Hey freaks! The Obituarist here again, back with another list of sick new releases permeating the extreme metal underground this winter! I'm a little late for November, but cut me some slack, I'm on tour. Feast your ears on the sickest of the sick, buy the albums (be they physical or digital) and support your scene!
Ævangelist – Enthrall to the Void of Bliss
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoT0Pqdy3jE
Click play and follow the twisted downward spiral lead by atmospheric avante garde Death Metal eccentrics Ævangelist and lose your feeble sanity in the process… this is what the Cenobites from Hellraiser listen to on their ipods. By the end of this album you’ll either shit your pants, slit your wrists, wake up in a padded cell with your arms tied behind your back or some combination of the three. It is almost impossible to write a description that will encompass everything that this warped clan has assembled in Enthrall to The Void of Bliss; but trust me, these young experimentalists will terrify and mystify you with their suffocating, layered, and shapeshifting style that is just about as wretched and abysmally blackened as it comes. I understand that the band has drawn a lot of controversy for their bizarre stage show but when I saw them I highly enjoyed it… something about the ballziness of the whole thing was riveting; the saxophone, the chanting monk singing and the phantom of the opera masks reminded me of black metal rule breakers Ved Buens Ende. Then there’s the writhing bass player, who flops and flails all over the stage screaming atop of everything… in way, its not just a musical performance but that of a norm challenging performance art. These young weirdos are fucking cool and different from anything I’ve seen or heard before or since. If you can dig extremity that goes outside the box like Abyssal, Portal, or Murmur, these guys will have you sleeping with the lights on in no time.
[Buy it now]
Apoptosis Gutrectomy – Delusion Interminus Vitae
Damn! This EP is heavy one. The Indonesian scene strikes again with another young band hungry to be the most brutal thing on the planet… God bless these motherfuckers! Firing off zillion mile an hour palm muted Disgorge/Jasad type riffing with a crushing low end that reminds of countrymen Interfectorment or the last album by brutal Turkish legends Cenotaph… these youngsters will take great pleasure in collapsing your skull from their sheer unbridled heaviness…I’m talking major bassiness on this bad larry! The recording is a marked improvement over 2 song promo the band released in March… both tracks have been re-recorded here for your putrid pleasure and sound more sick than ever. Let these hyperactive brutal death freaks Suffo blast their way into your heart this Winter!
[Buy it now]
Bastard Grave – What Lies Beyond
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTTABtZzIZs
Goddamn this is sick! These guys dominate with an HM-2 distorted fury unleash sinister sounding riffs for days. What Lies Beyond is just devilish… playfully evil as hell. Sounds like Fleshcrawl meets Tormented, with some really big open horror movie-esque parts that channel Entombed’s drama from the opening track of the Left Hand Path. I like how the first song is similarly longwinded and takes the listener on a journey rather than sticking to a simple verse chorus verse. Pretty bad ass if you ask me. I really like the little guy on the cover too, he’s equal parts cute and gross. It reminds me of something that would have been around during the tape trading days with its black and white look. If rotten old school death metal is what you thirstily seek, let Bastard Grave sate your lust for carnage.
[Buy it now]
Biopsy – Fractals of Derangement
Here we have some nice brutal death metal from India of all places! This is the first Indian death metal band I have heard of, and the material at hand is quite good. Imagine a cross between Amputated (UK) and Abominable Putridity… muscular USDM style brutality that is thick as fuck with guttural vocals and some pretty cool riffing… of course replete with huge slams and Godzilla sized grooves… the guitars and bass have achieved a nice balance that lends itself greatly to this sound. There are some wicked Cannibal Corpse type tremolo parts mixed in… overall I gotta say I’m impressed by this. The songwriting is fairly competent and it’s easy to listen to the entirety of the ep which clocks in just shy of 16 minutes.
[Buy it now]
Blastomycosis – Covered In Flies and Afterbirth
Killer Canadian Brutalz featuring the vocal talents of young female sicko Isabelle Tazbir, who delivers a very sick, dry mid rangy kind of guttural that I would say reminiscent of Chris Barnes from Butchered At Birth and Tomb Of The Mutilated. The music at hand bridges the gap between the second and third Goratory albums… it has the groove and cool breakdowns of Orgasm Induced Diarreah and a bit of the teched out chops of Rice On Suede… it even has some of the funky bass stuff that I liked so much. Crowned by killer gross out artwork by the talented Nev of Gruesome Graphx, I am hoping there is some kind of physical copy of this made available in the future for my grubby little paws, because this shit is nasty. Get into it!
[Buy it now]
Brutus – Murwgebeukt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AG4vRDf0L_E
Fucking Brutus man… I can’t believe we’re finally getting the long abandoned second album by these Brutal death bastards from The Netherlands after so many let downs and blunders concerning it’s release. The story behind this skull cracking album is one wrought with tragedy; as after the success of their 2004 debut album on Unique Leader records sent major waves through the underground, their drummer and driving creative force Maarten “Ploegbaas” Luijsterburg decided to take his own life at the ripe age of 25; the unconfirmed rumor is that he gruesomely leapt in front of a moving train. After years of inactivity the Brutus has regrouped to realize the ideas blueprinted by young Maarten in the form of the outstanding concept album Murwgebeukt, which means “total loss”. I’m not sure what the deal was with Unique Leader almost releasing the album in 2010…. one second they were taking pre-orders from the drooling fans and the next it was pulled down and all but disappeared for a second time… that is until now. Without further adieu, the always flawless Willowtip records is FINALLY unleashing this relentless album of blasting golden era brutal death for all sickos worldwide this January. Check it out and see what we brutallers have been waiting for all these years.
[Buy it now]
Contrarian – Polemic
These dazzling progressive death scientists have obviously been hard at work creating Polemic, a modern day take on the technical death metal of the likes of Death, Athiest, Pestilence and Polluted Inheritance that will blow your mind. The nucleus of Contrarian is based in the Rochester area of NY, but these three talented stringsman (including Sulaco guitar wiz Brian Mason) have hired some killer guns to fill the gaps in their band. The vocals here are of the deeper Artificial Brain type nature, and were nicely handled by Goemagot vocalist Cody McConnell, who helps modernize Contrarian’s intergalactic cannon. George Kollias of Nile fame reigns from the drum throne and shows a surprising amount of restraint, grooving his way along, making sweet love to his high hat and doing some pretty flashy technical fills that fit in rather nicely with the largely progressive leanings of the group. Finally, the fantastic soloing is handled by multitalented Mithras/Sarpanitum alchemist Leon Macey. I really enjoy the pacing of the songs and the flowing nature of the riffs and ideas; everything is silky smooth as Polemic expertly weaves a serpentine technical and melodic tapestry that will please lovers of forward thinking death metal across this universe and the next. I can see fans of Alkaloid, Nocturnus, Anata, Obscura, and latter day Death digging the hell out of this.
[Buy it now]
Cystic Dysentery – Homicidal Suicide
The album title is a bit cringe worthy, yes, but don’t let that steer you from discovering this awesome Floridian outfit who with their sophomore album have dropped one of the finest slabs of brutality all year long… after years of trudging along largely unnoticed in the crowded brutal death scene, these sick bastards have fucking arrived in 2015 and are sure to turn some heads! I’m really beyond stoked to see that the awesome Force Fed merch is releasing albums as well as running one of my favorite brutal death distros… kudos to Carl Jacobsen’s impressive efforts. Cystic D unleash a torrent of blazing brutal death that is both extremely musically competent and nicely polished yet not overproduced. These guys have an air of professionalism crowned by a slight melodic touch that reminds me of the more recent works of Midwestern legends Saprogenic and Necrotic Disgorgement including some nice solos that help spice things up. The vocals remind me of Bill from Decrepit Birth or Jon Zig’s from the last Sarcolytic full length… kinda dry in a gnarly way that makes me think of a powerful bearded omniscient mangod in tattered robes that can control lightning with his very will… totally sick! Great band, great album, great label… don’t miss this!
[Buy it now]
Diffusal Blade – S/T EP
The exciting Dismembered Records offers up another young troop of brutal death purveying Indonesians in Diffusal Blade, taking heavy influence from Disgorge (CA), Brodequin, and Liturgy. The endlessly labyrinthine riffing reminds me of that utilized by brutal gods Disgorge with its wild stream-of-consciousness style that dizzies the listener just before beating him down with a crushing breakdown… sick, twisted stuff… approved! Like the recorded output from both Brodequin and offshoot Liturgy, this menacing ep is host to an abrasive garagey production that is pretty raucous and raw… this one won’t be for everyone but the sickest of the sick definitely need apply… this could help hold you over until the reformed Brodequin drop their next deranged slab in the distant future. Those stateside can grab one (cheaply) from Force Fed Merch, who is the premiere importer of Indonesian nastiness.
[Buy it now]
Diphenylchloroarsine – The 6 Level Purge
Diphenylchloroarsine … what a name! I knew it was going to be sick just from it and the artwork… this shit SLAMS hard. For those who aren’t in the know, according to Wikipedia, Diphenylchlorarsine was used as a chemical weapon on the Western front during the trench warfare of World War I… it belongs to the class of chemicals classified as ‘vomiting agents’. I wasn’t aware that this sick international troop featured the likes of Mats Funderud, who is one half of the infamous Slam Twins of Kraanium/Fermented Masturbation/Dragging Entrails fame until I opened the disc up this morning… I’m not surprised… it does share the slow motion slamming style of Dragging Entrails. Also amongst the groups ranks are two human toilets on vocals, ex-Fermented Masturbation multinstrumentalist Benjamin Wingmark and former Negligent Collateral Collapse/current Eardelete vocalist Paul Slammer. I find the whole ‘biochemical’ slant to the lyrical and visual themes to be almost irresistible; they drew me in the same way Cytotoxin did a couple years back. If you dig it slow and low like Cerebral Engorgement or Extermination Dismemberment, get on this shit.
[Buy it now]
Female Nose Breaker – Catalogue Of Cruelty
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhvL5lmZ9_E
Rivaling Canadian deathgrinders Abuse for the most misogynistic brutal death group ever, Swiss goons Female Nose Breaker are here to please the most depraved with their brand of blood drenched brutality that slays with old school slamming flair. If you can dig the old fashioned wiggery grooves of Internal Bleeding, Soils of Fate or Disfigured (NY), you’ll feel right at home with these hatemongers update to the style. Requisite indecipherable gurgling froggy vocals are at the helm, riding the waves of squealing gory madness… I can only imagine the lyrical depravity that must be transpiring. With titles like “Deflower By Rape” and “Gun-cock Cumshot” there is a frightening humorlessness to the entire ire filled package… not a knee slapping pun or double entendre in sight… just cold, unflinching dead-eyed misogyny. The frantic (and sometimes sloppy) gravity blast sections bring the classic mess of United Guttural records alumni Screaming Afterbirth and Devourment to mind… these guys are by no means the greatest musicians in the world, but what they lack in ability they are afforded by sheer attitude and unwavering conviction. These guys frighten, as I’m sure was their mission; they haven’t come to reinvent the wheel. This is technically a compilation, if you are familiar with the band you’ve probably already heard a lot of this save the first few songs which are exclusive to the collection… Permeated records seems to be a big fan of these discography type releases. Grab this now or hug a tree.
[Buy it now]
I Chaos – Masterbleeder
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjvmfBLsxyI
Man, I’ll bet back before Apple took over with their Ieverything onslaught that this was probably a really sick band name. Anyway, Dutch hellhounds I Chaos bring forth some sick ass blasting uber professional no frills death metal ala Blood Red Throne or Sotajumala featuring a few members who moonlight in Germany’s Dew Scented. It’s nothing new but it’s done very well… super killer production has a slight grindy sound to it not unlike that of Cease of Breeding or Mass Infection… it has a very aggressive and mean feel. The singer reminds me of somewhat of David Vincent on the Domination album… really big, tough and easy to understand… this guy is pretty bad ass. If you dug that Defaced album from earlier this year; or celebrate the works of Panzerchrist, Spectral Mortuary, Blood Red Throne or Sotajumala, give these slayers a try.
[Buy it now]
Iniquitous Savagery – Subversions of the Psyche
As I’m writing this piece and spinning this wonderful record (for probably the thirtieth time) I’m finding myself asking “Is this my favorite Brutal Death Metal album of the year?” I’m not putting in my final answer quite yet but this is unequivocally in the running along with Putridity…it’s really that freakin’ good. I love the old school swagger these Scots possess in their choice of rhythms… like Defeated Sanity they’d rather not blast all day long. Also akin to DS, one of the Iniquitous Savagery’s greatest strengths is their fluid and creative drumming, part Lille Gruber and part Doug Bohn (who you might remember from Suffocation’s 1995 masterpiece Pierced From Within). Killer riffs are everywhere, and the material is pleasantly twisted in a way that would make ex-Suffocation guitarist Doug Cerrito lift his hat from his dark curled tendrils and bow his head in appreciation. The breakdown sections are many and each of them is well done and avoids the samey trappings of modern slam… somebody somewhere is going to get their ass kicked to this music. Top it all off with nasty guttural vocals and lyrics about the darkness of the human mind and you have a real winner. I absolutely fucking love this. I am gutted that I won’t be able to see them on their upcoming US tour with Defeated Sanity and one of my other favs of the year, Iniquitous Deeds… do yourselves and the scene a favor and go out and support these sickos!
[Buy it now]
Repulsive Dissection – Church Of The Five Precious Wounds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nK8XdKjZWBI
FUUUUCCCK!!!! Now this is some sick shit! International super group Repulsive Dissection finally make their disgusting return in 2015 and this time backed by the infernal blastings of none other than Italy’s Brutal Dave Billia (whom you may remember I interviewed a few months ago here). This some really some refreshing material, I feel like I am hearing some majorly fresh riff ideas on Church Of The Five Precious Wounds… Ukraine’s Yura Kowalchuk (also of slamdogs Ezophagothomia) is an impressively creative guitarist wielding an awesome tone with a lot of flesh-scraping skronk… allowing his perverse six string dissonance to shine through the melee. Hailing from Japan is Latvian bass sicko Victor Prokofjevs (ex-Bludgeon (UK)) who holds the barrage down with an impressive low end display that really beefs things up. Last but not least are the expertly executed froggy vocals of Grindethic Records owner and Infected Disarray/Twitch of the Death Nerve beast Tom Bradfield, based in the UK. The sum amounts to a twisted package that is both highly technical and sickeningly brutal… I can see this appeal to fans of Wormed, Malignancy, Disgorge, and Defeated Sanity… really high quality stuff!!!
[Buy it now]
Reviled – Hateful And Bloodshed
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhFkg2xDT04
The Indonesian take over continues! I don’t know what’s going on over there this year, but the Indo scene has been churning out more unstoppable savagery than ever before… there’s something in the water over there. Brutal Mind is one of the premiere labels out there, and Reviled is one of my new favorites from the country… I’ve had my eye on them since happening upon their awesome promo earlier this year. There is a rampant Jasad influence throughout Hateful And Bloodshed, those guys are considered absolute friggin’ legends over there, and it’s no wonder that so many young bands take a nod from them when cutting their teeth in the scene. Suffo blasts, chunky beat downs, and low growled vocals are all present… I enjoy that the breakdownage here is from that classic NYDM school and not the more modern slam approach… this is how pits were started before Abominable Putridity. Overall, this is a pretty solid outing from a constantly exciting scene.
[Buy it now]
Revulsed – Infernal Atrocity
Finally! I felt like I was waiting forever for this to surface since hearing the first teases and getting a glimpse at that stunning cover by Pär Olofsson… what an incredible album! New and old are married in a perfect way, combining Suffocation’s twisted NYDM, the hooks and groove of Floridian greats Resurrection and a touch of modern technicality; all with potent and memorable results. Drummer Jayson Sherlock is surely a seasoned vet to the Australian extreme scene; having made a name for his self as the skinsman in Christian Death/Thrashers Mortification during their golden early 90’s era, as well as heading one-man unblack metal outfit Horde. Contributing an absolutely awesome guttural vocal to Infernal Atrocity is none other than brutal legend Konstantin Lühring, who is fresh out of Defeated Sanity (and back with a newly reformed Despondency). If you get down with Disavowed, Vulnus or Inveracity, this could be your favorite new album.
[Buy it now]
Sodomized – Raised In Meat
Here we have some old school style brutal death that owes more to Cannibal Corpse than Suffocation… no slams, no breakdowns, just good old fashioned gory death! These Ohio cretins are veterans of the Midwestern scene; with alumni hailing from Embalmer, Necrotic Disgorgement and Regurgitation… I guess Sodomized was originally around in the early/mid-nineties… I’ll have to try to dig some of their old demos up. This is good catchy blood-drenched death metal that will appeal to fans of Gutted (OH), Desecration (UK), Gorelust, or the aforementioned Embalmer… stripped down, straight forward, no bullshit death fucking metal!
[Buy it now]
Supreme Carnage – Sentenced By The Cross
Supreme Carnage are an unsigned band playing kick ass old school death metal from Germany that falls somewhere between Grave and later Bolt Thrower… it’s heavy as shit, usually mid-paced death metal with a classic sound that will have you manning your tank in search of where next to conqueror (teehee). I say latter day Bolt Thrower specifically because there is a slight melodic touch to some passages and choruses that make them really powerful and memorable as hell. These guys excel at this style… if you dig These Are They, Hail Of Bullets, Weak Aside or newer Asphyx; these soldiers of mighty fistpumping death will have you hooked in no time.
[Buy it now]
Tombstalker – Black Crusades
Nice somber acoustic opening… I wasn’t expecting this from a death metal/crust outfit. After a “Set The World Afire” type missile dropping sample, Tombstalker explode from the speakers with a vengeance, revealing their true (ugly) nature with middle fingers blazing! The guitar tone is just filthy… I feel like I could get tetanus before the end of the first song comes… it’s that gnarly. Parts Grave, Bolt Thrower, and Stormcrow marry in a thick mélange of HM-2 buzzing sickness that will quite simply bulldoze you. I wouldn’t call them the tightest band in the world, but it really works as part of their charm, at times during the more technical transitions or speedy blast sections it sounds like the young bands of the golden early nineties trying to bite off more than they could theoretically chew, which I’m sure was a lot of the case back then. The snare has a sick crispiness to it that gives it a unique punk edge, heavy on the bottom snare mic. Grab this grisly slab from kick ass Pennsylvania based true metal label Shadow Kingdom now and get yourself a healthy case of lockjaw as soon as possible.
[Buy it now]
Undead Daredevil – Devastating Defeat For Mankind
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgF8TEos3Ro
C’mon guys… Undead Daredevil? That has got to be up there for the worst name ever… seriously! If you think about it, their name is essentially Zombie Stuntman for cryin’ out loud. All I can imagine is a rotting zombified version of Evil Knievel decked out in blood covered patriotic gear… now that is the essence of brutality! Regardless of the silly moniker, these Japanese gremlins have dropped one twisted slab of grinding brutal death metal for us this year… filth ridden, lo-fi, and downright unhinged! Right out of the gate they are going full blast with wild stuttering gravity blasts and total gaping butthole vocals… this won’t be for every brutaller, hell, the production alone will send the weak-willed running, but it will appeal to fans of depraved classics like Amputated Genitals, early Internal Suffering, or early Devourment without a doubt. It does have its share of heavy breakdown type moments too, where Undead Daredevil drop a slowed down Suffocation slam fest when they feel the occasion is right, but for the most part they are just blasting and grinding like depraved death metal savages. The vocalist is pretty sick and seems to like Matti Way of Disgorge a good bit… I like the cavernous wetness to his gutturals. Put on your tasseled white leather body suit and get ready to take the jump!
[Buy it now]
Vorarephilia – Intrinsic Savagery
Vorarephilia is a paraphilia characterized by the erotic desire to be consumed by, or sometimes to personally consume, another person or creature. Nice name. Surprised it wasn’t taken already… I guess sometimes you just get lucky. These guys from Sweden/Venezuela play an awesomely gruesome brand of chugging and churning brutality that blasts, slams, riffs and is creatively written enough to see it rise from the pack. I love the little intentional string wipes in the beginning of the fourth track “Dermal Disfiguration”… great ideas like this as well as their pension for old school tremolo riffs help separate Intrinsic Savagery from hordes of mediocre slam troops… some of the little guitar stuff reminds me of Decomposition Of Entrails. The fifth track “Sanguinary Communion” opens with some horror movie soundtrack worthy old school riffage… it makes you feel like the knife of a psychotic killer is about to bear down on you. Like Abhorrent Deformity from last months column, these dude marry new and old school together in a refreshing way that makes this a must have. This is high quality sickness for sure!
[Buy it now]
Weeping Birth – The Crushed Harmony
This fucking guy, man, some people are just too talented for their own good. Switzerland’s 33 year old guitar wizard Vladimir Cochet is certainly one of those people, manning the helm of three one man projects that must be heard to be believed, one of which is insane black/death metal of stylings of Weeping Birth. The Crushed Harmony is brimming with futuristic, polished modern day black metal that is somewhere between Keep Of Kalessin, Otargos, and Behemoth… it’s fast… really fast at times and fantastically melodious others. It jumps between the futuristic and the classic, marrying new and old in a virtuosic way that is seriously impressive. Neo-classical guitar flourishes, blazingly dramatic soloing, fierce distorted vocals that are masterfully executed all combine with vitriolic precision… this is the total package! If I never told you the drums were programmed, you still wouldn’t know… it’s amazing what you can do with the right technology, samples, know-how and attention to detail… this is worlds away from your favorite Mortician album. If Vladimir’s body of work is entirely new to you, I must suggest his other projects Unholy Matrimony and Mirrorthrone as well… absolutely outstanding stuff for the thinking extremist.
[Buy it now]
That’s all for this month, folks, thanks for tuning in! Until next time, stay warm and stay brutal!
