Brutal Death Metal

Vile Apparition – Depravity Ordained Review

By Kronos on January 21, 2019 in 2019, Australian Metal, Death Metal, Memento Mori, Reviews, Death Metal, 52 comments

“Abstract: Many recent investigations in the field of death metal have returned to classical techniques in order to reliably synthesize brutality. In recent years, authors have generated several novel formulations that draw from classic literature to generate new brutalities that fit modern needs but are still as effective as older formulas. Here I report on a recently discovered compound, formulated on a reliable basic structure, which exists at high purity with few residuals. This new product is applicable for research use and will be available in digital databases shortly after the publication of this article, with physical availability expected later in 2019.” SCIENCE!

Meathook – Crypts, Coffins, Corpses Review

By Diabolus in Muzaka on January 3, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Death Metal, Reviews, Unmatched Brutality Records, Death Metal, 36 comments

“Why brutal death metal and slam appeal to me hit me upon visiting a weird occult shop in Covington. Dead things in jars, all manner of non-human skulls, bloodied animals – these people were serious about this stuff. It’s not fun anymore when it hits that point. Writing gross-out lyrics is essentially writing fart and toilet jokes for people into horror films. It’s lowbrow, but it’s fun because of it.” Hooks in you.

The Ridiculous Year o’ Death Metal Round-up, Part 1 [Things You Might Have Missed 2018]

By Kronos on December 27, 2018 in 2019, American Metal, Canadian Metal, Death Metal, Italian Metal, Progressive Death, Reviews, Slam, Swedish Metal, Technical Death Metal, Things You Might Have Missed, Things You Might Have Missed 2018, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Technical Death Metal, 131 comments

“A lot of good death metal came out this year. In the last six months, it has become an outright deluge, and Ferrous Beuller and I have doggy-paddled through it, coughing and sputtering and generally being overwhelmed. But even if great albums were few, enough good albums came out—and got passed over—that we’re in dire need of a recap. In fact the need is so dire that we can’t hope to cover it all ourselves.”

Cognitive – Matricide Review

By Akerblogger on October 28, 2018 in 2018, American Metal, Death Metal, Reviews, Unique Leader, Death Metal, 30 comments

“Glaring faults have surfaced after revisiting Cognitive’s 2016 release Deformity. At the time of my 2016 review, I was taken aback by Deformity’s barrage of brutal death metal merged with playful yet apt spurts of technicality. I complimented the vocal approach, too — using disgusting hyperbole I labeled vocalist Jorel Hart a monstrous vocal shapeshifter. However, upon my recent revisit, Deformity’s mix sounds dense in an obscuring, impenetrable way, the vocals are way too forward in the mix and carry a distracting monotony at times, and the technical escapades are either too brief or twist a song into an unnatural gait. Still, moments of exciting power remain, but they’re not as prominent or convincing as when experienced in 2016. I’ve become much more jaded since then. Fast forward 24 months and Cognitive are back with Matricide, their third full-length.” Time does not heal.

Cryptopsy – The Book of Suffering – Tome II Review

By Kronos on October 25, 2018 in 2018, Canadian Metal, Death Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Technical Death Metal, Death Metal, Technical Death Metal, 194 comments

“Much as they, and we, desperately want to move past it, Cryptopsy have for a long time been known for questionable, if not outright awful, stylistic decisions. Even with the music back on track, The Book of Suffering series of EPs insists on having some of the shittiest cover art imaginable, apparently under the impression that breasts decay far slower than the rest of the body, and that we’re all really into that sort of thing. I’d consider taking points off but the sad fact is that if I docked the score for every misogynistic album cover we’d probably stop getting promo altogether.” In the crypt, less is more.

Aborted Fetus – The Ancient Spirits of Decay Review

By Saunders on May 27, 2018 in 2018, Comatose Music, Death Metal, Reviews, Russian Metal, Slam, Death Metal, Slam, 28 comments

“Luckily, death metal comes in so many intriguing varieties catering for differing tastes, ensuring the genre is never wanting for quality acts, from veteran enforcers to talented upstarts. But I hold particular respect for the underdog veteran acts toiling away in relative obscurity, keeping it real in the underground. One such act is Russian death metal juggernaut Aborted Fetus, returning in quick time with their sixth LP of groovy, straightforward brutality, entitled The Ancient Spirits of Decay.” Leave it to Fetus.

Ingested – The Level Above Human Review

By Kronos on April 26, 2018 in British Metal, Death Metal, Deathcore, Reviews, Unique Leader, Deathcore, Slam, 46 comments

“Slow year for death metal though it has been, things are speeding up — metaphorically, that is. Manchester’s finest slamongers are back with their fourth full-length insult, The Level Above Human, and as always they’re peddling their trademark combination of deathcore and brutal slam. It’s an influential mix and one that plenty of today’s slam-purveyors like Vulvodynia and Abominable Putridity owe their success to. Yet as fun, as the beatdown combo can be, quality control has never been a hallmark of either genre. Ingested navigate the bloodied, goopy waters of brutal deathcore as well as any crew of veteran slam sailors, and though The Level Above Human won’t change your world, it will change the position of your head in relation to that world with great regularity.” Level up or die.

Devangelic – Phlegethon Review

By Kronos on November 9, 2017 in 2017, Comatose Music, Death Metal, Italian Metal, Reviews, Death Metal, 31 comments

“In what is sure to be a heart-stopping shock to readers, I’m embarking upon a mid-length review of a brutal death metal album from Italy that I’m not terribly fond of. Gasp and swoon though you may, if you survey recent examples of Italian brutal death metal reviewed in this august publication, the Kronos name is not too thick in the ground, and that’s intentional. I’m a devout opponent of the style of brutal death pioneered by Hour of Penance and copied by so many of their Mediterranean peers and do my best to avoid reviewing death bands who play in the style simply because it’s a lose-lose situation.” Death in Venice (or nearby).

Gutslit – Amputheatre Review

By Saunders on October 20, 2017 in 2017, Death Metal, Grind, Indian Metal, Reviews, Transcending Obscurity, Death Metal, 52 comments

“You don’t have to be a metal genius to make an accurate assumption about the genre affiliation of India’s Gutslit. Although it would make a nice surprise, Gutslit isn’t a group of prog metal hipsters or power metal warrior nerds. No folks, Gutslit, as expected, play brutal death bolstered by a smattering of grind. But unlike many run-of-the-mill bands that favor guttural extremity over actual craftsmanship and decent songwriting, Gutslit rise above the pack with their impressively written and refined second LP, Amputheatre.” Sometimes guts are enough.

Cytotoxin -Gammageddon Review

By Kronos on July 19, 2017 in 2017, Death Metal, German Metal, Releases, Technical Death Metal, Unique Leader, Death Metal, Technical Death Metal, 40 comments

“Cytotoxin, back five years after 2012’s Radiophobia and thankfully not much altered. The same slammy riffing, the same unsparing vocals, the same troubling nuclear disaster fetishism, and the same hyper-fast sweep picked leads – but this time there’s more of them.” Kronos is back, and so is Cytotoxin. What a day!