“The mysteries of old school death metal are as arcane and unknowable as the most opaque of graduate school philosophy textbooks. The genre ingredients are so rudimentary, yet they can be bent, twisted, and deformed into a seemingly endless tide of horrific abominations. Back in 2020 Michigan’s The Glorious Dead tested their formulas fatal to the flesh on debut Into Lifeless Shrines, taking the basic OSDM blueprint and sprinkling in light prog and blackened elements.” Glory or bury?
“The name “Rotpit” stood out in the promo sump like an elephant turd in a kid’s wading pool. Impossible to miss and difficult to ignore, it begged critical questions. Is rotpit just another name for a grave, or is it something way more…rotten? Could it be a compost heap? Is this some kind of Earth-first green death metal? Steel doesn’t have all the answers, but he did learn that Rotpit is a side-project by current and former members of Heads of the Dead, Wombbath, Just Before Dawn, and Revel in Flesh.” 40 Rot Sun O))).
“U.K. death metal strikes early in 2023 with a debut full-length from Seven Doors, the one-man OSDM project by Ryan Wills. With a horror-inspired theme and a firm grounding in the classics like early Death, Massacre, and Cannibal Corpse, Feast of the Repulsive Dead’s formula is riffy, relentless meat n’ tatters death designed to keep one foot on your neck and the other up your strata-chocolata.” Knock knock.
“Ah, the first week of a new year. A week of renewal. Of bitter resentment at work. Of new Rogga projects. Yes, the grimy foreman of the Swedish death metal factory is back with of course another new project. After releasing–by my rough Metallum count–seven full-length albums with various projects in 2022, Rogga returns this month with Leper Colony’s self-titled debut. Coincidentally, I’ll be the seventh writer to review Rogga for this here site. Might ye despair, lest Rogga sneer at your pleas that he just for once in his life slow down and make the death metal masterpiece that more than one reviewer suggested he’s capable of?” Pieces of genius.
“Formed by members of Death, Massacre and Wombbath, Inhuman Condition hit the streets with a wet, disgusting thud via their 2021 Rat°God debut. It was a painfully retro throwback to late 80s death metal and no new stones were turned, but it was a ton of dumb, beefbrained fun packed with enough nostalgia to bring all the Steels to the boneyard. Now scarcely a year later Inhuman Condition is back with a whole new album. Talk about inhuman working conditions!” Condition critical.
“Hailing from the UK, As the World Dies come with solid pedigree attached, featuring members of Memoriam and Pemphigoid. Eager to blast their own path of dominance, the band enlisted the services of several notable guest vocalists to add some beef and retro death metal charm to the bludgeoning proceedings.” The agonist and ecstasy of death.
“Wombbath is a band that seems ruthlessly intent on making up for lost time. Lying dormant for 20 years after an initial run in the early 90s, the project was revived in 2014 by longtime guitarist Håken Stuvemark and the omnipresent Jonny Pettersson. Two albums saw the light of day in the band’s first four years back together, but then things went into hyperdrive following the additions of drummer Jon Rudin and guitarist Thomas von Wachenfeldt.” For Womb the bell tolls.
“Massacre is a death metal band I’ve always rooted for and got very little in return for my efforts. Though one of the creators of the entire genre, they were unable to get their long-delayed From Beyond debut out until 1991. By then they’d been scooped by a ton of acts and demoted from innovators to also-rans. Though their tardy debut was awesome, the band utterly failed to follow up on its potential.” The return of the return of the death progenitors.
“Promo selection is not always a calculated plan of precision. I’m sure every AMG writer has their own methodical ways or quirky preference when they dive into the sordid world of metal promos. But in some cases, it’s the promise of simple pleasures that can allure. Case in point is the new album from New Mexico’s deathgrind/crossover crew Feed the Corpses to the Pigs. I must admit it was their part cool, part clumsy moniker, and deathgrind tagging that dragged me in.” Hurls before swine.
“As an elderly gent who was already big into heavy metal long before genres like death and black arose and split off to maraud and pillage, I remember the early days of death fondly. Those seminal 80s albums by Death, Necrophagia, and Pestilence were simple, elemental and loads of unholy fun. When Massacre’s long-delayed From Beyond debut hit the streets in 1991, it was like a capstone on that original sound, which was already mutating and evolving into nastier, more abhorrent entities. I’m still very fond of those early platters, and was especially annoyed that Massacre never managed a decent follow up to their classic release. Fast-forward 30 years and Death / Massacre alumnus Terry Butler teamed up with some well-traveled younger guns to release what is essentially a continuation of Massacre with the name Inhuman Condition.” Vermin Supreme.
