Brutal Death Metal

Devangelic – Ersetu Review

By Kronos on May 14, 2020 in Reviews, Death Metal, 9 comments

“The concept album does not translate well to death metal. That’s not to say bands can’t pull it off, but the mangled vocals and chaotic nature of the genre work against attempts to tell a story across the length of a record. Most of the more successful death metal concept albums take musical cues from progressive rock—distinctive melodies, varied pacing, and tamed growls get the point across. Devangelic rally against this, writing concept albums that contain none of that.” Conceptual brutality.

Unmerciful – Wrath Encompassed Review

By Saunders on April 28, 2020 in Reviews, Death Metal, 11 comments

“It’s evident from the outset that Unmerciful pull no punches. Wrath Encompassed is a ferociously brutal affair, featuring top notch musicianship, relentless pacing and raw boned aggression. Traces of Origin and Suffocation infiltrate the band’s hardened exterior, while occasional beams of blackened energy ripple through the maelstrom. Purely on execution and commitment to the cause, Unmerciful succeed in their mission of bludgeoning the listener with tightly performed, endlessly aggressive brutal death, featuring an impressive technical bent.” No mercy.

Angry Metal Primer – Benighted

By Dr. Wvrm on April 12, 2020 in 2020, Angry Metal Playlist, Angry Metal Primer, Death Metal, French Metal, Season of Mist, 5 comments

“A late primer guaranteed to keep you up later (try “Fritzl”). Welcome to the craziest crazies brutal slamming death metal has to offer.” Taste the French dread.

Benighted – Obscene Repressed Review

By Saunders on April 9, 2020 in 2020, Death Metal, French Metal, Grind, Reviews, Season of Mist, Death Metal, 27 comments

“With a career spanning over 20 years, French deathgrind wrecking crew Benighted are very much in the veteran class. This perennial favorite continues delivering top notch material, showing no signs of tempering their gnarled, awesomely potent, and over-the-top formula of brutal deathgrind, replete with oddball treats, technical mastery, gut-busting grooves and tasteful lashings of melody.” Own the Benight!

Twitch of the Death Nerve – A Resting Place for the Wrathful Review

By Diabolus in Muzaka on March 25, 2020 in 2020, British Metal, Comatose Music, Death Metal, Reviews, Death Metal, 10 comments

“Twitch of the Death Nerve is a modern brutal death metal band from jolly old England, beginning in 2004 and, including sophomore release A Resting Place for the Wrathful, have two full-lengths and one split contribution to their name. By the time their first full-length dropped in 2014, death metal had gone through effectively every relevant mutation – their influences are vast and plenty.” Wrath never sleeps.

Afterbirth – Four Dimensional Flesh Review

By Kronos on March 10, 2020 in 2020, American Metal, Death Metal, Progressive Death, Reviews, Slam, Unique Leader, Death Metal, Slam, 61 comments

“Welcome to my ass. We won’t be long. I’ve gathered us here today before my review of the brilliant new Afterbirth record because I didn’t want to drag you through here in the middle of it. Suffice it to say that my critique of Afterbirth’s The Time Traveler’s Dilemma has proven unassailably correct: Afterbirth should get right back on the horse, they should keep exploring their progressive tendencies, and they absolutely should record with Colin Marston. Probably no thanks to my scolding they have. Four Dimensional Flesh is a triumph, one of the most charismatic and original death metal albums you’ll ever hear.” Ass above, so below.

Wormhole – The Weakest Among Us Review

By Kenstrosity on January 12, 2020 in 2020, American Metal, Death Metal, Lacerated Enemy Records, Reviews, Slam, Technical Death Metal, Slam, Technical Death Metal, 45 comments

“Karen, Plankton’s computer wife, defines ‘seaweed’ as, and I quote, ‘50% sea, 50% weed.’ I define Wormhole as ‘50% worm, 50% hole,’ where ‘worm’ represents tech-death and ‘hole’ represents slam. I rarely encounter genre-blending bands who can evenly balance the weight each constituent style bears upon their respective sounds, but Wormhole might be the first to find a perfect 50/50 distribution.” Numbers, worms and holes.

Teeth – The Curse of Entropy Review

By GardensTale on November 26, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Death Metal, Grind, Reviews, Translation Loss, Death Metal, 35 comments

“Chomping, gnawing, biting, gnashing, grinding, tearing. These are all things teeth can do. They are also things Teeth can do. As a proudly unbrutal prog weenie, The Curse of Entropy by the Californian brutal deathgrind band was a decidedly adventurous selection for yours truly. Perhaps this was a mistake. Perhaps I should have left this to others more thoroughly versed in brutality, like Kronos or Ferrous. Perhaps if I had left Teeth where it lay, I would still have my own teeth, rather than having them scattered across the floor.” Dental health.

Unfathomable Ruination – Enraged and Unbound Review

By Kronos on November 19, 2019 in 2019, British Metal, Death Metal, Reviews, Technical Death Metal, Willowtip, Death Metal, Technical Death Metal, 66 comments

“Death metal is not a subtle art. Brutal death metal doubly so. Brutal, technical… well you get the point. Unfathomable Ruination exemplify this dearth of subtlety in name but belie it in their music. Their sophomore effort, Finitude, stands as one of the decade’s most punishing yet memorable death metal albums, punctuating each of its songs with a constricting riff or winding lead that seared it instantly into the mind. A great deal of the album’s success came from the band’s shrewd dispensation of show-stoppers, always releasing just enough brilliance to keep the listener wanting more. Apparently unwilling to rest on their laurels, Enraged and Unbound lives up to its predecessor’s unpredictable brutality.” Ruination as hobby.

Hideous Divinity – Simulacrum Review

By Ferrous Beuller on November 14, 2019 in 2019, Century Media, Death Metal, Italian Metal, Reviews, Technical Death Metal, Death Metal, Technical Death Metal, 60 comments

“Simulacrum forges even further ahead with myriad permutations of an already mutated theme. The angelic atrocity that inhabits the front of Adveniens now appears mottled and in tormented flux as it attempts to assume a new form. The result is ugly and twisted but, for better or worse, remains affixed to the foundation from which it first drew such terrible life. The message couldn’t be clearer: some pain will last.” Agony as ecstasy.