Brutal Death Metal

Abhorrent – Intransigence [Things You Might Have Missed 2015]

By Saunders on May 2, 2016 in American Metal, Death Metal, Things You Might Have Missed 2015, Willowtip, 21 comments

“Generally speaking, brutal and slam death are tough pills for me to swallow. It’s not that my ears are hyper sensitive to the trademark extremity of the style, but rather the cartoonish brutality, often amateurish musicianship and lack of song-writing smarts results in many bands dissolving into a forgettable slop of unrefined mediocrity. Inevitably there are exceptions, particularly when the slam grooves and relentless brutality are attached to memorable, catchy songs and top-notch musicianship.” It’s never too late to realize you missed something.

Murder Made God – Enslaved Review

By Kronos on April 7, 2016 in 2016, Comatose Music, Death Metal, Greek Metal, Reviews, Death Metal, 12 comments

“Greek brutal death outfit Murder Made God didn’t exactly make a splash with their debut, Irreverence, which introduced the band with little fanfare. Enslaved isn’t out to challenge your conceptions of brutal death metal, but there’s a wealth of material on this album that shows the band growing but certainly not diversifying. With a name like Murder Made God, brutal death is what you expect, and brutal death is what you get.” Take what you get when it is given!

Wormed – Krighsu Review

By Kronos on March 9, 2016 in 2016, Death Metal, Progressive Death, Releases, Reviews, Season of Mist, Spanish Metal, Slam, 40 comments

“The wait is finally over, slam nerds. If, like me, you have been long awaiting the next chapter in the story of Krighsu, the Terrax, and stellar depopulation in the year 8K, then fear not; the new Wormed album, Krighsu, is cresting over the pseudo-horizon, so it’s time to leave that geodesic dome and begin vortex mitosis.” The wait is over, or has it just begun?

Atrocious Abnormality – Formed in Disgust

By Kronos on February 25, 2016 in 2016, American Metal, Comatose Music, Death Metal, Reviews, Death Metal, Slam, 26 comments

“If I had my druthers – and by Jorn’s undershorts, they will be had – I’d be reviewing a lot more good slam. The paucity of good slam to review occurs for two reasons. Number one; we don’t get a whole lot of promo for slam bands, I suspect because so few of them speak English, and number two; good slam is hard to find. Sturgeon’s rule says that 90 percent of everything is crap, but for certain genres of metal, that’s a conservative estimate, and brutal death metal seems to produce stinkers at an alarming pace.” Watch as Kronos pines longingly for slam.

Omnihility – Dominion of Misery Review

By Kronos on February 16, 2016 in 2016, American Metal, Death Metal, Reviews, Unique Leader, Technical Death Metal, 34 comments

“Coming hot off the tail of a rough early summer between myself and Unique Leader records, Omnihility’s last album, Deathscapes of the Subconscious, quite impressed me with a mix of inventive and impossibly demanding riffing and a sleeve full of compositional tricks. Indeed, some of its riding embedded itself in me, and I find myself recalling the title track’s modulated theme again and again, even as I listen to the wealth of new shred that Dominion of Misery presents.” The struggle is real (and trve).

Cryptopsy – The Book of Suffering: Tome 1 Review

By Kronos on October 21, 2015 in 2015, Canadian Metal, Death Metal, Reviews, Technical Death Metal, 36 comments

“If Cryptopsy’s bandcamp page is to be believed, the legendary brutal/tech-death pioneers took a quick 16 year break after releasing the classic None So Vile, triumphantly regrouping to produce 2012’s unfuckwithable Cryptopsy. Yet as fans know all too well, the truth is quite a lot messier.” We’re pretty OCD here at AMG, so we’ll clean up that mess for you.

Antropofago – Æra Dementiæ Review

By El Cuervo on August 9, 2015 in 2015, Death Metal, French Metal, Kaotoxin Records, Reviews, Death Metal, Technical Death Metal, 13 comments

“France has become quite the hub for memorable extreme music in recent times: Deathspell Omega front a dissonant black metal current; Blut Aus Nord fluctuate between various avant-garde stylings but have been a driving force in modern black metal; Cowards fiercely object to perceived façades of beauty and political correctness in their hardcore-influenced anger. Now Antropofago has stepped up to the mark, attempting to wrestle the tech-death reins from their compatriots Gorod, new material from which has been notably absent.” France wants to be the new Sweden.

Kronos – Arisen New Era Review

By Kronos on July 22, 2015 in 2015, Death Metal, French Metal, Releases, Reviews, Unique Leader, 43 comments

“What with the subtle consumer advice regarding one Ethereal Shroud album and Angry Metal Guy’s upcoming (and doubtless gushing) review of the new Trials disc, you may have noticed a theme on our brave little blog: blatant conflict of interest. Never one to miss out on a shameful trend, I’ve decided hop aboard the choo-choo of duplicity and perform an honest, above-the-board review for the completely unaffiliated French brutes in Kronos.” AMG: avoiding the mere appearance of impropriety in favor of flagrant impropriety.

Dawn of Azazel – The Tides of Damocles Review

By Kronos on April 28, 2015 in 2015, New Zealand Metal, Progressive Death, Reviews, 26 comments

“Readers already familiar with my preferences will recall that on multiple occasions I have referenced Ulcerate as both pioneers of the growing experimental and dissonant death metal trend and the most creative band since Meshuggah. Bold words indeed, (pun intended), but in truth, Ulcerate’s last three albums have been so excellent that I had to update the seal of approval I placed on them to a walrus.” Can Dawn of Azazel win such a prodigious stamp or do they earn the dreaded Frowny Face of Kronos.

Omnihility – Deathscapes of the Subconscious Review

By Kronos on July 16, 2014 in 2014, American Metal, Death Metal, Rating, Reviews, Unique Leader, Technical Death Metal, 4 comments

“Most of the time, technical death and progressive death pretty much go hand in hand. Anyone with the chops to play at breakneck speeds and shred with the best of them will want to show off not just their technical skill, but their ability to bring something new to the table, and this mentality has only gained adherents as the style has flourished. But occasionally there arises a group of musicians who want nothing more than to play in the style of Cannibal Corpse but do it at twice the speed. That’s where Omnihility fits into the picture.” Kronos continues his campaign to review every tech-death act on the Unique Leader roster. FIGHT!