I really try hard not to be that judgmental old guy who grew up in thrash’s golden years, but most of the bands that have tried and tried again to keep that sound relevant never resonated with me. There was something missing, and the ones that tried to mimic the aesthetic never seemed to get that right either. There have been a few here and there, but most of it falls flat.

Swedish pounders Sarcator always seemed to be a step ahead of most, and on their third full-length “Swarming Angels & Flies,” they dig even deeper into the wounds, giving a nastier, darker edge to thrash, which makes total sense since their name is a combination of Sarcófago and Kreator. The band—vocalist/guitarist Mateo Tervonen, guitarist Leo Buchalle, bassist Felix Lindkvist, drummer Jesper Rosén—started pretty damn young, releasing their first demo at ages 14-20 in 2019. Now, two full-lengths later, they’re building on their smoldering knowledge base (Tervonen’s father Marko is a guitarist for The Crown, though I only mention that as an influence) and crushing musical output, which really peaks on this new collection. Yet, as you can hear, they’re still rough around the edges, so there’s room to grow, which should be exciting to hear on LP four. By the way, one CD version of the album contains the band doing a trio of covers of songs from Anti Cimex, aforementioned Sarcófago, and Sadus, but we’re only going to cover the main album.

“Burning Choir” opens absolutely on fire, blistering as vicious howls whip your flesh, carving hard into bone. Speed and violence unite as crazed cries blister, and absolute chaos explodes into “Comet of End Times.” That one tears open, a storm blasting with gale force, the aggression decimating everything in its wake. Melodic fury melts beams, blazing through mean wails, lathering lead lines, and a heavy dash into darkness. The title track ramps up with glorious guitars and throttling drums, Tervonen demanding, “Gather for the final hunt!” The playing rockets as thrashy, colorful attacks smear blood, repeated cries of, “Destroy!” leaving gory blisters. “The Deep Ends” delivers crunchy blows and ultra-catchy leads, the guitars snaking through poisoned waters. Gruff vocals batter as the charring rhythms push into lathering soloing, racing to a razor-sharp finish.

“Where the Void Begins” dawns with acoustic strains and a more mid-tempo pace based on the songs that precede it. Howls scrape as a more shadowy ambiance is achieved, things quieting more for a moment before the blasts return. Things pick up noticeably, a psyche wash staining the leads, later blending into the sky. “The Undercurrent” unloads with shrieks aching, the bloodthirsty path tearing through with added thrashiness, the vocals turning throatier. The leads create a haze while the pace begins to blind, igniting before it stampedes to a finish. “Closure” is dark and noiry, the guitars numbing with a more delicate approach, the cleanliness only reigning temporarily. The pace picks up but gathers some atmosphere, the guitars swagger, and bluesy smoke is emitted, a calculating arrival ending this instrumental piece. Closer “Unto Sepulchres” has guitars rising before cresting nastily, the ultra-fast pace leaving brush burns. Wails sting as the punishment ensues, the soloing unloading. Frantic shrieks shred sanity, and the final seismic shocks pummel as final spasms buckle the earth.

Sarcator capture something that bands twice their age never figured out: You cannot recapture an era, but you can find the same savagery that made those times so volcanically special. “Swarming Angels & Flies” is a vicious, channeled album that maintains the bloodlust of the bands that inspired them and pushes it forcefully ahead into modern times. This is an album and band likely to have long, productive runs ahead of them, and as long as they keep building on solid blocks like this, they have a chance to be one of the most impactful bands of the next decade.

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

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’ll be super honest here: When I get a promo that’s labeled as technical death metal (add brutal to the description and it’s even worse), I tend to put them aside. It’s not my thing at all, and it takes something weird and alien to really make me pay attention. I eventually get to them, but the ones I present here and kind of sparse.

Hierarchies’ self-titled debut record is one I probably got to sooner than I would due to the early year music glut, and I’m glad I found it because it’s a stunner. And it might not be from this planet. Including members of Dwelling Below, Hallowed Idols, and Acausal Intrusion, the band—vocalist/drummer Jared Moran, guitarist Nicholas Turner, bassist Anthony Wheeler—draws you into its strange miasma, contorting your brain all the way. Over eight tracks and 46 minutes, you’re treated to death metal that feels like it originates from a world away, or maybe another dimension, and it’s done so effectively that it feels like the natural course for these artists. It’s not an easily digestible listen, and it’s perfect that way.

“Entity” opens in strange darkness before the howls bury, and then jerky, techy guitars make your head swim in confusion. The drubbing peels flesh back, the leads again bending time and space, stretching into beastly hell, destroying and trudging, tangling everything in its cords. “Consecrate Phenomenon” has guitars needling, howls pummeling, and everything engulfed in hell, the spiraling melodies making you feel crazed. Shrieks maul as the guitars stretch into oblivion, echoes glazing as the sounds slowly dissipate. “Dimension” unloads, maniacal growls chewing muscle, the death march managing to get even more intense, feeling morbid and unforgiving. Blood bubbles to the surface, the riffs dominating, an eruption taking you under and ending you with spastic convulsions. “Twilight Tradition” begins in eeriness before the band begins to stomp through mud, feeling rubbery and muscular. Guitars race as the atmosphere grows increasingly hazy, heavy disorientation setting in as the final blows knock you out.

“Abstract” opens with the guitars toying with you, snaking through any sense of calm, the playing confounding as the venom is injected. The playing blasts open, shrieks driving pointed blades, a blunt assault raging as guitars gush and melt. “Complexity Parallels” rips in, mucky growls blocking air passages, guitars giving off smoke, lapping your brain with brutal complications. Growls torch as the playing goes into a disarming vortex, the leads sparking once more before bowing out to noise. “Subtraction” stomps through zany guitars and slowly crushing force, going wild while amplifying the technical warping. Explosive energy jolts as guitars scorch, caustic hell unleashing its flames, dissolving in acid. “Vultures” is your closer, and it opens and immediately makes the room spin, the howls spitting scorn as you try to keep your balance. The heat rises as guitars lather, darkness envelopes, and the growls dig the dagger a little deeper for good measure, the final notes disappearing with your consciousness.

Hierarchies establish a few things on their debut, that being technical death metal doesn’t have to be antiseptic and that there remain ways to use this brutal art form to make brains melt out of skulls. This is a record you should visit repeatedly, as each trip lets the music sink in a little deeper, the utter strangeness revealing itself a little more each time. But be wary of the bends, the twists, the defiance of convention that make your imagination burst and blood race a little more as you try to figure out this insane maze of a record.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61564013775330

To buy the album (U.S.), go here: https://transcendingobscurity.aisamerch.com/

Or here (Europe): https://eu.tometal.com/

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

It took not even 24 hours for 2025 to turn into a violent, emotional grind. We barely made it out of the starting gates before carnage sprouted again, misinformation was spread, lies by soon-to-be leaders were spewed. Fucking America. That wasn’t limited to the United States, but that’s where we are, so it’s front of mind.

Long-time Cincinnati death metal power FaithxTractor certainly wasn’t reacting to those specific events on their fifth album “Loathing & the Noose,” but the tracks were a product of anger, grief, rage, and misery. It might not point to any particular event or ethos, but it does mine those same emotions and channel them into almost 38 minutes of power. Multi-instrumentalist Ash Thomas (who has a massive resume with other bands such as Crucified Mortals, Acheron, Apaugasma, Estuary) and drummer Zdenko Prado (also of Estuary) destroy the senses early and often, taking each song to its obvious extreme necessary to shed infected blood.

“Noose of Being” opens with melodic riffs, the pace viciously ripping, howls striking as a gnarly pace sinks in its teeth. The growls are deep and acidic, the fiery pace attempts to consume bodies whole, and the soloing burns and ends everything in ashes. “The Loathing” is savage as it combusts, fast and fiery as the leads increase the heat. The playing, while violent, also is a rush of color, your extremities left tingling as the war machine gears up for a final battering. “Fever Dream Litanies” trudges, the drums battering without mercy, a death fury achieved as the guitars begin to breathe fire. Howls lather as the pace quickens again, the speed and ferocity bowing out in strange vibes. “Flooded Tombs” ignites, growls retching, driving through a start/stop attack that increases the misery. Dark energy explodes as the guitars take up blades, hammering out into madness.

“Ethos Moribund” winds through shadows, finger-taped guitars getting blood flowing, snaking through blood, eventually crushing bone and wills. Raw howls reach out through tornadic heat, the leads add to the temperature, and everything comes to a vicious end. “Caveats” begins with whispers circling as piano notes drip, then we’re off in full gallop, the growls marring the senses. The guitars glow and gut while the drums blast anew, pointed wails getting iced over by freezing keys. “Beholden to the Nightmare” goes for the throat, the guitars taking on the burden, growls burying dreams in synth glow. The power punches as things turn ashen and dark, the growls pummeling to an abrupt end. “Cerecloth Vision Veil” closes the record, entering amid steam and slow-driving muck, building intensity as the guitars spiral into oblivion. The playing lathers as the mood grows eerie and icy, the playing punches, and a sense of sorrow permeates as the last gasps fade away.

A record full of rage is something that might hit the spot for many listeners as we enter into 2025, and FaithxTractor have more than enough to scratch that miserable itch every time. “Loathing & the Noose” wastes no time taking care of business as its eight songs rip by in no time, landing with explosive power with every listen. This is death metal that’s here to lay waste and express fury through grief, something that can find a landing spot with almost everyone. 

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

To buy the album (U.S.), go here: https://redefiningdarkness.8merch.us/?product_cat=&s=reda209&post_type=product

Or here (Europe): https://redefiningdarkness.8merch.com/

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

The earth rarely has felt darker in the past 15 years or so than it does now. I could say darkest ever, but I don’t have the benefit of being alive during most of history’s events, so I could be off base. Add to that we’re in the time of seasonal depression, lack of daylight, and bitter cold that it’s hard to find any relief from anything at all.

It’s hard avoid thinking about all of that when taking on Onirophagus’ “Revelations from the Void,” their fifth and first in six years. A lot has changed in the world the last time we heard from the band—vocalist Paingrinder, guitarists Moregod, Obzen, guitarist/bassist Sir Vellum, drummer Uretra—a pandemic, worldwide unrest, continual environmental stress. What hasn’t changed is the role death/doom plays as a place to conjure darkness and unload our own personal devastation, whether or not it has been channeled from the outside world. This five-track, 48-minute crusher takes on the weight of madness and depression and twists that trauma into their metallic output.

“Hollow Valley” opens and runs 10:43, doom spreading as far as you can sense, guitars lapping as howls stretch, sorrowful melodies bubbling up the surface. The pace mashes as growls engorge, pounding as leads move slowly into rising steam, moodier elements bringing on the darkness. The playing then combusts and grows violent and faster, engulfing everything that moves, blistering before burning into the horizon. “Landsickness” hangs on monstrous chops, chugging guitars, and a trudging force that turns into gothic blackness. Keys unload as the pressure increases, growls boil and maul, and the guitars warp your vision. “The Tome” is oppressively heavy as the growls mar, melodies gliding through dark waters. Words are howled with an authoritative force, feeling detached and cosmically cold, strange vibes building and echoing off into space and what follows.

That would be “Black Brew” that spindles and stretches, doom bells knelling, the guitars adding strength and grit. The slow-driving menace builds momentum, spilling into a spacey vortex, guitars glimmering as the cold speaking leads a trail of soot behind. Gothy ice sends chills down your spine, the drums crash, and growls echo, disappearing into the ground. Closer “Stargazing Into the Void” runs 15:55, and it glides in amid sorrowful strings, lurching speaking, and the guitars stoking the furnace. Growls echo as the strings ache, setting the stage for a fresh eruption that decimates, and then guitars fire up, doomy storms leaving dark waters dripping from bare tree limbs. Growls poke fresh wounds as the sinew flexes, singing bellows in the distance, and then a last gasp of speed and carnage unite, ending in a forceful blast that shakes the earth to its core.

“Revelations From the Void” reaches us at an opportune time, the ledge of winter as coldness and darkness are at their apex. Onirophagus ply their brand of death/doom in a manner that honors those who created these moss-covered walls decades ago but add their own blood to ensure that this isn’t a longing for the past. It’s informed by it, but it’s very much from these times, when we keep finding new reasons to dread and fresh wounds to salve. 

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

To buy the album, go here: https://www.personal-records.com/product/pre-order-onirophagus-revelations-from-the-void-cd/

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

40. FÖRN, “Repercussions of the Self” (Persistent Vision)

39. UNEARTHLY RITES, “Ecdysis” (Prosthetic)

38. LUST HAG, self-titled (Fiadh Productions)

37. GHUTS, “Regeneration” (Seeing Red)

36. GENITAL SHAME, “Chronic Illness Wish” (The Garotte)

35. OXYGEN DESTROYER, “Guardian of the Universe” (Redefining Darkness)

34. VUUR & ZIDJE, “Boezem” (Prophecy Productions)

33. JUDAS PRIEST, “Invincible Shield” (Epic)

32. SUMAC, “The Healer” (Thrill Jockey)

31. BORKNAGAR, “Fall” (Century Media)

30. CHAT PILE, “Cool World” (The Flenser)

29. VÖLVA, “Desires Profane” (Fiadh Productions)

28. BEDSORE, “Dreaming the Strife for Love” (20 Buck Spin)

27. HEAVY TEMPLE, “Garden of Heathens” (Magnetic Eye)

26. SPECTRAL WOUND, “Songs of Blood and Mire” (Profound Lore)

25. SPECTRAL VOICE, “Sparagmos” (Dark Descent)

24. UNHOLY ALTAR, “Veil of Death! Shroud of Nite” (Liminal Dread Productions)

23. SOLBRUD, “IIII” (Vendetta)

22. DÖDSRIT, “Nocturnal Will” (Wolf of Hades/Shape of Storms)

21. BLACK CURSE, “Burning With Celestial Poison” (Sepulchral Voice)

20. DREAMLESS VEIL, “Every Limb of the Flood” (Relapse)

19. ULCERATE, “Cutting the Throat of God” (Debemur Morti)

18. UMBRA VITAE, “Light of Death” (Deathwish Inc.)

17. GLYPH, “Odes of Wailing, Hymns of Mourning” (Shape of Storms/Fiadh Productions/WereGnome)

16. MOTHER OF GRAVES, “The Periapt of Absence” (Profound Lore)

15. JULIE CHRISTMAS, “Ridiculous and Full of Blood” (Red Crk)

14. AMAROK, “Resilience” (Vendetta)

13. ORANSSI PAZUZU, “Muuntautuja” (Nuclear Blast)

12. COUCH SLUT, “You Could Do It Tonight” (Brutal Panda)

11. VICIOUS BLADE, “Relentless Force” (Redefining Darkness)

10. THOU, “Umbilical” (Sacred Bones)

9. VEMOD, “The Deepening” (Prophecy Productions)

8. KRALLICE, “Inorganic Rites” (self-released)

7. OPETH, “The Last Will and Testament” (Reigning Phoenix Music)

6. CRYPT SERMON, “The Stygian Rose” (Dark Descent)

5. VILE RITES, “Senescence” (Carbonized)

4. HULDER, ‘Verses in Oath’ (20 Buck Spin)

3. COWARDICE, ‘Atavist’ (Riff Merchant/Burning World)

2. BLOOD INCANTATION, ‘Absolute Elsewhere’ (Century Media)

1. TRELLDOM, ‘…By the Shadows…’ (Prophecy Productions)

“Picking a top record of the year was more difficult than usual in 2024. Anything in the top 5 (well, 6, actually) easily could have qualified here, and there was much internal debate. What it came down to was which album got the most plays, the most attention, and the most intrigue, and at the end, the choice was unexpected but pretty obvious.

Trelldom is a well-known, well-regarded name in the annals of black metal, having formed in 1992 and released a trilogy of fiery records from 1995 through 2007. Led by the legendary vocalist Kristian Eivind Espedal—Gaahl, if you’re unaware—who has fronted other renowned acts including Gorgoroth, Gaahls Wyrd, and Wardruna, the band returns 17 years after their last record with “…By the Shadows…” a creation that certainly paints outside the rigid sub-genre lines. This band isn’t content to keep making the same thing, and we’ll all luckier for it. This is an inventive foray, one that infected me deeply.

“The Voice of What Whispers” opens with the bass squeezing, tension building and churning, woodwinds adding a chilling breeze. Espedal’s vocals turn to a creak singing, adding a sinister element, the haunting swirling before guitars rip and spellbind. The playing jars as the sax sizzles, zipping into the darkness. “Exit Existence” has guitars jolting and the vocals daring, a propulsive melody ripping veins as the singing aches and bellows. “Between the World” is the highlight for me, and it has guitars bending as the sounds smear and disorient, growled whispers leaving scars. The temperatures drop, making your body shiver relentlessly, the chorus gliding as the title is called back with detached horror, howls repeating as they head into mist and echo. “I Drink out of My Head” is active and fluid, sax cutting through muscle, the singing gliding along with the waves. The power chugs as sounds gust, the sax turning tornadic, and deep, tunneling singing making its impact. Closer “By the Shadows” has charred guitars and a spastic pace, the singing turning dark and moody, then playing bursting open like lava through the earth’s crust.

Trelldom’s first record in 17 years not only is an unexpected and devious treat, but it’s also a much different world from them than what they established on their initial run. Everything on “…By the Shadows…” bleeds darkness and mystery, and the expanded sounds, the inclusion of saxophone, actually makes the music more unsettling, like a dark figure in the night whose intentions are unknown. It’s our favorite record of the year. (Sept. 13)

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/Trelldom1992

To buy the album, go here: http://lnk.spkr.media/trelldom-shadows

For more on the label, go here: https://en.prophecy.de/

Yes, there’s a lot of hype and anticipation any time cosmic death metal band Blood Incantation does anything, and for good reason. The arrival of their third full-length album “Absolute Elsewhere” brought with it nervous anticipation of what exactly this thing would be. Last time we had heard from the band was “Timewave Zero,” their ambient EP that wasn’t really a surprise but definitely led some to wonder where death metal stood in their universe. Turns out it’s still right in the fucking center, though there are plenty of passages that prove “Zero” wasn’t a lark, as they combine two worlds and create the most magnificent thing in their catalog.

“The Stargate” is the opening track, running 20:20 and spread over three tablets. The first opens in a whir, a propulsive rush that tears apart and mangles its way to the stars. The playing is vicious and channeled, simmering into a synth haze that feels like it transports you five decades into the past, a heavy Floyd-esque excursion that is a tenet that returns often. “All life is temporary unless its consciousness,” vocalist/guitarist Paul Riedl howls, the leads smearing slow-falling ash that washes into the second tablet that simmers in the great beyond. The rest of the suite continues the morbid journey. “The Message” runs 23:23, also divided into a triad of tablets, entering with catchy guitar work that feels strangely inviting. The fluidity multiplies as the playing grows more forceful, howls battering as a beastly explosion pulls at eyes. The tempo hulks, the leads diving and shimmering, raging into the second portion where sci-fi keys envelop like a sea of galactic matter. Clean singing again adds a different texture, and a welcome one, Weidel calling, “Can’t you hear them? The voices calling your name?” as it feels like the alien grandson of “Dark Side of the Moon.” The keys continue to ice the trails, the vocals continuing a smooth pathway, hypnotic visions taking over your dreams as you head into final third of this piece that rampages and destroys at dawn.

“Absolute Elsewhere” arrived amid a galaxy of expectations as Blood Incantation have become the flag bearers of the cosmic death metal movement, and they could not have been more up to the task of building onto their modern legend. It’s the best heavy metal record, from a pure artistic standpoint, that I’ve heard all year and one of the most impactful and soon-to-be-influential creations in the past decade. (Oct. 4)

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

To buy the album, go here: https://centurymedia.store/collections/blood-incantation

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

Metal listeners seem to be a different animal altogether, and the amount of bands that commit to epic-length songs and marathon records is plentiful. One of those is Jersey-based sludge/doom crushers Cowardice, who have not graced us with a full-length album in eight years. That ends with “Atavist,” an 11-track, 85-minute bruiser that does demand your time and energy and won’t just let you off easily after a track or two. The album is divided into two parts, “Suzerain” and “Sentinel,” that have slightly different personas but work perfectly to create a greater whole. Their magnetic and morose attraction is duly noted.

“To the Hilt of Humanity” opens the record and the “Suzerain” portion, dripping blackness before the heaviness arrives in droves, shrieks gutting amid melodic fog. The playing buzzes as the guitars numb, later soaring and taking on atmospheric sheen, lumbering as it adds bruising. Layers add textures, guitars surge and trudge, and ugliness burns into the ground. “Cloisters” emerges in a guitar cloud, pounding and boiling in melody, a beastly fury swimming into airy passages that cool the flesh. The leads quiver as guest vocalist Kate Parker’s singing adds new colors, elevating the already strong emotion into a tidal wave. “Clairvoyance Anxiety” begins the “Sentinel” portion, a darker beast that brings glowing leads, monstrous growls, and drubbing playing, a vile sentiment wrapped around every moment. Guitars add haze as the punches land harder, the playing tricking your mind, the howls decimating as the pace keeps pounding away. Mammoth closer “Hail of Mages” runs 17:08 and makes the most of its time, developing slowly, thoroughly numbing, the growls ripping away at your muscles. The playing is stormy and battering, hypnotic guitars making your head spin, the drums coming unglued as every inch of this thing bristles.

“Atavist” is a record that demands your time and energy, and you will give up a plethora of both when committing to this journey. Luckily, it’s more than worth it as Cowardice serve a stunning display of sludgy doom that might not rewrite the book on this style but adds a steady and crucial element to this subgenre’s foundation. (June 7)

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

To buy the album, go here:  https://cowardicedoom.bandcamp.com/album/atavist

Or here (US): https://riffmerchant.bandcamp.com/album/atavist

Or here (UK): https://www.burningworldrecords.com/collections/burning-world-records/products/cowardice-atavist-2lp-green-with-red-vinyl-pre-order

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

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

Black metal force Hulder is one of those rarified bands, a project helmed by its namesake and creator that has been on the cusp of true greatness. That level has arrived with the band’s second full-length “Verses in Oath,” an album that captures the spirits of the style’s formative years three decades ago but also burns and bleeds right now, culling current influences and the power of nature into the project as well. This 10-track, 40-minute opus is a fantastical wonder, fully alive in black metal glory and adding more frigid symphonic elements to the music that give the album an extra level of enchantment.

“An Elegy” opens with birds cawing and winds whipping, an intro track that pushes into “Boughs Ablaze,” where we get an instant taste of the ferocity of this storm. The riffs are glorious, and Hulder’s vocals register a freal deeper growl. Keys chill bones as acoustics blend into the mix, the fire slowly coming to a close. “Hearken the End” brings a mystical sheen, icy playing, and singing that freezes your flesh. Growls then smother as the playing goes dramatic, a symphonic blaze picking up energy, bringing back memories of the early 1990s. “Vessel of Suffering” is thunderous from the start with vicious growls pounding and drawing blood, keys glistening, and a cavernous display making you feel like you’re trapped in the heart of a mountain. Mystical fires burn as the playing rampages anew, the growls gut, and the final moments drive the last nails. Closer “Veil of Penitence” is glorious from the start, the guitars blinding with force, trudging through tornadic weather fronts. Growls engorge as the brutality batters without mercy, crushing and pressing, ending with an iron fist to the chest.

Hulder as a band is growing in leaps and bounds, and “Verses in Oath” is a record that remembers grim and frostbitten are terms that meant something because they were turned into memes. This is a coming-out celebration of a record, a portrait of a band that held and showed incredible power and promise and have put it all together seamlessly on their amazing second record. (Feb. 9)

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

For more on the label, go here: https://www.20buckspin.com/hulder

To buy the album, go here: https://www.20buckspin.com/

Progressive death metal dreamers Vile Rites named their first full-length “Senescence,” the process of physical deterioration that occurs as a person ages. Sure, you can exercise or do other activities to help slow that decline, but it’s gong to catch up with you some day. It’s an odd title for a record that’s so full of exciting new ideas, spacey expansion, and pushing death metal even further into jarring waters that wash over you with chilling fury, the furthest thing from losing power and stopping growth. This is a record that has captured my mind in a way I didn’t expect. Even after absorbing it once I knew I had to go back and bathe in these sci-fi chemicals rising to the surface.

“Only Silence Follows” opens amid cold notes, hypnosis setting in, which is a hint of what’s ahead. The bass bends as the hammering picks up, the soloing erupting as the growls dig into flesh. Cosmic synth wraps you in a coat of stars as speed becomes a greater factor, ripping out into the stars. “Senescent” is tricky and crunchy when it starts, heavy blows landing with force, drubbing and causing dizzying feelings. The playing pulls back and adds a chill to the air, fluid leads take off and create a laser effect, techy melodies flex muscles. “Transcendent Putrefaction” has the bass chewing into muscle, keys wooshing, and heavy body blows aiming to take you down. Growls engorge as the temperatures shift to a deep freeze, the guitars erupting and letting carnage reign, beastly howls and gutting death smearing psychosis. Closer “Banished to Solitude (Adrift on the Infinite Waves)” is the longest track, running 11:11, and the track blasts and contorts, sudden brutality slashing as progressive fires are fed gallons of fuel.

Vile Rites’ progressively minded death metal is a refreshing gust of energy, and while “Senescence” may be named after a process of physical deterioration, it feels like the band is just beginning a life cycle that could begin to rewrite this style’s DNA. Incredible record I cannot possibly recommend enough. (Aug. 16)

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

Or here (Europe): https://carbonizedrecordseu.com/

To buy the album (U.S.), go here: https://carbonizedrecords.com/search?q=vile+rites&options%5Bprefix%5D=last

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