Incantation

Concilivm – A Monument in Darkness Review

Concilivm – A Monument in Darkness Review

“I scoff at the idea of curses, but things have been dicey since I let Concilivm’s dark magicks into my life. My hated rival Grigori Ilanovich got the promotion I’ve been vying for, there’s a strange shadow on the bedroom wall that seems to be creeping closer each night, and my credit rating has been lowered to “Shoot on Sight.” Can A Monument in Darkness’s forty minutes of blackened death metal really be the source of all this bad mojo? Spin the debut offering of this duo from Chile, and you too might find yourself consumed by the encroaching blackness. It may well be too late to save me, so I’ll set down this record of my findings.” Dark deeds done dirt cheap.

Malignant Altar – Realms of Exquisite Morbidity Review

Malignant Altar – Realms of Exquisite Morbidity Review

“Like a cesspool creamsicle, Malignant Altar seep out of Texas with their debut full-length, Realms of Exquisite Morbidity. Proud members of the “Morbid Angel coated in shit, sludge and tentacles” mini-genre, they glissade up alongside other poo-encrusted acts like Decrepisy who believe Incantation needed more murk and muck in their formative years. And over the course of 33 minutes, Malignant Altar do their damndest to force-feed you all the medical waste and filth they can as they gleefully cavort through the unspeakably foul gunk of some godforsaken cavern of inequity.” Altars of jaundice.

Churchburn – Genocidal Rite Review

Churchburn – Genocidal Rite Review

“So many outside motivators have this way of impacting everything you do in life. You set a plan down, put it into motion, get all your t’s crossed, your i’s dotted, and you always remember to carry the one over to the next column on the left whenever you’re adding…and then, you’re blindsided by a person, situation, or some other thing that topples your best-laid intentions like a house of cards. For Churchburn’s Dave Suzuki, it was the loss of a family member last year.” Time burns us all.

Rothadás – Kopár hant…az alvilág felé Review

Rothadás – Kopár hant…az alvilág felé Review

“The past week has been magical. Days of heavy rain mixed with days of clear, chilly weather have done wonders to my mood. Cue the magical days of doom and gloom! Death/doom and gloom, that is. My fall of 2019 was filled with releases from quality death/doom acts like Nightfell, Sempiternal Dusk, and Mortiferum, and with the latter poised to release their sophomore platter in November—not to mention 1914’s imminent invasion—I’m hoping that this debut from Hungary’s Rothadás can kick off another season of pulverizing horror.” Chilled spirits.

Decrepisy – Emetic Communion Review

Decrepisy – Emetic Communion Review

“A foot firmly stuck in thick, rancid muck. A foot that can only be wrenched free with herculean effort. An effort inevitably resulting in a loss of balance and a fall into aforementioned muck, hopelessly entrapping oneself. Death finds all men, and this increasingly dire scenario is akin to experiencing the filthy cavern-core offered by Decrepisy on their Emetic Communion debut. A group featuring members of Vastum, Funebrarum, and Ascended Dead, Decepisy is heavily steeped in the ways of vile, ghastly death and they inhabit the same sewer pipes as grimy greats like Incantation.” Taste the outflow.

Vomit Ritual – Callous Review

Vomit Ritual – Callous Review

“When I first read the name Vomit Ritual, three thoughts occurred to me. The first was that our tenured professor in all things vomit, Doktor Mark Z, should probably be reviewing this. The second was that Vomit Ritual is a rather funny band name in metal’s typical macabre and absurd sense of humor. What type of ritual involves vomit? Is the vomit procured beforehand, or do the participants need to vomit during the ritual? Who knows? Who cares? The third was reading Vomit Ritual in the phrasing of Death’s “Zombie Ritual,” which is rather amusing. Try it at home, the review will be here when you get back.” Ralph roundtables.

Drawn and Quartered – Congregation Pestilence Review

Drawn and Quartered – Congregation Pestilence Review

Drawn and Quartered plays what many refer to as “cavern-core,” which really means “something that sounds a lot like Incantation.” Oftentimes there’s an echoey “cavernous” production whence this sub-subgenre derives its name. Drawn and Quartered aren’t interested in capturing that aesthetic via production tricks, though; they want to use riffs and songs to get at that Incantation magic. Cemetery Urn took a similar approach on their self-titled record to what’s happening on Congregation Pestilence, which is to focus more on the speedier moments of Incantation and make some barbaric, unrelenting death metal.” Cave sale.

Killing Addiction – Mind of a New God Review

Killing Addiction – Mind of a New God Review

“Don’t judge a book by its cover. Don’t make your mind up too soon. Things aren’t necessarily always what they seem to be. If you’re about my age and used to watch Thomas the Tank Engine, the above has triggered a flashback and you’ve now got the melody of that song stuck in your head wherein it shall remain for at least twenty-four hours. It’s good advice though, because Killing Addiction’s choice of cover for their second LP Mind of a New God looks like the concept art for a rejected Mortal Kombat boss that you can’t play as in multiplayer. Despite the cover, it shouldn’t be overlooked.” Killing business.