Slam

Mental Cruelty – Inferis Review

Mental Cruelty – Inferis Review

“Well, I guess the Pope is a zombie now. Admit it, you all saw that coming. A religious leader, let alone one that wields as much influence as the head of the Catholic Church? Come on. Whatever, that’s a tangent for another time. For now, let’s talk about the second full-length album by Mental Cruelty, named Inferis.” Popecore.

Dawn of Demise – Into the Depths of Veracity Review

Dawn of Demise – Into the Depths of Veracity Review

“Dawn of Demise are the death metal equivalent of comfort food; they’re high in calories, addictive and provide an unhealthy dose of tasty goodness that proves difficult to resist. The Danish veterans have been plugging away with their beefy, groove-laced brutal death formula for well over a decade. And while they may struggle to hit truly great heights, I’m always eager to dive into the thick, gooey depths of their simple and bludgeoning formula. Fifth album Into the Depths of Veracity largely offers more of the same as a follow-up to 2016’s solid The Suffering LP.” Brutal buffet.

Angel Splitter – Descension to Demonic Paraphilia Review

Angel Splitter – Descension to Demonic Paraphilia Review

“Finding a diamond in the rough amidst the uncompromising slam death landscape is always a pleasure. The grinding trials and tribulations of the average underground extreme metal band conspired against Seattle’s Angel Splitter, with various circumstances leading to a significant delay of the release of their debut LP, Descension of Demonic Paraphilia, originally slated to drop last October. So strap yourselves in and prepare to be slammed.” Welcome to the slam jam.

Kill Everything – Scorched Earth [Things You Might Have Missed 2018]

Kill Everything – Scorched Earth [Things You Might Have Missed 2018]

“Saying something slams so hard that it sounds like getting disemboweled with a chainsaw while being force-fed a live colony of bees is more convincing and appealing than saying that a slam record has a bunch of killer riffs, is well-structured, and is worth listening to. In that spirit, Kill Everything’s debut album Scorched Earth sounds like bungee-jumping with your own intestines after having your skull caved in by a club.” Is this a good thing?

Internal Bleeding – Corrupting Influence Review

Internal Bleeding – Corrupting Influence Review

“Unfortunately, there’s a tragic side story around the album’s conception, bringing a deeper emotional depth to Corrupting Influence. In 2017, founding member, powerhouse drummer, and veteran New York firefighter Bill Tolley sadly passed away while bravely performing his duties during a complicated emergency. Determined to press on and honor Bill’s memory, Internal Bleeding forged ahead with their latest opus of slammy, hardcore-tinged death.” Once and future heroes.

Aborted Fetus – The Ancient Spirits of Decay Review

Aborted Fetus – The Ancient Spirits of Decay Review

“Luckily, death metal comes in so many intriguing varieties catering for differing tastes, ensuring the genre is never wanting for quality acts, from veteran enforcers to talented upstarts. But I hold particular respect for the underdog veteran acts toiling away in relative obscurity, keeping it real in the underground. One such act is Russian death metal juggernaut Aborted Fetus, returning in quick time with their sixth LP of groovy, straightforward brutality, entitled The Ancient Spirits of Decay.” Leave it to Fetus.

Ingested – The Level Above Human Review

Ingested – The Level Above Human Review

“Slow year for death metal though it has been, things are speeding up — metaphorically, that is. Manchester’s finest slamongers are back with their fourth full-length insult, The Level Above Human, and as always they’re peddling their trademark combination of deathcore and brutal slam. It’s an influential mix and one that plenty of today’s slam-purveyors like Vulvodynia and Abominable Putridity owe their success to. Yet as fun, as the beatdown combo can be, quality control has never been a hallmark of either genre. Ingested navigate the bloodied, goopy waters of brutal deathcore as well as any crew of veteran slam sailors, and though The Level Above Human won’t change your world, it will change the position of your head in relation to that world with great regularity.” Level up or die.

Afterbirth – The Time Traveler’s Dilemma

Afterbirth – The Time Traveler’s Dilemma

“Ever since zombies killed his dog in 2007, Will Smith has been dealing with his grief in the healthy way: by gurgling, screaming, and howling his way across New York’s underground metal scene. Many will be familiar with his work in Buckshot Facelift and Artificial Brain, and his talents are just as well displayed in Afterbirth.” Rage therapy.

Pathology – Pathology Review

Pathology – Pathology Review

“For me, Pathology was the gateway to slam. I still recall the first time I ever experienced their music: Boxing Day, years ago, I went to the now-defunct record store Zeus in search of some new metal to feast my ears upon. I saw Legacy of the Ancients with its striking cover, adorned with a sticker saying that Pathology “represents more death than a mass grave in Columbia.” My thoughts in a word: sold.” What do we have to do to put you in this mass grave today?

Dying Fetus – Wrong One to Fuck With Review

Dying Fetus – Wrong One to Fuck With Review

“Despite the myriad of line-up changes and a couple of sub-par albums, Dying Fetus have kept on trucking, paring themselves down to a lean and destructive trio and bouncing back to top form with 2012’s Reign Supreme. Now, some five years in the making they return with their eighth full-length release. So how does Wrong One to Fuck With stack up in the Fetus canon?” Load the Fetus cannon!