orphy.net

Finnish death metal is often cited as a favourite regional style by many death metal fans across the globe. While not as easily accessible or popular as their Swedish counterparts, the Finns had their own interpretation of the exploding death metal scene in the early 90’s as well. Finland underwent a very compact evolution of metal during the 80’s, with thrash really taking hold of the youth in the late 80’s. While their Swedish neighbours were making waves with their buzzsaw guitars and melodic hooks, Finns had something else in mind. They pushed everything to the limits of extremity – guitars were tuned lower, vocals were growled deeper, and their approach to melody was much more ethereal and melancholic. As fast as the whole thing happened, the Finnish death metal scene seemed to disappear with similar speed. The most crucial bands from that time only released one death metal album (with almost everything coming out between 1991 and 1993), with many of them breaking up after, or others changing their musical direction entirely. In more recent years, some of these classic bands have reformed, but they haven’t been able to achieve the magic they did in their youth. However, there are still many great new bands from Finland, and the country is pretty much synonymous with death metal for many headbangers these days. Here I present my ten favourite records to come out of Finland, plus a longer demo by a band that never released a full length. I’ve been listening to these albums for a good portion of my life, and they are a cherished part of my collection. If you’re already a seasoned death metal fan, you’ll likely not find anything here of value, but I hope fans interested in the genre will find this useful.

Amorphis – The Karelian Isthmus (1992)

Likely the biggest band to come out of the Finnish death metal scene, Amorphis released just a single album in the genre before exploring more melodic music. “The Karelian Isthmus” was one of the first death metal album I heard from Finland (after Demilich), and its status is well deserved. The melancholic sense of melody that the country is best known for is seen on full display here, mashed together with some very Bolt Thrower inspired riffs and rhythms. Relapse has since reissued this record, and CD versions include the “Privilege of Evil” EP.

Sentenced – Shadows of the Past (1991)

Much like their peers in Amorphis to the south, Sentenced released one death metal album before drifting far away from their roots with much success. “Shadows of the Past” digs into cavernous, tremolo picked riffs alongside more rhythmically focused parts to create a brutal masterpiece. Truth be told, I didn’t hear this album until my late 20’s because I had no idea Sentenced played death metal in the beginning. It was quite shocking to hear after only being familiar with “Amok” and not really liking it when I was much younger. Century Media kept this album in print after signing the band later, but there’s also a nice LP reissue on Cosmic Key Creations.

Demilich – Nespithe (1993)

What happens when Finnish death metal gets inspired by Canada’s greatest band, Voivod? Demilich gave us that answer in 1993 with “Nespithe,” but they were already working on the answer for two years prior with a handful of demos. This album is highly regarded among death metal fans (seriously, 91% with 30 reviews on Metal-Archives), and really embraces the idea of pushing boundaries. It was also the first Finnish death metal album I heard, and they’re the only band on this list I’ve seen live. The quirky, jerky rhythmic patterns within the riffs certainly sound like Piggy playing death metal. Demilich manages to make the abnormal sound catchy, and that has had a lasting impact since. Plenty of reissues exist, and no surprise that both Xtreem Music and Svart have both done their own.

Demigod – The Slumber of Sullen Eyes (1992)

Everything about Demigod’s debut album feels grand and epic. The way these guys are able to present death metal with gloomy build ups to straight up tremolo death metal sounds so natural as each song unfolds. The catchiest parts of Demigod’s songs are without doubt the lead melodies, which get right into that gloomy Finnish melancholy. These parts come in contrast with blast beat driven death metal sections, creating contrast and excitement to the songs. It’s hard to really compare it to any one thing in particular, but it is undeniably a pillar of Finnish death metal. As such, it’s been reissued multiple times over the last 20 years, including presses by Xtreem and Svart.

Adramelech – Psychostasia (1996)

“Psychostasia” is a bit of an outlier on this list, as it came out in 1996, meaing it came out relatively late compared to everything else here. That being said, they did release some pretty revered EPs prior to this, and I quite love “The Fall,” which most of its tracks were re-recorded here. They have connections with Demigod, as they’ve shared a handful of members at different times. There’s definitely more emphasis on musicianship as opposed to brutality, making them similar to Demilich in that their riffs are not very straightforward. This is another one that’s received a few different reissues over the past 15 years, including a couple runs by Xtreem Music.

Purtenance – Member of Immortal Damnation (1992)

After I got into some of the more well known Finnish death metal bands, I had to dig deeper for more. Purtenance’s debut record came up pretty quick, and it strikes me as a more brutal version of Amorphis. They have a similar Bolt Thrower inspired sound, and marry it with that dark Finnish melody to create something even heavier. I personally feel the interlude tracks could be much shorter, especially the outro one, which sounds like video game MIDI. The rest of the album more than makes up for this blunder. Xtreem Music has reissued this a couple times now, and the artwork looks fantastic on the LP format.

Disgrace – Grey Misery (1992)

After releasing three demos and a 7″, Disgrace unleashed their debut in 1992. These guys were certainly into Carcass, but not in the way that makes it sound like gore metal. The raw production, riff styles, and the frenzied pace have “Symphonies of Sickness” written all over it. There’s also some incredible doom laden riffs that pop up a handful of times throughout the record that are super catchy, but still sound dark and evil. The vocals employ a variety of gurgles and other guttural noises that end up adding an extra layer of variety to the mix. Like many other bands on this list, they soon abandoned their death metal, as they went the death ‘n’ roll route, with each release going further into their rock influences. “Grey Misery” has been reissued by Svart, including an expanded edition with the three releases they put out in 1990.

Mordicus – Dances from Left (1993)

Mordicus are probably the most Entombed/Swedish sounding of these bands. Hailing from east Finland, they combined catchy melodies with infectious grooves, venturing into near death ‘n’ roll territory. There’s plenty of savagery to be heard here too, and an especially insane drum performance. The guitar tones are phenomenal, and give the lead guitars a lot of depth, especially on the instrumental tracks. Plenty of the material here gets stuck in my head often, and it’s a unique piece of Finnish death metal history. Reissues of this classic album exist with the usual demo and 7″ bonus material, such as the pictured CD on Temple of Darkness.

Xysma – Yeah (1991)

Think about Carcass’ career trajectory, and how they went from initially playing goregrind to eventually focusing on melody and stripped back rock ideas. Xysma did the same thing, in far less time, and then moved away from death metal after their debut, “Yeah.” This album features a bizarre mashup of grinding death metal with Black Sabbath-esque heavy blues, making it the most melodic on this list. It somehow works, and is a catchy and brutal release. Surprisingly, this is the oldest record on this list, as it was released in May of 1991. They went to Sweden to record at Sunlight Studio, giving it that production that was very popular for death metal albums in the region. Vic Records reissued the album on CD/LP, and the CD includes the prior demo and EPs for further goregrind goodness.

Convulse – World Without God (1991)

Convulse might be the most straight up brutal band on this list. Their sound is very rooted in the Bolt Thrower style of death metal that’s come up with Amorphis and Purtenance, and they definitely embrace that influence more than their fellow Finns. There’s parts on here that sound like they’d fit in perfectly on “Realms on Darkness,” as they hit both the double kick grooves and blast parts in that Bolt Thrower vein. “World Without God” manages to have some eerie atmosphere in some of the mid paced parts, never going into full crawling doom, and also avoiding any sort of melodic lead work. This is the second oldest album on this list, and has had multiple reissues from Relapse, Svart, and other labels over the last couple decades.

Rippikoulu – Musta Sermonia (1993)

I’m adding this demo as a bonus entry, which may seem kind of odd, unless you’re already familiar with it. At just over half an hour in length, Rippikoulu craft some of the most desolate, gloomiest death/doom of all time. Utilizing very low tunings, crawling slow sections, and grinding fast sections, “Musta Sermonia” creates an unsettling atmosphere that bands are still trying to figure out today. The raw nature of this recording adds to its charm. It’s thankfully been reissued by Svart records on CD/LP in more recent years.

There are so many other great death metal gems from Finland, and I’ve just scratched the surface with these records. Of course, there are some classics not featured here that others may find odd (Funebre’s “Chilrdren of the Scorn” is one that didn’t make the cut). There are some other great bands that never released full lengths, such as Cartilege, Depravity, and Lubricant, but there are some quality anthologies of their material out there. If you’re looking for more, my good friend Brandon (Serpent Rider, Draghkar, Azath, etc) wrote a very thorough primer in 2017 about it. I also recommend the book “Rotting Ways to Misery: The History of Finnish Death Metal”, which gives a lot of contextual history, as well as profiling a lot of bands. One final thought: how great is the artwork on a lot of these records? Luxi Lahtinen and Turkka Rantanen are both responsible for two or three of the covers each, and have both done a lot of great art for other bands.

Another year of sick tunes! There were some really great punk and metal albums released this year, especially from Canada, which led me to having a lot of honorable mentions. I intended to keep my list to just 10 releases, but I had to add one late year release (which I’m waiting for in the mail, currently) to make it a top 11. On a personal note, I had two releases of my own music this year – the Begrime Exemious “Festering in the Void” EP, and Anthrodynia’s debut LP, “Unspeakable Horrors Emanating from Within.” I am immensely proud of both releases!

Full Lengths

Caustic Wound – Grinding Mechanism of Torment

Formed by members of death/doomers Mortiferum, Caustic Wound in contrast plays grindcore (with a good amount of death metal influence). “Death Posture” was a great album, and its followup is equally as satisfying to listen to. This definitely isn’t as punky as a lot of grindcore, but it’s just as relentless as you’d expect from the genre. The death metal influenced riffs work really well along with a solid production job, as Caustic Wound have certainly forged their own tormenting sound within grindcore.

Death Gasp – s/t

Earlier this year, Pittsburgh’s Death Gasp played a show in Edmonton, and I ended up checking out the album before they came to town. They play a killer style of crust/stenchcore soaked in HM2 tone. With plenty of early Bolt Thrower and Sacrilege style riffs, I had to buy the LP at the show. They pack a ton of hooks into the 25 minute run time, and I’ve spun it countless times this year.

Dispossessed – Dêmocide

After releasing a full length in 2019, Dispossessed finally has revealed their sophomore effort. Combing elements of death metal, doom, and sludge, they’ve forged an immeasurably heavy sound. There’s only four tracks on this record, but each have their own identity that is created through thoughtful ebb and flow, dismal lead lines, and massive riffs. The result is one of the heaviest and most crushing records of the year.

Grave Infestation – Carnage Gathers

Every record the folks in this band put out are all executed so well, and the sophomore Grave Infestation album is yet another crushing piece of death metal mastery. This Vancouver based quartet plays some of the most sinister and down right evil sounding death metal out there right now. Some members previously realized this death metal sound in their previous band, AHNA, and they’ve fully embraced it with this band.

Hedonist – Scapulimancy

Another Canadian band from the west coast, Hedonist’s debut LP is also a brilliant slab of festering death metal that demolishes everything in its path. Their demo LP was already a top notch hybrid of Bolt Thrower and Entombed, and they’ve some how managed pack in even more savagery into “Scapulimancy.” Death metal is alive and well in Canada, and Hedonist are one of the bands at the forefront (as are Grave Infestation).

Innumerable Forms – Pain Effulgence

This is the third album from Boston’s Innumerable Forms, which sees this death/doom outfit as a quartet. Initially a solo project of Justin DeTore (who has played in an innumerable amount of punk and metal bands over the years), it became a full fledged band with the help of other seasoned musicians, and they’ve put out some punishing records since doing so. These guys are definitely on the more brutal and faster end of death/doom, but know when to bust out the haunting guitar leads and slower temples tastefully.

Languid – Shove Their System Up Their Ass

Edmonton’s finest? Canada’s best punk band? I’d say so, but there’s no arguing that they are society’s pieces of shit, and they certainly let you know on their third full length. I am extremely bias in putting this record on this list, as I recorded this album, and like all their previous recordings, I still want to listen to it. As usual, they’ve packed 12 songs into 23 minutes of perfectly executed d-beat, with obvious nods to Swedish bands like Meanwhile/Dischange. We are certainly lucky having these guys in Edmonton, and I am very happy to have been involved working on such a great punk record.

Negative Charge – s/t

Nothing pisses me off more than shitty hardcore that’s laden with uninspired breakdowns and tough guy nonsense. Thankfully, there’s none of that to be found on Negative Charge’s self titled debut. No time is wasted, as they blast through 11 songs in a mere 17 minutes. The riffs and drums create a frantic pace, and a perfect canvas for an energetic vocal performance. Between the theme of frustration in the lyrics, there’s some hooks that shine through, further showcasing why this is what hardcore punk should strive to sound like.

Sijjin – Helljjin Combat

Sijjin is such a breath of fresh air. “Helljjin Combat” is their second full length, and there’s no shortage of early Morbid Angel death/thrash influence here. Members of Sijjin were formerly in Necros Christos, a band I love very much, but I couldn’t stand how long their albums were getting, and how bloated with world music interludes they were getting. Sijjin is so much more focused and enjoyable, and they apparently recorded this album live in the studio. If there’s anything on this list that deserves to be called “old school,” this is it.

Teitanblood – From the Visceral Abyss

During the late aughts, black/death metal felt like it was getting a revival, and Teitanblood were one of the bands at the forefront of the movement, as they released their debut in 2009. Fast forward to 2025, and they’ve dropped their fourth full length, and it’s as monstrous and powerful as ever. The production is cleaner than their older material, but their signature savagery remains intact. The album ends with the same sample that begins their debut, leading some to speculate this is their last album.

Terror Corpse – Ash Eclipses Flesh

Downtuned death metal from Houston, Terror Corpse formed out of the ashes of Malignant Altar. The vocals sound even more demonic with this band, and there’s less (but still present!) mid-paced Morbid Angel parts, as Terror Corpse pushes the tempo instead. They close this record out with a Celtic Frost cover that sounds just absolutely vile. This was a late year release, and I’m currently waiting for the LP to arrive in the mail.

Honorable Mentions

As previously stated, there were some other great records that dropped this year, and I would feel foolish if I didn’t mention them.

Bleed – s/t [20 Buck Spin]
Deathwinds – …Towards Doom… [Headsplit/Sentient Ruin]
Demise – Butchered [Independent]
Exploatör – Apokollaps [Phobia Records]
Hacked Apart – s/t [Mechanized Apparatus Revolt]
Home Front – Watch It Die [La Vida Es Un Mus]
Malefaction – Rebirth [Independent]
Psych-War – Psychotic Warmonger [Agipunk]
Real Sickies – Under a Plastic Bag [Stomp Records]
Revelator – Light the Devil’s Fire [Nameless Grave Records]
Ultimate Disaster – For Progress… [Grave Mistake/Kick Rock]
Witherer – Shadow Without a Horizon [Hypaethral Records]

Splits/EPs/Demos
Archagathus/Horrendous Miscreation split LP [Blast Addict/multiple]
Archagathus/Truth of all Death split LP [Behind the Mountain]
Nephasto – Deformed Deviation 7″ [Extremely Rotten Productions]
Physique/Electric Chair split LP [Iron Long Records]
Yellowcake – Apparations of War [Total Peace]

The passage of time feels quicker every year, but as always, I’ve taken the time to listen to and enjoy some new music throughout the past year. After a lot of thought, listens, and overall nerdiness, I’ve compiled all the usual lists. Ten full lengths + honourable mentions, the non-full length list, and a list of some notable reissues I’ve grabbed this year (how many orders did I make from Relapse this year for all of these?). There were some very long awaited albums in my top ten, making this a truly exciting year.

Full Lengths

Adversarial – Solitude with the Eternal…

One of the biggest surprises for 2024 was the release of Adversarial’s long awaited third full length. They’ve been quiet in terms of new music since their sophomore dropped in 2015. The wait was totally worth it, as their brand of swirling riffs and hyper-fast drum pummeling sounds as strong as ever. Every release that Adversarial puts out, it feels like they’ve honed in on their unique sound with further accuracy. In a mere 32 minutes, these guys show why they’re among the best death metal bands in Canada, period. I will go as far to say that this is tied with one other record on this list for being the best of the year.

Axefear – Prophetic End

This Seattle crust outfit was shown to me earlier this year, as they had released their debut demo just last year. When I was in Portland during the fall, I saw that their debut LP just dropped, and I bought it immediately on the strength of their demo. Axefear does everything right “Prophetic End,” delivering thrashy riffs with a punk edge, in addition to the expected Axegrinder marches. The artwork from Adam Kindred is a perfect visual representation of the music, and it’s executed perfectly!

Black Curse – Burning in Celestial Poison

The first entry from a Denver based band on this list comes Black Curse, with their sophomore LP. They share members with Khemmis, Primitive Man, and Spectral Voice. Previously, a member of Blood Incantation was in this band, but it appears they quit sometime between albums. That aside, this is a ripping piece of black/death metal with some really crushing doom sections thrown in for good measure. I liked their debut well enough, but it fell out of my rotation not long after being released in 2019. This has made a much stronger impression on me, and even had me listening to the debut again. If you loved the new Spectral Voice album and want something that’s equally as haunting, but has more emphasis on the fast parts, this will certainly satisfy.

Bootlicker – 1000 Yd. Stare

Kamloops/Victoria/Vancouver punks Bootlicker have returned with their sophomore LP, and it’s another absolute banger. This band has been on the rise ever since they started releasing a string of EPs, and then gave a definitive statement with their debut LP in 2021. Their second album contains that d-beat laden sound coupled with some jangle-y clean guitars that really help drive these riffs. Of course, these songs are further strengthened by the vocal performance, which gives us plenty of hooks, especially for the choruses of these short punk bangers.

Coffins – Sinister Oath

Japan’s Coffins have been going strong for a long time now, and this is their sixth full length album. It’s been a full five years since “Beyond the Circular Demise,” but they have released a few splits in the time between. “Sinister Oath” has reignited my love for Coffins, as not only have I been listening to this record a lot, I’ve been all over their entire back catalogue, and buying whatever releases of theirs I can find on vinyl. Coffins has always had the perfect mixture of death, doom, and d-beat, and they still manage to sound fresh without betraying their sound.

Drowned – Procul His

Another band that has taken their sweet time to release another album, Germany’s Drowned finally released their sophomore album a decade after their debut. Keeping in mind that they took 22 years to release their first full length, they made pretty good time with this one. I actually found that debut a little difficult to get into at first (I definitely love it now), “Procul His” instantly resonated with me. It’s kind of midpaced, but it has massive hooks, and a similar kind of riff approach to Darkthrone’s “Soulside Journey.” The production is also absolutely killer, with the drums sounding perfectly crisp.

Knoll – As Spoken

Have you ever wondered what Portal would sound like if they had more grindcore influence in their music? Tennessee’s Knoll have answered that question once again with their third full length. Combining an unsettling use of low tuned dissonance with the frantic speed of grindcore, this album is truly a hellish soundscape. These guys don’t sound as murky as their Australian influence, but they certainly capture much of that unique weirdness that makes Portal so interesting and heavy. The production here is actually pretty razor sharp, but retains the heaviness, all while making it clear what kind of psychotic sounds the band is putting forth. I love the hellish vocals, the use of brass instruments, and just how relentless this is. Also highly recommended for fans of Knelt Rote, WAKE, and Infernal Coil.

Mitochondrion – Vitriseptome

A recurring theme on this list is bands that finally put out a record after many years of silence. Mitochondrion’s third album was the longest wait out of any of them, and I’m sure many fans were not expecting this after 13 years since the mighty “Parasignosis” album. Even more insane is the fact that this is a true double album, clocking in at almost 90 minutes. It’s a lot to take in, and it’s not advised to listen to it in one sitting. I’m pretty familiar with Mitochondrion’s style of dense, chaotic black/death metal, but even I was having difficulty digesting what was going on with this record at first, to the point where I wasn’t even sure I liked it. Alas, my patience was rewarded, as the second half of the album started to resonate with me a lot more once I started visiting it. I generally do prefer albums that aren’t longer than a single LP, but after 13 years between albums, I’ll gladly take this massive piece of music, as it’s clear the time and effort put into this was above and beyond. The production (especially the drums) and the art are all top quality, truly an impressive feat all together.

Ripped to Shreds – Sanshi

San Jose’s Ripped to Shreds have been getting better in all aspects ever since they dropped their debut in 2018. Since then, they’ve managed to release a full length every two years, with “Sanshi” being their fourth, but also their first as a full fledged quartet. “Jubian” saw the band expand to a power trio, with Michael Chavez (Hemotoxin) joining the band right after the recording. His presence is notable on “Sanshi” for his addition of solos and vocals, giving the band even more tools to melt faces with. The HM-2 tone is still present here, and unlike some other lame bands that try to cover up their lack of creativity with tone, there’s and abundance of sick riffs throughout the record. The production has improved once again, and I even got a huge Exhumed vibe from both the production and songwriting from the album’s first single (which is the closing track).

Spectral Voice – Sparagmos

I’ve been a huge fan of this band ever since they dropped their “Necrotic Doom” demo in 2015, and have been feasting on all their releases since then. Their debut from 2017 is a stand out piece of death/doom, and after 7 years, they’ve returned with an even more dismal offering for their sophomore. Spectral Voice finds themselves playing a lot slower on this record, but it’s just as haunting and evil sounding as ever. There’s still some crushing death metal, of course, and all the other elements like eerie leads and ghastly vocals that have made SV great. But certainly, there was more of a focus to get lost in the void with these 4 songs, which has made it my co-album of the year along with the previously mentioned Adversarial LP.

Honorable Mentions
Glutted Swarm – …of Old [Echoes from Beneath]
Hemorrhoid – Raw Materials of Decay [Headsplit Records]
Krash – Nothing is Sacred [Blown Out Media]
Lifeless Dark – Forces of Nature’s Transformation [Side Two Records]
Morgue Breath – Plaga sin rostro [Behind the Mountain]

EPs/Splits/Demos
Anatomia/Eternal Rot split LP [Behind the Mountain]
Archagathus/Assur split LP [multiple]
Archagathus/Mind Collapse split 7″ [multiple]
Archagathus/Whoresnation split 7″ [multiple]
Bootlicker – Window With No View 7″ [self released]
Closetalkers – Path to Peace 7″ [Neon Taste]
Culled – Psycles EP [self released]
Deviated Instinct – Dance of the Plague Bearer EP [Terminal Filth]
Nightfeeder – Disgustor 7″ [self released]
Sedimentum – Derrière les Portes d’une Arcane Transcendante EP [Me Saco Un Ojo]
Soul Devourment/Anatomia – Tenebrous Ingestion split LP [Sewer Rot Records]
Yellowcake – A Fragmented Truth 7″ [Total Peace]

Reissues
Ascended Dead – Abhorrent Manifestations [Dark Descent Records]
Blood – Christbait LP [Nuclear War Now! Records]
The Chameleons – Strange Times 3xLP [Blue Apple Music]
Coffins – The Fleshland LP [Relapse Records]
Coffins – Beyond the Circular Demise LP [Relapse Records]
Dillinger Escape Plan – Calculating Infinity LP [Relapse Records]
Exhumed – Slaughtercult LP [Relase Records]
Exhumed – Anatomy is Destiny LP [Relapse Records]
Exhumed – All Guts, No Glory LP [Relapse Records]
Exhumed – Necrocracy LP [Relapse Records]
Hemdale/Exhumed – Split LP [Hells Headbangers]
Ulver – Perdition City 2xLP [House of Mythology]
Winter – Into Darkness LP [Svart Records]

Another year, another list of records that caught my ear. Most new releases I heard were death metal, which shouldn’t be a huge surprise. There were a couple big sophomores that hit this year after several years of waiting, and these ones truly delivered. In addition to my top ten, I’ve included an honorable mentions list, and the ones that I was able to write about most enthusiastically made the top ten (how’s that for methodology?). The usual list of releases that aren’t full lengths is also included, and since I bought a ton of reissues this year, I included a list of those. Enough banter, here are the ten records I enjoyed the most this year.

Ascended Dead – Evenfall of the Apocalypse

When it comes to absolutely ripping fast death metal, this Californian group have certainly been one of the most furious of the bunch. Their 2017 debut was like the fastest parts of early Morbid Angel combined with the evil atmosphere of Necrovore. They continue to blast everything to death with their follow up album, which absolutely lives up to expectations. Although this album is fast, it is not without dynamics, especially when it comes to the fluidity of the dual guitar work. They even go as far as to include some flamenco guitars in parts that work surprisingly well.

Autopsy – Ashes, Organs, Blood and Crypts

Hot off the heels of last year’s “Morbidity Triumphant,” Autopsy strikes again with another full length. This is their tenth album, and Autopsy sounds as fresh as they ever have. New bassist Greg Wilkinson seems to have more input on this album, as he wrote a few more songs this time around, and put his skills as an audio engineer to use on this album too. The result sounds like classic Autopsy, and that’s all anyone could really ask from a band that’s been around as long as these guys have.

Cruciamentum – Obsidian Refractions

I’ve been a fan of Cruciamentum since a friend hooked me up with a copy of their demo many years back. Their debut LP from 2015 was a stellar display of cavernous (but well produced) death metal, so the anticipation for a follow up album has been high. With main man DL moving to the US, the band’s sophomore has finally been unleashed, and it lives up to expectations. In addition to their ripping brand of tremolo heavy riffs, there’s some gloomy parts throughout that really add to the overall experience. All things considered, “Obsidian Refractions” is the album of the year.

Death Knell – Taste the Bitter End of a Once Brilliant Dream

Back in 2019, I went down to Calgary to record a new band that some friends started called Death Knell. I ended up coming down again at the onset of the pandemic the next year to do another EP for the band. Death Knell decided to go to a proper studio for their full length, and the result is fantastic. Combining elements of crossover thrash and crust punk, this 8 track LP will rip you apart in a mere 20 minutes. There are two re-recorded tracks from the second EP on here, and they sound as powerful as ever. Honestly, this is one of my favourite bands in Calgary right now, which is no surprise given how strong this debut LP is!

Disimperium – Grand Insurgence Upon Despotic Altars

I first got to hear Disimpirium while I was touring with my own band this summer, and they opened the show we played in Portland. I was absolutely blown away by their approach to war metal, doing so with blistering speed and whirlwind riffs. Their live show was enough reason to check this album out, and it is pulverizing as I was hoping. Guitarist/vocalist JR also plays in the aforementioned Ascended Dead, who are similarly lethal in their blitzkrieg approaches to their given styles. As someone who doesn’t really bother checking out too much war metal these days, these guys are certainly a cut above.

Excarnated Entity – Mass Grave Horizons

The Pacific Northwest region of the US has produced some incredible death/doom bands in recent years, and Excarnated Entity is another one that’s had my full attention since the release of their demo in 2019. After relocating to Portland from Seattle and retooling their lineup, the band finally dropped their debut full length. There seems to be a healthy influence from early Peaceville bands like Paradise Lost, minus the goth sounding parts. Much of the artwork and presentation of this album looks very similar to the demo, foreshadowing the fact that the music is very much a continuation as well. There’s a healthy amount of dynamics between the pure death metal parts and the slower doom sections that work together seamlessly.

Godflesh – Purge

I don’t have to express how much I love Godflesh, or how they are the absolute legends of industrial metal. Fans have had to wait 6 years since their last album, and “Purge” delivers on all fronts. JK Broadrick stated that this album saw them come back to some of the sounds they were going for on 1992’s “Pure,” and although that is certainly true, it also has some similar production and sounds from the last album, “Post Self.” These old influences work really well with their more refined modern sound, and tracks like “Land Lord” are among some of the most banging Godflesh songs in their vast discography.

Trenchraid – War Mentality

Nestled away in the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia, Trenchraid’s debut must’ve been quite the disruption for the rural coastal town. Featuring members of some beloved Vancouver punk bands, they’ve provided a dozen rocking d-beat tunes in the span of a mere 22 minutes. With anthem like choruses scattered throughout, each song manages to present a hook while still presenting an overall bleak message. Calling back to some of the earliest Discharge songs, they’re not afraid to have a bit more of a rock swagger at times, which really helps add some variety. When they hit the d-beats, they hit hard, and it’s hard not to get these stuck in your head.

Vastum – Inward to Gethsemane

Oakland’s Vastum is back again, with 2023 marking the release of their fifth album. I’ve been a fan of these mid-paced death metaller’s brand of brutality since their debut in 2011, and their albums generally have all maintained a very similar vibe. Their albums all contain six songs at about six minutes a piece, with each song going through a game of catch and release with slower sections and faster parts contrasting. The low, eerie clean vocals are there, and some real dreary atmospheres are conveyed alongside these vocals. I was a little disappointed with their previous offering, but this one caught my ear almost immediately, with giant hooks in some of the groovier riffs.

VoidCeremonty – Threads of Unknowing

Every now and then, some really technical death metal band manages to grab my attention, and it’s usually because they’re rooted in the early 90’s style that I still have a soft spot for. VoidCeremony has been one of those recent bands for me, taking the jazz fusion approach, and doing so with quite the line up of musicians. With members in bands like Ascended Dead, Chthe’ilist, and StarGazer, there’s no shortage of chops. Everything is on full display, and it works so well with the jazz fusion approach to death metal. The bass playing stands out, the lead guitar has impeccable tone, the drums are playful and precise all at once. I liked their debut album, and I think VoidCeremony has outdone themselves with this one.

Honorable Mentions
Ceremonial Bloodbath – Genesis of Malignant Entropy [Sentient Ruin]
Fossilization – Leprous Daylight [Everlasting Spew]
Home Front – Games of Power [La Vida Es Un Mus]
Incantation – Unholy Deification [Relapse Records]
Phobocosm – Foreordained [Dark Descent Records]
Rotten Sound – Apocalypse [Season of Mist]
Seraphic Entombment – Sickness Particles Gleam [Everlasting Spew]
Static Abyss – Aborted from Reality [Peaceville Records]
Warkrusher – Armistice [Agipunk]

Splits/EPs/Singles
Archagathus/Cystoblastosis split 7″
Archagathus/Hacked Apart split 7″
Archagathus/Pulmonary Fibrosis – Grinders of Darkness
Blood Incantation – Luminescent Bridge
Extremely Brutal – Remaining Afterlife
Thanamagus – Lie in Wait
Spectral Voice/Undergang split LP

Reissues
Finally, I wanted to take the opportunity to list some reissues of classic albums I picked up this year. Not only are these albums I love, but in many cases, they weren’t available for some time without shelling out big money on Discogs. Huge credit to these labels who put the time into ensuring these records can be obtained by fans for a reasonable price. Again, these are records I actually picked up the physical copies of that were reissued in 2023.
Ahna – Crimson Dawn [Phobia Records/Anomie Records]
Beherit – Drawing Down the Moon [Nuclear War Now! Productions]
The Chameleons – Script of the Bridge [Blue Apple Music]
Consume – s/t [Insane Society Records]
Disfear – Everyday Slaughter [Havoc Records/La Familia Releases]
Dismember – Like an Ever Flowing Stream [Nuclear Blast Records]
Dead Congregation – Grave of the Archangels [Martyrdoom Productions]
Dystopia – s/t [Tankcrimes]
Exhumed – Gore Metal [Relapse Records]
Exhumed – Death Revenge [Relapse Records]
Godflesh – Us & Them [Earache Records]
Grave – Into the Grave [Osmose Productions]
Napalm Death – Death by Manipulation [Earache Records]
Napalm Death – Diatribes [Earache Records]
Merciless – The Awakening [Osmose Productions]
Morpheus Descends – Ritual of Infinity [The Crypt/Dark Descent Records]
Pestilence – Consuming Impulse [Agonia Records]
Pestilence – Testimony of the Ancients [Agonia Records]
Root – Hell Symphony [I Hate Records]
Sepultura – Morbid Visions/Bestial Devastation [Cavalera Brothers are Wiggers Records – unofficial]
Sinister – Cross the Styx [Cosmic Key Creations]
Sinister – Diabolical Summoning [Cosmic Key Creations]
Skitsystem – Enkel Resa Till Rännstenen [Havoc Records]
State of Fear – Complete Discography Volume I [Sonorize Records]
State of Fear – Complete Discography Volume II [Sonorize Records]
Suffocation – Souls to Deny [Relapse Records]

2022 is just a couple weeks away from concluding, and there’s no better time to talk about some of my favourite records that came out over the last 12 months. I found that there was quite a lot of quality death metal albums that grabbed my interest throughout the year, so much so that I found myself shelling out money on more new releases than ever, especially those that were available on vinyl. In fact, I bought almost everything I listed here (and hope to grab the couple things I didn’t find yet). For this list, I’ve picked my 20 favourite full lengths of the year, plus a handful of other releases (EPs/compilations/splits) that I really enjoyed. As always, I’ve included links to listen to everything here via Bandcamp or YouTube.

Acephalix – Theothanatology

Anyone who’s kept up with death metal over the last decade knows that the Bay Area has been a hot spot for the genre, and Acephalix are one of the many stand out bands out there. I loved the crusty Entombed grooves of “Deathless Master” when that came out, and it feels like they haven’t lost steam years later with their 4th full length. It boasts some new members, and hits as hard as Acephalix ever has. There’s nothing too complicated about this record, but it keeps me coming back with its infectious sense of rhythm and punky approach to death metal.

Ares Kingdom – In Darkness at Last

The masters have returned with their fifth full length and sound just as lethal as ever. Ares Kingdom have always exuded the spirit of metal, and have always delivered powerful songs with constantly improving DIY production. “In Darkness at Last” sounds just as crushing as ever, as their unique style of death/thrash delivers an endless supply of powerful riffs and venomous vocals. Some of the heavy metal influences that sneak into these tracks (such as in the latter half of the album) keep it fresh and dynamic. Ares Kingdom can do no wrong!

Assumption – Hadean Tides

Italy’s Assumption caught my attention with their 2018 debut, which was a brilliant display of death/doom with some ethereal atmospheres and creative use of unorthodox instruments like flutes. This was merely foreshadowing what would come with “Hadean Tides,” as we end up getting a double LP here. The heavy death/doom of the first half of the record is contrasted with some more experimental songwriting in the second half that adds a ton of dynamics and atmosphere to the experience. Crucial for fans of diSEMBOWELMENT.

Autophagy – Bacteriophage

Debut album from this Portland based death metal group, coming after a demo and major line up changes. I became aware of this band when Adam Wheeler (ex-Ritual Necromancy, ex-Weregoat, etc) joined the band, and it seems some of his song writing has seeped into this full length. Dual guitars simultaneously wreak havoc with one playing evil tremolo melodies on top of gut wrenching low tuned riffs.

Autopsy – Morbidity Triumphant

The legendary Autopsy returns with their 8th (or 9th, pending on how you view “Skull Grinder”) full length, and first release that runs beyond 30 minutes since 2014’s “Tourniquets, Hacksaws, and Graves.” This is arguably their best album since they reformed in 2009, as it feels like a very focused effort. Although I have been a fan of most of their reunion material, some of those records are either far too long (“Macabre Eternal”), rushed (“The Headless Ritual”), or just too damn short (“Puncturing the Grotesque,” although I’ll take too short over too long any day!). Greg Wilkinson’s addition to the band appears to have been a perfect fit, as his bass tone is probably the nastiest one Autopsy has ever had!

Besieged – Violence Beyond All Reason

A dozen years have passed since these Canucks first self released “Victims Beyond All Help,” and finally, they return with its follow up. The similarly named return is a mere 26 minutes, but wastes absolutely no time with some finger-twisting, ferocious riffs and thrash their way throughout without any bullshit. If you like thrash that is more on the brutal side like Sepultura, Incubus, Demolition Hammer, or Morbid Saint, this is mandatory.

Black Death Cult – Diaspora

Quickly following up their debut from 2019 (wait, that was three years ago?), one of Edmonton’s strangest metal acts has graced us with another bizarre record. With only six songs, it’s considerably shorter than “Devil’s Paradise,” giving the rest of us simpletons more time for repeat listens to digest all the weirdness going on. Black Death Cult aren’t afraid to incorporate whatever they feel like alongside their bestial black/death metal sound, making them a truly unique sounding band.

The Chasm – The Scars of a Lost Reflective Shadow

After deciding to go fully instrumental on their 2017 album, the Chasm returns with one of their most ferocious albums to date, and it also marks the return of vocals. They get downright thrashing mad here, but not to fret, as the Chasm’s signature sound is in tact here, it just feels renewed and refreshed and isn’t afraid to keep it simple at times. The result ends up being a dynamic journey of killer riffs, and the few instrumental tracks shine with some fantastic lead work.

Dream Unending – Song of Salvation

Following up their debut from last year, the death/doom duo of Dream Unending delivers another dreamy slab of music. “Song of Salvation” seems to have more focus on their more atmospheric side of things, especially in the middle 3 songs, showcasing a lot of excellent clean guitar work. The two longer songs that bookend the record definitely show that this is still a death/doom project, but do so with elegance. Derrick Vella’s (Tomb Mold) guitar playing is phenomenal throughout this record, and he uses a wide variety of effect pedals that really add to the whole experience.

Egregore – The Word as His Law

The debut recording from Vancouver’s Egregore takes the form of a full length, and strongly delivers occult sounding black/death metal. The two piece band features members of other black/death metal bands, Auroch and Mitochondrion, and although there are some things in common with their other bands, Egregore carves out their own niche. The drums are a lot more primitive in nature, and there’s some focus on more atmospheric songwriting on the second half of the records via some neo-folk influences. Also, the artwork by Karmazid is among one of the best pieces of the year.

Exhumed – To the Dead

Oakland’s practitioners of Carcass worship have returned once again with their 8th album, and have managed to put out something full of catchy songwriting and heavy riffs. With the release of this album, I ended up binging their discography, and this feels like classic Exhumed through and through. I felt like “Death Revenge” was a little too bloated with the orchestral interludes, and I loved how “Horror” just went back to short grindcore songs. This is certainly back in death metal territory, but they definitely kept it lean, and even got some four former members to each contribute a song to the record.

Grave Infestation – Persecution of the Living

No frills death metal that sounds fresh without compromising its old school values. With former members of AHNA (in addition to many other killer Vancouver metal/punk acts), it retains a similarly sinister vibe but eschews the thrashy Sacrilege influence in place of more death metal. As always with this group of musicians (known as the Scum Division), it sounds sinister, evil, and relentless. Eerie lead soundscapes soar below the crushing riffage for an extra layer of evilness. Death metal should strive to be this dark, and I can only hope Grave Infestation follows this one up in the future!

Mortuous – Upon Desolation

Another band from the Bay Area, Mortuous returns with their sophomore full length, which was released on the drummer’s own label, Carbonized Records. Like many of their peers, this was recorded at Earhammer Studio so it has quite a familiar production job. This record feels a lot catchier than their debut, and manages to stay clear and heavy despite the density and darkness of the material. Mike Beams (ex-Exhumed) is credited with the music on every track, and shows he’s capable of writing more than gore soaked metal.

Negative Plane – The Pact

Negative Plane have been silent for many years, with their last album coming out in 2011. I never loved that album as much as their debut, but “The Pact” immediately had my attention by coming back to all the elements that made them great to begin with. Intricate songwriting weaved together with thoughtful riffs and occult storytelling make this album an absolute must hear, and one of the few black metal bands I actually give a shit about.

Predatory Light – Death and the Twilight Hours

If that Negative Plane wasn’t enough for you, Predatory Light has also unleashed an occult black/death metal album that will surely satisfy anyone looking for something similar. This west coast band’s debut from 2016 did a fantastic job filling in the void that Negative Plane left open for over a decade, so it’s kind of fitting they both released records this year. With only four songs on the LP, there’s some real lengthy songwriting, but seeing as it’s a single LP, it’s not an overwhelming listening experience.

Ripped to Shreds – Jubian

My friend and Azath bandmate Andrew Lee is one talented dude, and that’s no secret if you’ve heard Ripped to Shreds before. This is the third album by these San Jose death metallers, and their first for Relapse Records. Ripped to Shreds continue to deliver a furious death metal riffs soaked in the classic HM-2 buzzsaw tone, and pretty much destroy every riffless band that tries to rely on the aesthetics of being “Swedish death metal” with that classic BOSS pedal. There’s quite a variety of stuff here, from a 10 minute epic to a 50 second grinder. The band has grown beyond its solo project days and is even stronger due to a full line up of talented musicians, with the drums being tighter than ever, and also a better production job than they’ve ever had.

Sedimentum – Suppuration Morphogénésiaque

Disgusting and downtuned death metal from Quebec City, this is Sedimentum’s debut album. I quite enjoyed their 2019 demo, and they definitely delivered on the momentum they had going on. There’s definitely a Finnish influence on here between the ultra low tuning, the balance of midpaced and fast riffs, and the low vocals. It’s a lot like Demilich but not quite as technical, although it certainly has some jerky rhythms you’d expect with that comparison.

Static Abyss – Labyrinth of Veins

Static Abyss is an Autopsy side project, featuring Chris Reifert and new Autopsy bassist Greg Wilkinson. With Reifert behind the kit and on the mic, it certainly sounds like Autopsy, but there are some unique differences. Wilkinson handles all the guitar and bass tracks, and layers in some really sinister lead work atop powerful death/doom riffs. Even when there’s already a creepy lead line going, he’ll throw in additional subtle stuff behind it that’s a lot more simple, but it really adds to the overall sinister atmosphere here.

Voivod – Synchro Anarchy

It’s incredible to me that a band like Voivod, who put out their classic records in the 80’s, are still putting out albums that are worth listening to. Not only is their 15th album, “Synchro Anarchy,” worth listening to, it’s one of the best records they’ve put out in decades. Everything since “Target Earth” has progressively been a stronger record thanks to Dan Mongrain’s contributions in the writing department, bringing the band back to their classic sound and staying completely authentic to themselves. Furthermore, this record arguably has the nastiest bass tone of the year (and that’s quite the feat when up against the Autopsy/Static Abyss albums).

WAKE – Thought Form Descent

The evolution of Calgary’s WAKE has been astounding, especially with their shift from grindcore to black/death metal starting in 2016. In this six year period, they’ve released four(!) records, and halfway through realized they have the ability to write songs longer than two minutes. “Thought Form Descent” adds a heavy dose of melodic leads, all while retaining the speed and intensity they’ve always had. These guys have been working extremely hard over the years, both with touring and their recordings, so it’s well deserved that they ended up putting this one out through Metalblade Records!

There’s no shortage of incredible music coming from both the Bay Area and Canada, as seen by this list. Some honorable mentions include Bloodbath – Survival of the Sickest; Fake Meat – 腐肉; Foreseen – Untamed Force; Immolation – Acts of God; Innumerable Forms – Philosophical Collapse; KEN mode – Null; Phobophilic – Enveloping Absurdity; and Vermin Womb – Retaliation.

Below are my top picks for things that aren’t full lengths. EPs, splits, demos, and compilations are all fair game here.

Bleed – Somebody’s Closer

The first time I saw the cover art of this Texan band’s EP, I assumed they were something like early Nine Inch Nails. My assumption was incorrect, but they are a total throwback to 90’s (and maybe early 2000’s) alt rock, and dare I say a little bit of numetal influence too with its usage of groove. Bleed makes some pretty ethereal sounding atmospheres with some pretty engaging rhythms, and top it off with soaring vocal melodies. For me, this is a total nostalgia trip to my preteen years, when bands like the Deftones were breaking away from numetal to make something a little more substantial. 20 Buck Spin took a bit of a risk doing something like this, but I think it’s paid off, and can’t wait to hear a full length by Bleed.

Hedonist – Sepulchral Lacerations

This Canadian death metal band was formed out of the ashes of Iskra, which right away should be a clue that this is a quality release in both production and songwriting. Hedonist take Bolt Thrower style riffs and play them with the classic HM-2 chainsaw tone. They avoid sounding like a tired Swedish-death clone thanks to strong songwriting, and the vocal performance is also extremely savage. This demo was initially released digitally last year, but the physical releases didn’t hit until this year, hence why I’m talking about it now.

Incantation – Tricennial of Blasphemy

To celebrate 30 years of death metal, Incantation and Relapse has teamed up to release this double CD/triple LP compilation. It contains non-album material, including all their 7″ releases, rare material from promotional tapes/compilation appearances, and even some unreleased songs spanning their entire career. Although I own a lot of these releases already, having them in one large, official release like this is nice. The high point is certainly the unreleased stuff, as I am particularly fond of the track they cut from “Diabolical Conquest.”

Napalm Death – Resentment is Always Seismic: A Final Throw of Throes

Following the release of the fantastic “Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Defeatism” in 2020, Napalm Death offers up an EP of further material recorded in that session. Clocking in at half an hour, there’s a good amount of material here, including a couple covers that fit into their eccentric influences. Needless to say, if you enjoyed their latest full length, this will also satisfy. I personally love all the weird noise rock/post-punk/no wave influence Napalm have been injecting into their modern material.

Ritual Necromancy/Fossilization – Split

Somehow, this is the only split I got into this year, but it’s a damn good one. The first half features a single song by Ritual Necromancy, which appears to have been recorded during the same sessions as their 2018 sophomore album. It is the doomiest and longest song in their catalogue so far, but rest assured, they go into their signature whirlwind style of death metal here too. Brazil’s Fossilization takes up the other two tracks, which continue their filthy path of death/doom metal that was introduced to underground on their debut EP last year. This is a really great pairing of bands, and quite honestly, I wish there was a full 20 minutes from each band, because what’s presented here is just that damn good.

I hope that anyone reading this list found something that perks their interest. I’m sure, as always, that I’ll find some albums later on from 2022 that I end up liking more than some of the stuff listed here, but that’s the nature of the beast. One last note about 2022 was that Begrime Exemious’ 4th album, “Rotting in the Aftermath” finally dropped on Dark Descent this year, and I also did vocals on a punk EP with Suicide Pact’s “With the Earth.” Here’s to more music in 2023!

Genre: Black/Death Metal | Label: Metal Blade
Location: Calgary, Alberta | Listen: Bandcamp

Calgary’s WAKE have been working tirelessly over the years, as can be seen by their endless touring, and the release of their sixth album. “Thought Form Descent,” which is also their debut on Metal Blade Records, sees these Canucks taking the lessons learned from their last album, “Devouring Ruin,” and expanding on them even farther. That 2020 album saw the band shed a lot of their grindcore influences in favor of more black/death metal, and saw the band embellish their songs with more mature songwriting. “Thought Form Descent” keeps running with this style, but adds in a healthy dose of melody without sacrificing any of the extremity they’ve been known for throughout their existence.

No one really wants to write the same album twice, and sometimes bands will avoid that just by having line up changes between every record. “Thought Form Descent,” however, marks the first time that WAKE retained the same line up as the previous record. As such, it’s apparent this line up gels with each other well, as they’re able to craft some long and dizzying tunes, with song lengths generally sitting between 6 and 9 minutes. Gone are the days of the 2 minute songs where riffs whiz by at maximum speed, barely giving the listener time to digest them. Here, things are felt out, layered, and nuanced as they progress, showing a lot of thought with each song. The album opener, “Infinite Inward,” shows this well, as melodies from the more relaxed intro are reintroduced at the end to create something that feels complete.

As with “Devouring Ruin,” clean guitars pop up here and there to create a little breathing room, such as in “Swallow the Light.” Lead guitarist Arjun Gill (who has been with the band on the last 4 albums) has certainly found his voice with his playing. His sense of melody is stellar, and he’s able to add in a lot of musicality and dynamics with the lead lines that he adds in over the chord work that is prominent throughout the record. WAKE uses a lot of black metal inspired chord word, sometimes keeping it more traditional by just blasting through them with tremolo picking, but also opening them up with some arpeggios and adding in tension with some dissonance. “Mourning Dirge” sees Gill’s playing add in some extra atmosphere the way it’s layered in on this song, and when some of those chord progressions open up, bassist Ryan Kennedy fills the space up in interesting ways. As I stated with my review of “Devouring Ruin,” a lot of this feels similar to Deathspell Omega, but it still sounds like the guys in WAKE playing it. “Observer to Master” probably has some of the prettiest stuff on a WAKE album yet, as the melodic bit in the middle is rather elegant, and stands in contrast to the disgustingly dissonant part right after.

“Thought Form Descent” is the third album the band has recorded in Denver with Dave Otero, a relationship that seems to be very fruitful for the band. This is also drummer Josh Bueckert’s third record with the band, and if you’ve seen him live, you know he has some incredible chops. His playing sounds phenomenal on this record, as you’ll feel every blast beat, and his more creative playing comes through real nice with nuanced ghost notes (check out that drum pattern in “Venerate” before the blasting kicks in). There’s a huge amount of atmosphere to be found among the heaviness, with extra little layers of reverb behind the madness to create a really huge sound.

WAKE has really taken their music to the next level, not only from their initial metalcore infused grind of the earlier material, but from album to album, coming into their own unique style of dynamic black/death metal. “Thought Form Descent” is a wonderfully balanced album with all sorts of shades colours, but it still manages to sound extreme and powerful. The colourful artwork itself essentially foreshadows the dynamics played here, as it is a thing of beauty, and it is hauntingly powerful at the same time.

85%

Genre: Black/Death Metal | Label: Translation Loss
Location: Calgary, Alberta | Listen: Bandcamp

Coming from the Canadian city of Calgary, WAKE have been on an absolute tear over the last six years, and have evolved a lot since they initially started grinding back in 2009. Seeing as Calgary is just a stone’s throw away from Edmonton, I’ve had the opportunity to witness this band’s growth first hand, and I’m always amazed at how far they’ve matured as songwriters and musicians, but still sounding uniquely like themselves. “Devouring Ruin” is their fifth album, and marks a major stylistic shift that sees them diving farther into black/death metal, and they do it in quite the artful manner.

Right off the bat, the band starts the album with a clean guitar strumming some chords, as if to bluntly let listeners know that this is a different beast than their last two magnificent grinding albums, “Sowing the Seeds of a Worthless Tomorrow” and “Misery Rites.” Those records had a lot more in common with bands like Knelt Rote or Infernal Coil, where here they start to chase things that have a little more breathing room, like Deathspell Omega. That being said, a lot of WAKE’s earlier influences are still present if you’re paying attention. The breakdown halfway through “This Abyssal Plain” sounds very metalcore-eque, but the way they let it play out is different. They turn it into a chord progression, and layer some leads on it, and the way it builds up is a perfect example of the maturity in WAKE’s songwriting.

Coming back to the Deathspell Omega influence, we can see that throughout the record in the way they utilize chords more thoughtfully. You can hear some dissonant arpeggios in their early stuff, but here it’s fully realized into a progression, which is on full display on tracks like “Mouth of Abolition.” Instead of grinding through everything in a couple minutes, WAKE takes the time to open some parts up, and on this track you can hear some active bass lines from former-drummer-now-bassist Ryan Kennedy. Kennedy’s return to the band may have very well been a catalyst in the push for a more dynamic record, and I’m sure he had something to do with book-ending the previously mentioned tracks with ambient interludes.

Looking at the song lengths alone is enough to know that WAKE really pushed for something more on this album than they had previously. They had been hinting at that kind of thing with the closing track “Misery Rites” (which is over 7 minutes), so it certainly was in their ability to push things further. There’s more lengthy songs here, and the overall album is about twice the length as previous records. “Torchbearer” exceeds 10 minutes, but by no means drags. This is another song I feel that displays some of the band’s early metalcore influences, as an earlier part in the song sounds very much like the title track of Converge’s “Jane Doe.” But make no mistake, WAKE still blasts their way through plenty of parts, as this song is full of tremolo chord progressions and powerful blastbeats. Furthermore, they do contrast these longer songs with some that are a little more concise, like “In the Lair of the Rat King,” which literally blasts off with some real janky grindcore riffs.

WAKE’s albums have had a huge increase in production quality over the years, and this is their second one they recorded with Dave Otero down in Denver. “Devouring Ruin” sounds rich, full, and heavy thanks to his attention to detail throughout the recording process. Josh Bueckert’s drumming sounds clear and powerful, and all the dynamics come out well in his playing. Vocalist Kyle Ball sounds monstrous, as his double tracked low vocals add an extra layer of demonic sound to the songs. It’s no wonder these guys have stuck with him, as they’ve also recorded their latest record with him as well.

“Devouring Ruin” is tremendous album that does black/death metal from a very different approach thanks to their background in grindcore/metalcore/crust punk. WAKE have managed to put out a record that’s both punishingly heavy and artfully creative at the same time, and there’s a lot to sink your teeth into here. At the time of writing this, the band are currently promoting the follow up to this record, which further pushes their new approach with a heavy dose melody and lead guitar work. If you’re reading this review because you’ve already heard “Thought Form Descent,” or you enjoyed the previous black/death/grind hybrid sound on the previous couple records, you absolutely need to hear “Devouring Ruin.”

85%

Genre: Grindcore | Label: Bringer of Gore
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba| Listen: Youtube

Canadian grinders Archagathus have been outrageously prolific over the years, so much so that some of their releases may have been buried only to be resurrected a few years later for completion. After releasing their first 12″ in 2010, Archagathus released two more in 2011. One of these was the incredible “Canadian Horse” LP, which I’ve given much praise in a previous review. The other one is what we have here, the “Coffee Grinder” LP. It contains 14 tracks that were initially recorded back in 2008, and then finished in 2011. These are considerably rawer than the “Canadian Horse” LP, and not surprisingly sound more inline with the many split 7″ recordings Archagathus were putting out around the late 2000’s.

“Coffee Grinder” contains the duo of Dan Ryckman and Joe Warkentin, with the former performing all instruments, and the latter supplementing the vocal department. Some of these songs, namely “Sad Together,” “Intelligible Happiness” and “Unrealistic Janitor” have appeared on previous recordings, and are possibly the earlier verisons of these songs. The other 11 tracks are exclusive to this release, with most of them getting the job done in a mere minute. Most of the songs revolve around fairly simple verse/chorus structures that pummel away between blast beats, polka-mince beats, and punky d-beats. This should not surprise anyone who are familiar with these guys.

Despite the simple structures and fairly predictable material, there’s no shortage of sick riffs, hooks, and nuances all around to keep it fresh and something worth coming back to. The longest track, “Functional Society System” actually has an intro that builds up for about the first half of the song. “Mince Bastard” provides a simple groove that makes it instantly likeable. The usage of all sorts of vocal styles also give these songs tons of character, which prove Warkentin’s value as a second vocalist on this record. Both guys can do tons of crazy things with their voices, and that’s been a strength of the countless projects both have done over the years.

As mentioned, this is a pretty raw affair, but it is earlier on in Archagathus’ career. I think it’s entirely listenable, and even genre appropriate, so it’s certainly not bad, but there’s things like a lack of crisp attack on the kick drum. The cymbals’ high end seems a little strange, and there’s guitar hums and feedback where most folks would just clean it up. All that adds into the charm of this record, and kind of feeds into the lore about how it was initially recorded a few years earlier before the band came back to it.

Out of all of Archagathus’ full lengths, this one is probably the hardest to come by, as it’s only been done in limited runs on vinyl and tape. It is their rawest of their four LPs (it does very clearly state “raw shit” on the cover!), but it’s one I come back to often because I usually prefer listening to their longer releases instead of going through a million 7″ splits, so I’m glad the band decided to dig these songs up and get them finished. If the early years of Archagathus interest you, this one is certainly worth hunting down, even if just digitally.

80%

Genre: Grindcore/Death Metal | Label: Willowtip Records
Location: Baltimore, Maryland/Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Listen: Bandcamp

Here we have a split between Baltimore’s Misery Index and Pittsburgh’s Commit Suicide. This is the second Misery Index release, and sees them adding a 2nd guitarist in Sparky Voyles (who also played in Dying Fetus with other MI members), meanwhile Commit Suicide had just released their debut album the same year of this split. Both bands fall in the realm of death metal, but one would kind of fade away to obscurity where the other continues to release music to this day. This split is now 20 years old and came out during the early days of both bands, and is still worth a listen.

As mentioned, Misery Index expanded to a quartet for this release after their debut EP came out the year prior. Out of the three songs here, two are originals and the other is a cover. The two originals are both short and fast grinders, having a little more punk influence shining through with some of it’s rhythmic approach and to the point structure. There’s still some intricate phrasing in their guitar riffs, as with the first few riffs in “My Untold Apocalypse.” Blast beats barrage away and give away to groovier double kick patterns. “Alive” features some simpler punk riffs in its verses as Jason Netherton barks away his grievances of slaving one’s life away. The Misery Index tracks finish up with a cover by the great d-beat/grind band Disrupt, and like with many early Misery Index releases, this cover turned me onto Disrupt. They absolutely kill this song and it fits really nice alongside their two originals.

Commit Suicide’s side of the split also contains two original tracks and a cover. They play a style that has a little more in common with brutal death metal, as they have chunky, palm muted power chords that plod atop blastbeats. In fact, “In All this Revelation” features a couple different blast beats the way through, and we’re not met with a single break between blasts until a third of the way through the next track. Once “With Not Distaste” comes back from its slow break, it features some quasi-quirky grooves typical of early 2000’s brutal death metal, before taking off into more blastbeats and chromatic tremolo riffs. It’s not the worst thing on earth, but I can’t say I’ve really ever been interested in busting out any of this band’s material for a long time. Their Death cover is at least pretty bad ass, and is an easy incentive to just listen through their two tracks just to get to the cover.

This split is an enjoyable listen, and I’ll probably always enjoy the Misery Index tracks. The Commit Suicide side (which rolls off the tongue awkwardly) is a decent affair of early 2000’s brutal death metal, and both bands do some really fantastic covers of seminal bands in their respective influences. The production on both sides reeks of the early 2000’s with its drum sound especially, but that’s to be expected, and it’s honestly not the worst example of it. Misery Index has had quite the career since this split, where as Commit Suicide terminated themselves at some point after releasing their sophomore album a couple years later. As mentioned in the “Overthrow” EP review for Misery Index, these non album tracks from their early years have been compiled on a CD by the band’s own label, and that’s certainly worth checking out.

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Genre: Grindcore/Death Metal | Label: Anarchos Records
Location: Baltimore, Maryland | Listen: Bandcamp

At the time of writing this review, Baltimore’s Misery Index have just released their seventh full length, which is an impressive feat. As such, there’s no better time to take a look back at their discography, and here we have their debut release, the “Overthrow” EP. It features two former members of Dying Fetus (and a third alumni would join them long term immediately after this EP) playing death metal with some punk and grindcore influences throughout. I’m particularly keen on early Misery Index, and still quite enjoy this EP all these years later.

Misery Index’s general sound at this era has some things in common with Dying Fetus’ earlier material, which makes sense as bassist/vocalist Jason Netherton was an original member, and drummer Kevin Talley was his bandmate there too. So not only is there some familiarity in the vocals, but some of the elements of groove are similar. Misery Index makes use of some NYDM-esque chunky power chord grooves, which are certainly easy to get into, but they balance them out with a variety of other riff styles and rhythmic approaches. They’ll often do full out blastbeat sections with tremolo picked lines that get into some melodic territory, but there’s a tension in these melodies that makes these riffs sound razor sharp. Blistering double kicks and fast beats in general dominate the parts of the songs that aren’t grooving, and giving them their own unique character, and one that’s downright explosive.

Lyrically, Misery Index is more firmly rooted in grindcore, much like fellow east coast death/grinders Brutal Truth. Topics like consumerism, class war, power and control are at the forefront here, and they’re very well done. I’ve alawys adored Jason Netherton’s lyrical abilities, as he has lots to say, but uses language in a thoughtful way. There’s no need to get a dictionary, as he makes his points painfully clear with relatable metaphors of struggle and hardship. His vocal delivery is bold, powerful, yet easy enough to understand, and he’s able to create hooks throughout the songs quite effectively.

One of the only things I can complain about when it comes to this EP (and early Misery Index in general) is how it’s a victim of early 2000’s triggered drum production. Namely, the kicks sound very obviously triggered, but that’s pretty much the standard for 2001. Everything is loud and clear, but the guitars at least have a little bit of grime on them that it brings it back from to sounding too clinical.

Along with the four original songs presented on this EP, there’s also a cover of Terrorizer’s “Dead Shall Rise.” Funny enough, I ended up checking out Terrorizer because of this cover, and as such I think it’s a great rendition. It’s a nice lean 15 minutes, perfect for a band’s very first release, and certainly something that takes me back to my teenage years when I was getting into more extreme music. The tracks on “Overthrow” have been re-released on a compilation CD with several other of their EPs/splits, which is also a great way to enjoy these early Misery Index tracks.

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