Incantation

Phobocosm – Gateway Review

Phobocosm – Gateway Review

By Steel Druhm on November 26, 2025 in Reviews, Death Metal, 30 comments

“Well, lookee who just oozed in! Phobocosm, Canada’s infamous cavern creepers and dealers of oppressive death metal, return to shove a lump of revolting slime-scuzz in everyone’s stocking with fourth album, Gateway. When last we heard from them on 2023s Foreordained, they were continuing to tweak and refine their revolting mash-up of Incantation, Immolation, Ulcerate, doom and vaguely pos-metal-y bits with an emphasis on the ominous, unsettling, and atonal. When all the gears lock in for Phobocosm, they’re capable of inspiring a real sense of existential dread and unease. They’ve always crafted their music to achieve this effect and conjure dark, unpleasant atmospheres through crushing heaviness.” Gateway to new annihilations.

Terror Corpse – Ash Eclipses Flesh Review

Terror Corpse – Ash Eclipses Flesh Review

By Saunders on November 17, 2025 in Reviews, Death Metal, 19 comments

“Already boasting a killer debut EP to their name in 2025, courtesy of the sick, old school deathgrind mayhem comprising Systems of Apocalypse, Texan wrecking crew Terror Corpse hit the ground running in their short time together. The newly minted outfit come seasoned with underground cred, featuring members that have logged time in the likes of Malignant Altar, Oceans of Slumber, Necrofier and Insect Warfare. Recording the EP as a five-piece, debut full-length Ash Eclipses Flesh finds Terror Corpse stripping back to a trio and shifting tact musically” Death walking Texas Rangers.

Degraved – Spectral Realm of Ruin Review

Degraved – Spectral Realm of Ruin Review

By Steel Druhm on November 14, 2025 in Reviews, Death Metal, 14 comments

“Seattle-based old school deathers Degraved have been lurking in the back alleys since 2020, tweaking their rancid and rotten caveman-trapped-in-a-cesspool sound for maximum stench terror. 2025 sees them finally give birth to their debut full-length, Spectral Realm of Ruin, and let’s just say their offspring ain’t a looker. Sounding like a time-locked study into the effects of early 90s death on the human brain, you get a nauseating fusion of early Cianide, Incantation, Autopsy, and disEMBOWELMENT. This is low-grade, scuzzy, and exceptionally fetid skunk cabbage suitable only for the worst of us.” Altars of Asparagus.

Putrevore – Unending Rotten Cycle Review

Putrevore – Unending Rotten Cycle Review

By Alekhines Gun on November 12, 2025 in Reviews, Death Metal, 26 comments

“Inevitable. Perpetual. Eternal. Constant. And of course, Unending. All monikers appropriate for the supremacy of death, widely recognized by figures wiser than me as the most unifying of all our experiences. Whether your death is peaceful, disease-ridden, or a sudden explosion of macabre tragedy, it will come, and it will bear a face unique to your own experience. It’s fitting, then, that death metal too has such an inexhaustible supply of manifestations and sonic descriptors from which to draw from.” The rot never stops.

Last Retch – Abject Cruelty Review

Last Retch – Abject Cruelty Review

By Alekhines Gun on September 26, 2025 in Reviews, Death Metal, 39 comments

“Despite the core ingredient being completely the same, not all steaks are created equal. Marbleization, marination, seasonings, sauces, garnishes, lobster tail, and the right type of whiskey to chase it down are all equally important considerations in preparation for the final product, despite the cynics’ argument that you’re dealing with the same slab of beef. So too with death metal. Hailing from Canada, Last Retch are our chophouse today, offering up their second LP Abject Cruelty to appease your palate for all things medium rare.” Looks like meat is back on the menu, boys!

Ritual Mass – Cascading Misery Review

Ritual Mass – Cascading Misery Review

By Kenstrosity on September 12, 2025 in Reviews, Death Doom, Death Metal, Doom Metal, 19 comments

“It’s difficult to enter a conversation about death doom without thinking, at least once, of Incantation. Or Autopsy. Or Asphyx. Or any number of other acts in between. But not many of them choose “Christian Mysticism” as their primary theme. Here enters Pittsburg death doom upstarts Ritual Mass, primed to unleash their debut slab of biblical horrors Cascading Misery upon this God-fearing world. One can only wonder what fresh Hell this tome holds.” Hell is home.

Infernal Thorns – Christus Venari Review

Infernal Thorns – Christus Venari Review

By Kenstrosity on September 10, 2025 in Reviews, Black Metal, Blackened Death Metal, Death Metal, Thrash Metal, 28 comments

“You may ask if the world needs yet another Satan-worshipping, demon-loving, God-forsaking metal band. The rational answer is probably a resounding no. And normally, I would agree. But I recognize that moving away from those themes is a lot to ask of the metalverse. Chilean thrashy death metal imps Infernal Thorns certainly aren’t inclined to stop reveling in hellish delights just because it’s a stereotype. They’ve been doing it since 2003, after all, and doing it quite well. So well, in fact, that after spending two weeks with third tome Christus Venari, I hope they never listen to me and keep churning out killer tunes from the nine circles for all eternity.” Thorns in the mind’s hide.

Re-Buried – Flesh Mourning Review

Re-Buried – Flesh Mourning Review

By Steel Druhm on July 18, 2025 in Reviews, Death Metal, 15 comments

“My second discount ticket to Scum Town in one week and the third since July started, Re-Buried’s sophomore outing, Flesh Mourning, brings more gruesome death to wallow in. These cretins of the crypt left a favorable impression on Olde Steelio with their 2023 Repulsive Nature debut, courtesy of hideously inspired death vocals and crushing riff work. It felt massive, monolithic, and inevitable, and the sheer weight of it all overcame occasional gaps in their songcraft. Flesh Mourning is more of the same festering, moldy-oldey brand of death with one foot in the morgue and the other in the swamp, with vocals that sound like a dying hobo wrenching out the contents of his ulcerated stomach after a long night of on-the-cheap debauchery.” Ain’t no Grave.

Filth – Time to Rot Review

Filth – Time to Rot Review

By Steel Druhm on July 16, 2025 in Reviews, Death Metal, 36 comments

“Looks like Steel is in the infectious bacteria cultures again! And what do I find among the stained petri dishes but Sweden’s Filth. This upstart death crew may be young, but their style is old and decayed. Forsaking the formulas fatal to the flesh preferred by most Swedish acts (AKA DisEntombed shenanigans), the sound of their Time to Rot debut is all about slime-sucking morgue lickers like Incantation, Autopsy, and Disma.” Rot waits for no man.