Death Metal

Cadaveric Fumes – Echoing Chambers of Soul Review

By Angry Metal Guy on December 6, 2021 in Reviews, Death Metal, 23 comments

“Five eventful years after EP Dimensions Obscure enticed Grymm with its fusion of old school death metal, occult rock, and Gallic idiosyncrasy, these Frenchmen have released their first full-length Echoing Chambers of Soul. This debut is also a swan song, as the band is now calling it quits. Is Cadaveric Fumes leaving the stage with the grand statement hinted at by their early work, or has their creative engine sputtered to a stop?” It feels like a “or does it smell like a corpse” joke was the obvious thing to do here, doesn’t it?

Celestial Swarm – Gateways to the Necroverse [Things You Might Have Missed 2021]

By TheKenWord on December 6, 2021 in Things You Might Have Missed 2021, Black Metal, Death Metal, Slam, 8 comments

“It seems like I routinely encounter one album within the first week of the year that sticks with me to the end. In 2021, that honor belongs to Celestial Swarm‘s immense debut, Gateways to the Necroverse. The international four-piece claim to innovate a novel subset of br00tality: “slamming black metal.” Given what I’ve spent an entire year absorbing, I think a better moniker is “brutal black metal,” but I suppose that’s splitting hairs.” At the Gateways.

Dormant Ordeal – The Grand Scheme of Things Review

By Dr. Wvrm on December 3, 2021 in Reviews, Death Metal, Technical Death Metal, 68 comments

“Since joining the AMG staff, a lot has changed, both personally and in the world. Everywhere you look, something is completely fucking different from how it was a mere half-decade ago. Poland’s Dormant Ordeal, however, are immune to the trend. Their 2016 opus We Had It Coming certainly had its spot on that year’s Best Of lists coming, and their tech-death sound remains exactly as it was, stalwart and monolithic. But if you aren’t moving forward, you’re moving backward, and Dormant Ordeal can’t risk falling behind in a strong year for a crowded tech-death field.” Of grand schemes and heavy things.

Unanimated – Victory in Blood Review

By Steel Druhm on December 2, 2021 in Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, 15 comments

“Unanimated is a historical oddity of sorts. Emerging from the Swedish death metal scene in the late 80s, they were one of the first bands to play what we now think of melodeath. Their 1993 In the Forest of the Dreaming Dead debut hit the same year as Dark Tranquillity‘s debut and At the Gates sophomore platter, but Unanimated‘s music was darker and creepier with a strong black metal element winding through its twisted core. Though the debut has gone on to become a minor cult classic, the band was quickly left behind as their contemporaries garnered all the fame and attention. There was a gap of some 14 years between their second and third release, and now after 12 years, we get their fourth outing, Victory in Blood.” Transcending obscurity.

Cutterred Flesh – Sharing is Caring Review

By TheKenWord on December 2, 2021 in Reviews, Death Metal, 43 comments

“Indeed, Sharing is Caring! In the spirit of sharing, allow me to share my opinion on Cutterred Flesh‘s cheekily-named fifth album’s artwork. It’s brilliant, and my current favorite piece of 2021. On the surface, it follows a common aesthetic approach endemic to brutal death metal. Look closer, and notice that the subjects’ roles are flipped. The innocent, fragile hoo-mahns are the ones doing all of the flesh-tearing, stabbing and vivisecting of the big, scary monsters.” We care a lot.

In Mourning – The Bleeding Veil Review

By TheKenWord on November 27, 2021 in Reviews, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Melodic Metal, Post-Metal, 53 comments

“Of all the melodic death metal bands that live in the eternal shadow of gloom, the only act I consistently return to is In Mourning. For one reason or another, this band’s particular blend of crooning introspection and deceptive heft resonates with me. From the inimitable Monolith to the career resurgence of Garden of Storms, the Swedes kicked out quality melodic death metal, slowly but smoothly integrating bits of black metal and post-metal into their formula as they matured. In 2021, sixth installment The Bleeding Veil ushers in a new hot streak for the group.” Mourning hasn’t broken.

Vertebra Atlantis – Lustral Purge in Cerulean Bliss

By Dear Hollow on November 24, 2021 in Reviews, Atmospheric Black Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, 23 comments

“Mastermind behind such acts like Summit, The Clearing Path, Cosmic Putrefaction, and Turris Eburnea, G.G. or Gabriele Gramaglia’s resume is vast and varied, and sets a pretense for new project Vertebra Atlantis. Working with drummer/vocalist R.R. from Homselvareg and Vrangr from Spells of Misery, debut Lustral Purge in Cerulean Bliss offers a fusion of dissonant death metal and atmospheric black metal, not unlike labelmates Prometheus‘ debut.” Dissonance dissidents.

Concrete Winds – Nerve Butcherer Review

By Steel Druhm on November 23, 2021 in Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, 49 comments

“Finnish two-piece Concrete Winds emerged from the ashes of Vorum in 2019, with debut Primitive Force marrying an unrelenting death metal onslaught with a passionate love of gobbledygook song titles. The band’s approach bears a close resemblance to the ferocious stylings of war metal, albeit with less of a blackened edge. Accordingly, while Concrete Winds’ moniker is a head-scratcher, the title of their sophomore effort Nerve Butcherer leaves little ambiguity about how the listener is intended to feel.” Mad nerve butcher!

The Temple – The Temple Review

By Dear Hollow on November 20, 2021 in Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 43 comments

“I’d be willing to put down money that The Temple is or contains a piece of Ulcerate. This New Zealand duo consists of P.K. on guitar, bass, and vocals (Paul Kelland? Sure sounds like him) and J.W. on drums (former Ulcerate vocalist James Wallace?), and to make matters worse, the self-titled debut was mixed and produced by J. Saint Merat. But this feeling of limbo, that maybe it is or maybe it isn’t, is what The Temple dwells in.” Crouching temples, hidden tech-death.

Swallow the Sun – Moonflowers Review

By Steel Druhm on November 19, 2021 in Reviews, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 36 comments

“There hasn’t been much positivity coming from the Swallow the Sun camp these last few years. The tragic passing of guitarist Juha Raivio’s partner and Trees of Eternity collaborator Aleah Stanbridge led to a grief-driven release from Raivio’s Hallatar project as well as the unrelentingly depressive When a Shadow is Forced Into the Light from this group. Years pass and pain diminishes, but based on what we get on Moonflowers, it seems Mr. Raivio is still struggling to get back to the light.” Aphotic hypnotic.