How would you like to have your face pounded into the pavement and then dragged a couple hundred yards while you gasp for air? Not interested? OK, let’s pretend that experience is proverbial and that it’s how you’ll feel once Haserot have finished with you, force feeding a diet of classic death metal.

Their debut full-length is “Advent of Suffering,” and the title tells you everything you need to know about this band that bows in the halls of early ’90s death metal and stretches those into modern graveyards. This is a beating from beginning to end, an album that longtime death metal fans likely will digest greedily and those who have come along since should find just as appetizing. Like, in a gross way. The band—vocalist Justin McKittrick, guitarists Maurice Eggenschwiler and Brandon Johnson, bassist Garrick Smith (Keegan Kelly handles live duties), drummer Cryptos Grimm—brings tons of heaviness and heat, burying you under an inhumane mountain of filth that is impossible to escape.

“Advent of Suffering” enters amid glowing leads that burst, a dose of speed, and howls ripping through your nervous system. Leads spill over as the crushing force overwhelms, the guitars swim through undercurrents, and everything reignites at the end and burns away. “Poverty of Thought” explodes with grimy guitars, and a true old-school death metal vibe, roars pounding as the humidity builds. The playing ramps up and tangles muscles, channeled chaos breaks through walls, and the momentum drives into a hurricane. “Apophis” wrecks as the growls trudge, and a thrashing abandon takes over, wicked cackles adding insult to injury. The playing sprawls for a moment before hitting the gas pedal, screams ravage, and violent, yet warm leads grasp your neck. “Tears in Bethlehem” delivers a gut punch, howls snarling as the guitars glide, growls scraping flesh, dual leads flexing. Strong soloing buckles, taking on a classic feel, harsh calls batter, and the final retches blurt stomach acid. “Cruentis Omega” is a brief instrumental built with classical-style guitars playing, bleeding clean, fluid energies.

“Khlyst” dawns with thawing leads, gutting growls, and a gasp of atmosphere, soaring into the clouds. There’s a slight progressive taste added, howls bristling as guitars layer, the last jolts fading out. “Beneath the Cairn” batters as a total onslaught takes over, the growls bury as the intensity spikes, creating a blistering tempo that causes blood pooling, erupting into noxious fumes. “Madness and the Void” has guitars encircling and growls clawing, a melodic and airy infusion making breathing a little easier, the savageness notwithstanding. Guitars emerge from the muck as raw howls hammer, the playing torching and leaving blisters. “The Tenth Circle” pummels, screams raining down as teeth shake from skulls, the guitars feeling active and fluid. Guitars slither as the growls sink in sharp teeth, crashing harder into the earth as darkness smothers. “Curse of Haserot” closes things, warm leads making things feel swampier, growls directing their disgust, scorching as tension rises. The guitars erupt and send lava curls threatening (guitar legends James Murphy and Andy Laroque both guesting here), the madness fills your head, and the final moments dive through fury before evaporating.

“Advent of Suffering” is a tried-and-true death metal serving from Haserot, a record that isn’t reinventing the sub-genre but adds generously to its grit. This is fiery death with an appreciation for melody, and it gets in, does its damage, and leaves, blood and bodies trailing behind. This is muscular, faithful carnage done in an old-school manner with a modern taste for bloodshed.

For more on the band, go here: https://haserot.bandcamp.com/

To buy the album, go here (U.S.): https://tornfromthegrave.us/collections/redefining-darkness-records

Or here (Europe): https://tornfromthegrave.com/collections/redefining-darkness-records

For more on the label, go here: https://www.redefiningdarkness.com/