Ulcerate

Defiled – Infinite Regress Review

By Doom_et_Al on January 22, 2020 in 2020, Death Metal, Japanese Metal, Reviews, Season of Mist, Death Metal, 18 comments

“Metal, particularly death metal, has generally had a particularly Western bent. Originating as it did from rock and heavy blues, this is to be expected. But music never exists in a vacuum, so when artists with a different cultural background bring their experience to traditionally western cannon, the results are often quirky and interesting. Japanese death metal veterans Defiled are a case in point: while the style exists in the unmistakable sandpit of death metal, there are enough different toys that the music feels fresh and unorthodox.” Just like sand through the horror glass.

Abyssal – A Beacon in the Husk [Things You Might Have Missed 2019]

By Dear Hollow on December 31, 2019 in 2019, Ambient, Black Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Drone, English Metal, Noise, Profound Lore Records, Reviews, Things You Might Have Missed 2019, Ambient, Black Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Noise, 25 comments

“Dissonant death metal is a polarizing style, one whose purposes are often unclear. While it encompasses a variety of interpretations, its beginnings in Immolation and Demilich can be summed up in its attempted balance of malice and menace. British death metal act Abyssal’s fourth full-length A Beacon in the Husk is the perfection of this balance: a sunless journey into the depths of the abyss, guided by its philosophical lyricism and patient dynamics.” Void tunes.

Bednja – Doline Su Ostale Iza Nas Review

By Carcharodon on November 27, 2019 in 2019, Black Metal, Croatian Metal, Folk, Hardcore, Post-metal, Reviews, Transcending Obscurity, Black Metal, Hardcore, Post-Metal, 24 comments

“Beneath each review posted on this hallowed website, a little comment swamp forms. They vary in size and depravity but in nearly everyone, a debate of some kind ensues. The other day, in just such a swamp, I expressed the — perhaps controversial — view that I like it when black metal bands infuse their music with different influences, sometimes straying into different genres. There I gave examples of post-metal and prog. Well, step forward and take a bow Bednja, who bill themselves as black metal hardcore.” Tales from the hard (dark)side.

Teeth – The Curse of Entropy Review

By GardensTale on November 26, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Death Metal, Grind, Reviews, Translation Loss, Death Metal, 35 comments

“Chomping, gnawing, biting, gnashing, grinding, tearing. These are all things teeth can do. They are also things Teeth can do. As a proudly unbrutal prog weenie, The Curse of Entropy by the Californian brutal deathgrind band was a decidedly adventurous selection for yours truly. Perhaps this was a mistake. Perhaps I should have left this to others more thoroughly versed in brutality, like Kronos or Ferrous. Perhaps if I had left Teeth where it lay, I would still have my own teeth, rather than having them scattered across the floor.” Dental health.

Unfathomable Ruination – Enraged and Unbound Review

By Kronos on November 19, 2019 in 2019, British Metal, Death Metal, Reviews, Technical Death Metal, Willowtip, Death Metal, Technical Death Metal, 66 comments

“Death metal is not a subtle art. Brutal death metal doubly so. Brutal, technical… well you get the point. Unfathomable Ruination exemplify this dearth of subtlety in name but belie it in their music. Their sophomore effort, Finitude, stands as one of the decade’s most punishing yet memorable death metal albums, punctuating each of its songs with a constricting riff or winding lead that seared it instantly into the mind. A great deal of the album’s success came from the band’s shrewd dispensation of show-stoppers, always releasing just enough brilliance to keep the listener wanting more. Apparently unwilling to rest on their laurels, Enraged and Unbound lives up to its predecessor’s unpredictable brutality.” Ruination as hobby.

Casket Huffer – Filth Ouroboros Review

By Mark Z. on November 12, 2019 in 2019, American Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Hibernation Release, Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, 9 comments

“Casket Huffer. There’s a name that begs the question “because why the fuck not?” Given their moniker, I originally expected this Wyoming quartet to produce noxious fumes of the bestial blackened death metal variety. And while there’s always room in the house of Z. for the Conquerors and Caveman Cults of the world, what Huffer have produced on their second album Filth Ouroboros is actually quite a bit different.” Smell the casket.

Horror God – Cursed Seeds Review

By Dear Hollow on September 26, 2019 in 2019, Death Metal, Lavadome Records, Technical Death Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Technical Death Metal, 13 comments

“This brings us to today’s topic of discussion: Ulcerate, who also really likes to generalize. Like, if Everything is Fire, are they really The Destroyers of All? The real questions, man. Russian death metal quintet Horror God really likes Ulcerate. I mean, when you first listened to Everything is Fire, were you like “let’s make a cover band of Ulcerate” to your comrades? Cuz Horror God was.” Grow your idols.

Deiphago – I, the Devil Review

By Dear Hollow on May 3, 2019 in 2019, Black Metal, Death Metal, Hells Headbangers Records, Reviews, 71 comments

“Pretense is a bitch. I’ve found myself being more and more cynical through the years about people who claim to be the best at what they do. From athletes and artists to people I interact with on a daily basis, I prefer action and art to speak for itself. Therefore, I found myself suspicious with Filipino blackened death metal three-piece Deiphago, who proclaim to be ‘arguably the most violent band on the planet, as well as one of the most envelope-pushing.'” Heavy is as heavy does.

Akrotheism – The Law of Seven Deaths Review

By Ferrous Beuller on April 13, 2019 in 2019, Black Metal, Greek Metal, Osmose Productions, Reviews, Black Metal, 49 comments

“It seems to me that there are really only two doors that need to be sought in the hunt for black metal of real quality. One leads to a well whose mechanism is complex and unconventional. But, with patience and a deft touch, it reveals a spring of challenging and creative potential. The other leads to a charred room whose blackened walls contain a particularly fecal Mark Z, resplendent in bullet belt and lobbing liberal handfuls of sickle cell anemia with feral abandon. Greece’s Akrotheism predominantly stand in the former, but somehow manage to channel a little of both.” Two corners, one trvth.

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.