“I was never a big fan of Replicant. The New Jersey quartet’s sophomore record Malignant Reality earned a high score on this here blog, but it failed to resonate with me at all. It featured solid enough tunes with big grooves and chunky riffs, but for one reason or another nothing stuck. However, every advance single for third LP Infinite Mortality struck a chord, so I snagged the promo in hopes that Replicant were about to turn the tables on me this time around.” Busted furnikits.
“Springing to life some twenty-five years ago, France’s Benighted have carved a legacy of quality output. From rougher beginnings, the deathgrind powerhouse developed and honed their potently addictive formula to a fine point, throwing down technically proficient, slammy deathgrind fireballs with plenty of gusto, a deliciously unhinged bent, and a pig squealing, asylum rioting sense of fun.” BREEE careful!
“If you haven’t heard an Ingested album at this point, it’s that you’re new to the scene as a nerdy metal aficionado or that you’ve actively avoided all music labeled as deathcore for the past fifteen or so years. Unfortunately, if you found your head bobbing in extreme reluctance at the whiplash grooves and squeal-driven breakdowns that adorn the newest Aborted release, you should probably consider checking out the odd act or two. Ingested’s 2018 release, as well as some of their earliest work, would be easy, enjoyable listening” Digest the Ingested?
“After the slamaissance of 2023 which brought us genre-blended success from Afterbirth and Wormhole, the prospect of slam bringing the same kind of heat in 2024 felt hopeful, but as an enjoyer of the hammer-dropping arts, I remain ever so. You see, sometimes a name and cover say it all, and in a genre like slam, those kinds of gaudy statements may be the most worthwhile attributes of the sonic whole. So when I saw festering in our full and plump sump the name Mutilation Barbecue and the fanciful display of human consumption that adorns their debut full-length Amalgamations of Gore, I slapped my name on it with equal parts wonder and fear.” Eat the poors.
“Hideous Divinity has been on a blazing trajectory in their recent career, culminating in the excellent Simulacrum. My former list buddy Ferrous, whose disappearance requires no police investigation I assure you, was rather enthused by that record, and it was one of the few overlapping entries on both our listicles that year. The Italians have earned their pedigree through battering brutality anchored to semi-progressive song structures and rendered with tight technical wizardry. No wonder that expectations are high for Unextinct” Hideous or glorious?
“New year, new sponge, same gig. What a better way to kick off 2024 than with some brutal, slightly proggy, slightly technical death metal! How serendipitous it was, then, that Engulf finally dropped their debut LP The Dying Planet Weeps upon my eager lap. Complete with very nice artwork and a remarkably rich and warm production, The Dying Planet Weeps aims to make a mockery of my scoring average as early in the year as it possibly can.” Engulfed by overratings.
“Eight years ago, Australian brutal death duo Revulsed dropped one of the most overlooked slabs of quality murderizing, Infernal Atrocity. Dripping with grimy licks, slithering riffs, and enough pinch harmonics to pop your nipples right off your torso, Infernal Atrocity demanded the attention of all who would encounter it. The fact that it was the band’s debut outing makes it only that much more impressive. Now it’s 2023, going on 2024. Revulsed found their way into Everlasting Spew’s roster, and at long last sophomore follow-up Cerebral Contamination prepares for ultimate unleashment.” Irresistable revulsion.
“So here we are again. End-of-year shenanigans are nearly upon us, as we AMG folk get geared up and frantically weed out the pretenders and consolidate our end-of-year lists for what is sure to be another actioned-packed and contentious edition of Listurnalia. But let us not get too carried away. Although the primo releases start to dry up as we close in on December, there are usually a handful or more of key releases to fuck up your list preparations. Enter Netherlands band, Bloodphemy.” List breaker or list faker?
“Legend has it, if you say Frank Mullen’s name in the mirror three times after dark, the seminal vocalist appears behind you and unleashes an almighty roar into your bloody earholes. For the first time in the lengthy career of the New York brutal death pioneers, the immense, muffled growls of Mullen are absent, as a new era begins in the Suffocation camp.” Old pros restricting airflows.
With Suffocation active again, we felt honor bound to do a ranking of their legendary catalog. Join us in praise of their career of ugly brutality.
