few seconds onward, Reflections of Horror marches onward to provide you with four excellent tracks of terror and demise. Never to cease their slaughter, each track is just as grisly and vile as the one that came before it. In pure terror and haunting horror, Abysmalist ushers forth a grimy brand of severing death metal that makes it sound as though the reaper closes in with the passing of each second. Riffs power forth tearing at your flesh as the drums barrel forth hollowing out your chest only for bloodied vocals roar through the mass of festering death.
Not only is each track as marrow draining as they are, but on occasion they are as haunting and chilling as they are devouring. With an underlying horror filled atmosphere complete with the occasional clean guitar, Abysmalist work in their own dense atmosphere that wraps up the listener in a chilling fog. You aren’t only getting purely assaulted by a truly monstrous sound, but you become consumed and enveloped in an atmosphere that is just as killer and potent.
Through and through, Abysmalist has crafted each track well to provide you with savage yet haunting death metal. Each track is a well crafted offering that grips you with the cold hand of death, only to release once the eighteenth minute finally comes to a close. Overall, Reflections of Horror is a very solid demo that features four great tracks one right after the next. Within a concise run time, Abysmalist offers up top notch death metal that should be noticed and taken note of. Reflections of Horror is a great entry in to the bloodied echelon of death.
Earlier this week I was fortunate enough to interview Pieter Oevering from Insurrection and ask him some questions about the band as well as their upcoming release Circles Of Despair. The interview is below, enjoy!
For a little background on the band, how did you choose the name Insurrection, and how did you come together as a band?
I actually don’t know how the guys came up with the name Insurrection. I know they used to call themselves Deathwish in the beginning of the band. It started with our guitarist Marten Hutten when he started writing songs with his buddy Sander Blok. When the first songs started to take form they went looking for members to complete the band. That’s how they found our drummer Douwe Talma and soon after that our guitarist Armand Venema. With this lineup they called themselves Insurrection and started doing the first shows.
But after a few years things didn’t really work with Sander anymore. Different views and ambitions. So Sander left. At this time I was working as an intern at the Audioshape Studios. That’s where I met Douwe who was recording with his band Enraged in the studio. He told me about the vacant position of the band and asked me to do an audition for them as a vocalist and bass player.
When first starting out, did you start out as a straight up thrash outfit, or had you always had the idea to intertwine death metal in to your thrash foundation?
We didn’t really think about it in that way. We just tried to make the best songs with the best riffs we came up with. Looking back to it I realize we never aimed to be a full blown thrash outfit. There are enough of those bands already and we aimed more for our own unique style. Writing the best songs was always our main interest. Our songs need to be catchy and they need hooks. We want our songs to be catchy and to be remembered.
Thrash over the years in certain regards had and has grown pretty stagnant with a lot of ideas and sounds being rehashed. Was there a driving force for you to want to make a more unique thrash sound?
The whole process of creating our unique sound came remarkably natural to us. We are a band with 4 members with their own opinions and their own musical taste. Everyone in the band has their part in writing the songs. It takes a lot of compromising to imply all our own views into the songs. We went through a lot of trials and errors but now we know what works for us and what doesn’t work. The result is our unique blend of metal that we call Insurrection.
From your EP Catatonic to your full length Circles of Despair, what changes did you make to your sound if any? And how did the lyrical content from Catatonic to Circles of Despair change?
We played a lot of shows since the release of ‘Catatonic’. Our sound matured and we grew as musicians. We invested more in gear and we went into the studio with way more preparations in comparison to ‘Catatonic’. We took more time for the recordings. And this time we knew what we wanted! ‘Catatonic’ was more, we just go to the studio and record our parts and let’s see what happens. This time we knew what we wanted to achieve for this album and we didn’t stop working on it until we were fully satisfied by the results. Lyrically I also feel like I’ve matured. I found out while growing up that I became way better in expressing myself. It’s easier for me now to create a mood using my lyrics.
What were the driving forces for the themes in Circles of Despair? And what was the driving inspiration behind the lyrics to the tracks within this release?
Most lyrics on the album are a point of view on certain events or certain feelings. They’re always a way to express myself. I found out it comes naturally for me to write lyrics from a personal point of view. I write the lyrics and sing the songs, screaming the lyrics this way keeps it real and personal. The recurring lyrical themes on the album are about losing hope until complete hopelessness. The relief you can find in that hopelessness until reaching the deepest depths. Self reflection, suicidal thoughts, hate and hearing the call of the comfort of an endless void.
Can you tell me a little bit about the writing and recording process that went into making your new record?
I already told a bit about our writing process. Just like on ‘Catatonic’ we used different studios for different instruments. The drums are recorded at the Audioshape Studios. The bass is recorded at the Oeversound studio. Guitars are recorded at the Vainman Studio. Vocals and some choir parts are recorded at the Tunnelgeur Studios. And finally the acoustic guitar and the cello is recorded at the Neushoorn Studio. This way we could focus on each instrument separately and really pull the best performance out of the situation. We are really proud about how it all came together especially with the help of Fredrik Nordstrom and the Fredman studios for mixing and mastering the album.
The album art for Circles of Despair is amazing. What was the inspiration behind it, and what was the message if there is one that you are trying to convey through it?
The artwork is done by Remedy Art Design. We found him while looking for inspiration for the artwork and we really liked his style. We sent him some songs and he made this for us. We are really pleased with the results, it matches our feelings about the music and it gives a really nice and memorable face to it.
If there was anything that you would feel like you wanted to change in Circles of Despair what would it be?
I’m extremely proud of the final results. Wouldn’t change a thing. I listened to every song over a hundred times, there are some slight mistakes here and there, I think I’ve found them all by now. But editing them out would make it feel less honest and less real. With this album we captured our musical skills while we were on top of our game. This album is a reflection of our conjoined abilities of that time. There are some things I would like to do different now but that’s for the next album.
How has the reception been to Circles of Despair so far?
So far it is beyond our expectations. Haven’t heard a bad thing about it yet. But the album isn’t out yet. I can’t wait until it’s finally released to the mass public on august 30th. In the end the opinion of our fans means the most to us.
Are you planning on touring in support of this release, and do you know where you’ll be touring?
There are some really cool shows coming up. We’re heading back to Germany for a few days in october. Some cool festival shows next summer. And of course some cool stuff in between but I can’t confirm any of that on this point. Just that we are planning to play a lot of shows all over Europe in support of this album.
Finally, Is there anything that you would like to tell or say to your fans?
Yeah, i would like to tell everyone who is slightly interested in our music that we really worked our asses off for this album. We were all broken by the end of the recording process. It took a lot of sweat, tears and other manly body fluids to make this product. We’ve just released a new music video taken from the forthcoming album. Check it out on Youtube:
I would also like to invite you all to give our album a fair listen when it comes out on august 30th and look for the emotional energy that we try to capture. I want you guys to find the pure passion and ambition we put into making this album. And enjoy it to the max of your ability. Play it loud so the neighbours can enjoy it to 😉 see you guys at our shows! And like us on facebook ofcourse: www.facebook.com/insurrectionofficial
Thank you for your time and for answering my questions, it is greatly appreciated. Circles of Despair will be unleashed August 30th!
In a reign of utter devastation and bone crushing heavy, Warcrab offer up their upcoming release. Titled Damned In Endless Night, Warcrab usher forth a brand of heavy that meshes together death metal and a dose of sludge that is enough to clog your veins. Ten total tracks, ten total tracks of murky death that drag you asunder in to the murky darkness whether you are prepared or not. Damned In Endless Night is amazingly heavy as it is down right crushing from beginning to end. Without looking back, forever pushing onward, Warcrab stomps forth with their spine bending brand of sludge riddled death for your twisted enjoyment. One track after the next you come face to face with a perfect balance of sludge and coffin packing death and the more that you listen, the closer you march toward your murky grave.
After a near serene two minute intro titled Perpetua that lulls you in to a false sense of calm, Warcrab hits you with buzzing, sludge filled yet ripping death metal in the following track Halo of Flies. In great cohesion, Warcrab mix both sludge and death metal together to create an impactful and devastating sound, and with Halo of Flies that is shown right off the bat. Quickly you become buried underneath the droves of thick, murky sludge riddled death, and before you know it you sink lower and lower in to a cavernous abyss. Each track that follows Halo of Flies is just as heavy and deadly, making this to be a true venomous and bone rattling listen.
No matter whether Warcrab offers up a true death metal rampage, or if they offer up a slower trudging sludge sound, or combine the two to create a truly menacing sound, you can be sure that it is going to be heavy. Each track following Perpetua is a sonic slab of grisly metal that is as menacing and terrorizing as you would imagine. Forever punishing and decimating, Warcrab trudges forth gifting you with one incredible track after the next. Damned In Endless Night as a whole is monstrous as it sounds like a titan emerging from the great depths of below. Bone rattling, destroying, deadly and wicked, Damned In Endless Night is a record to behold as it is all consuming and enveloping.
Damned In Endless Night is a gripping release, one that takes hold of you from the drop of the first note onward, forever plunging you in to depths in which light does not exist. This release is grisly, nasty and down right crushing. It never relents in its sonic assault as it shifts from track to track aiming to fully envelope you in its titanic sound. The balance between sludge and death metal here is great as both work in sickening concert to provide you with an incredible sound that is wholly unforgettable. As massive and destructive as “Damned In The Endless Night” is, it is just as captivating and memorable, making this to be a truly exceptional release.
Overall, Damned In Endless Night is a record to behold. From beginning to end you are treated to nothing but top notch, unrepentant metal. In all of its murky and deadly glory, this release is incredible and certainly one of the top tier releases to come out this year.
Damned In Endless Night will be unleashed August 30 through Transcending Obscurity Records.
In great malevolence and death comes black metal wraiths Idolatry with their sophomore effort titled In Normine Mortis. Released in May, this record features ten blackened, ever venomous and potent offerings that drag you asunder to a place where only death and suffering lie. Pestilent and life expunging, Idolatry offer up nothing but tightly knit blackened hymns that are ceaseless and unrepentant. Never to slow their wicked march, Idolatry ushers forth track after track of ripping black metal. Once you press play you become trapped in the vortex of malicious sonic blackened metal never to escape as once one track fades the next storm of chaos begins.
Once the atmospheric one and a half minute intro Ex Nihilo fades into obscurity, Idolatry kicks things in to high gear with slashing riffs that are backed by ever tumultuous drums and wicked gravel filled cries from the abyss. After Ex Nihilo onward, Idolatry offers up a sinister, raw, blasphemous and blistering brand of black metal that is sure to drag you asunder. Never wavering in their scorching assault, Idolatry march forth from track to track never giving you a moment of reprieve as you become trapped within their vortex of malevolence in which they summon.
As In Normine Mortis marches onward, the void beckons louder and louder, drawing you in to the ever darkened soundscape that Idolatry unveils before you. In a wicked amalgamation of death and the understanding of suffering need to bring about the reaper, you are presented with a truly deadly and sharpened offering that grips you by the throat from the very beginning only to release you once all is said and done. Ever unrepentant, In Normine Mortis storms forth to present you with a sound that is unholy, raw and soul piercing all the way until the end where you get dropped in to the ever beckoning void.
From sharpened riffs to barreling drumming, shrieking blood curdling vocals, an overall bleeding raw sound and an undulating terror, In Normine Mortis has it all. Packed within ten tracks you are to come face to face with top notch black metal that is just as punishing as it is gripping. Each track is a force of blackened blistering metal that cannot be denied or turned away from. From beginning to end, this is an incredibly solid and well executed release providing you with one hell of a venomous yet incredibly captivating and gripping listen. Overall, In Normine Mortis is an excellent release.
Check out the track The Serpentine Possession from the release In Normine Mortis below!
Devourment needs no introduction as these destroyers have been causing mayhem and leaving nothing but decapitated bodies in their wake for twenty-four years. With that said, it has been six years since Conceived In Sewage, and their six year absence has been felt until now. With the coming of Obscene Majesty the masters of brutal death are back and as powerful, potent and disgusting as ever. The six year wait for this monster has been worth it as you come face to face with ten truly eviscerating and mutilating offerings one right after the next. In true unrepentant form and fashion, Devourment leave everything on the table in order to curdle your blood and agonizingly lobotomize you. Life threatening, bone shattering, skull caving and gutting, Obscene Majesty marks the return of Devourment, true brutal death metal titans.
In their twenty-four year reign as one of the heaviest bands on the planet, Devourment’s goal remains clear, and that is to provide pure unyielding and unrelenting brutality and that is more than achieved here. Through ten tracks and forty-five minutes of insane butchery, Devourment provide you with the sonic form of grotesque maniacal slaughter. Obscene Majesty is a cacophony of terror and horror that aims to rip you fucking head from your shoulders leaving you as nothing more than a gruesome husk of your former self.
Hammering away at your sanity and chipping away at your skull to expose your rotting brain, Devourment never ceases. As the record continues to play you become buried under droves of pure death and disease only for you to become a part of the massive amount of stagnant bodies that have been collected. Through a wall of eviscerating riffs and drums that shatter your skull come vocals that are inhuman. Monstrous and ever menacing, each track pushes onward bulldozing over everyone and everything in their wake leaving nothing but strewn body parts and destruction. Before you know it you quickly become an unidentifiable mass of pulp and viscera.
Obscene Majesty is a precise and calculated masterclass of brutal death metal. With insane gutturals, a ceaseless onslaught of flesh peeling riffs and bone caving drumming, head smashing slams and much more, Devourment shows why they are at the pinnacle of heavy. This release is obliterating, dehumanizing and down right spine severing. You will find no bullshit here, only savagery, terror and metal heavy enough flatten you and everything else around you. After six long years the wait has been more than worth it as Devourment delivers something truly monstrous and all consuming here with Obscene Majesty.
Not much more needs to be said other than the fact that this release is truly something to behold. This is top notch brutal death metal butchery from the masters themselves, and you would be doing yourself a disservice not checking this out. Behold as the true destroyers have returned.
Obscene Majesty will be unleashed August 16 through Relapse Records.
In nauseating, vein draining and flesh altering fashion, Portland, Oregon death merchants Witch Vomit are set to unleash their upcoming record Buried Deep In A Bottomless Grave. In seven heaping doses of death and mutilation, Witch Vomit offers up a true sonic torture in the form of grisly death metal. Ever ceaseless and unrelenting, Witch Vomit storm out of the gates from track one, barreling forth with a vile and sickening brand of death that is sure to tear your head from your body. Savage, brutal, gutting and many more descriptors can be used to portray this offering as you come face to face with track after track of marrow sapping death and nothing but.
Never are you given a chance to brace yourself as Witch Vomit sets in to their new release immediately, bursting your skull open and tearing you limb from limb from the drop of the very first note onward. With no reprieve and not a moment of solace, Witch Vomit buries you underneath droves of gruesome and terrorizing death. Throat slashing riffs paired with skull smashing drumming and bloodied unearthly vocals descend upon you within the first second, never to stop their terror as they slash, maim and mutilate all throughout. In great violence and sickness, Witch Vomit buries you under hordes of death and viscera, never for you to be able to climb out of your grisly tomb.
Maniacal, twisted and mangling, Buried Deep In A Bottomless Grave is a true gritty, grimy and devouring record. One track after the next aims to firmly put you in an early grave among the rest of their victims. Once all is said and done, you will be lucky to have your head still attached as each track is just as venomous and potent as the one(s) that came before it. Brutal, caustic and down right deadly, Buried Deep In A Bottomless Grave is a release that is unrepentant in its sonic assault as each track aims for only slaughter and mayhem. Each track is discharged with great volatility and explosiveness as each one acts like a weapon of pure death.
There is no subtlety here as that is pushed aside for a true barbaric throat slashing attack that cannot be denied. You are not to find any fads, filler or anything of the like here as what you come to greet are seven straight offerings of unapologetic death. With great musicianship, guttural hellish vocals, great song writing and an overall clean yet raw production, Witch Vomit kills this release. It has been a while since I have heard something so life threatening and as savage as Buried Deep In A Bottomless Grave, and in short it is incredible.
Buried Deep In A Bottomless Grave will be released August 30 through 20 Buck Spin. Pre-orders can be found here and here.
In a filthy amalgamation of death metal and crust, Bones offers up a raw, energetic and face melting brand of metal through their upcoming offering Diseased. Throughout this release you are to come face to face with eleven gnashing and bleeding raw offerings that aim to crush you in to the dirt. From beginning to end, Bones lays everything on the table, pulling no punches as they offer up a bulldozing and deadly sound that is to behold. Each track is as gritty and nasty as the one(s) that came before it and unapologetically so. Visceral, maniacal and filthy, Diseased offers up a true nasty brand of crust riddled death that is not to be ignored.
Packed with raw, pulse pounding energy, Diseased shoots straight out of your speakers once you press play only to ladle death and disease upon you in heaping droves. Injected with riffs that tear flesh and drumming that cracks bones, Bones offers up a truly grimy and bleeding raw sound that hits your ears oh so perfectly. Keeping their sound filthy, Bones stomps through each track with great amounts of explosive and marrow sapping energy having you bang your head and subsequently your brain against your skull in no time.
These eleven tracks take over, infecting and manifesting themselves within your mind for some time to come. As volatile and destructive as each offering is, they are just as entertaining and memorable. With the coming of each track you feel an overwhelming urge to bang your head until it promptly falls off of your shoulders, and if you are not doing so you may not have a pulse. Through and through, each cut is a devastating force of death and destruction that does not slow until the final note rings through.
Buzzing, bleeding raw, filthy, crusty and down right shredding, Bones packs it all within Diseased. There is no shortage of death and energy that is destructive to your health here as Bones ushers forth track after track of malignant death that you cannot deny. Diseased is a great record through and through as it treats you to eleven straight offerings of gnashing, grisly and head caving death. From track one to track eleven, “Diseased” is entirely entertaining and in its own sickening way, hypnotizing.
With great musicianship, foul vocals, an overall filthy raw sound, great song writing and more, Bones offers up a great release here with Diseased.
Diseased will be released September 20 through Transcending Obscurity Records.
Check out the track Carrion Crows from the upcoming release below!
Formed in 2018, and hailing from Siberia, Smerdead seems to be on the hunt for more brains and flesh to tear apart. With their debut album titled За Чертой, Smerdead really begins their conquest and their hunt to satiate their hunger for flesh. Through this release you come face to face with eight bone gnawing tracks in the vein of melodic death metal. There is not bullshit here and no filler as you are greeted by nothing but bloodied and viscera soaked death metal that is sure to make you a part of Smerdead’s ever growing zombie horde. In barbarity and savagery, Smerdead marches through each track with a single goal in mind, and that is to consume your rotting brain from your skull.
With melodious and at times groove filled riffs that get paired up with solid and pummeling drumming and manic gritty vocals, Smerdead rises from their tombs to present you with an entirely entertaining and head banging effort. One track after the next, Smerdead offers up a memorable, heavy and entertaining sound that you will end up listening to over and over again. The riffs that infect this release are especially catchy as they hook on to your brain never to release it as they will manifest there for some time to come. Each track within За Чертой is a solid and well constructed effort that will make their way in to your brain in no time.
In solid musicianship, execution, song writing, vocals, production and more, Smerdead creates something here with За Чертой that is palatable, brain devouring, melodic highly entertaining and memorable. Each track is just as good as the last. With no filler or fluff to speak of, За Чертой is eight straight offerings of nothing but pure melodic death metal that gets your head banging in no time. Melodic all the time, heavy consistently and down right devouring, Smerdead packs it all in here with their debut offering.
If you are a fan of melodic death metal, or just death metal in general, За Чертой you would be wise to check this release out. Through and through it is a well crafted, cohesive effort that never relents as its only mission is to provide you with solid and entertaining death metal and it very much succeeds in just that.
