Death Metal

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    Necrotted – Utopia 2.0 (2014)

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    While cleaning up stacks of CD’s from our review table we found this little hidden gem from 2014. Necrotted is a German outfit that produces some crushing Deathcore/Death Metal and on their sophomore release “Utopia 2.0”, they state their case for being one of the best German bands in the genre.

    Opening with the pummeling “Utopia (We are the light)”, we get a classical DM vibe at first, and it suddenly morphs into more modern sounding Deathcore brutality. This mixture of styles is quite engaging and sets them apart from the majority of bands that just abuses the traditional formulas of modern Deathcore music, more evidence of this perfect blend can be hear on the intricacies of “Rebuild and Revive”, “Assimilation”, and the punishing “Xenophobic Attitude”.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Six Feet Under – Crypt of the Devil (2015)

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    Leaving us wanting more after their last release, Six Feet Under returns with another opus of catchy and grooviness inspired Death Metal with “Crypt of the Devil”. Led by Chris Barnes and Steve Swanson, this band has been refining their sound over the last 10 years and is far from sounding like any other Death Metal band in the scene. Dividing 37 minutes of music through 10 tracks, this release has enough catchiness to send you to the hospital from a neck injury after a day of extreme head banging.

    Kicking off with the traditional sounding “Gruesome”, the band gradually increases their effectiveness through tracks like the hyper catchy “Open Coffin Orgy” and the brutally titled (and crushing) “Broken Bottle Rape”. The Six Feet Under signature sound is always present in the tracks in this release as Chris Barnes iconic vocals shine through. There are killer guitar solos and funky riffs in all tracks, but we particularly love the insane solos on “Broken Bottle Rape”. The band can switch up the tempo quite effectively with the chugging “Break the Cross in Half”.

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    Biopsy – Fractals of Derangement (2015)

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    Hailing from India, today we have Death/Grind outfit Biopsy and their short but sweet EP titled “Fractals of Derangement”. With a very quiet scene until the last few years, India is delivering some very solid band and getting attention from Metalheads as a source for quality music. Biopsy is one of their stronger exponents with their oppressive sound and superbly crafted tracks.

    Opening with “Hemolytic Crisis”, you are instantly treated to a high-octane piece with surgical precision drums and crunchy riffs. The mixture of growls and shrieks is quite solid and works very well for the level of brutality the music presents. With very traditional Death Metal song structures, “Anatomical Reconstruction” and “Genesis” have that old-school vibe nicely mixed in with some faster and Grind-ier moments that are perfect for headbanging en masse.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Predatory Light – MMXIV (2015)

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    Hailing from Santa Fe, New Mexico, today we have Predatory Light and the re-release of their 2014 demo in a 10” vinyl format through Pesanta Urfolk. Featuring members and ex-members of bands like Ash Borer, Anhedonist and Drought, the band crafts a very intense and thick Black/Death Metal wall of sound with some Doomy elements thrown into the mix. This two track release is just a little taste of the band’s destructive powers and will surely leave you wanting more.

    Opening with the oppressive “Changing Skins”, we have deep raspy vocals greatly complementing the demolishing riffs. The incorporation of Black Metal elements and blast beats into the music nicely provides solid tempo changes that keep the listener always engaged. The band provides a craftier and more elaborate piece with “Spiritual Flesh”, a 10-minute song that is mostly mid-tempo and very hypnotic with some well incorporated bursts of violence thrown into the mix. The riffing is at the center of this song, being quite creative and diverse.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Thurisaz – The Pulse of Mourning (2015)

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    When the core of a band stays together since the beginning, the quality and structure of their music stays greatly unchanged and constantly improves, this is the case for Belgium’s premier Atmospheric Death/Black/Doom outfit Thurisaz. Having caught our attention since their magnificent debut “Scent of a Dream” back in 2004, the band has been taking their time to release albums, but every time the wait is completely worth it. With “The Pulse of Mourning” the band further refines their signature sound and delivers nine brilliantly melancholic songs.

    After the instrumental opener, the band burst into action with the pummeling first few minutes of “…For A Change”. Thurisaz has always combined Death/Black Metal style onslaughts with lush atmospheric elements, and this song (and release) keeps the tradition. As the previous track winds down, the band continues with the more rhythmical and perfect for headbanging “Patterns of Life”. In this track we are treated to band’s signature melodic passages that are greatly enhanced by some moody clean male vocals. The band’s constant influx of creativity into the tempo changes of their songs is unique, and greatly exemplified in this song.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Crest of Darkness – Evil Messiah (2015)

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    Hailing from Norway, Crest of Darkness delivers us with their latest offering: “Evil Messiah” a 20-minute EP filled with the band’s signature old-school(ish) Black/Death Metal. Featuring 3 normal songs and a cover of Alice Cooper’s “Sick Things”, this release is quite entertaining and a good follow up to their 2013 release “In the Presence of Death”.

    Opening with the super catchy “Evil Messiah”, the band grabs your attention with a certain retro sound that is not very common these days. The main driver of this track is the crunchy guitar riffs that make it well suited for headbanging to it. Things get Thrashier with the intense “Armageddon”, a song that reminds us to old-school Thrash from the Bay area but with harsher vocals.

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    Triumvir foul – An Oath of Blood and Fire (2015)

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    Crushing rawness are the first few words that come to mind when listening to Triumvir foul’s first offering, the “An Oath of Blood and Fire”. Originally released in cassette as their demo, Godz Ov War and Third Eye Temple took upon themselves to unleash this gem in a 7” format. Featuring members of Ash Borer, this band delivers one of the most decadent old-school Death Metal sound.

    Blowing things wide open with the punishing “The Vacuum of Knots”, the band spews their nasty sound immediately. Featuring fierce vocals and oppressive riffs, we are taken aback on how raw and old-school this release is. “Abhorrent Depths” keeps things dark with another dissonant onslaught to close this side.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Obduktion – Mors Janua Vitae (2014)

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    Hailing from Greece, today we have old-school Death Metal outfit Obduktion and their crushing new EP titled “Mors Janua Vitae”. In this short but sweet two-song EP, the band delivers old-school sounding Death Metal that brings back the times of Grave, Morgoth, Unleashed, etc.

    Opening the EP we have the neck snapping “Kings of Terror”, a track that has just the right amount of retro elements but with a sharp modern production. The drumming is quite catchy and combined with the riffing, we get a similar vibe to Grave and their earlier releases. Things pick up with the traditional-sounding opening seconds of “Lordship of Superior”. This opening few seconds have a Thrash vibe that nicely morphs into a crunchy groove onslaught.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    By The Patient – Gehenna (2015)

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    After a killer 2014 in terms of excellent Metal releases, we open 2015 with By The Patient’s third full-length release “Gehenna”. Featuring nine tracks of expertly crafted Death Metal with high emphasis on melodic and groovy passages, this Danish band perfectly showcases their polished sound that is hard to peg but difficult to ignore.

    The album kicks off with the powerful “Ruled By The Death”, a track that features crushing riffs and very tight drumming. The band has some older Scandinavian Metal influences, but with their own twist and a very modern and refined production. As the band pummels through tracks like “Deceiver”, “Gehenna”, and “Web of Beliefs”, we instantly notice their knack for melodic/groovy sections that make their music very addictive. The harsh vocals nicely fit the music as they set the band apart from the traditional growls of the genre.

    • Posted By: Dark Emperor
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    Centinex – Redeeming The Filth (2014)

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    In a year filled with killer Death Metal releases from genre greats like Cannibal Corpse, Obituary, Abysmal Dawn, etc., it is still quite easy to distinguish the legendary Centinex from the rest. Returning after an 8 year hiatus, this Swedish outfit arrives with a vengeance and one of the best Swedish Death Metal releases in years. Martin Schulman has managed to come back with a very strong lineup and a killer sound that will snap necks in the mosh pit.

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