Deathtober Part 4

 

Krypts - Cadaver Circulation 2019

Finnish DM band that’s been at it since 2008. Traditional stuff without a real Direct comparison of that jumps out at me. They lean towards doom and slow burns, really heavy down-tuned mix with reverb-heavy vocals that verge on black metal at times (think, traditional Finnish black metal like Beherit - in fact maybe Beherit is a decent comparison, but definitely a cleaner mix).

This is a really decent record that makes me want to explore their other releases. It’s definitely on the Doom side of things: melt your face off slowly metal with shades of Godflesh and all things heavy and super slow.

Call it - Doom-Death that sounds heavy as hell with a lot of atmosphere and space in the mix.

 

Pissgrave - Posthumous Humiliation 2019

Second full length from these Philadelphia death metalers. A grisly album cover and 9 tracks with somewhat generic sounding titles, the mix on this thing is a train wreck. That vocal effect is disastrous- sounds like they wanted “brutal-as-fuck” but it ends up sounding completely distorted with all manner of enunciation or variation just mixed out of it - it’s borderline static at points. The guitars play tremolo single-string riff after another while the drums follow that generic Butchered at Birth half blast beat thing.

While there may be ambition here, there is truly nothing that will make me come back to this one. There are no real hooks to speak of - just generic-sounding dm atonal speed. And as the album wore on, I just found myself hating that vocal effect. Bad move guys.

Call it - a rather generic, low budget sounding dm record that is completely ruined by a distorted vocal effect.

 

Cognitive - Matricide 2018

A New Jersey band with a name that suggests a progressive bent towards death metal, Cognitive are progressive in that Dying Fetus sort of way - still very primal and heavy, but with plenty of technicality. Flirting with Grindcore at times, Matricide will definitely appeal to fans of the aforementioned Dying Fetus, using both screams and growls for vocals (the singer is not nearly as talented as DF, but he does a respectable job). The music also drifts from blasts to heavy groove-laden passages, covering all ends of the heavy spectrum. It’s tech death without being overly pretentious and also not afraid to get melodic here and there.

Apparently these guys have a few albums before this, but they still appear to be rather obscure. There are times where they almost sound like deathcore, but then they switch to a very traditional sounding lead break. It is decidedly more new school than old, but should appeal to fans of both.

Call it - a modern sounding tech death album, blasts and grooves with a technical proficiency.

 

Vircolac - Masque 2019

Undoubtedly the most unique band on this list so far, Irish Vircolac play a progressive flavor of DM for which I struggle to come up with a decent comparison. The vocals are definitely Necroticism-era Jeff Walker, over a very live and DIY sounding mix. The kit sounds very natural and the guitars are more overdriven than distorted, making for a very unusual sound.

Gothic horror is the theme of the lyrics and song titles, and the writing is also very distinct and unique. Songs run through blast-beats, slow grooves, and fractured phrases. The title track starts like an early Christian Death song, if not for the vocals, nice touches of goth and atmosphere. This is a tough one for me to digest quickly - it took me a minute to figure out how I felt about them, but I think, in the end, I’m a fan.

Call it - very unique progressive metal from Ireland with an equally unique mix.

 

Mortiferum - Disgorged from Psychotic Depths 2019

A Doom / Death debut from another Pacific Northwest band, and another impressive first-time outing. I think this particular offshoot of DM is probably the most exciting right now, as it carries old school vibes while still feeling fresh and original. Disgorged... starts out at a crawl and slowly picks up speed through the album, to the point of a blast-beat in the closing track. The standout track for me is “Funereal Hallucinations” which achieves a nice Bolt Thrower-esque groove.

I can’t help but draw comparisons to Incantation with these doom acts, because I think they were the first to use such extremely slow speeds in the genre. Mortiferum certainly hit that sound well - vocals in the sewer and guitar strings just hanging off of the neck. The slow chugs also allow for more space in the mix to create atmosphere - the aural equivalent of wandering through a dimly lit tomb. I always start out being underwhelmed with the doom bands, but by album’s end, Mortiferum had won me over.

Call it - slow-as-hell Doom/Death with an atmospheric mix.

 

Descresy- Towards Nebulae 2019

6th full-length from this Finnish act who also tend towards the doom / death hybrid. Vocals are reminiscent of Mortician - running so low that, at times, you’re unsure if they are actually vocals. There might be some digital effects going on here, they fall into the spooky monster category. Musically, they sound like classic Bolt Thrower with a lower voices. There are moments of speed, but thanks to the mix, they become a jumbled mess. I’m entirely sure the drummer is keeping up either (maybe they’re doom out of necessity).

There are steady second guitar harmonies throughout Towards Nebulae. While this might be what makes them distinctive, it also makes for repetitive sounding tunes. Honestly, the guitar harmonies range from unnecessary to slightly irritating.

Call it - a seasoned Finnish doom act with super low vocals and repetitive tunes.

 

Scorched - Ecliptic Butchery 2018

Sophomore effort from this East coast throwback band, following the traditions of 90’s Florida DM. There are moments reminiscent of classic Morbid Angel and Autopsy. This is running long with bands of this ilk, but it’s not Scorched’s fault they were towards the bottom of the list. Lots of change ups in tempo, meaty riffs, and bottom of the barrel vocals make for a nice traditional-sounding album.

Call it - classic OSDM with good production, decent song-writing skills, and a nice deep growler.

 

Venom Prison - Samsara 2019

Sophomore album from a British band with a female growler. Venom Prison play a crazy brand of chaotic tech death with post Vincent-era Morbid Angel as a templet. But it’s not fair to pin them down, because VP cover a ton of ground in a single song. They change up the every few measures throwing in fracture stops and starts. They are the tech-Death I can get behind, however, because they write riffs and not just tech-heavy “look how fancy we can be” nonsense.

Given the right mood Venom Prison is super satisfying and impressive. Their songs shouldn’t hang together, but they do. Put them on your watch list because they have the potential to be big and deserve attention.

Call it - Crazy tech-death with very impressive writing and hooks aplenty.

 

Horrendous - Idol 2018

These guys play my favorite type of progressive death metal - similar to Atheist and mid-to-late era Death. The vocals and bass work are super similar to Atheist, but Horrendous are far from sounding like a rip-off. They write through-composed tunes with technical know-how and dynamic progressions. Shades of early Opeth slip in here and there - an album for those who like occasional breaks in the brutality. Idol is the 4th album from this Philadelphia band, so I will definitely be checking out the back catalogue.

Some could argue the “roots” era of progressive death metal has been thoroughly explored, and I suppose that’s a valid argument. But bands like Obscura and Horrendous are not exactly plentiful, so I say, embrace it.

Call it - a well-executed callback to the early days of progressive death metal.

 

Slugdge - Esoteric Malacology 2018

A British band whose spelling begs to be pronounced as if you have a speech impediment, Slugdge does not hide their main influence of Gojira very well. This is their fourth effort and apparently they come from black metal roots, however one would not guess that while listening to this album. There are shades of early Opeth and Mastodon, and I can’t escape the Gojira comparison - particularly certain passages. Just listen to that opening minute of The Spectral Burrows. Ultimately though, they end up combining most of these influences in an unique way.

It’s tricky reviewing a fourth album for a band that may be transitioning to another sound, but that’s what I committed to. And, I’m not saying Esoteric Malacology is not worth a listen, it is well done and tackles a particularly advanced form of Prog DM. At the album’s conclusion, I’m left thinking they will need further exploration - I am intrigued.

Call it - a modern progressive DM album that maybe nails the most popular bands’ sound of that genre a little too directly on the head.

 

Beyond Creation - Algorythm 2018

I threw these Canadians at the end of my list because they are listed at the top of Obscura’s similar artists list, so I won’t bother discussing that obvious connection further than saying - yup. So, as a band that sounds just like one of my current favorites, I am intrigued in this and the other two records on their discography.

Starting with an intro that sounds more
like film music, BC goes from there into a very tight , intricate, and melodic form of tech death. Blasts and change ups throughout every track, this is a dense album that will require more play throughs for me to fully decide if it’s just a copycat, or if it warrants sharing the table with the masters.

Call it - A Canadian tech death album that falls directly in line with Germany’s Obscura.

 

Deathtober part 3

 

Nile - Vile Nilotic Rites 2019

You gotta hand it to Karl Sanders. The man had a vision growing up in South Carolina - to develop a death metal band based solely on Egyptian culture despite being a white dude who grew up thousands of miles away from the place. This has been going on for 25 years and 9 albums at this point.

Karl is the only remaining original member, but the format does not appear to have changed much - breakneck speed and spastic bursts of Egyptian scales ripped all across the fretboard. You have your ambient passages that sound like excerpts from Temple of Doom, but most of it is full-tilt brutal tech death deliver at one-thousand notes per minute.

You’d think a Suffocation fan would love it, but I’ve just never been a Nile guy. This one is fine. I like the production better than some of the others I’ve heard, but it just sounds the same after 10 minutes or so, and the sucker goes on for an hour. I think it’s the distinct scale - it just makes every riff sound like the one before it. That drummer puts in a workout... damn. Easier to admire than actually enjoy.

Call it: More Egyptian-themed brutal tech death from the one band who insists on doing it.

 

Cthe’ilist - Le dernier crepuscule 2016

Funny, as I was trying to spell all this crap correctly, I immediately thought of the famous Finns, Demilich , and I’ll be damned if that’s not exactly who these Canadians sound like. The distinctive burp vocals aren’t there, but the very unique down-tuned single-string broken rhythm riffing is immediately recognizable. But I gotta say, the “bottom of the stomach” vocals of Demilich are what keeps me from really liking them, so I instantly liked these guys better.

Far from a rip-off though, there are quite a few differences It’s somewhat more linear than Demilich - sticking with riffs longer, slamming some power chords occasionally, allowing for some deviation from that broken, halting drumming that made the Finns so unique. It’s also more melodic - “Voidspawn” has a full-on traditional heavy metal lead break. And the closing track has full orchestration, cleanly sung vocals, and gets downright thrash metal at the end. And I’m not sure, but I think they’re singing about The Legend of Zelda so... that’s weird.

Call it: Not quite a Demilich clone, but similar enough that fans of the notorious Finns should latch onto to this immediately.

Obscura - Diluvium 2018

The German band Obscura released what is still my favorite post 2000 death metal album - Cosmogenesis. They’re very much lovers of the progressive-era Death style which I love dearly. I hadn’t spent any time with this new one, so I felt it was time I did. So if Chuck Schuldiner fused with Suicmez of Necrophagist and you threw in some Cynic-style vocoder vocals now and again, you’d pretty much have what Obscura is all about. Those are all my favorite things, so it definitely works for me. Named after a Gorguts album, I really don’t detect any of that band in their sound. Maybe a little Atheist here and there, but heavy on the Death influence more than anything else.

At any rate it’s progressive tech-Death, very melodic, and probably won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but I love it. I will say their 2018 album sounds pretty damn close to their 2009 album - meaning there hasn’t necessarily been a whole lot of progression - but it is still very enjoyable stuff. Maybe they’ve become a bit more distinctively their own thing at this point, and not just their influences. Super virtuosic leads over fretless bass acrobatics with some some guttural vocals and jazz-inspired drumming - what’s not to love?

Call it: Super talented Germans with a love for the late great Chuck Schuldiner with high levels of technicality and lots of guitar shredding.

Lik - Carnage 2018

Uh... that’s clearly a Dismember riff at the start of track 1. That, and the album title is essentially Dismember’s former band name... These Swedes are not even trying to hide it (except they leave Dismember and Entombed off of their “key influences” on their band page... ha!) Well, it’s all here: the Sunlight studio production, the Boss Heavy Metal distortion pedal guitars, the 2 guitar harmonies. Old school Swedish death metal circa 1992.

So I struggle here... had this been made in 92, would I be singing it’s praises? Probably. It’s pretty damn good. Good grooves, punky mosh parts, that 4th harmony on the guitars - it’s very well made. It just might be a little too derivative to truly stand out anymore. We all loved Like an Everflowing Stream and Left Hand Path when we first heard them. Do we need more of it? I’m still not sure. I’m going 50/50 on this one.

Call it: Another modern band playing Swedish DM that is indistinguishable from the golden era stuff in the 90’s.

 

Torture Rack - Malefic Humiliation 2018

Who knew Portland, Oregon had such a thriving DM scene? That blows me away. Torture Rack play good ol’ roots DM reminiscent of CC’s Eaten Back to Life or even Death’s Scream Bloody Gore. It’s got that nice raw production where it sounds like the drum kit had maybe two mics on it. The vocals are deep as hell - man these kids nowadays sure have mastered that. It used to be, a guy who could get that low was a very rare thing in the genre, now they’re all over the place.

“Captured by the slayer, Such a tender species
Butchered in his lair, You'll be found in feces”

Now that’s something we can all get behind right? These guys are old school fun. They’ve got some slow as hell parts and then they chug away, this really sounds like first wave stuff and they do it very well. I feel 15 again.

Call it - Roots era OSDM that’s well crafted and just plain fun.

Gruesome -Twisted Prayers 2018

Gruesome are a Death tribute band. Yeah, officially... that’s a thing I guess. They deliberately write songs that sound like Death, not covers mind you, morphed songs that sound ALMOST like the actual tunes, but altered just enough to be different. It’s weird if you ask me. Just be a cover band if you’re gonna go that far.

Anyway, so each one of Gruesome’s albums corresponds to a Death equivalent. This one is Spiritual Healing, so the riffs, mix, vocal attack, leads, and even lyrics are meant to ape that album. It’s well done, but I can’t get my head past the idea that it’s unnecessary plagiarism is the guise of tribute. It also feels like wasted creative energy. Make your own shit. I don’t know... I can’t get behind it. Why not just listen to Spiritual Healing? It’s better.

Call it - powerfully unnecessary

 

Undergang - Misantropologi 2017

Ooh, Denmark, How exotic! Groovy stuff, ultra low pitched vocals and down tuned guitars give it that Onward to Golgotha type production, or maybe Autopsy. These guys come out of the gate firing off $100 riffs, pulling out all the stops - it’s catchy stuff and well put together.

There are some nice slow patches, even a little atmosphere here and there. It’s a nice combo of influences resulting in a pretty original sound. With all the money riffs, I think it should make the cut. It’s not groundbreaking mind you, but it’s solid OSDM with good writing and those satisfyingly super sickly low vocals.

Call it - super low traditional OSDM with riffs-aplenty.

 

Vitriol - To Battle from the Throat of Cowardice 2019

Well here we go. I hate this stuff. This is probably why I haven’t listened to the new stuff in the genre lately. This drum mix is a joke - sounds thin as paper - super triggered and full electronic. Might as well use a drum machine. The guitars play a whole lot of notes which seem random and pointless - high low, chaotic, not a hook in sight. Solid blastbeats for most of the songs - buried death growls - just a mess of a mix that sounds like garbage.

I’m sure this takes a ton of skill to pull off, but there is no brutality left in it. It’s sterile, noisy, and does nothing for me. Not a groove, memorable riff, or even a vocal refrain to cling to. Even the slow parts are tedious and annoying. It’s a pass from me.

Call it - the embodiment of everything that’s wrong with modern DM - overproduced, loud, technically complex, nonsense that amounts to nothing: instantly forgettable.

 

Zealot Cult - Spiritual Sickness 2018

Irish death metalers first full length is a throwback of sorts, focusing on the classic-era Florida stuff, particularly Covenant / Domination era Morbid Angel. The writing is solid and the riffs are plenty catchy and rocking in that traditional way. Vocalist Jay Quigely obviously studied at the John Tardy school of growlers, which is fine, but the style is so unique, I don’t know that anyone will ever be able to own it the way John does. It gets the job done, nonetheless and ultimately Spiritual Sickness turns out to be quite a decent debut.

“Left to Rot” has some nice broken rhythms to start and then slides into a great pogo groove that could’ve been on Death’s Leprosy. The closing track is the killer - nice slow grooves and a cool breakdown to close it out. I know there is a flood of these retro bands right now, but I dig it.

Call it - retro classic Florida era OSDM with great writing and Obituary-style vocals.

 

Hath - Of Riots and Ruin 2019

Debut album from these Blackened Death metalers from New Jersey. It sounds similar to mid-era Behemoth, at least that style. And maybe I shouldn’t, but I really found myself enjoying this. Yeah the drums are overly triggered, but they write a mean riff and create some good atmosphere. I don’t even mind the passage where he sings because at least he doesn’t sound like a cartoon character (sorry Travis, last dig, I promise).

“Worlds Within” even goes into a whole Opeth-style mellow rock vibe. Man, these guys do it all huh? In fact, they pull out the nylon strings quite a few times. I’m intrigued to see what comes next from Hath - they’re a very talented young band. Hell, if they keep writing tunes like “Progeny,”I’m onboard - Opeth stopped playing that style years ago - real nice to hear it again.

Call it - really solid blackened death metal with progressive elements and good song writing.

 

Cadaveric Incubator - Sermons of the Devouring Dead 2017

Only a Finnish band could come up with that band name. I’m sure it makes sense in the translation. These guys play goregrind similar to Carcass’ first album. The vocals are real Chris Barnes Tomb of the Mutilated style - so that’s a plus. It’s actually really good stuff - nicely muddy, but you can tell what’s going on. And they’re not afraid to hit a punk groove that just begs for a circle pit.

They’ve apparently been at it for a few years, so that would explain the refinement. There’s some lead work, midtempo Metal grinders, very cool stuff. Nothing revolutionary mind you, I had to check a few times and make sure they weren’t actually playing a Carcass cover. But I’ll give it the thumbs up.

Call it - Goregrind by the numbers. Well produced and well executed.

 

Coffin Rot - a Monument to the Dead 2019

Another band from Portland, Oregon playing Swedish-style OSDM. Seriously... the DM scene took a damn time machine to 1991 a couple years ago. That’s cool... there’s just simply a ton of these bands on this list. These guys are pretty great - Grave is the first band I think of, but there’s shades of other classic acts - some early Bolt Thrower in there too.

They hang that awesome Swedish DM punk groove real well - “Incubation of Madness” and “Necrotized” are both banging tracks, not to mention their eponymous closer. I think these guys make the cut too. Pretty great riff writing and old school production.

Call it - More Swedish OSDM from the Pacific Northwest with classic production, banging riffs, and great songs.

 

 

Deathtober part 2

 Here's some more reviews, don't forget to follow the playlist at Deathtober 2020

Glacial Tomb - self-titled 2018

A relatively new band from Colorado with a cool name and finally, not a throwback band - this list was getting thick with them. That being said, I’m not sure how to categorize these guys they have elements of grind, death, and straight thrash in their music. It’s heavy and punishing stuff and made all the more effective with doubled up vocals. Slow with occasional bouts of speed GT prefer to bludgeon you over the head rather than stab you repeatedly. The lyrics suggest this is a band with a higher agenda - politically charged with aspirations to eventually evolve beyond the death metal category, but who’s to say.

Ultimately, I’m not sure what to make of Glacial Tomb. I enjoy the slow punishing parts and the faster parts are effective, but the production flirts with deathcore enough to sour me a tad. I don’t know... jury is still out.

Call it: A heavy slab of modern metal that’s hard to categorize.

Deicide - Overtures of Blasphemy 2018

Glenn and Steve have been at it since 89. That’s crazy. This is their 12th full length and really, since they ditched the Hoffman brothers, they’ve been simply consistent and good. Glenn’s higher-pitched “witch” voice is gone on this one, and I do miss it, but he is still a master of the interesting vocal rhythm. Just check out the chant worthy “Seal the Tomb Below” or the gallop-heavy “All that is Evil.”

Deicide have a Slayer-like consistency. They understand their winning formula: 3 or 4 money riffs, get in and out in under 4 minutes. OOB is nothing new for Deicide, but it is an excellent death metal record.

Call in: Consistently catchy Florida death metal from one of the genre’s inventors.

Suffocation - ...of the Dark Light 2017

Mullen and Hobbs are on the personnel list, so you know this’ll be worth your time. Since their self-titled revival in 2006, Suffocation has been pumping out a slab of brutal DM every few years to remind the kids who invented this stuff. OTDL is not their most chaotic offering, and sometimes it’s downright melodic, but in that Suffo kind of way. Mullen sounds beastly as ever and the music is just as punishing as it was 25 years ago. Through-composed tunes, mostly atonal riffs, bursts of melody, blazing solos, brutal start and stop blasts... Suffocation fans know what to expect.

Suffocation really doesn’t put out a bad album they make you wait a few years, so it’s quality over quantity. I would put anything they’ve generated post 2000 against Their New York peers, Cannibal Corpse, post 2000 output any day - Suffo wins. No they don’t deviate from their formula, but none of their fans really want them too. This is good stuff.

Call it: Another impressive slab of brutal death metal from the guys who created the damn genre.

Casket Huffer - Filth Ouroboros 2019

A sophomore album from a Wyoming group with an amusing name. This is blast-heavy stuff with a blackened-death flavor - like mid-era Behemoth maybe. Ghastly vocals and 32nd note blast beats make this a very black metal sounding record to me, Blackened death metal? Always been a weird combo for me.

Genre speculation aside, this is pretty evil sounding stuff - real muddy mix which maybe hurts them a tad - the guitars are doing a lot but I can’t really decipher much of it. It’s not until towards the end of The Antichrist Vessel that we get a proper groove going. Like I’ve mentioned- if you blast for most of a song, it kind of weakens the point of it. In DM mind you, in black metal it serves a different purpose.

“Caustic Winds” is a nice track. Slows down to a crawl and then blasts away. The variation serves these guys well. Good growls, ferocious drums. When they groove a bit, it’s pretty kick ass. The talent is definitely there, just not the particular flavor of DM I go for usually. As a sophomore effort, it’s damn impressive. That last track is awesome.

Call it: A well-crafted blackened death metal record with somewhat muddy production and fantastic vocals.

Ossuarium - Living Tomb 2019

Debut album from these Portland, Oregon death metalers, man it’s cool seeing these bands pop up in the west. They sling that east coast OSDM in the style of Immolation. Funny how so many of these revival bands pick that 90’s New York sound... I guess it’s easier to dial in than the Florida stuff. I’m not complaining though, it’s great to hear new energy being breathed into this style. Ossuarium do just that. They actually end up sounding pretty original with some Swedish elements, atmosphere, and melody. Really good breakdowns and slow-as-hell doom passages interspersed with blasts and midtempo grooves. Vocals are nice and low and somewhat buried which fits the mix nicely, guitar tone is also on point.

Ossuarium write a good song. Their compositional skills set them above a fair amount of their peers in that regard. Living Tomb is a solid debut with catchy riffs, varied tempos, and good production. These guys’ next one is definitely gonna be highly anticipated.

Call it: A fantastic debut OSDM album with varied influences and great song writing.

Cannibal Corpse - Red Before Black 2017

First off - all 5 members of CC have been in the band for at least 20 years. Alex (bass) and Paul (drums) have been rocking it since Eaten Back to Life was a demo. I’ve always been a Barnes-era guy. Not that I’m against Fisher (though I don’t think he varies his cadence enough), I just think Owen and Rusay wrote better songs. Rusay’s departure after Tomb of the Mutilated Definitely affected the writing and then Owen leaving after Wretched Spawn, well... I’m just not sure they were ever the same after that.

Red Before Black is album number 14, and the 10th one with Fisher at lead throat (and with his neck now officially thicker than his head). I don’t think their production has changed a bit in the last 10 years or so. I get that if it ain’t broke don’t fix it, but I kind of like how Morbid Angel do it - no 2 albums sound alike. CC put out record after record of tightly produced, perfectly mixed and eq’d DM. I imagine their mixing board just remains setup and untouched.

RBB sees the band going through the motions, it’s perfectly executed and heavy stuff - grooves, pogos, blasts... atonal riffs aplenty, not a whole lot of hooks to speak of, but some melody creeps in here and there. “Firestorm Vengeance” starts with such promise and then just does what every other one of their songs ends up doing... the end of “In the Midst it Ruin” was pretty cool. I just can’t get excited about anything CC does anymore, and I can’t explain it. I think Gore Obsessed was the last album I considered great, everything after that just feels uninspired and by-the-numbers.

Call it: Another CC album that sounds almost identical to the last one.

Immolation - Atonement 2017

Album number 10 from one of the most influential New York DM bands out there. Dolan and Vigna have been there since 88 and they are still at it. Immolation are meat and potatoes death metal - you can sink your teeth into it. they make it sound easy in a style that is instantly recognizable as them. I guess, to contrast with fellow New Yorkers, Cannibal Corpse, Immolation still know how to write a hook. Just listen to that development at the end of “Destructive Currents” one riff suddenly becomes something else and then a second guitar adds a grim melody on top. It’s called composition and these guys are masters.

That title track is something special - really cool opening hook with a jarring drumbeat that transitions to a blast and eventually slows to a lurch. They change it up and swerve on a dime through the whole album. They are in top form here. The only thing average about Immolation is Dolan’s voice which gets the job done, but nothing more. It’s really me trying to find a gripe though, this record slays.

Call it: Old School New Yorkers in top form showing why so many bands try to imitate them.

Bloodbath - The Arrow of Satan is Drawn 2018

These guys might be the first true “throwback” death metal band, starting as a super group of Swedes in 2000 - with the interest of paying homage to their early 90’s heroes. 5 albums later they are essentially Katatonia with Nick Holmes from Paradise Lost reminding us he used to growl... quite well.

They’re still essentially a love letter to the Swedish DM of the old days, but they’ve managed to throw enough modern elements in it to make it sound fresh and relevant. They’re still rocking that Sunlight studio sound (at least that Boss distortion pedal guitar tone anyway) and most of the tunes are midtempo stompers - pretty fun stuff. “Morbid Antichrist” is a highlight - nice stops and a punk-fueled main riff and an incredible vocal performance from Nick.

Call it: OSDM of the Swedish variety done with flair and enthusiasm.

Abysmal Dawn - Phylogenesis 2020

It’s been six long years since we last heard from these Californians. They play a modern DM and can hang with the most extreme acts out there - like Nile, Hate Eternal. Super triggered drums and turbo speeds make for a very frantic almost grindcore sound at times. Other times, they slow it down and thicken things up with a good groove. I dig those vocals, particularly when they double up. Choppy guitars that surprise you with soaring leads, bonafide shredders here - very intense stuff but I find myself digging it a lot more than I usually do with this ultra produced stuff.

“Coerced Evolution” slows it down to a moderate plod and sounds almost commercial. Whereas “True to the Blind” sails by at broken beats and fragments. This is tech death I suppose, but not so much as to be off putting to folks who like their stuff more straightforward. As modern DM goes, it pretty much nails it with a nice balance of brutality, melody, speed, and groove. It's long, but never seems so - there is lots of great metal to enjoy here.

Call it: a modern, well-produced slab of flashy death metal that has a pretty broad appeal.

Spectral Voice - Eroded Corridors of Unbeing 2017

Death / Doom purveyors from Colorado - I think this is their only full length so far. Nice sludgy stuff with that deep deep growl and reverb-crazy mix slowing things to like 60 bpm, able to breath within the pauses. Slow and punishing like the doom moments of the mighty Autopsy or Incantation.

There apparently is a whole sub genre of this stuff, but those two bands are my best reference. SV are pretty damn entertaining. They can crawl along for 4-5 minutes and then suddenly drop into a blast beat. I like it - totally new for me. This is some heavy shit. Occasional blood-curdling screeches break up the growls and it all gives you that nice torture chamber vibe. I will certainly have to delve deeper into this stuff. Apparently a bunch of Finnish bands play this type of doom/death thing. I bet there are some good ones over there.

Call it: Doom metal in death metal clothing with occasional bursts of speed and a few surprises along the way.

Pyrrhon - Abscess Time 2020

I’m not sure when this kind of music started being called tech death, because it sounds like grindcore to me. Noisy, screamy, angry, with a bunch of breakdowns... it’s definitely some kind of “core.” I don’t hate it, I’m just perplexed how it made Kerrang’s must hear death metal band list.

There’s only one dude listed as vocals so, I’m impressed he can go guttural, screechy, pig squeals, and full on screams. Very diverse guy if it is indeed just him. The music runs all over the place, but it is similar to the stuff you’d hear from Today is the Day, or Everytime I Die - you know... noise-metal. It’s diverse and a varied listen, but mostly noisy and angry. The list of similar artists on Metal Archives demonstrates no one has any clue how to categorize these guys.

Call it: whatever you want apparently, it’s noisy, angry, and plenty interesting- give it a shot.

Portal - Ion 2018

True Metal is supposed to challenge the listener in my mind. The reward is discovering things buried deep beneath the surface through repeated listens. Well if that’s the metaphor we're using, then imagine Portal’s surface is about 100 yards of solid steel. Abstract, experimental... these words don’t do them justice. YouTube them. Right now. These Australians are full on crazy. What they do can be called death metal - the vocals are there, as is the drumming, but you’ll be hard pressed to follow them on your first few times through. Portal are a total enigma and that’s their appeal and intrigue.

Those guys giving them 100% on Metal Archives claiming they understand the absolute genius and you never will, are fucking poseurs. This shit is strictly unfathomable and we like it that way. You’re not gonna play this to clean your house to, or to unwind at the end of a tough day. You could throw this on at the end of the night when you want your company to go home. It’ll do the trick.

Call it: Atmospheric mind blasting not to be taken lightly or with hallucinogens (I imagine... that just sounds like a bad idea)