Nile

Hour of Penance – Misotheism

By Ferrous Beuller on November 6, 2019 in 2019, Agonia Records, Death Metal, Italian Metal, Reviews, Technical Death Metal, Death Metal, Technical Death Metal, 21 comments

“Hour of Penance have always been a great representation of Italy’s brand of death metal. Whether or not you enjoy that particular approach is down to personal preference, but their quality can’t be disputed. In an effort to fend off stagnation, the band have actively attempted to refine their sound since Sedition. Regicide and Cast the First Stone showcased a much more succinct pummeling. Without wanting to carve a potential rut, Misotheism sees Hour of Penance subtly shifting shape once more.” Killing time.

Nile – Vile Nilotic Rites Review

By Ferrous Beuller on November 1, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Death Metal, Nuclear Blast, Reviews, Technical Death Metal, Death Metal, Technical Death Metal, 81 comments

“I fucking love Nile and I’m certainly not alone. For many, they represent the upper echelons of extreme metal. But with such elevation comes even loftier expectation. Particularly after a decade of lackluster output. At the Gates of Sethu was beleaguered with limp songwriting and a vapid production whereas What Should Not be Unearthed tried too hard to make amends with blunt force boredom and impenetrable brickwalling. Such turmoil usually infers necessary change and ninth album Vile Nilotic Rites features some serious lineup alterations. Despite the album being predictably marketed under the auspice of the dreaded “comeback” and the added scrutiny inherent in new membership, my question remains singular and simple. Are Nile any fucking good again?” Back in the snake pit.

Arallu – En Olam Review

By Master of Muppets on October 5, 2019 in 2019, Black Metal, Death Metal, Israeli Metal, Reviews, Satanath Records, Black Metal, Death Metal, 26 comments

“I now recognize AMG‘s Law ov Diminishing Albums as a cold and cruelly ironic constant, and subsequently I slowly shuffled up to Six’s successor, the septimal En Olam, with extreme arthritis and trepidation. By the time it was all over, I sighed wearily and shuffled even more gingerly back to my sleeping perch—for such was the extent of my physical capabilities in the wake of the ass beating that En Olam had just given me.” Desert for dinner.

Arkhaaik – *dʰg̑ʰm̥tós Review

By Carcharodon on July 11, 2019 in 2019, Doom Metal, Iron Bonehead Productions, Reviews, Sludge Metal, Swiss Metal, Doom Metal, Sludge Metal, 72 comments

“Arkhaaik have, for reasons best known to them, decided to write and perform this in proto-Indo-European (PIE). The PIE tongue, last spoken several thousand years BC, remains only partially reconstructed. And this, according to my extensive Wikipedia research, at least explains the asterisks, which are used to mark reconstructed words. What’s that? Enough linguistic history? Well, there’s more but, if you’re sure.” Dead tongues and other creepy things.

Gravefields – Embrace the Void Review

By Kenstrosity on June 6, 2019 in 2019, Death Metal, International Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Redefining Darkness Records, Reviews, Death Metal, 22 comments

“Life kinda sucks. Or, I suppose more accurately, the realization that I have no control over how everything changes despite my every last effort to keep things stable kinda sucks. Unexpected alterations to my goals and plans abound. I question decisions I once thought sound, only to later circle back after realizing the alternatives were ill-fitting. Those close to me change in ways I fail to anticipate. Introducing further complications, I change and impact others in ways they can’t anticipate. It is because of the relentless fickleness of life that I appreciate the things that remain consistent. Thank the abyssal lords who art burning in the depths of hell, death metal is often one of those things. And Gravefields, an Irish/French/Egyptian (respectively, one guy from Ireland, one guy from France, and the band as a unit operating/recording mostly out of Cairo) death metal band supply ample evidence supporting this claim.” Death adds life.

Firespawn – Abominate Review

By Dr. Wvrm on June 4, 2019 in 2019, Century Media, Death Metal, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Death Metal, 20 comments

“I won’t go so far as to say album promo sheets are useless, but only because they’re often an indicator of how badly a band (or their PR people) misjudge their own sound. We’ve all had the never-been-heard-before braggadocio of a Bathory/Venom mash-up, the new heights promises of the perennial 2.5 bands, or that metalcore act that thinks they’re prog metal. Not one of us would bat an eye that Firespawn, the most meat and potatoes death metal act this side of modern Bloodbath, claim their third album Abominate ‘explores new ground that not many death metal bands have before.'” Lies, untruths and death metal.

Body Harvest – Parasitic Slavery Review

By Ferrous Beuller on May 15, 2019 in 2019, Comatose Music, Death Metal, English Metal, Reviews, Death Metal, 63 comments

“Our very own Eldritch Elitist recently posited that death metal is at its peak when following either one of two separate paths: an unapologetic flogging or creative innovation. He’s not wrong. But there is also a third route worthy of consideration. The one unashamedly paved with the gilded bones of the genre’s revered forefathers. How do we quantify those bands who patch their material together from piecemeal legacy? It’s an easy approach to snub, but there is plenty of evidence to suggest the potential for success.” Ripping off the oldies.

Contrarian – Their Worm Never Dies Review

By Saunders on March 14, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Progressive Death, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Willowtip, Death Metal, Progressive Metal, 77 comments

“Dear readers, what are your favorite ’90s progressive or technical death metal albums? Perhaps it’s Cynic’s legendary Focus, Death’s Human, Edge of Sanity’s Crimson, or is it Pestilence and their classic Consuming Impulse opus? Or maybe Atheist’s brilliant Unquestionable Presence album floats your boat. Or digging deeper, a more left-field choice: Martyr’s underrated Hopeless Hopes. New York’s Contrarian pay omage to the classic ’90s progressive and technical death scene through their retro and impressively authentic throwback style of spazzed out prog death on their third LP, Their Worm Never Dies.” Undying worms and olde death.

Prion – Aberrant Calamity Review

By Diabolus in Muzaka on February 27, 2019 in 2019, Argentinian Metal, Comatose Music, Death Metal, Reviews, Death Metal, 30 comments

“Heaviness is in the ear of the beholder, and you and I just know heavy when we hear it. To me, Devourment is rather heavy; to someone whose understanding of metal begins and ends with Disturbed, Devourment is just noise, and is therefore not heavy. Even this may prove contentious, because some people think “noise” as a genre is legitimately extreme and heavy. Slayer gets ridiculously heavy, both in their old stuff (“At Dawn They Sleep”) and new material (“Catatonic”). I’ve never found sludge to be all that heavy, despite sounding weighty and lacking in treble as it often does. Despite playing guitar in a metalcore band years ago, my younger sibling doesn’t pass muster on this scale; he ain’t heavy, he’s my brother. I cannot produce a definition of heavy in extreme metal, nor can you. We can merely tell people what is and isn’t heavy through bands and songs.” The heaviest matter of the universe.

The Ridiculous Year o’ Death Metal Round-up, Part 1 [Things You Might Have Missed 2018]

By Kronos on December 27, 2018 in 2019, American Metal, Canadian Metal, Death Metal, Italian Metal, Progressive Death, Reviews, Slam, Swedish Metal, Technical Death Metal, Things You Might Have Missed, Things You Might Have Missed 2018, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Technical Death Metal, 131 comments

“A lot of good death metal came out this year. In the last six months, it has become an outright deluge, and Ferrous Beuller and I have doggy-paddled through it, coughing and sputtering and generally being overwhelmed. But even if great albums were few, enough good albums came out—and got passed over—that we’re in dire need of a recap. In fact the need is so dire that we can’t hope to cover it all ourselves.”