“Elitist’s debut A Mirage of Grandeur incorporates the grind velocity without being called “deathgrind,” with elements of dissonance, noise, and blackened death, for something that is indisputably death metal and unquestionably punishing.” One-percenter death metal.
“Surprise! I know many of you have been patiently waiting for Holdeneye‘s review of the fourth full-length from UK death sludge slingers Warcrab, given how he so shamelessly ran his tongue all over their exoskeleton’s undercarriage when he reviewed their last outing, Damned In Endless Night. Well this time you get me. Don’t worry, Holdy‘s fine. He’s certainly not bound and ball-gagged in my garden shed dressed like Adventure Time’s Finn the Human, slipping in and out of consciousness in a chloroform haze. He was simply busy this week and remembered how much I also enjoyed Warcrab’s last album, so he turned over reviewing duties to yours truly.” Pick the Crab!
“Entering the supposed twilight years of a lengthy career, Baltimore death metal legends Dying Fetus show no signs of losing their edge or slipping into a set-and-forget comfort zone. If anything, the veteran trio, consisting of band leader John Gallagher (guitars/uber low vox), Sean Beasley (bass/mid-low range growls), and Trey Williams (drums) have been on a tear since consolidating their slimmed-down power trio set-up back on 2009’s Descend into Depravity.” From Fetus to legend.
“Imagine taking fecal samples from early days Carcass, Exhumed, and Autopsy and smearing them all on rye toast. The titanic shit sandwich you’d create would be Portland’s own Dripping Decay. Why you would be smearing fecal samples on toast in the first place, I don’t know, but it seems appropriate considering the cesspool that Dripping Decay drips and spews all over their Festering Grotesqueries debut.” Rip and drip.
“Yakuza over the course of their 20-plus year career explore through the duality of reverent and incendiary identities how sound too can transform through iteration. Having not yet graced the halls of AMG, and generally living on the outside of the metal limelight, Yakuza‘s hazily hypnotic, startlingly shredded, and warped woodwind take on metal will catch you off guard. Sutra will help you find the light.” C’mon Sutra.
“What can be said about Cattle Decapitation that hasn’t already been said about your local ax murderer? They’re disgusting, blood-soaked, and pungent, yet oddly endearing once you get to know them. Following a uniquely Carcassian career trajectory, ,b>Cattle Decapitation first plopped on the abattoir floor as a vegan-powered grindcore outfit with their first full-length in 1999. 20+ years and nine albums later, they’ve evolved into a celebrated death metal band with more melodic (yet no less bloody) sensibilities.” Meat is back off the menu, boys!
Grymm has tidings of musical wisdom in his Top Ten(ish) of 2022. Partake of it.
Saunders and Felagund demand to have their Top Ten(ish) lists heard across the land. We obliged.
“Martin Leth Andersen has been active on the Danish extreme metal for years. The Undergang—no, not that one, this one—bassist is in at least five active projects, with Strychnos, where he handles bass and vox, ticking along since 1998, without releasing an album. Until now. A four-piece combining death metal with a black’n’roll vibe, Strychnos seems to rear up every decade or so, putting out a demo and a single around the time of its inception, an EP and appearing on a compilation in 2011, and then going quiet again until 2021, when another demo dropped. Now, here we are with A Mother’s Curse. Inspired by the ending of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Tale of a Mother.” Mother’s murk.
“Lovable gorehounds Exhumed return after a three-year recording gap, feeling rather nostalgic as they celebrate their lengthy history, bringing back old cattle into the writing process, and musically, continuing the throwback trend of previous album, Horror. Since picking up the gore metal baton fumbled by idols Carcass on Swansong, Exhumed carved a remarkably consistent career. While lovingly inspired by the English legends, Exhumed were never content with mimicry.” Huzzah to the ripper.
