Death

Burning Death – Burning Death Review

By Spicie Forrest on December 5, 2025 in Reviews, Thrash Metal, 21 comments

“In the prehistoric era known in academic circles as “the 80s,” metal had not yet splintered into the myriad microgenres we know today. Even our ten-ish main subgenres, while beginning to differentiate themselves, were still fairly grey. Within this primordial soup floated the building blocks that would one day give rise to modern black metal, including, among others, the early works of Slayer, Kreator, and Vulcano. This evil-sounding, satanic/anti-Christian thrash metal is also the inspiration for Nashville newcomers, Burning Death.” Die in Fi-YAA!

Thaumaturgy – Pestilential Hymns Review

By Spicie Forrest on October 23, 2025 in Reviews, Death Metal, 15 comments

“Changing your sound must be equal parts thrilling and intimidating. On the one hand, it’s an opportunity to explore and flex your creative muscles, to see what else you can do. On the other hand, it may alienate your listeners, but more simply, it may just be unsuccessful. This is the crossroads at which we find Kansas-based Thaumaturgy. While their debut, Tenebrous Oblations, was a cavernous voyage through Mortiferum’s lightless catacombs, sophomore effort Pestilential Hymns, is a notable departure from that sound.” Come for pestilence, stay for the hymnals.

Hexrot – Formless Ruin of Oblivion Review

By Andy-War-Hall on September 15, 2025 in Reviews, Black Metal, Death Metal, 41 comments

“Promising in its promo a ‘stylistic mélange of death, black, and thrash metal with inventive electronic experimentation,’ Hexrot has woven an abstractly grim tale of a world rejecting Heaven and Hell by plunging reality into empty Oblivion. Classical in theming, modern in sound, it sounds like quite the undertaking.” A little late, but better than never.

Barbarous – Initium Mors Review

By Grin Reaper on September 14, 2025 in Reviews, 45 comments

“Death metal boasts a lush buffet of subgenres. From mind-flaying technicality to chilling dissonance to wanton mirth, there’s something for everyone. Unmoved by how much the genre has evolved, some folks just want the straightforward, grass-fed variety that defined American death metal in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. And what bloodsport that was!” More bloodsport for the bloodsport god!

Vertebra – The Same Review

By Samguineous Maximus on July 30, 2025 in Reviews, Death Metal, Thrash Metal, 32 comments

Vertebra is a Brazilian act that formed in the mid-‘90s, disbanded before releasing a debut, and has now re-emerged from the sands of time with a mission to finally finish what they started. Their long-overdue debut, The Same, promises a slab of progressive death/thrash which balances “raw edges” with “melodic awareness” in a way that “defies the passage of time.” Can these reunited rockers craft a collection of tunes that innovates and stands alongside their clear inspiration?

Azure Emote – Cryptic Aura Review

By Owlswald on July 29, 2025 in Reviews, Death Metal, Progressive Death, 25 comments

“Azure Emote is the project of two very busy musicians, vocalist Mike Hrubovcak (ex-Monstrosity, ex-Vile) and guitarist Ryan Moll (Hypoxia, Total Fucking Destruction). In between their work with many acclaimed death metal acts, the duo reconvenes every five years or so to craft a new Azure Emote record. What began in 2010 with Chronicles of an Aging Mammal as an experimental think tank for their genre-defying ideas has steadily evolved into their own eclectic brand of avant-garde death metal.” Emotions of brutality.

Clairvoyance – Chasm of Immurement Review

By Maddog on July 27, 2025 in Reviews, Death Doom, Death Metal, Progressive Death, 26 comments

“Yes, I picked this up entirely because of its cover. Girardi’s gorgeous spiral of tombstones and skeletons conjures vintage highbrow death metal of the likes of Death. The title Chasm of Immurement grasps at brutal badassery in the vein of Suffocation’s Effigy of the Forgotten. Clairvoyance’s logo remains indecipherable even if you know the band’s name, suggesting kvltness galore. The promo materials describe lyrics that address the isolating effects of depression, foreshadowing a harrowing listen. In isolation, each of these judgments strikes at the truth but glances off. Chasm of Immurement is the debut album from Poland’s Clairvoyance, an unknown band comprising unknown musicians. Lying at the intersection of brainless death-doom and brainiac digressions, Chasm of Immurement is a powerful foray into death metal.” Are you not immured?

Stuck in the Filter: April 2025’s Angry Misses

By Kenstrosity on June 30, 2025 in Stuck in the Filter, Black Metal, Death Metal, Hardcore, Mathcore, Melodic Black Metal, post-punk, Sludge, Sludge Metal, Thrash Metal, 49 comments

The April Filters are now fully de-scuzzified. You can approach and examine the scuzz flotsam.

Bear Mace – Slaves of the Wolf Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on June 7, 2025 in Reviews, Death Metal, 49 comments

“Finally, with my head pulled from my work’s dismal sphincter, I set off to pen a review of Bear Mace’s newest offering, Slaves of the Wolf. As the Sugar bear licks the shit from my hair, and tickles my ballsack ever so gently with his grizzly claws, I dive straight into the wolf’s den to see what all the fuss is about. To my wondering eyes appears… a motherfucking blood bath.” The Bear maximum.

Quadvium – Tetradōm Review

By Dolphin Whisperer on June 4, 2025 in Reviews, Instrumental Metal, Progressive Metal, 94 comments

“Who needs two guitar players when you could have two master bass players at the helm? Quadvium seeks to answer this question with the fiery fingerwork of metal legends Steve DiGiorgio and Jeroen Paul Thesseling. DiGiorgio revolutionized bass playing in the metalsphere through radical death works with Autopsy, Death, and his own band, Sadus. Even if you don’t know his name, you may recognize these hallmarks of percussive and frenetic bass engineering, or any number of the thrashy, deathly, or progressive albums to which he has lent a wild, throbbing pulse. Likewise, Thesseling has weaved his way around celebrated releases, designing a style equally tricky but heavier in jazz-indebted fusion. Both Pestilence’s Spheres and Obscura’s breakout albums would not have seen the same light without his buttery and bleeping presence.” Bass on bass wiolence.