Dying Fetus

Despised Icon – Shadow Work Review

Despised Icon – Shadow Work Review

By Owlswald on November 3, 2025 in Reviews, Deathcore, 33 comments

“Widely regarded as one of the original architects of deathcore, Canada’s Despised Icon hardly needs an introduction. But just in case you’ve been living under a rock for the past two decades, here’s a brief introduction: back in 2002, when MySpace was all the rage and everyone had a friend named Tom, five dudes from Montreal dropped their debut LP, Consumed by Your Poison. Heavily influenced by the likes of Suffocation and Dying Fetus, these Canadians continued to hone their crushing sound on 2005’s The Healing Process by injecting metalcore and hardcore elements into their deathly framework. This unique formula culminated with their third LP, The Ills of Modern Man (2007)—the crown jewel of their discography that made Despised Icon deathcore royalty.” The crown of disgust.

Symphobia – Hideously Traumatic Review

Symphobia – Hideously Traumatic Review

By Alekhines Gun on July 22, 2025 in Reviews, 39 comments

“Another day, another fresh debut by a slab of young hopefuls. Today’s offering comes by way of Indonesia in the form of trio Symphobia, dropping their first LP Hideously Traumatic after a sole self-titled demo the year before. At a concise two songs and sporting some charmingly ghoulish artwork, that demo was a vile little slab of promising violence, which leaned more into the modern slam trappings of Submerged than the usual brutal death proper Indonesia is known for. No member turnover and a short gap between releases imply a band with a musical vision and an eagerness to slot themselves into the next generation of woe-bringers; do they offer enough to get you back to therapy?” Indonesian nastiness.

Gutless – High Impact Violence Review

Gutless – High Impact Violence Review

By Saunders on November 29, 2024 in Reviews, Death Metal, 9 comments

“In a banner year for death metal of especially brutal, dissonant and challenging varieties, as we close in on the end of another action-packed year for metal, it’s time to return to the simpler joys of the death metal genre. Enter rising Australian upstarts Gutless. Following their 2018 demo release, the quartet finally unleashes their debut LP, High Impact Violence. Gutless make it clear from the outset they are wired into the old school framework of ’90s flavored death, pulling no punches.” Impact and violence, hold the guts.

Iniquitous Savagery – Edifice of Vicissitudes Review

Iniquitous Savagery – Edifice of Vicissitudes Review

By Alekhines Gun on November 22, 2024 in Reviews, 49 comments

“Of the seven deadly sins, lovers of metal aren’t most prone to wrath, as the filthy casuals would expect from such ‘mindless noise.’ No no, we are lovers of gluttony. Stoner doom can never have too much fuzz, black metal can never have enough reverbatmosphere, and power metal, never enough queso. While the metalverse is busy weeping with joy over the new Defeated Sanity album, Willowtip Records is quietly loading up a shotgun shell of aural abuse in the form of Scotland’s Iniquitous Savagery’s newest release Edifice of Vicissitudes.” Never enough slam bands with thesauri.

Aborted – Vault of Horrors Review

Aborted – Vault of Horrors Review

By Dr. A.N. Grier on March 19, 2024 in Reviews, Death Metal, 139 comments

“I know what you’re thinking: ‘How in the hell does Grier like Aborted?’ I know. Everyone has asked it since I chose to lead this charge and give you my opinion on Aborted’s Vault of Horrors. While I do have plenty of issues with grindcore, in general, there’s something about bands like Aborted and Pig Destroyer that speaks to me. I can’t explain it because there are a lot of bands like Aborted that I just loathe. You know, like Dying Fetus.” Grinding Griers.