I do a lot of black metal records here. I’ll be honest: A lot of them don’t stick with me, and after doing my notes-taking listen, I never hear them again. There’s just so much of it. Going unconventional directions and adding other elements makes the music stick inside brains a little better, and that’s the stuff that tends to get repeat listens here.

Swedish force Circular Ruin is one that I believe will receive plenty of attention beyond this piece. “A Sermon in Tongues” is their debut record, and their fearless brand of black metal brings loads of darkness that will haunt you. Comprised of vocalist Oscar Tornborg, guitarists Daniel Johansson and Henrik Löfgren, bassist Mathias Rask-Andersen, drummer Christian Thunarf, the band blends hues you don’t necessarily expect from this sub-genre, and their explosive heart and emotion push all of that over the top.

“No Solace (Intro)” spills in ominously, mystically, setting a mood for  “The Altering Altar” that ruptures right away (by the way, backing vocals are provided by David Sandström, drummer for MOTHERFUCKING Refused). The playing races as the vocals ravage, the power blasting through mountainsides, sparking delirium. The savagery combines with an icy melodic gust, continuing the intensity to the end. “Perisher” brings guitar fire and hellacious storming from the skies, the riffs darting as the aura hangs like a phantom. A thick black metal fog envelopes as demonic wails scorch flesh, guitars boil and then rain down, and a rising smoke chokes lungs. “The Storm I Keep Within” starts hazily before sparks fly, jolting with relentless speed. Tornborg wails about “dreams of nothingness,” as the playing mangles, increasing the violence as the taste of blood stings the tongue. The pace clubs as the drums gut, Tornborg declaring, “Time to die!” as the final moments warble away.

“Ropes to Salvation” starts with the guitars and bass tangling for the upper hand, howls churning as the soot collects and increases the blackness. Wails warp as the pace is torn apart, drums rousing as the crazed fury gets more dangerous. The pace lulls and gets more mesmerizing, hand drumming tapping, the leads slinking before the volcanic elements return, swarming and tearing everything apart. “Nocturnum” is dizzying with shadows sprawling, throaty wails digging into flesh, the bass absolutely clubbing. Blasts open new wounds as punches land harder, and the stickiness keeps you engaged as while battered. “A Dream of Thirst” closes things, blasting in with grisly growls, jolting electricity, and melodies swimming through murk. The blazing force continues as Tornborg howls, “Already dead, he cannot see!” the soloing robbing everything of light. The power slowly subsides, surfy guitar tones luring, the final moments glimmering and fading.

“A Sermon in Tongues” is a stunning debut full-length for Circular Ruin, and it’s one that should take a torch to black metal’s foundation. This is both feral and stirring, an album that pulls you in and captures your attention for the entire run time, grinding your psyche in a dynamic, devastating fashion. Everything here feels volatile, like it could burst open at any moment and drag bodies along with it.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://vendetta-records.bandcamp.com/merch

For more on the label, go here: https://vendetta-records.com/

Band names can tell you a lot or nothing at all. Or some things. Like, take the band Stabbing. The first time I heard them, I expected a splatter fest from their brand of brutal death metal. Something that makes me want to hang plastic sheets to prevent spatter from staining. What I got sounded like it should be called Punching.

“Eon of Obscenity,” the second record from this Texas-based assault unit, sounds more like a band that will ground and pound more than slash with a blade. It pulverizes, with vocalist Bridget Lynch sounding not of this world, definitely not of this species. This 10-track, 31-minute animal wrestles you down from the start, delivering blow after blow and showing more nuance than on their 2022 debut “Extirpated Mortal Process” and bringing a snarling new force into this realm. Lynch is joined by guitarist Marvin Ruiz, bassist Matt Day, and drummer Aron Hetsko, and their devotion to the grim and punishing is much respected, as well as their penchant for adding new spices into their brutal muck.

“Rotting Eternal” is a brief opener that attacks with brute force, Lynch’s growls engorging, total incineration achieved at the blink of an eye. “Inhuman Torture Chamber” attacks quickly, the pace going faster, growls and strange alien-like bursts choking. Guitars bend and squeal as the drums destroy, everything mashed into oblivion. “Masticate the Subdued” is relentless, growls smothering, the guitars heating up as the low end rattles bones. The force snarls as the muddy assault multiplies, mauling to the end. The title track bludgeons, strangling with intensity, the drums spattering. Leads cut through bone and shakes brains inside skulls, the vocals further terrifying for good measure. “Reborn to Kill Once More” chugs, growls and shrieks uniting and causing psychic damage. The guitars thicken before the planet spins out of control, a mashing force ending in total destruction. “Ruminations” is an instrumental piece with exploratory guitars scanning the skies, the thrashing pace shaking guts inside bellies, the drums causing plate shifts.

“Nauseating Composition” features Suffocation’s current vocalist Ricky Myers (Lynch has filled in on live vocals for them), and it’s a battering attack, both sets of growls twisting and turning your muscles. The temperature skyrockets as the pace slows and clobbers, menacing through tornadic might. “Their Melted Remains” punishes like taking several belt shots to the face, the guitars catching fire before melting, spiraling into a deep pit of ugliness. The growls continue to sicken, shaking with storming madness that cuts into the void. “Sonoluminescent Hemoglobinopathy” is another quick one that grinds and gets out. The chugging tempo bruises flesh and the growls blacken skies, clubbing and sludging into blook-soaked earth. “Symphony of Absurdity” attacks, the drums driving and sparking machine-gun heat, burly growls scathing and squeezing throats. The guitars stab as the thrashiness increases, Lynch’s inhuman voice distorting, battering as blood sprays. Closer “Sinking Into Catatonic Reality” opens with a drum assault, growls feeling monstrous as the playing and the ferocity hit the gas pedal. Growls attack as the band twists the vice, lurching to a smearing end.

Stabbing’s brand of brutal death metal is as suffocating as any other’s band’s output, and “Eon of Obscenity” is a clear warning shot to that sub-genre. Plus, the fact you don’t have to sift through misogynistic horse shit is a huge benefit if you, like me, are especially tired of that kind of thing. They can be animalistic, alien, and bloodthirsty, and they have something a little different to inject in the festering brutal pool.

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

To buy the album (U.S.), go here: https://centurymedia.store/

Or here (Europe): https://www.cmdistro.de/

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

I can’t imagine what people living in ancient times would think about modern technology, especially social media that has done an incredible job destroying the cultural fabric in so many places. At that time they only had stories, rituals, and the stars, not phones glued to their hands. They were not yet corrupted by supposed interconnectedness.

Polish extreme metal power Shine harken back to those times on their punishing debut record “Wrathcult,” an album inspired by pre-Christian religions as well as Slavic folklore, putting a light on a time that seems forever buried in the past. These 10 tracks find the band—vocalist Marek Krajcer, guitarists Tomasz Dobrzeniecki (formerly of Hazael) and Mateusz Waśkiewicz, bassist Wojciech Gąsiorowski, drummer Paweł Duda—mixing shades of death and black metal into something frostily atmospheric and reflective even as you’re being taken apart by their buzzsaw sound.

“Ancient Chaos” slips in, an eerie instrumental piece that has brushed acoustics and strange sounds mixing into “The Lamb Against the Wolf” that opens with warbled words and a blistering attack. Howls snarl as the guitars catch fire, the pressure getting tougher to manage as it pulls you under the insanity. Infernal heat gusts as the speed spreads, the final moments thrashing away. “Kneel Before the Serpent” rips in, spiraling and melting, a complete slaughter that quickly takes hold. Howls smash as the guitars ramp up the intensity, crushing along the way, the wails of the title feeling like nails spat at your chest. “Oddajcie co moje” has a bit of a different feel, more melodic with a punk edge, guitars tingling while the vocals grasp throats. Bass chugs as the playing flows, a bit of rawness thrown in for good measure, ashen singing wafting to the end. “The Cult of Oak” massacres, growls lashing, killing as the heat rises to almost impossible levels. The bass loops as a dizzying pace causes confusion, growls thicken, and the pace slashes anew, delivering a delirious end.

“The Horror of the Night” is jarring, growls curdling, guitars racing and shaking brains in skulls. Weird “ooh-ah!” chants feel mystical as deep singing lurches, darkening as sounds boil over and thicken, the playing driving blood through veins. “Witch’s Prophecies” opens with guitars steaming, ferocious howls blowing you back, and the playing stabbing seemingly at will. The pace surges as speaking makes chills stripe your back, melodies leaning into mounds of soot, ending with heavy breathing. “Wrath of the Hammer” stabs, growls blasting, the force melting faces as things turn into a sprawl. Blinding leads and a manic tempo unite as demonic bursts add to the horrors, churning into oblivion. “The Necklace With Runes” has the bass coiling, singing going lower register, almost feeling gothy before the furnace force amplifies madness. Spoken calls feel like incantations, the playing ramping up as the bass slinks into ominous fog. Closer “Ancient Spirit” is a book-end instrumental piece that twists brains, guitars poking through thick, greenish synth clouds, and sounds drifting into an endless void.

“Wrathcult” is an interesting record, one that certainly feeds with ample amounts of death and black metal but also leaves room for introspection and unexpected twists and turns. The concentration on ancient knowledge and theologies certainly paints this Shine debut with a different palette from which most of us are accustomed. It also make take a few visits to fully reveal itself, but it’s a trip worth pursuing as you peel back each layer.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/shine.wrathcult/

To buy the album, go here: https://www.darkdescentrecords.com/shop/?s=shine&post_type=product

For more on the label, go here: https://darkdescentrecords.bandcamp.com/

Death metal’s resurgence the past decade has given us a lot of different perspectives and hopefully helped broaden some minds. I know there still remains that caveman mentality in some parts. You’ll have that. Imagine only liking one type of something. It is what it is, though, and I guess there’s no bad way to get crushed.

Japanese death crew Invictus is one that could bridge some gaps among audiences for the foulest form of metal. Their second record “Nocturnal Visions” is one that should satisfy the old heads easily, but it also isn’t knuckle-dragging content by any means. The band—guitarist/vocalist Takehitopsy Seki, bassist/guitarist Toshihiro Seki, drummer Haruki Tokutake—take what they started on 2020’s “The Catacombs of Fear” and broaden their artillery while remaining true to the ugly, menacing roots. There’s something about this that just hammers the right spot between morbidity and creativity, locking you in easily as the power overtakes you.

“Intro” is, you guessed it, an introductory piece with guitars stoking fires and keys dripping, spilling into “Abyssal Earth Eradicates” that opens with clobbering bass and meaty riffs. The growls mar, feeling throat destroying, as guitars jar and add to the savagery. Leads set the scene ablaze as the band drills even harder, fading into darkness. “Altar of Devoted Slaughter” is an onslaught, crushing wills, the growls smearing over sinewy power, the chorus digging into your guts. The playing turns thrashy as fuck, the sludge elements increasing, blasting out of a hellish furnace and into your face. “Lucid Dream Trauma” might sound a little gentler from its title. It’s not. Riffs cut as the drums pace, the growls welling and scraping, chewy guitars further darkening the surroundings. The drums dust up as the riffs accumulate speed, the final moments of punishment slashing sanity. “Persecution Madness” opens with stellar riffs and a tempo that defaces, the crunch working to devastate rib cages. The band charges anew, absolutely demolishing everything in front of them, leaving nothing but charred remains behind.

“Dragged Beneath the Grave” blisters, guitars racing hard, the growls spat as if the words tasted poisonous in the mouth. Guitars bubble and lash, everything coming gloriously unglued, the rampage leading to a skull-dragging finish. “Wandering Ashdream” has riffs firing and a mucky bottom end holding you to the ground, growls retching as the leads roll violently. The vocals bleed deeper and nastier as the pace sickens, jerky, thrashy hell allowed to run amok as the earth is smothered whole. “Frozen Tomb” starts with a gust, blasting guts as death menaces, sooty growls exuding blackness. Guitars spiral and then drive in the knife, melodic soloing aims to ice wounds, and the final moments scatter broken teeth. Closer “Nocturnal Visions” is the longest cut, running 8:01 and exploding with swaggering riffs, chugging force, and a bruising path that leads to misery. The playing turns delirious, leaning into scorching temperatures and then slow-driving muck designed to make the body shots sink in fully. The pace quickens as the violence ramps up yet again, the lead exploding and bringing the ritual to a smashing end. 

“Nocturnal Visions” is the first monumental death metal album of 2026, one that is heavier than you can handle and a bulldozer through sanity and safety. Invictus pull no punches at all and delve right into a more devious dimension of their sound than we’ve heard before. This is a motherfucker of a record that should find favor with death metal audiences that prefer raw, sonically violent, and surgically maniacal sounds. Get on this one now.

For more on the band, go here: https://invictus3.bandcamp.com/music

To buy the album, go here: https://www.memento-mori.es/label/memento-mori/

Or here: https://www.mesacounojo.com/shop/invictus-nocturnal-visions-lp/

For more on the label go here: https://www.memento-mori.es/

And here: https://www.mesacounojo.com/

Leading up to 2026, I hoped I would not still be harping as much on the hellscape that is this planet, yet here we are. Doing it fucking again. Welcome back. As I write this, we have had yet another atrocity committed against a U.S. citizen by fake cops, and I guess we’re just all supposed to navigate this?

LA death trio Voidhämmer didn’t have this event in mind (how could they unless they’re clairvoyants?), but they do see the same smoldering tire fire this planet has become. Their debut demo “Noxious Emissions” digs into that frustration and fury and treats it with hammers raining down over the four tracks. The band—vocalist/guitarist Mike Royal, bassist/vocalist Roger Herrera, drummer Shane Bogdon—unleashes sooty death metal that sprawls over its nearly 15-minute run time, exposing wounds long since exposed to the elements and also proving their arrival is one with which this sub-genre must contend.

“Rotting in Excrement” opens in doom and chaos, bludgeoning as the pace grows beastly. Growls bury as the playing pummels, infernal leads scorch, and the final moments are complete battery. “Cadaveric Bloat” is punk-fueled, the playing laying waste as the drumming turns rock to dust. The growls sicken as the pressure mounts, then the pace changes, smoldering with swagger and feedback. “Phospherized” splatters with leads bending, a sooty attack choking you, lashing with jolting riffs and double-kick thunder that caves in chests. The leads worm as the power destroys, smashing with a ferocity that leaves no questions about their violent intent. “Coffin Leakage” closes by trudging, barreling into everything, the growls burning as the vibe turns thrashy. The playing drives harder, a D-beat assault opening up the earth, the leads charring, and everything left in a pile of its own dust.

Voidhämmer’s debut demo “Noxious Emissions” holds a lot of promise, showing a glimpse of the deadly power they possess. It’s but four tracks, but it’s an indicator they could do serious damage on future releases and get a foothold on a flooded death metal terrain. The fact this was colored by a world falling apart and no one in power doing a fucking thing to stop it adds that much more venom.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.instagram.com/voidhammerdeath/

To buy the album, go here: https://caligarirecords.bandcamp.com/album/noxious-emissions

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

All art isn’t for everyone, blah blah. We all know that. But it still bears repeating every time a band comes out and does different shit and, like, Alice Cooper will cry about songs being 3 minutes and probably other ridiculous dated nonsense. Anyway, that’s all to say that Finnish death freaks Ligation likely won’t appeal to everyone.

“After Gods” is the band’s first full-length, and it arrives a jumbled slew of madness and confusion that is a breath of fresh air from all the bands keeping things traditional. Sure, you can hear the death metal foundation laid down by vocalist/drummer/noisemaker MN, guitarist MS, and bassist TI, but the layers that swirl beneath the surface twist and turn beyond any expectations. There is a progressive element as well as experimental tendencies that wrap bizarre bandages over wounds death metal’s body has sustained. Ligation are here to make the psychological torment that much more absurd.

The title track starts with guitars swirling and the growls striking veins, a melodic fire sweeping you up into a strange chaos. Weird gurgles bubble from MN’s throat as the playing gets speedier and thrashier, ending in an industrial melt. “Turmoil in Everest” starts with squeals and driving force, guitars layering thickly, the vocals strangling and chortling, making everything really uncomfortable. Atmosphere swirls as the temps boil, howls and shrieks teaming up to ramp up the psychosis, a synth-driven ending feeling like a noirish film score. “Obscure Flame” punishes, diving deep into a death plunge, trudging as growls and inhuman screams mix to form a ghastly new beast. Humidity increases, as does your dizziness, as guitars chunk, the pace blisters and fires, and noise blasts through walls.

“Eruption” blisters, throaty wails landing blows, muddy, suffocating punishment rising and pulling you underneath. Growls bubble as the pace grows more manic, the playing snarling and permanently crossing brain wires, eventually settling into a misty peace like what you mind find after Armageddon. “Reflection” is the final track on some versions, and it bleeds into focus, doom stomping and quaking, growls lurching as heavy footsteps shake the earth. The smoke billows and chokes, sounds hang in the air, and an alien sax wafts, blasting and conjuring dreams. Demonic growls pick at festering wounds as guitars beam feedback, and the final words choke on droplets of blood. Other versions have three more tracks: “Human Success” (maybe the most straightforward track here, with more sax); “Earthlings” (a doomy bruiser that’s eerie and mangling); and “Seraphic Gluttony” (noisy, disorienting, guttural madness that ends in cosmic storming).

Ligation is the epitome of the “not for everyone” tag, and for good reason as their death and doom can be weird and off-putting if you expect more streamlined sounds. “After Gods” also can be a godsend for anyone seeking music that takes you somewhere else, disturbs you, and challenges you, which this record does often. I’m not even sure my words sum up this collection accurately, so take the adventure yourself, having been forewarned about the commotion and mind-altering turns that lie ahead.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://www.personal-records.com/product/pre-order-ligation-after-gods-cd/

For more on the label go here: https://www.personal-records.com/

It feels like it’s going to be forever before daylight is back in abundance and the warmth returns, the trek through winter really just beginning. Well, whatever winter actually still exists. But when the thaw happens, and we get into the heart of spring, it feels like it’ll be the ideal time for Temptress’ music to flow freely from speakers.

Not that their second record “Hear” doesn’t sound good now, but it feels like it pines for different scenery. The spark of warmth, the later sunsets all feel like they’d work nicely with these eight tracks that bear strains of doom, stoner rock (especially the ’90s variety), and straight-up metal. Comprised of guitarist/vocalist Kelsey Wilson, bassist/vocalist Christian Wright, and drummer/vocalist Andi Cuba, the band digs into sounds that feel like they could find slots in many different areas over the past several decades but also land just fine now. It’s a fun record, one where it feels like they’re still kind of finding themselves as they examine multiple levels of heaviness.

“Into” is an instrumental opener, drums tapping as guitars echo, sounds swimming, the moody thickening and shifting, driving into “Narrows” that opens with the bass taking hold. The playing is dusty before landing blows, Wright on vocals, adding energy to the mix. Guitars char as the sounds smoke, the cry of, “I’m going to be fine,” pushing to a trudging end. “Edge” flutters in heat, and I’ll be honest, I don’t know if this is Wilson or Cuba singing, which will carry over to the rest of the album. Guitars plot the path as the signing glazes, the call of, “I want to take you to the edge,” lingering. “These Walls” has guitars firing up, the pace snaking, a ’90s rock feel taking over the aura. The playing mashes as the emotion floods, everything ending in burly undertones.

“Now or Never” has guitars slinking and speak-singing, the cry of, “Who’s laughing now? Because it’s not me,” digging into ribs. Spacious soloing overwhelms as the cloud coverage increases, blasting into oblivion. “Be Still” starts cleaner, the verses landing lightly before the choruses flood over. The playing smolders before going colder, guitars giving off echo, everything slowly fading into time. “Downfall” gently dawns, the singing bringing a thaw, the playing then chugging and sparking darker energies. Sinister riffs cut through bone, as the doom thickens, everything blackening overhead as the demand, “Sacrifice yourself to me,” haunts. Closer “Out of” completes the instrumental bookend, a dusky sense overtaking as the drums rouse, the bass lands some punches, and the vibe glistens into sunset.

Temptress have that strange ability to feel both modern and timeless, having stretched various sounds from past decades into today’s mind-frame. “Hear” is a strong second effort from this band that, while they have taken a lot of steps forward, still have plenty of room to develop. That’s not a slight; it’s a good thing. They have the ability and energy to keep growing Temptress to something we cannot imagine today.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://temptressofficial.bandcamp.com/album/hear

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

When the masters and rulers of thrash metal are discussed, everyone goes to the Big Four, understandably, or to bands such as Exodus or Testament. Kreator never seems to appear early enough in those conversations, at least domestically as they never got the same level of exposure here. But they should get even more love than they do.

Their 16^th record “Krushers of the World” is about to land, and while it might not be what really breaks them in the States, it’s another solid entry from a band without a goddamn thing to prove. Consisting of vocalist/guitarist Miland “Mille” Petrozza, guitarist Sami Yli-Sirniö, bassist Frédéric Leclercq, and drummer Jürgen “Ventor” Reil, the band delivers what very much sounds like a Kreator record with a few surprises attached. It’s not their heaviest or most acidic work, but it’s still a pretty good piece of business ripe for replaying. Oh, one negative is the band used AI for two of the promo videos for this record, but apparently nothing involving the artwork and music on this album. But still, ugh.

“Seven Serpents” starts and is a classic Kreator opener, even if it isn’t necessarily a total barnstormer. The leads are warmer, and the band takes its time to settle in, Petrozza howling, “Snakes in human form!” Guitars jolt as gothy chorals add ash, feeling atmospheric and blazing as they race to the finish. “Satanic Anarchy” drives with energy, and a great chorus sticks in your head and likely would stand as great call-back fodder live. Verses blister as things even out, the soloing storming and mangling, the call of, “Start the fire!” sparking adrenaline. The title track trudges and burns, a catchy chorus washing over, the thrashiness infused with oxygen. “We are by your side,” Petrozza wails as the playing chugs, creaky speaking freezes your blood, and the final moments melt into the ground. “Tränenpalast” features Britta Görtz (Hiraes/Chaos Rising) howling along with Petrozza, her shrieks feeling deadlier and bloodier. The track itself is inspired by Dario Argento’s 1977 film “Suspiria,” and they pay homage in a mix of fire and ice, the vocals driving deep into your mind, keys trickling away as the fantastical finish enraptures. “Barbarian” opens with added speed and aggression, plastering as the chorus punishes, the speed adding to the attack. The band hits as close to a breakdown as you can expect from them, the screams belting, and the leads powering a heated finish.

“Blood of Our Blood” combusts, pushing with added intensity, the playing feeling punchy and catchy as the chorus jolts. The guitars catch fire as the playing pushes more violently, Petrozza howling, “The eyes are useless when the mind is blind,” as the final shots poke oozing wounds. “Combatants” starts clean before gusting with a blast, the track feeling increasingly anthemic, making energy zap through your brain. “Fight for you life!” Petrozza demands as drums march and the last seconds turn into a total rampage. “Psychotic Imperator” smears with speed and fire, the verses blasting with torment before the choruses further rouse. “Pure! Aggression!” Petrozza belts, the playing liquifying metal and letting a chrome river flow generously. “Deathscream” lets the guitars pace and the vocals energize, the chorus punishing and leaving singed flesh. The soloing engulfs and helps smooth out the brutality, storming to a quaking conclusion. Closer “Loyal to the Grave” is a gem at the end of the record, one that could be a live staple for years. The melodic charge bubbles over and coats with steel, breezier leads electrify, and the pace keeps challenging. “Your soul and mine, they are the same,” Petrozza declares, the classic thrash attack peaking one more time before ending in glory.

Kreator still are creating thrash fire on a consistent basis on “Krushers of the World,” yet another strong record from one of the German scene’s progenitors. While not quite as ferocious as 2022’s “Hate über alles,” this album still explodes with some really strong material that could find permanent slots in their live setlist. This band has been one of thrash’s biggest powers, and their resume more than speaks for itself. So every quality new record we get from them is icing on the heaping thrash cake.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.kreator-terrorzone.de/

To buy the album, go here: https://kreator.bandcamp.com/album/krushers-of-the-world

It’s weird living in America and watching the conversations about Russia change mysteriously. Oh, not about the people who live there. They can’t help it. No, the leadership. We can detest the politics but still want its people to succeed, and that’s the sloppy way I am starting to talk about Void Monuments and their debut record.

“Posthumous Incantation” is the Russian band’s debut album, and it has all the hallmarks of traditional death one might come to expect. It’s heavy, devious, dark, and hits all the right buttons. The band—vocalist/guitarist K. Svart, guitarist P. Doom, bassist Ivan, drummer Bestial Barlog (potentially not his given name)—makes a good case for themselves on these eight tracks and 36 minutes, keeping up the intensity and the bloodshed. There is potential for them to expand what they’re doing and inject more of themselves into the music, so there’s time to branch out as they grow.

“Intro” opens dramatically, winds whipping, synth pulsing as screams lash and organs fade into “Epitome of Fear.” There, guitars fire as the band thrashes away, throaty howls bursting as fires char. Drums rampage while the growls coat the pain, the leads taking off and fading into the night. “Devilish Prophecies” is doomy and barbaric, pummeling with evil intent, beastly howls sending listeners into a vortex of madness. Darkness and filth unite, menacing tones send jolts down your spine, and chilling organs exit with strangeness. “Decapitate the Saints” blasts open, the guitars adding to the heat, the brutality multiplying dangerously as the leads carve paths into flesh. The spatter accumulates as throaty wails peel flesh, and the guitars mount a final attack that ends in fire.

“Ascent to the Crucifixion” dawns in deathly fog, guitars vibrating as doom flows through veins, sweeping into impenetrable gloom. Growls smear as the pace pounds harder, soloing goes off and spits fire, and the screams melt and jostle into carnage. “Invocation” rings out in the air before bringing down the hammer, the guitars knifing their way into your psyche, infernal pressure taking you apart. Drums rupture and blister as the stream builds and rolls, liquifying guts before allowing an ounce of mercy. “The Sign of Blasphemy” has riffs firing and blasting, the pace hulking along, making muscles ache. The guitars stun as the growls maul, spacious melodies adding air to the suffocating aura, exploring to an abrupt end. Closer “Father of Sin” starts in clean, eerie strangeness, and then brutality arrives, growls squeezing arteries. Sludgy elements make this even heavier, the speed pulverizing, howls engorging, the final moments scorched into eternity.

Void Monuments waste little time establishing their entry into hell with “Posthumous Incantation,” a strong first record that leaves the band with some room to develop. This is misery and punishment from front to back, a record that should leave you flattened. They could stand to add a little more of their own personality and musical DNA into future releases, but as a first shot, this is really solid stuff and should leave ample bruising.   

For more on the band, go here: https://www.instagram.com/voidmonuments/

To buy the album, go here: https://shop.bloodharvest.se/product-category/blood-harvest-records/preorders/

For more on the label, go here: https://www.bloodharvest.se/

Starting off the year in as sickening a manner possible, let’s welcome back Alabama-based death crushers Ectovoid, who return with “In Unreality’s Coffin,” their first full-length in nine years. It’s a weird mouthful of a title, isn’t it?

Anyway, “Coffin” is their third record, 2012’s “Fractured in the Tireless Abyss” coming first in 2012, followed by “Dark Abstraction” in 2015 (just reissued last year by Boris Records). The band—vocalist/guitarist C.B., guitarist/backing vocalist S.S. (C.S. played on the record), bassist R.S., drummer C.M.—digs into the deeper annals of horrifying, grotesque death metal, clawing as hard at the guts as they do the psyche. It’s brutal and done in a way that will make people who have been around since the beginning feel comfortable.

“Dissonance Corporeum” starts with guitars spilling and the pace charging, growls stirring as the punishment turns rubbery and brutal. Guitars mash as the leads go off and create smoke, the power chewing through bone, ramping up the speed. “Collapsing Spiritual Nebula” sprawls as the growls choke, the pace snarling as the heat increases. The carnage blasts open, leads fluttering, the guitars blazing with intensity, growls mangling before bashing out. “Intrusive Illusions (Echoes From a Distant Plane)” is a bruising storyteller that will warp your senses, fast, punchy strains pushing into your chest cavity, guitars swimming in pools of muck. Acid spirals as the howls bury bodies, guitars conducting trial by fire. “Formless Seeking Form” chugs, a howl/shriek combo suffocating, muddy terrain stomped as brain wiring burns. The gears head into slow-driving fury before speeding up again, trudging and choking on flesh.

“Irradiated Self” brings storming leads and cavernous wails, driving and menacing as the darkness strangles. The pace turns everything to dust, brawling through a blinding fury that threatens safety. The title track blisters as the growls gurgle, guitars thrust, and the devastation turns to decay. The leads erupt and twist necks, ripping as the soloing explores, hitting the gas pedal before disintegrating. “Erroneous Birth” is savage, the vocals smearing with ill intent, the pace gaining speed as the drums smother. Guitars spill over as the growls mangle morbidly, leading to the fire following the fuel path into total annihilation. “It Is Without Shape…” bleeds in darker guitars, airier melodies, and a melodic gust that sprawls. Gothy tones add to the ashen shadows as the instrumental piece bubbles to its end. Closer “In Anguished Levitation” splatters right away, the growls battering, mucky death metal clogging veins. Humidity rises as the guitars surge and growls pummel, ending everything harshly and cloaked in blood.

It may be nine years since Ectovoid delivered a full-length effort, but they haven’t lost an ounce of their violent tendencies and ability to sicken, which “In Unreality’s Coffin” proves. They open a new year with a smoldering, devastating effort that reminds us ugliness is all around, and that inherently lives in their music. This is pure death with a modern filter that still speaks to the foulest of realities imaginable.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://everlastingspew.com/21-everlasting-spew-releases

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