Suffocation

Stillbirth – Survival Protocol

Stillbirth – Survival Protocol

By Samguineous Maximus on November 4, 2025 in Reviews, Death Metal, Deathcore, Slam, 12 comments

“I take a seat in a cramped, rusted chair. Across from me sits a gorilla in some sort of crown and a man whose face could only be described as Abbathian. It’s time for my first performance review at AMG Headquarters, and things aren’t looking great. “Atmospheric nü metal/free jazz? German dance music? What are we, discount Pitchfork?” Druhm bellows between frustrated simian grunts. I turn towards the head honcho for mercy, but instead, he fixes me with an eldritch stare. The words don’t pass his lips—they appear directly in my skull like a psychic command: “Brutal death metal.” He hands me a grime-encrusted CD which reeks of beer and seaweed. German brutal death metal veterans Stillbirth are responsible for this fetid package, which lies before me. It’s Survival Protocol, their ninth full-length.” Surviving or thriving?

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.

Plague Curse – Verminous Contempt Review

Plague Curse – Verminous Contempt Review

By Spicie Forrest on October 8, 2025 in Reviews, Black Metal, Blackened Death Metal, Death Metal, 52 comments

“We’ve all been told, once or thrice, not to judge a book by its cover. As a species, we’re pretty good at doing it anyway. In metal circles, band logos and album art often follow certain tropes that let us quickly identify what we’re about to hear and set expectations accordingly. Except when they don’t. When I first saw the cover art for Verminous Contempt, I thought I had it pegged. I mean, rats? Green mystery fluid? Skulls? This was sewage-drenched death metal for sure. I was, of course, wrong. For their debut, Plague Curse instead offers a highly polished platter of blackened death metal.” Cess is MOAR.

Harvested – Dysthymia Review

Harvested – Dysthymia Review

By Tyme on August 4, 2025 in Reviews, Death Metal, Technical Death Metal, 46 comments

“Despite a waning stigma, mental illness remains an oft-closeted topic, as those suffering from it struggle not only to cope but to discuss their struggles with others. Here to shed some of their death metal light on the matter are Canadian upstarts Harvested, with their independent debut full-length Dysthymia, which, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine, is defined as a long-lasting form of mild depression.” The mind is a terrible thing to harvest.

Clairvoyance – Chasm of Immurement Review

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?

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.

Unmerciful – Devouring Darkness Review

Unmerciful – Devouring Darkness Review

By Steel Druhm on May 22, 2025 in Reviews, Death Metal, 30 comments

“I’ve said it before. I’m not the biggest fan of tech-death. Sure, some of it can be fun, inspired lunacy, but I prefer my death dumb, ugly, and violent. I don’t need someone twanging away on a fretless bass or shredding a 30-string axe while I get my graveyard gorilla on. Thusly, Kansas-based tech-death luminaries, Origin, always left me somewhat nonplussed. Enter Unmerciful, the brutal death metal project featuring former Origin members, Clinton Appelhanz and Jeremy Turner. Though very talented musicians, these fiends prefer smashing skulls over parading a cosmic fuckton of notes past you while toying with quirky and off-kilter tempos.” Children of the gore corn.

Faithxtractor – Loathing and the Noose Review

Faithxtractor – Loathing and the Noose Review

By Maddog on January 10, 2025 in Reviews, Blackened Death Metal, Death Doom, Death Metal, 78 comments

“Faithxtractor’s second biggest musical contribution was the comment section from their last album. With a Farmers Only joke, a thread about metalcore album names, and a story that must be read to be believed, the birdbrain community’s mockery of Faithxtractor’s name has left me giggling for two years. Of course, the band’s biggest contribution was 2023’s Contempt for a Failed Dimension itself. Perhaps my favorite frill-free death metal record in recent memory, Faithxtractor’s fourth full-length dealt in riffs and also riffs.” Tractor pulling may cause injury.

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.