Suffocation

Devourment – Obscene Majesty Review

By Kronos on August 21, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Death Metal, Relapse, Reviews, Death Metal, Slam, 98 comments

“This album will take years off your life. It is exfoliant, defoliant, supreme scourer of the Earth. You’ve heard death metal before. Maybe you’ve even heard slam. Maybe you’re a total slam fiend; even then, you’re still not prepared for this record. Maybe, just maybe, you’re familiar with Christopher Scotes’s work mapping and visualizing continental drift through time. If you are, recall that about 80 million years ago the Indian subcontinent, until this point a background character in tectonics at large, suddenly jettisons Madagascar to the West and just books it North, plowing into Asia to create the geologic equivalent of the Vulgar Display of Power cover. That’s what Obscene Majesty is like.” Landmassive.

Strappado – Exigit Sincerae Devotionia Affectus Review

By Kronos on August 12, 2019 in 2019, Comatose Music, Death Metal, Reviews, Slam, Spanish Metal, Death Metal, Slam, 24 comments

“Torture. As essential to death metal lyrics as it is to oppressive regimes the world over, the simple desire to exact pain has spawned countless obscene and horrific technologies. Strappado take their name from one in which the hands are tied behind the back and the victim is then suspended by them. There’s a lineage of bands out there named after torture devices that – as far as I know – starts with Iron Maiden, but Strappado are pretty far down the line from these forebears musically, instead acting as a sibling to the departed but influential Brodequin.” Welcome to the rack.

Holocausto – Diario de Guerra Review

By Diabolus in Muzaka on July 25, 2019 in 2019, Brazilian Metal, Death Metal, Nuclear War Now! Productions, Reviews, Black Metal, 30 comments

“Once someone gets into extreme metal, they find a point of glorious musical stupidity that they gravitate to. This point is normally either war metal (i.e. Revenge, GoatPenis, Conqueror) or the most delightfully moronic slam (i.e. the first Abominable Putridity record, Cephalotripsy). How did these endpoints come to be?” Dear Diario.

Disentomb – The Decaying Light Review

By Saunders on July 11, 2019 in 2019, Australian Metal, Death Metal, Reviews, Unique Leader, Death Metal, 36 comments

“The mounting pressure that comes with the weight of expectation an artist faces after establishing success and credibility in the metal scene, must be daunting. Some are probably content to roll with the punches and block out distractions, while others inevitably feel the pressure bearing down upon them. I’m not sure which camp Australia’s Disentomb falls into, but regardless, following up the acclaimed beast of riffy brutal death on their 2014 album Misery was always going to be a difficult assignment, especially with increased anticipation following an extended period between albums.” Redisentombed.

Sinners Bleed – Absolution Review

By Doom_et_Al on May 29, 2019 in 2019, Death Metal, German Metal, Reviews, Technical Death Metal, War Anthem Records, Death Metal, Technical Death Metal, 29 comments

“Everyone loves a good comeback. Overcoming the odds to return triumphant is a theme that has resonated through the ages. Sinners Bleed know all about comebacks. Their first album From Womb to Tomb was released to a reasonable critical reception… 16 years ago. This gap almost rivals the legendary 17 years between Sabbath’s Forbidden and 13. Personal issues, changes to the line-up, and various setbacks along the way made it seem like a follow-up would never see the light of day. Which would have been sad because these Germans showed with their debut that they had some serious chops. But despite the travails and setbacks, here we are with Absolution.” Blood and time.

Dawn of Demise – Into the Depths of Veracity Review

By Saunders on April 18, 2019 in 2019, Danish Metal, Death Metal, Reviews, Unique Leader, Death Metal, Slam, 37 comments

“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.

Predatoria – Casting Shadows Review

By Diabolus in Muzaka on March 26, 2019 in 2019, Belgian Metal, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 65 comments

“Predatoria’s debut EP, Unmarked Graves…Tell No Tales is one of the best death metal EPs I’ve ever heard. It’s crushing and catchy, merging the best aspects of Bolt Thrower and Amon Amarth with a vocal performance that reminds of Chris Barnes on Torture Killer’s Swarm. Given that I’m fond of all those things, the skillful mixture of them into twenty-odd minutes of death metal glory was an offer I couldn’t refuse. Three years later, Predatoria has evolved and diversified their sound a bit.” Warfare evolved.

Truth Corroded – Bloodlands Review

By Saunders on March 25, 2019 in 2019, Australian Metal, Death Metal, Metalcore, Reviews, Thrash Metal, Unique Leader, Death Metal, Metalcore, 12 comments

“Right off the bat, the name Truth Corroded rang a bell. Further investigation reveals the band hail from my homeland of Australia, lurking in the metal scene since their formation way back in 1997. Yet despite the familiarity and possibility that I’ve caught them live before, Truth Corroded have never landed on my radar. So I was curious to hear what the veteran act could muster on their sixth full-length album and first since 2013.” Badlands, Bloodlands, no man’s lands.

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.

Continuum – Designed Obsolescence Review

By Diabolus in Muzaka on February 21, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Reviews, Technical Death Metal, Unique Leader, Technical Death Metal, 115 comments

“The internet has created an interesting world where, no matter how esoteric what you do or like is, someone else is doing or enjoying the very same thing. On the one hand, this is great; it’s easier than ever to get recommendations on obscure Brazilian goregrind bands, because there’s a small online community devoted to just that. On the other hand, it’s a bit haunting to some types of people to be not whatsoever original in their tastes.” Fetish-tech.