“Good brutal death albums ruin your day. You swing your fists and frown, letting the caveman slams and moist leads saturate your eardrums in a coat of red mist as the mosh-pit hysteria results in a few too many lost brain cells. Astral Tomb does just that, featuring all the hallmarks of a good slam/goregrind/brutal death album: opener “Transcendental Visions” fitting this to a tee, the thirteen-minute opener reeks of Carcass-meets-Devourment-meets-Blood Incantation gore in its brutal emphasis on excess.” Star tombs, raw wounds.
Replicant
Blindfolded and Led to the Woods – Nightmare Withdrawals [Things You Might Have Missed 2021]
“Blindfolded and Led to the Woods, is a band from New Zealand with a bit of a storied past. Originally starting off as a humor-centric deathcore group with bizarrely titled offerings like Armed to the Teeth with Jellybeans or My Vaseline Diaries, the song “Atop the Wings of a Magpie” changed everything. Dissonant interplay, ominous tempos, speedy riffs, and even a guest spot from Nile‘s Karl Sanders replace mindless breakdowns and Psyopus-inspired wankery. Nightmare Withdrawals may not be their debut, but it’s their breakout album, and for good fucking reason.” Deliverance to quality.
Kronos’ and Grymm’s Top Ten(ish) of 2021
Kronos and Grymm deliver artisan Top Ten(ish) lists for 2021. Just look at that craftsmanship!
El Cuervo’s and Diabolus in Muzaka’s Top Ten(ish) of 2021
El Cuervo and Diabolus in Muzaka proudly display their Top Ten(ish) lists without a shred of self-awareness. It’s gross really.
GardensTale’s and Ferrous Beuller’s Top Ten(ish) of 2021
GardensTale and Ferrous Beuller unleash their Top Ten(ish) lists in a reckless manner without regard for the safety of others. Wear your safety goggles!
Saunders’, Huck N’ Roll’s and Cherd’s Top Ten(ish) of 2021
Saunders, Huck and Cherd deliver their weighty Top Ten(ish) lists and try to get along in the process.
Vertebra Atlantis – Lustral Purge in Cerulean Bliss
“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.
Autokrator – Persecution Review
“I think it’s in my job description to just steal promos from Kronos for the rest of my writing career. Autokrator is no exception, as a casual perusal through the promo bin revealed this little gem, one that elicited a reaction not unlike from beloved Christmas movie Elf: “I know them!”” Thieving in the house of death.
Record(s) o’ the Month – September 2021
I literally turned in my dissertation for print and worked 80 hours a week for the last month. Sure, I could delegate. But after everything, I really do think it’s better to just let them be late. I mean, isn’t this kind of my thing now?
Replicant – Malignant Reality Review
“Three years have passed since their Negative Life debut, and by the sound of it, Replicant spent not a moment of them fucking around. With a sound newly honed to scalpel precision, the New Jersey trio radiate a septic valor, the fearsome pride of the canny skid row pugilist whose sweat-slicked wounds repel as many challengers as their calloused knuckles. They dominate each bout and dedicate the win to those who taught them: Steve Hurdle and John Gallagher.” Replicating nasty realities.