ABHORRENT EXECRATION

"Death… Doom… Despair…" Demo Cassette

(Nekrassious Tapes)

Abhorrent is a French band that is playing grimy, raw and gloriously cacophonous blackened death metal. There is a real evil, necro atmosphere wrapped around their music. The vocals are pretty sick gurgling, roiling and rasping growls that rumble right along in sadistic unison with the coarse music. I think diehards of Profanatica, Demoncy, Archgoat, Black Witchery and the early works of Beherit, Blasphemy, and Incantation then you should like this one.   - Dale

https://www.instagram.com/abhorrent_execration/    https://nekrassioustapes.bandcamp.com/  

 

ABORTED

“Vault Of Horrors” CD & LP

(Nuclear Blast Records)

The prolific Aborted are back with their 12th album. They continue doing what they do man, a masterful marriage of brutal technical death metal mixed with adrenaline filled grindcore insanity. I feel like the arsenal of growling, nasally vocals have been stepped up to another level with this record. The vox are simply fantastic and wild. There is a lot more refined guitar work going on here than you would imagine with this level of audio devastation.   - Dale

https://abortedmetal.bandcamp.com/    https://shop.nuclearblast.com/  

 

AD MORTEM

“In Honorem Mortis” CD, LP & Cassette

(Purity Through Fire)

It is quite impressive just how much quality black metal, well all metal, but there was a time where Germany was not a prolific black metal country. The last decade or so, though their UG is infested with quality black metal bands. Taking up that torch is Ad Mortem, who produce great freezing cold, hateful rhythmic second wave black metal with superb raspy vocals that are dripping with venom. If you worship early Immortal and Darkthrone you will like this.   - Dale

https://www.facebook.com/AdMortem666    https://shop.purity-through-fire.com/en/  

 

 

AMOCK / NECRONOMIC

"Dyster Forlosning" CD

(Plague Demon Records & Masters Of Kaos Productions)

This is a split release of two of Puerto Rico's best black metal bands. Up first is Amock with another attack of raw black metal that is played with intensity and aggression. The vocals are traditional black metal screams that are raw in their delivery. Up next is Necronomic who are a new band to me but plays a great style of old school black metal. The guitars range from a mid paced style to more of a thrashier fast paced mode. Both bands play a great style of primitive old school black metal that should please all fans of this genre.   - Patrick

theblackwitch056.wixsite.com/mastersofkaos/    plaguedemonrecords.storenvy.com  

 

AMOCK

"Amock" CD

(Blasphemous Creations Of Hell Records)

Puerto Rico's solo project Amock return with a brand new release that continues the raw and unholy black metal style that the band has become known for. The music is a combination of mid paced guitar and drum passages that are done with a lot of skill and talent. The music does speed up to a much faster pace throughout the songs to give each song a nice balance on here. The vocals are grim, raw black metal screams and screeches that fit the band's music perfectly.   - Patrick

https://www.facebook.com/Amockofficial    www.facebook.com/blasphemouscreationsofhellrecords  

 

 

AZAGHAL

"Mustamaa" CD

(Moribund Records)

“Mustamaa” was the debut album originally released in 1999 from the legendary Azaghal. Thanks to the mighty Moribund Rec., it is getting a reissue. Musically the band plays a mix of fast and furious guitars and drum passages that are done with skillful writing and execution. The music does slow to a more controlled pace yet still keeping the intensity. The vocals are traditional black metal screams and some demonic sounding growls. If you are a fan of Azaghal's and missed their debut the first time, now is your chance to pick up this classic black metal release.   - Patrick

https://azaghal.bandcamp.com/album/mustamaa    http://www.moribundcult.com/  

 

BLOOD / INCANTATION

“Split 7'' EP"

(Hells Headbangers Records)

Two of the legendary originating godfathers of the genre of death metal unite on this split seven inch! I have been a fan of both of these bands for a very, very long time; as I got into both of these great bands around 1991-ish if memory serves. Both bands have stayed absolutely true to their roots for all these decades and deserve your support and respect. Oh yes, I forgot to mention that renowned UG veteran artist Chris Moyen does the cover artwork too. This is a must get in my book!  - Dale  

http://www.bloood.de/    https://www.incantation.com/    http://www.hellsheadbangers.com/ 

 

 

BLODULV

“Blodulv I, II & III” CD & LP

(Ophidian Sun Records)

Blodulv was a short lived, but burned bright entity that was around from 2002-05, releasing 3 albums (all now being re-released). This Swedish band created some really freezing cold, evil 2nd wave black metal that is sort of an amalgamation stylistically of early works of Bathory & Darkthrone with Burzum accents. The caustic rasping raw vocals seeped with malevolence are great. I assume this is the label from someone in the band? As so far, these Blodulv albums are the only thing they have released and the only thing available in their store. If you missed out on them the first time around, don’t make that mistake twice.   - Dale  

https://www.ophidian-sun.com/news/store/    https://www.ophidian-sun.com/ 

 

CARNAL TOMB

“Embalmed In Decay” CD & LP

(Testimony Records)

Germany’s Carnal Tomb hit us with their third album and it is a monster. They play all encompassing, thick and fucking heavy death metal that has a lot going on. There is some excellent songwriting on display, with solid waves pathos, some killer guitar fills and sick chunky bass lines. The growling vocals are superb, and classic sounding. Think of a killer mixing of Grave, Dismember, Cannibal Corpse, and Vomitory.   - Dale

http://lnk.spkr.media/carnal-tomb   https://en.testimonyrecords.de/  

 

CAUSTIC PHLEGM

"Putrefying Flesh" 7" EP

(Hells Headbangers)

Caustic Phlegm is a solo project coming out of England. "Retch Of Death" starts off with a short intro and then the music hits with a mix of mid paced heavy guitars and some gurgling death growls. "Septic Stomp" is up next, another heavy song with faster paced guitars, the vocals are a mix of death metal growls and some newer modern gurgling style. The title track finishes things off with slow guitars and some gurgling vocals, before the guitars kick into high gear to keep things interesting. Caustic Phlegm is a interesting blending the 90's raw dm with some elements from the current more brutal slam style of death metal.   - Patrick

https://causticphlegm.bandcamp.com/    https://www.hellsheadbangers.com/

 

 

CEMETERY URN

”Suffer The Fallen” CD, LP & Cassette

(Hells Headbangers)

Good to see Cemetery Urn still going strong. This Aussie band features some grizzled veterans of bands like Abominator, Bestial Warlust, Vahrzaw etc… This horde play suffocating, brutal and sulphurous death metal with a slight doomy edge. The vocals of Damon Bloodstorm are fantastic wraith like growls with some nice boiling & gurgling undertones from time to time. Yes, great vocals, and the music to match.   - Dale

https://cemeteryurn.bandcamp.com/    https://hellsheadbangers.bandcamp.com/

 

CLAIRVOYANCE

“Threshold Of Nothingness” CD EP, 12'' MLP & Tape

(Blood Harvest Records)

Clairvoyance from Poland is a new band with only a demo under their belts prior to this EP. The band plays, for me, an enjoyable brand of OSDM that is grimy, gloomy and brutal melding of things like early Grave with some of the classic Finnish dm sound and injecting a little New York ancient death into the mix from time to time. This is some solid stuff worth checking out.  - Dale 

https://www.facebook.com/clairvoyancedeathmetal   https://www.bloodharvest.se/  

 

CONCILIVM

“A Monument in Darkness” CD & LP

(Iron Bonehead Records)

This is the debut album from Chile’s duo known as Convilivm. They produce blackened death metal with a truly oppressive & suffocating evil aura that wraps itself around their mid paced brutality. There is a great balance struck between raw primitive simplicity and refined guitar work and songwriting. This is a quality record worth your time.  - Dale 

https://concilivm.bandcamp.com/    https://www.facebook.com/IronBoneheadProductions  

 

 

CONGEALED PUTRESCENCE

“Within The Ceaseless Murk” Cassette EP

(Caligari Records)

Coming out of New Orleans is a relatively new band that brings some really chunky, thick grinding death metal of the old school persuasion. The vocalist brings it too with a killer fuzzy and oppressively vile main growling voice, which is augmented at times with some cool clearer contrasting maniacal screams and yells I enjoyed. The bio nails it when they say this is a mix of traditional early to mid ‘90s New York & Finnish style death metal.  - Dale 

https://congealedputrescence.bandcamp.com/   http://www.caligarirecords.com/  

 

CORPSESSED

“Succumb To Rot” CD & LP

(Dark Descent Records)

This Finnish band keeps chugging along, this is their 3rd album and I think all of them have been released by the well respected Dark Descent Records. Corpsessed features members of Tyranny & Lie In Ruins and play excellent dark and brutal death metal with a dank aura that fits nicely alongside great bands like Incantation, Dead Congregation, Disma, Funebrarum and the like. I enjoyed this one.  - Dale

https://www.facebook.com/Corpsessed   https://darkdescentrecords.bandcamp.com/   

 

 

CRYPTWORM

“Oozing Radioactive Vomition CD, LP & Cassette

(Me Saco Un Ojo / Pulverised Records / Extremely Rotten Records)

Me Saco An Ojo may be the kings of cross pollination in the UG, by working on seemingly every release with other labels. I love it. I also dig the hell out of Cryptworm, too. They play guttural, heavy, grimy yet slightly catchy & memorable brutal death metal with a nice coating of death doom. Think Demilich mixed with some Autopsy “Mental Funeral” for reference. Those boiling, roiling, croaking growl vocals are killer too. Fans of newer bands like Stenched, Cerebral Rot or Undergang will like this.   - Dale

https://www.facebook.com/cryptworm    https://mesacounojo.bandcamp.com/  

 

CURSED EXCRUCIATION

“Arcane Diabolism” LP

(Iron Bonehead Productions)

Do you long for the great old classic black metal from Greece? Because I have an interesting shadowy and evil black metal band from Brazil for you. They have captured that hollowed sound and style in near perfect fashion. You will listen to this album and it will transport you back to the glory days of the almighty Necromantia and their amazing early to mid ‘90s output.  - Dale

https://tranceoftheundead.bandcamp.com/   https://ironbonehead.de/  

 

 

DEATHCULT

“Of Soil Unearthed” CD & LP

(Invictus Productions)

Deathcult returns with their 2nd album proving through their high octane OSDM roots that this metal horde from Switzerland is anything but neutral, they pick sides & go for the throat. The band takes early Swedish death metal (Dismember & Unleashed) and mix it liberally with early ‘90s US death metal ala Possessed, Autopsy, early Death plus Brits Bolt Thrower. Has a crisp production that also manages a dark & dirty atmosphere. Good shit.  - Dale

https://www.facebook.com/DeathMetalCult/    https://invictusproductions.net/   

 

DEATHHAMMER

“Electric Warfare” CD, LP & Tape

(Hells Headbangers)

Deathhammer is a Norwegian band, who is the epitome of relentless and lightning quick thrash metal. There are a million wall to wall riffs and all of them are killers and I dig when they mix in the manic guitar fills. The vocals are so ‘80s with gruff vocals mixed with screeching siren banshee yells. This is for diehard fans of old mid to late ‘80s thrash ala Slayer, Destruction, Kreator and the like fit in with newer whorshippers of that time period like Aura Noir, Nifelheim, Nekromantheon, Antichrist.  - Dale

https://hellsheadbangers.bandcamp.com/   http://www.hellsheadbangers.com/   

 

DECONSEKRATED

“Ascension In The Altar Of Condemned” CD

(Iron Blood And Death Corporation)

This is a four man band coming out of the Chilean UG scene. Their debut album features an intro and five songs of heavy chaotic death metal. The guitars are performed with a whirlwind of fast paced guitar passages that are done with skill. The drums are also intensely performed with insanely fast patterns. Both the guitarist and drummer even add some slower more mid tempoed passages. The vocals are performed with powerful and ferocious death growls. This is a must have for all those who love their dm powerful and dark.   - Patrick

https://www.facebook.com/deconsekrated   https://ironbloodanddeath.bandcamp.com/   

 

 

DEMENCIA

“No Más Dioses Ni Demencia” CD

(Impulso Ruin Records)

The title of this album translates to something close to “No More Gods No Demons”. Hailing from Peru, this is the bands fourth album since 1999! It is a pretty slickly produced and clean but heavy recording. They mix crisp late ‘80s/early ‘90s thrash metal with a rawer middle ‘80s crossover style. It is an interesting and intense result. The songs rip with high energy and the vocalist Pocho López is a beast on the mic!  - Dale  

https://www.facebook.com/demenciatrujillo/    https://www.facebook.com/impulsoruin     

 

DEMONCY

“Black Star Gnosis” MCD, 12'' MLP & Cassette EP

(Hells Headbangers)

I just finished reviewing their album, released less than a year ago, directly before listening to this to review. If that tells you how much I like it, I simply can not get enough of their bestial, sinister and utterly evil brand of old school ritualistic black/death metal. The echo-y whispered vocals with an undercurrent of acid black metal rasp are fantastic. These guys have been around since 1989 (!!!) and are still killing it. This 23 minute release is so fucking good and infectious that it possesses me to put it on repeat endlessly.   - Dale

https://www.facebook.com/Demoncy1/    https://www.hellsheadbangers.com/   

 

 

EMBRACE OF THORNS

“Entropy Dynamics” CD, LP & Cassette

(Nuclear Winter Records)

Embrace hail from Greece featuring members of bands like Thou Art Lord, Dephosphorus, Caedes Cruenta, Necrovorous, Serpent Noir & War Possession. They are longtime vets of the UG, having released their first demo in 1999, and “Entropy Dynamics” marks their 6th full-length album. Embrace produce sickeningly necrotic and evil black death metal with sudden explosive bouts of war metal injections from time to time. It is some really intense, good shit.  - Dale  

https://www.facebook.com/EmbraceOfThorns   https://nuclearwinterrecords.bandcamp.com 

 

 

THE EVIL

“Seven Acts To Apocalypse” CD & LP

(Osmose Productions)

This is some rhythmic, hypnotically dark and heavy doom metal from Brazil. I find their music an extremely addictive listen. The vocalist Mistress Wournous puts in a wonderful performance on the mic, that is an interesting, if not melodramatic and a more feminine mix of Messiah Marcolin, Eric Wagner & Peter Steele. Yes, great music and great vocals. Fans of Candlemass, Solitude Aeturnus, Electric Wizard, Black Sabbath and Sleep take note.  - Dale

https://theevildm.bandcamp.com/   https://www.osmoseproductions.com/  

 

ENTIERRO

“The Gates Of Hell” CD

(Self-Release)

It is evident off the hop, both listening to this and looking up the history of the band, that Entierro are talented and experienced. I mean they have members of Nightbitch & guitarist Victor Andruini of Fates Warning (classic early albums). They have their roots in classic heavy metal, but have fashioned an interesting sound of their own to create some really moody, varied & smooth heavy metal. The vocals of Chris Taylor Beaudette are so rich and fantastic, giving the band much extra character to go along with the great music.   - Dale  

https://entierro.bandcamp.com/   https://www.facebook.com/entierrometal 

 

FANGS OF EREBUS

"Demo 2024" CD

(Masters Of Kaos Productions)

Fangs Of Erebus’ Demo 2024 is their debut featuring six songs of brutal, chaotic black death metal at it's best. The music is a mix of extremely fast paced guitars and drum patterns that are played with intense passages. The music does slow to a more heavier mid pace in a few of the songs before going back to the blasting style. The vocals are demonic death metal growls that are powerful in their delivery. This is a great debut demo and recommended to all those who love barbaric and relentless black death you will not be disappointed.   - Patrick  

https://fangsoferebus.bandcamp.com/   https://mastersofkaos.bandcamp.com/