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By Dear Hollow
Germany’s Groza has always been that 3.0rn in my side. While other bands have toyed with greatness that sends my head for a loop, albums Unified in Void and The Redemptive End have hemorrhaged potential, only to squander it on safe compositions. Owing Mgła just as much for their namesake and as their subtle and interwoven melodic style, while likewise hinting post-black, Groza has been releasing pleasant melodic black metal since 2016. This is part of what makes Nadir a bit of a “make or break” situation: the trio can choose to set out on their own or continue to dwell in Mgła’s shadow.1
Nadir represents a slight stylistic shift. While Groza retains its signature tremolo interwoven with crystalline melody, there is more post-black melody and rawer guitar to drive its darker tones. Featuring six tracks of meditative black metal, highlighted by textures of melodies and vicious vocals, you can expect an evocative listen that sweeps listeners away to a ruined world: scorched, desolate, but undeniably beautiful. Anchored by guitarist U.A.’s powerfully composed guitar leads and layers of melody, vocalist/multi-instrumentalist P.G.’s desperate shrieks and bellowing shouts, and T.H.Z.’s thunderous percussion, it’s consistently and competently built from minimalist foundations. While Groza remains stubbornly “good,” it’s a step in the right direction.
Groza does little to separate from the shadows of Mgła or Uada but Nadir is a far more scathing affair. From the shift of the 4/4 intro “Soul: Inert” to 6/8 “Asbest,” it feels like the second-wave teeth are bared throughout. The best tracks find a balance between the extremes of blackened intensity and melodic serenity. The textured guitars, and layers of melodies, are a conclusion whose build-ups revolve around vicious tremolo guided by manic shrieks, best actualized in tracks like “Dysthymian Dreams” and “Deluge.” These feature melodies seared into the brain with nearly melodeath heft, while good uses of spoken word among plucking calmness add charisma and a hush with bated breath. The most traditionally second-wave black metal rears its head in “Equal. Silent. Cold.,” the crystalline plucking granting the track an icy showering quality. Like fellow countrymen Harakiri for the Sky, Groza has an ear for melody, with fluid movement between disharmony and melody giving way to beautiful resolutions. The final track “Daffodils” features the most intense climax of the album, the buildup hitting immense satisfaction thanks to featured guests J.J. and M.S. of Harakiri and Karg, as well as choir provided by the Bandhouse crew. Percussion contrasts with the scathing intensity, providing a thunderous undercurrent that resounds best as mid-tempo dirges. Groza’s rawer sound does Nadir justice.
Nadir’s weakness is inconsistency. Every track aboard Nadir is pleasant, but Groza’s other tracks fall short compared to the highlights. “Asbest,” although its melody is one of the better on the album, jarringly switches to more minor and weaker movements halfway through. While the tasteful second-wave rawness elevates “Equal. Silent. Cold.,” its somewhat protracted length damages its memorability; blurring into a weaker version of “Dysthymian Dreams” by the end. Even the central melody of “Daffodils” is exhausting before the buildup enters to redeem it. Furthermore, while Nadir is ubiquitously pleasant, it remains far too safe. Groza finds itself locked into its own melodies, so any wavering from it feels ultimately damaging in these tracks; its safety is its worst enemy. While the percussion is solid and thunderous, tracks like “Asbest” and “Dysthymian Dreams” can lose blastbeats to the wild tremolo, and we forfeit our tether to the enjoyable cacophony.
Groza is always pleasant and Nadir’s rawer direction does not undermine that trademark. While it vaguely distances itself from the likes of Mgła or Uada and is a step on the right path, it has not escaped that shadow yet. With tracks like “Dysthymian Dreams” and “Deluge” leading the charge with the best music being released by this trio yet in their trademark usage of poignant melody, it’s hard to imagine future releases not being the stirring compositions that these guys are so clearly capable of. As it stands, though, Nadir keeps Groza in 3.0-land: good, but awaiting an amplifying adverb.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: AOP Records
Websites: groza-blackmetal.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/grozaband
Releases Worldwide: September 20th, 2024#2024 #30 #AOPRecords #AtmosphericBlackMetal #BlackMetal #GermanMetal #Groza #HarakiriForTheSky #MelodicBlackMetal #Mgła #Nadir #PostBlackMetal #Review #Reviews #Sep24 #Uada
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By Dear Hollow
Germany’s Groza has always been that 3.0rn in my side. While other bands have toyed with greatness that sends my head for a loop, albums Unified in Void and The Redemptive End have hemorrhaged potential, only to squander it on safe compositions. Owing Mgła just as much for their namesake and as their subtle and interwoven melodic style, while likewise hinting post-black, Groza has been releasing pleasant melodic black metal since 2016. This is part of what makes Nadir a bit of a “make or break” situation: the trio can choose to set out on their own or continue to dwell in Mgła’s shadow.1
Nadir represents a slight stylistic shift. While Groza retains its signature tremolo interwoven with crystalline melody, there is more post-black melody and rawer guitar to drive its darker tones. Featuring six tracks of meditative black metal, highlighted by textures of melodies and vicious vocals, you can expect an evocative listen that sweeps listeners away to a ruined world: scorched, desolate, but undeniably beautiful. Anchored by guitarist U.A.’s powerfully composed guitar leads and layers of melody, vocalist/multi-instrumentalist P.G.’s desperate shrieks and bellowing shouts, and T.H.Z.’s thunderous percussion, it’s consistently and competently built from minimalist foundations. While Groza remains stubbornly “good,” it’s a step in the right direction.
Groza does little to separate from the shadows of Mgła or Uada but Nadir is a far more scathing affair. From the shift of the 4/4 intro “Soul: Inert” to 6/8 “Asbest,” it feels like the second-wave teeth are bared throughout. The best tracks find a balance between the extremes of blackened intensity and melodic serenity. The textured guitars, and layers of melodies, are a conclusion whose build-ups revolve around vicious tremolo guided by manic shrieks, best actualized in tracks like “Dysthymian Dreams” and “Deluge.” These feature melodies seared into the brain with nearly melodeath heft, while good uses of spoken word among plucking calmness add charisma and a hush with bated breath. The most traditionally second-wave black metal rears its head in “Equal. Silent. Cold.,” the crystalline plucking granting the track an icy showering quality. Like fellow countrymen Harakiri for the Sky, Groza has an ear for melody, with fluid movement between disharmony and melody giving way to beautiful resolutions. The final track “Daffodils” features the most intense climax of the album, the buildup hitting immense satisfaction thanks to featured guests J.J. and M.S. of Harakiri and Karg, as well as choir provided by the Bandhouse crew. Percussion contrasts with the scathing intensity, providing a thunderous undercurrent that resounds best as mid-tempo dirges. Groza’s rawer sound does Nadir justice.
Nadir’s weakness is inconsistency. Every track aboard Nadir is pleasant, but Groza’s other tracks fall short compared to the highlights. “Asbest,” although its melody is one of the better on the album, jarringly switches to more minor and weaker movements halfway through. While the tasteful second-wave rawness elevates “Equal. Silent. Cold.,” its somewhat protracted length damages its memorability; blurring into a weaker version of “Dysthymian Dreams” by the end. Even the central melody of “Daffodils” is exhausting before the buildup enters to redeem it. Furthermore, while Nadir is ubiquitously pleasant, it remains far too safe. Groza finds itself locked into its own melodies, so any wavering from it feels ultimately damaging in these tracks; its safety is its worst enemy. While the percussion is solid and thunderous, tracks like “Asbest” and “Dysthymian Dreams” can lose blastbeats to the wild tremolo, and we forfeit our tether to the enjoyable cacophony.
Groza is always pleasant and Nadir’s rawer direction does not undermine that trademark. While it vaguely distances itself from the likes of Mgła or Uada and is a step on the right path, it has not escaped that shadow yet. With tracks like “Dysthymian Dreams” and “Deluge” leading the charge with the best music being released by this trio yet in their trademark usage of poignant melody, it’s hard to imagine future releases not being the stirring compositions that these guys are so clearly capable of. As it stands, though, Nadir keeps Groza in 3.0-land: good, but awaiting an amplifying adverb.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: AOP Records
Websites: groza-blackmetal.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/grozaband
Releases Worldwide: September 20th, 2024#2024 #30 #AOPRecords #AtmosphericBlackMetal #BlackMetal #GermanMetal #Groza #HarakiriForTheSky #MelodicBlackMetal #Mgła #Nadir #PostBlackMetal #Review #Reviews #Sep24 #Uada
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By Dear Hollow
Germany’s Groza has always been that 3.0rn in my side. While other bands have toyed with greatness that sends my head for a loop, albums Unified in Void and The Redemptive End have hemorrhaged potential, only to squander it on safe compositions. Owing Mgła just as much for their namesake and as their subtle and interwoven melodic style, while likewise hinting post-black, Groza has been releasing pleasant melodic black metal since 2016. This is part of what makes Nadir a bit of a “make or break” situation: the trio can choose to set out on their own or continue to dwell in Mgła’s shadow.1
Nadir represents a slight stylistic shift. While Groza retains its signature tremolo interwoven with crystalline melody, there is more post-black melody and rawer guitar to drive its darker tones. Featuring six tracks of meditative black metal, highlighted by textures of melodies and vicious vocals, you can expect an evocative listen that sweeps listeners away to a ruined world: scorched, desolate, but undeniably beautiful. Anchored by guitarist U.A.’s powerfully composed guitar leads and layers of melody, vocalist/multi-instrumentalist P.G.’s desperate shrieks and bellowing shouts, and T.H.Z.’s thunderous percussion, it’s consistently and competently built from minimalist foundations. While Groza remains stubbornly “good,” it’s a step in the right direction.
Groza does little to separate from the shadows of Mgła or Uada but Nadir is a far more scathing affair. From the shift of the 4/4 intro “Soul: Inert” to 6/8 “Asbest,” it feels like the second-wave teeth are bared throughout. The best tracks find a balance between the extremes of blackened intensity and melodic serenity. The textured guitars, and layers of melodies, are a conclusion whose build-ups revolve around vicious tremolo guided by manic shrieks, best actualized in tracks like “Dysthymian Dreams” and “Deluge.” These feature melodies seared into the brain with nearly melodeath heft, while good uses of spoken word among plucking calmness add charisma and a hush with bated breath. The most traditionally second-wave black metal rears its head in “Equal. Silent. Cold.,” the crystalline plucking granting the track an icy showering quality. Like fellow countrymen Harakiri for the Sky, Groza has an ear for melody, with fluid movement between disharmony and melody giving way to beautiful resolutions. The final track “Daffodils” features the most intense climax of the album, the buildup hitting immense satisfaction thanks to featured guests J.J. and M.S. of Harakiri and Karg, as well as choir provided by the Bandhouse crew. Percussion contrasts with the scathing intensity, providing a thunderous undercurrent that resounds best as mid-tempo dirges. Groza’s rawer sound does Nadir justice.
Nadir’s weakness is inconsistency. Every track aboard Nadir is pleasant, but Groza’s other tracks fall short compared to the highlights. “Asbest,” although its melody is one of the better on the album, jarringly switches to more minor and weaker movements halfway through. While the tasteful second-wave rawness elevates “Equal. Silent. Cold.,” its somewhat protracted length damages its memorability; blurring into a weaker version of “Dysthymian Dreams” by the end. Even the central melody of “Daffodils” is exhausting before the buildup enters to redeem it. Furthermore, while Nadir is ubiquitously pleasant, it remains far too safe. Groza finds itself locked into its own melodies, so any wavering from it feels ultimately damaging in these tracks; its safety is its worst enemy. While the percussion is solid and thunderous, tracks like “Asbest” and “Dysthymian Dreams” can lose blastbeats to the wild tremolo, and we forfeit our tether to the enjoyable cacophony.
Groza is always pleasant and Nadir’s rawer direction does not undermine that trademark. While it vaguely distances itself from the likes of Mgła or Uada and is a step on the right path, it has not escaped that shadow yet. With tracks like “Dysthymian Dreams” and “Deluge” leading the charge with the best music being released by this trio yet in their trademark usage of poignant melody, it’s hard to imagine future releases not being the stirring compositions that these guys are so clearly capable of. As it stands, though, Nadir keeps Groza in 3.0-land: good, but awaiting an amplifying adverb.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: AOP Records
Websites: groza-blackmetal.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/grozaband
Releases Worldwide: September 20th, 2024#2024 #30 #AOPRecords #AtmosphericBlackMetal #BlackMetal #GermanMetal #Groza #HarakiriForTheSky #MelodicBlackMetal #Mgła #Nadir #PostBlackMetal #Review #Reviews #Sep24 #Uada
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Leaves’ Eyes – Myths of Fate Review
By Twelve
Symphonic metal is a tricky genre to review; it is, at this point, so steeped in clichés that critiquing it for leaning on clichés is itself starting to feel like a cliché. Ever since Nightwish lobbed Once at the masses, it’s been easy to feel like everyone else is trying to do the same thing. Sometimes it’s effective, and sometimes you’re damaging your fist on a completely intact and rather thick layer of ice. For Leaves’ Eyes, who have been around for over twenty years now, I get the sense that the goal is consistency. Clearly, they know what they want to do—write symphonic metal with grand and folky flourishes—and they’re happy to keep on doing it. I wasn’t much impressed with 2020’s The Last Viking, but find it tough to sleep on a new release from a group who has been in the game so long, and that’s where Myths of Fate enters.
Nine albums in, and there’s no time for flowery introductions; “Forged by Fire” sets an immediate tone for the record by demonstrating everything Leaves’ Eyes is going to do well and everything they seem to be missing. Straight away, it’s clear that the balance of orchestral and heavy elements is strong; after a brief but effective orchestral intro, drummer Joris Nijenhuis and guitarists Luc Gebhardt and Micki Richter (also credited with bass) join forces to pull you right into the song. This sweeping, epic intro is a great way to get things started, but the song falters vocally shortly thereafter. Elina Siirala is a terrific singer, but her drawn-out style contrasts sharply with the tight, fast-paced playing behind her. Similarly, Alexander Krull’s harsh vocals (he also contributes keys) are not particularly impactful, lacking the volume and layers to add what I imagine is the desired texture. There’s an odd disconnect across the vocal elements of the song that gives it a sense of being pulled in two different directions.
Across the 50-minute runtime of Myths of Fate, songs succeed or fall on whether or not that disconnect rears its head. “Realm of Dark Waves,” for example, corrects the disconnect immediately by maintaining the dark, epic feel of the music while Siirala sings in a significantly more restrained style. The brief folk elements across the song also give it a nice, memorable texture that supports its grandeur. On the other side of the equation, “Goddess of the Night,” the album’s power ballad, has so little going for it musically that it becomes instantly forgettable, despite a strong showing from Siirala. “Elder Spirit” suffers from a similar issue, further highlighted by how strange Krull’s growls sound without a metal musical backing. Occasionally in a song nothing resonates—”Who Wants to Live Forever” feels generic and predictable, only really coming across as occasionally pretty—but for the most part, there’s a cool moment here or there in every song.
Fortunately, the opposite is true too—sometimes everything in a song resonates. “Sons of Trivlag” is one of the best songs on Myths of Fate, highlighting the best in Krull and Siirala’s vocal styles accompanied by an epic, resounding show from the rest of the band. This is a really strong folk metal tune that gets the head nodding. I also can’t help but love “Einherjar,” in part because it’s just so heavy. More than a lot of Myths of Fate, this song feels like a solid exercise in metal. Not that the rest of the album isn’t—I was actually surprised at how good the distorted guitars sound—but it feels especially prevalent here. The main tune of the song is incredibly catchy1 and adapted very well to the vocal melodies in the chorus. The strong production and mix on Myths of Fate helps a lot here; being able to hear each element of Leaves’ Eyes’s sound makes it easier to see that everyone in the band has a moment to shine.
In that way, Myths of Fate is a clear improvement over The Last Viking, but doesn’t quite feel like a success story. It’s a mixed album, offering both really strong and unfortunately forgettable moments throughout eleven songs. As I’ve listened to the album, I’ve found myself wanting to like it more and more. There are some really good ideas and some very strong performances here; I just hope the momentum keeps up from here.
Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: AFM Records
Websites: leaveseyes.de | leaveseyes.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/leaveseyesofficial
Releases Worldwide: March 22nd, 2024#25 #2024 #AFMRecords #GermanMetal #LeavesEyes #Mar24 #MythsOfFate #Nightwish #PowerMetal #Review #Reviews #SymphonicMetal
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Leaves’ Eyes – Myths of Fate Review
By Twelve
Symphonic metal is a tricky genre to review; it is, at this point, so steeped in clichés that critiquing it for leaning on clichés is itself starting to feel like a cliché. Ever since Nightwish lobbed Once at the masses, it’s been easy to feel like everyone else is trying to do the same thing. Sometimes it’s effective, and sometimes you’re damaging your fist on a completely intact and rather thick layer of ice. For Leaves’ Eyes, who have been around for over twenty years now, I get the sense that the goal is consistency. Clearly, they know what they want to do—write symphonic metal with grand and folky flourishes—and they’re happy to keep on doing it. I wasn’t much impressed with 2020’s The Last Viking, but find it tough to sleep on a new release from a group who has been in the game so long, and that’s where Myths of Fate enters.
Nine albums in, and there’s no time for flowery introductions; “Forged by Fire” sets an immediate tone for the record by demonstrating everything Leaves’ Eyes is going to do well and everything they seem to be missing. Straight away, it’s clear that the balance of orchestral and heavy elements is strong; after a brief but effective orchestral intro, drummer Joris Nijenhuis and guitarists Luc Gebhardt and Micki Richter (also credited with bass) join forces to pull you right into the song. This sweeping, epic intro is a great way to get things started, but the song falters vocally shortly thereafter. Elina Siirala is a terrific singer, but her drawn-out style contrasts sharply with the tight, fast-paced playing behind her. Similarly, Alexander Krull’s harsh vocals (he also contributes keys) are not particularly impactful, lacking the volume and layers to add what I imagine is the desired texture. There’s an odd disconnect across the vocal elements of the song that gives it a sense of being pulled in two different directions.
Across the 50-minute runtime of Myths of Fate, songs succeed or fall on whether or not that disconnect rears its head. “Realm of Dark Waves,” for example, corrects the disconnect immediately by maintaining the dark, epic feel of the music while Siirala sings in a significantly more restrained style. The brief folk elements across the song also give it a nice, memorable texture that supports its grandeur. On the other side of the equation, “Goddess of the Night,” the album’s power ballad, has so little going for it musically that it becomes instantly forgettable, despite a strong showing from Siirala. “Elder Spirit” suffers from a similar issue, further highlighted by how strange Krull’s growls sound without a metal musical backing. Occasionally in a song nothing resonates—”Who Wants to Live Forever” feels generic and predictable, only really coming across as occasionally pretty—but for the most part, there’s a cool moment here or there in every song.
Fortunately, the opposite is true too—sometimes everything in a song resonates. “Sons of Trivlag” is one of the best songs on Myths of Fate, highlighting the best in Krull and Siirala’s vocal styles accompanied by an epic, resounding show from the rest of the band. This is a really strong folk metal tune that gets the head nodding. I also can’t help but love “Einherjar,” in part because it’s just so heavy. More than a lot of Myths of Fate, this song feels like a solid exercise in metal. Not that the rest of the album isn’t—I was actually surprised at how good the distorted guitars sound—but it feels especially prevalent here. The main tune of the song is incredibly catchy1 and adapted very well to the vocal melodies in the chorus. The strong production and mix on Myths of Fate helps a lot here; being able to hear each element of Leaves’ Eyes’s sound makes it easier to see that everyone in the band has a moment to shine.
In that way, Myths of Fate is a clear improvement over The Last Viking, but doesn’t quite feel like a success story. It’s a mixed album, offering both really strong and unfortunately forgettable moments throughout eleven songs. As I’ve listened to the album, I’ve found myself wanting to like it more and more. There are some really good ideas and some very strong performances here; I just hope the momentum keeps up from here.
Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: AFM Records
Websites: leaveseyes.de | leaveseyes.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/leaveseyesofficial
Releases Worldwide: March 22nd, 2024#25 #2024 #AFMRecords #GermanMetal #LeavesEyes #Mar24 #MythsOfFate #Nightwish #PowerMetal #Review #Reviews #SymphonicMetal
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Leaves’ Eyes – Myths of Fate Review
By Twelve
Symphonic metal is a tricky genre to review; it is, at this point, so steeped in clichés that critiquing it for leaning on clichés is itself starting to feel like a cliché. Ever since Nightwish lobbed Once at the masses, it’s been easy to feel like everyone else is trying to do the same thing. Sometimes it’s effective, and sometimes you’re damaging your fist on a completely intact and rather thick layer of ice. For Leaves’ Eyes, who have been around for over twenty years now, I get the sense that the goal is consistency. Clearly, they know what they want to do—write symphonic metal with grand and folky flourishes—and they’re happy to keep on doing it. I wasn’t much impressed with 2020’s The Last Viking, but find it tough to sleep on a new release from a group who has been in the game so long, and that’s where Myths of Fate enters.
Nine albums in, and there’s no time for flowery introductions; “Forged by Fire” sets an immediate tone for the record by demonstrating everything Leaves’ Eyes is going to do well and everything they seem to be missing. Straight away, it’s clear that the balance of orchestral and heavy elements is strong; after a brief but effective orchestral intro, drummer Joris Nijenhuis and guitarists Luc Gebhardt and Micki Richter (also credited with bass) join forces to pull you right into the song. This sweeping, epic intro is a great way to get things started, but the song falters vocally shortly thereafter. Elina Siirala is a terrific singer, but her drawn-out style contrasts sharply with the tight, fast-paced playing behind her. Similarly, Alexander Krull’s harsh vocals (he also contributes keys) are not particularly impactful, lacking the volume and layers to add what I imagine is the desired texture. There’s an odd disconnect across the vocal elements of the song that gives it a sense of being pulled in two different directions.
Across the 50-minute runtime of Myths of Fate, songs succeed or fall on whether or not that disconnect rears its head. “Realm of Dark Waves,” for example, corrects the disconnect immediately by maintaining the dark, epic feel of the music while Siirala sings in a significantly more restrained style. The brief folk elements across the song also give it a nice, memorable texture that supports its grandeur. On the other side of the equation, “Goddess of the Night,” the album’s power ballad, has so little going for it musically that it becomes instantly forgettable, despite a strong showing from Siirala. “Elder Spirit” suffers from a similar issue, further highlighted by how strange Krull’s growls sound without a metal musical backing. Occasionally in a song nothing resonates—”Who Wants to Live Forever” feels generic and predictable, only really coming across as occasionally pretty—but for the most part, there’s a cool moment here or there in every song.
Fortunately, the opposite is true too—sometimes everything in a song resonates. “Sons of Trivlag” is one of the best songs on Myths of Fate, highlighting the best in Krull and Siirala’s vocal styles accompanied by an epic, resounding show from the rest of the band. This is a really strong folk metal tune that gets the head nodding. I also can’t help but love “Einherjar,” in part because it’s just so heavy. More than a lot of Myths of Fate, this song feels like a solid exercise in metal. Not that the rest of the album isn’t—I was actually surprised at how good the distorted guitars sound—but it feels especially prevalent here. The main tune of the song is incredibly catchy1 and adapted very well to the vocal melodies in the chorus. The strong production and mix on Myths of Fate helps a lot here; being able to hear each element of Leaves’ Eyes’s sound makes it easier to see that everyone in the band has a moment to shine.
In that way, Myths of Fate is a clear improvement over The Last Viking, but doesn’t quite feel like a success story. It’s a mixed album, offering both really strong and unfortunately forgettable moments throughout eleven songs. As I’ve listened to the album, I’ve found myself wanting to like it more and more. There are some really good ideas and some very strong performances here; I just hope the momentum keeps up from here.
Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: AFM Records
Websites: leaveseyes.de | leaveseyes.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/leaveseyesofficial
Releases Worldwide: March 22nd, 2024#25 #2024 #AFMRecords #GermanMetal #LeavesEyes #Mar24 #MythsOfFate #Nightwish #PowerMetal #Review #Reviews #SymphonicMetal
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Apparently there's some controversy about "small dick energy" being "body shaming," because @gretathunberg used the phrase to respond to Andrew Tate, who was being a fucking MAGA douchebag on Twitter, bragging about his polluting vehicle collection.
Greta correctly told him to get a life and stop waving around his "small dick energy." Good for her. A perfect example of the kind of #punchingup that needs to happen.
As a man, I'm the very first person to admit that perhaps one third to one half of male behavior could be considered toxic and capable of causing harm, especially to women. But also to human rights and the climate.
I try to avoid that behavior at all costs. I hope that in time, all men will come to see their role as protectors of the Earth, of justice, and of those who are weaker. Not flashing their brute strength or having dick measuring contests.
So when someone talks about #toxicmasculinity or #smalldickenergy why would I be offended? It's nothing I want anything to do with.
The term "small dick energy" is not remotely #bodyshaming. It comes from the scientific fact that monkeys who have smaller balls tend to yell louder to compensate.
With humans, toxic men tend to flaunt physical strength, weapons, vehicles, and machinery, while attacking women and playing the victim.
THAT'S small dick energy. Maybe we should call it "small ball energy." Whatever. People should quit tone policing and focus on shutting down toxic male behavior wherever it rears its ugly head.
"Small dick energy" comes from dicks of all shapes and sizes.
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Acidosis – Arrival Review By Creeping IvyWhen I think about Miami, the first things that come to mind are excellent empanadas, terrible traffic, and Cynic. What doesn’t come to mind is thrash, although I’ve learned that the Magic City has some history in this regard (Solstice). Thrash quintet Acidosis currently resides in Los Angeles, but their own history dates back to a Miami high school in the mid-to-late 2000s, where frontperson Ben Katzman and guitarist Diego Edsel first formed the band. Arrival, Acidosis’s long-gestating debut album, re-records and reimagines songs Katzman, Edsel, and crew first concocted when they were teenagers. Acidosis may lie their heads in La La Land, but the flamingo-pink background and seafoam-green eyelid tentacles adorning that cover clearly aim to put Miami on the thrash map.1
Arrival is a survivor story, in more ways than one. After dissolving Acidosis, Katzman served stints in several other acts and even competed in season 46 of Survivor.2 In reforming the band, Katzman and Edsel enlist the talents of Harry Schwarz (drums), Jonathan Rusten (rhythm guitars), and Deo Budnevich (lead guitars) to create Arrival, a 9-song, 26-minute thrash incursion.3 Acidosis channels Municipal Waste in wasting no time with long songs, favoring crossovery bangers filled with riffs more rambunctious than a pitbull. “Arrival” opens things up with a sly devil, “They Live!” keeps the party going with punk energy, and “Hostile Negotiations” caps nifty pull-offs and speedy power chords with a delicious tag. Later on, Acidosis conjure the classics, with riffing reminiscent of the chromaticism of Megadeth (“Mankind”) and the stomp-age of Anthrax (“Deadly Fits”). I have no idea how much/little these songs have changed since Katzman and crew were in high school, but Arrival’s riffs have survived the test of time.
Ben Katzman ultimately supplies the fuel that powers this Miami Thrash Machine. As a vocalist, he sounds like a less shouty, more tuneful Tony Foresta (Municipal Waste). Katzman knows how to implant a titular line in the listener’s head (“Hostile Negotiations,” “Mankind”) and when to throw some anthemic ‘whoas’ into the mix (“They Live!”). As a bassist, he is equally integral to imbuing Acidosis with its unique charm. Whether (re)charing songs with a bass break (“They Live!,” “Where I Stand”) or shredding a low-end solo (“Hostile Negotiations”), Katzman kills it on the four strings, with a tone that is just the right amount of distorted and clangy. Arrival is clearly Katzman’s passion project, and his passion shines throughout.
Alas, no album with roots in Vice City was going to pass without sin. While I appreciate the spirit of succinct songwriting here, some tracks are definitely in need of more flesh. “Hostile Negotiations” is a banger that would benefit from bridge development, and album-closer “Where I Stand” opens with a country western lick that implies scope that isn’t realized. Switching from slothful songwriting to gluttonous album-craft: the interludes are completely unnecessary. Arrival isn’t even ten minutes old before “Interlude” breaks up the thrash action, and “Interlude 2” intervenes after only two more tracks that total less than nine minutes. These interludes, though short, disrupt the energetic pace, lengthening an album that’s chief virtue is its brevity. Arrival also suffers from inconsistent soloing. Edsel and Budnevich trade off on many of these tracks, revealing that one of these shredders is stronger than the other. Unfortunately, there are several moments where uncontrolled guitar wrath rears its ugly head, with solos sounding like they’re struggling (“Mankind,” “Deadly Fits”).
Having hypocritically cast my critical stones, I will say that none of these sins are deadly. The long-awaited Arrival of Acidosis is a fun time, certainly worth a 26-minute investment from thrashers and metalheads more broadly. Acidosis play a familiar style with no real innovation, but they stamp it with their own personality, much of which stems from Katzman’s presence as a frontman and essential bassist. Add Acidosis to the list of things I positively associate with Miami—I’ll scope out the line if and when they serve up their next platter of thrash turnovers.
Rating: 3.0/5.04
#2026 #30 #Acidosis #AmericanMetal #Anthrax #Arrival #ColleenGreen #Cynic #GuerillaToss #MannequinPussy #Mar26 #Megadeth #MunicipalWaste #Review #Reviews #SelfReleased #Solstice #ThrashMetal #Torche
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Self-Released
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: March 27th, 2026 -
Acidosis – Arrival Review By Creeping Ivy
When I think about Miami, the first things that come to mind are excellent empanadas, terrible traffic, and Cynic. What doesn’t come to mind is thrash, although I’ve learned that the Magic City has some history in this regard (Solstice). Thrash quintet Acidosis currently resides in Los Angeles, but their own history dates back to a Miami high school in the mid-to-late 2000s, where frontperson Ben Katzman and guitarist Diego Edsel first formed the band. Arrival, Acidosis’s long-gestating debut album, re-records and reimagines songs Katzman, Edsel, and crew first concocted when they were teenagers. Acidosis may lie their heads in La La Land, but the flamingo-pink background and seafoam-green eyelid tentacles adorning that cover clearly aim to put Miami on the thrash map.1
Arrival is a survivor story, in more ways than one. After dissolving Acidosis, Katzman served stints in several other acts and even competed in season 46 of Survivor.2 In reforming the band, Katzman and Edsel enlist the talents of Harry Schwarz (drums), Jonathan Rusten (rhythm guitars), and Deo Budnevich (lead guitars) to create Arrival, a 9-song, 26-minute thrash incursion.3 Acidosis channels Municipal Waste in wasting no time with long songs, favoring crossovery bangers filled with riffs more rambunctious than a pitbull. “Arrival” opens things up with a sly devil, “They Live!” keeps the party going with punk energy, and “Hostile Negotiations” caps nifty pull-offs and speedy power chords with a delicious tag. Later on, Acidosis conjure the classics, with riffing reminiscent of the chromaticism of Megadeth (“Mankind”) and the stomp-age of Anthrax (“Deadly Fits”). I have no idea how much/little these songs have changed since Katzman and crew were in high school, but Arrival’s riffs have survived the test of time.
Ben Katzman ultimately supplies the fuel that powers this Miami Thrash Machine. As a vocalist, he sounds like a less shouty, more tuneful Tony Foresta (Municipal Waste). Katzman knows how to implant a titular line in the listener’s head (“Hostile Negotiations,” “Mankind”) and when to throw some anthemic ‘whoas’ into the mix (“They Live!”). As a bassist, he is equally integral to imbuing Acidosis with its unique charm. Whether (re)charing songs with a bass break (“They Live!,” “Where I Stand”) or shredding a low-end solo (“Hostile Negotiations”), Katzman kills it on the four strings, with a tone that is just the right amount of distorted and clangy. Arrival is clearly Katzman’s passion project, and his passion shines throughout.
Alas, no album with roots in Vice City was going to pass without sin. While I appreciate the spirit of succinct songwriting here, some tracks are definitely in need of more flesh. “Hostile Negotiations” is a banger that would benefit from bridge development, and album-closer “Where I Stand” opens with a country western lick that implies scope that isn’t realized. Switching from slothful songwriting to gluttonous album-craft: the interludes are completely unnecessary. Arrival isn’t even ten minutes old before “Interlude” breaks up the thrash action, and “Interlude 2” intervenes after only two more tracks that total less than nine minutes. These interludes, though short, disrupt the energetic pace, lengthening an album that’s chief virtue is its brevity. Arrival also suffers from inconsistent soloing. Edsel and Budnevich trade off on many of these tracks, revealing that one of these shredders is stronger than the other. Unfortunately, there are several moments where uncontrolled guitar wrath rears its ugly head, with solos sounding like they’re struggling (“Mankind,” “Deadly Fits”).
Having hypocritically cast my critical stones, I will say that none of these sins are deadly. The long-awaited Arrival of Acidosis is a fun time, certainly worth a 26-minute investment from thrashers and metalheads more broadly. Acidosis play a familiar style with no real innovation, but they stamp it with their own personality, much of which stems from Katzman’s presence as a frontman and essential bassist. Add Acidosis to the list of things I positively associate with Miami—I’ll scope out the line if and when they serve up their next platter of thrash turnovers.
Rating: 3.0/5.04
#2026 #30 #Acidosis #AmericanMetal #Anthrax #Arrival #ColleenGreen #Cynic #GuerillaToss #MannequinPussy #Mar26 #Megadeth #MunicipalWaste #Review #Reviews #SelfReleased #Solstice #ThrashMetal #Torche
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Self-Released
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: March 27th, 2026 -
Acidosis – Arrival Review By Creeping Ivy
When I think about Miami, the first things that come to mind are excellent empanadas, terrible traffic, and Cynic. What doesn’t come to mind is thrash, although I’ve learned that the Magic City has some history in this regard (Solstice). Thrash quintet Acidosis currently resides in Los Angeles, but their own history dates back to a Miami high school in the mid-to-late 2000s, where frontperson Ben Katzman and guitarist Diego Edsel first formed the band. Arrival, Acidosis’s long-gestating debut album, re-records and reimagines songs Katzman, Edsel, and crew first concocted when they were teenagers. Acidosis may lie their heads in La La Land, but the flamingo-pink background and seafoam-green eyelid tentacles adorning that cover clearly aim to put Miami on the thrash map.1
Arrival is a survivor story, in more ways than one. After dissolving Acidosis, Katzman served stints in several other acts and even competed in season 46 of Survivor.2 In reforming the band, Katzman and Edsel enlist the talents of Harry Schwarz (drums), Jonathan Rusten (rhythm guitars), and Deo Budnevich (lead guitars) to create Arrival, a 9-song, 26-minute thrash incursion.3 Acidosis channels Municipal Waste in wasting no time with long songs, favoring crossovery bangers filled with riffs more rambunctious than a pitbull. “Arrival” opens things up with a sly devil, “They Live!” keeps the party going with punk energy, and “Hostile Negotiations” caps nifty pull-offs and speedy power chords with a delicious tag. Later on, Acidosis conjure the classics, with riffing reminiscent of the chromaticism of Megadeth (“Mankind”) and the stomp-age of Anthrax (“Deadly Fits”). I have no idea how much/little these songs have changed since Katzman and crew were in high school, but Arrival’s riffs have survived the test of time.
Ben Katzman ultimately supplies the fuel that powers this Miami Thrash Machine. As a vocalist, he sounds like a less shouty, more tuneful Tony Foresta (Municipal Waste). Katzman knows how to implant a titular line in the listener’s head (“Hostile Negotiations,” “Mankind”) and when to throw some anthemic ‘whoas’ into the mix (“They Live!”). As a bassist, he is equally integral to imbuing Acidosis with its unique charm. Whether (re)charing songs with a bass break (“They Live!,” “Where I Stand”) or shredding a low-end solo (“Hostile Negotiations”), Katzman kills it on the four strings, with a tone that is just the right amount of distorted and clangy. Arrival is clearly Katzman’s passion project, and his passion shines throughout.
Alas, no album with roots in Vice City was going to pass without sin. While I appreciate the spirit of succinct songwriting here, some tracks are definitely in need of more flesh. “Hostile Negotiations” is a banger that would benefit from bridge development, and album-closer “Where I Stand” opens with a country western lick that implies scope that isn’t realized. Switching from slothful songwriting to gluttonous album-craft: the interludes are completely unnecessary. Arrival isn’t even ten minutes old before “Interlude” breaks up the thrash action, and “Interlude 2” intervenes after only two more tracks that total less than nine minutes. These interludes, though short, disrupt the energetic pace, lengthening an album that’s chief virtue is its brevity. Arrival also suffers from inconsistent soloing. Edsel and Budnevich trade off on many of these tracks, revealing that one of these shredders is stronger than the other. Unfortunately, there are several moments where uncontrolled guitar wrath rears its ugly head, with solos sounding like they’re struggling (“Mankind,” “Deadly Fits”).
Having hypocritically cast my critical stones, I will say that none of these sins are deadly. The long-awaited Arrival of Acidosis is a fun time, certainly worth a 26-minute investment from thrashers and metalheads more broadly. Acidosis play a familiar style with no real innovation, but they stamp it with their own personality, much of which stems from Katzman’s presence as a frontman and essential bassist. Add Acidosis to the list of things I positively associate with Miami—I’ll scope out the line if and when they serve up their next platter of thrash turnovers.
Rating: 3.0/5.04
#2026 #30 #Acidosis #AmericanMetal #Anthrax #Arrival #ColleenGreen #Cynic #GuerillaToss #MannequinPussy #Mar26 #Megadeth #MunicipalWaste #Review #Reviews #SelfReleased #Solstice #ThrashMetal #Torche
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Self-Released
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: March 27th, 2026 -
Acidosis – Arrival Review By Creeping Ivy
When I think about Miami, the first things that come to mind are excellent empanadas, terrible traffic, and Cynic. What doesn’t come to mind is thrash, although I’ve learned that the Magic City has some history in this regard (Solstice). Thrash quintet Acidosis currently resides in Los Angeles, but their own history dates back to a Miami high school in the mid-to-late 2000s, where frontperson Ben Katzman and guitarist Diego Edsel first formed the band. Arrival, Acidosis’s long-gestating debut album, re-records and reimagines songs Katzman, Edsel, and crew first concocted when they were teenagers. Acidosis may lie their heads in La La Land, but the flamingo-pink background and seafoam-green eyelid tentacles adorning that cover clearly aim to put Miami on the thrash map.1
Arrival is a survivor story, in more ways than one. After dissolving Acidosis, Katzman served stints in several other acts and even competed in season 46 of Survivor.2 In reforming the band, Katzman and Edsel enlist the talents of Harry Schwarz (drums), Jonathan Rusten (rhythm guitars), and Deo Budnevich (lead guitars) to create Arrival, a 9-song, 26-minute thrash incursion.3 Acidosis channels Municipal Waste in wasting no time with long songs, favoring crossovery bangers filled with riffs more rambunctious than a pitbull. “Arrival” opens things up with a sly devil, “They Live!” keeps the party going with punk energy, and “Hostile Negotiations” caps nifty pull-offs and speedy power chords with a delicious tag. Later on, Acidosis conjure the classics, with riffing reminiscent of the chromaticism of Megadeth (“Mankind”) and the stomp-age of Anthrax (“Deadly Fits”). I have no idea how much/little these songs have changed since Katzman and crew were in high school, but Arrival’s riffs have survived the test of time.
Ben Katzman ultimately supplies the fuel that powers this Miami Thrash Machine. As a vocalist, he sounds like a less shouty, more tuneful Tony Foresta (Municipal Waste). Katzman knows how to implant a titular line in the listener’s head (“Hostile Negotiations,” “Mankind”) and when to throw some anthemic ‘whoas’ into the mix (“They Live!”). As a bassist, he is equally integral to imbuing Acidosis with its unique charm. Whether (re)charing songs with a bass break (“They Live!,” “Where I Stand”) or shredding a low-end solo (“Hostile Negotiations”), Katzman kills it on the four strings, with a tone that is just the right amount of distorted and clangy. Arrival is clearly Katzman’s passion project, and his passion shines throughout.
Alas, no album with roots in Vice City was going to pass without sin. While I appreciate the spirit of succinct songwriting here, some tracks are definitely in need of more flesh. “Hostile Negotiations” is a banger that would benefit from bridge development, and album-closer “Where I Stand” opens with a country western lick that implies scope that isn’t realized. Switching from slothful songwriting to gluttonous album-craft: the interludes are completely unnecessary. Arrival isn’t even ten minutes old before “Interlude” breaks up the thrash action, and “Interlude 2” intervenes after only two more tracks that total less than nine minutes. These interludes, though short, disrupt the energetic pace, lengthening an album that’s chief virtue is its brevity. Arrival also suffers from inconsistent soloing. Edsel and Budnevich trade off on many of these tracks, revealing that one of these shredders is stronger than the other. Unfortunately, there are several moments where uncontrolled guitar wrath rears its ugly head, with solos sounding like they’re struggling (“Mankind,” “Deadly Fits”).
Having hypocritically cast my critical stones, I will say that none of these sins are deadly. The long-awaited Arrival of Acidosis is a fun time, certainly worth a 26-minute investment from thrashers and metalheads more broadly. Acidosis play a familiar style with no real innovation, but they stamp it with their own personality, much of which stems from Katzman’s presence as a frontman and essential bassist. Add Acidosis to the list of things I positively associate with Miami—I’ll scope out the line if and when they serve up their next platter of thrash turnovers.
Rating: 3.0/5.04
#2026 #30 #Acidosis #AmericanMetal #Anthrax #Arrival #ColleenGreen #Cynic #GuerillaToss #MannequinPussy #Mar26 #Megadeth #MunicipalWaste #Review #Reviews #SelfReleased #Solstice #ThrashMetal #Torche
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Self-Released
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: March 27th, 2026 -
Acidosis – Arrival Review By Creeping IvyWhen I think about Miami, the first things that come to mind are excellent empanadas, terrible traffic, and Cynic. What doesn’t come to mind is thrash, although I’ve learned that the Magic City has some history in this regard (Solstice). Thrash quintet Acidosis currently resides in Los Angeles, but their own history dates back to a Miami high school in the mid-to-late 2000s, where frontperson Ben Katzman and guitarist Diego Edsel first formed the band. Arrival, Acidosis’s long-gestating debut album, re-records and reimagines songs Katzman, Edsel, and crew first concocted when they were teenagers. Acidosis may lie their heads in La La Land, but the flamingo-pink background and seafoam-green eyelid tentacles adorning that cover clearly aim to put Miami on the thrash map.1
Arrival is a survivor story, in more ways than one. After dissolving Acidosis, Katzman served stints in several other acts and even competed in season 46 of Survivor.2 In reforming the band, Katzman and Edsel enlist the talents of Harry Schwarz (drums), Jonathan Rusten (rhythm guitars), and Deo Budnevich (lead guitars) to create Arrival, a 9-song, 26-minute thrash incursion.3 Acidosis channels Municipal Waste in wasting no time with long songs, favoring crossovery bangers filled with riffs more rambunctious than a pitbull. “Arrival” opens things up with a sly devil, “They Live!” keeps the party going with punk energy, and “Hostile Negotiations” caps nifty pull-offs and speedy power chords with a delicious tag. Later on, Acidosis conjure the classics, with riffing reminiscent of the chromaticism of Megadeth (“Mankind”) and the stomp-age of Anthrax (“Deadly Fits”). I have no idea how much/little these songs have changed since Katzman and crew were in high school, but Arrival’s riffs have survived the test of time.
Ben Katzman ultimately supplies the fuel that powers this Miami Thrash Machine. As a vocalist, he sounds like a less shouty, more tuneful Tony Foresta (Municipal Waste). Katzman knows how to implant a titular line in the listener’s head (“Hostile Negotiations,” “Mankind”) and when to throw some anthemic ‘whoas’ into the mix (“They Live!”). As a bassist, he is equally integral to imbuing Acidosis with its unique charm. Whether (re)charing songs with a bass break (“They Live!,” “Where I Stand”) or shredding a low-end solo (“Hostile Negotiations”), Katzman kills it on the four strings, with a tone that is just the right amount of distorted and clangy. Arrival is clearly Katzman’s passion project, and his passion shines throughout.
Alas, no album with roots in Vice City was going to pass without sin. While I appreciate the spirit of succinct songwriting here, some tracks are definitely in need of more flesh. “Hostile Negotiations” is a banger that would benefit from bridge development, and album-closer “Where I Stand” opens with a country western lick that implies scope that isn’t realized. Switching from slothful songwriting to gluttonous album-craft: the interludes are completely unnecessary. Arrival isn’t even ten minutes old before “Interlude” breaks up the thrash action, and “Interlude 2” intervenes after only two more tracks that total less than nine minutes. These interludes, though short, disrupt the energetic pace, lengthening an album that’s chief virtue is its brevity. Arrival also suffers from inconsistent soloing. Edsel and Budnevich trade off on many of these tracks, revealing that one of these shredders is stronger than the other. Unfortunately, there are several moments where uncontrolled guitar wrath rears its ugly head, with solos sounding like they’re struggling (“Mankind,” “Deadly Fits”).
Having hypocritically cast my critical stones, I will say that none of these sins are deadly. The long-awaited Arrival of Acidosis is a fun time, certainly worth a 26-minute investment from thrashers and metalheads more broadly. Acidosis play a familiar style with no real innovation, but they stamp it with their own personality, much of which stems from Katzman’s presence as a frontman and essential bassist. Add Acidosis to the list of things I positively associate with Miami—I’ll scope out the line if and when they serve up their next platter of thrash turnovers.
Rating: 3.0/5.04
#2026 #30 #Acidosis #AmericanMetal #Anthrax #Arrival #ColleenGreen #Cynic #GuerillaToss #MannequinPussy #Mar26 #Megadeth #MunicipalWaste #Review #Reviews #SelfReleased #Solstice #ThrashMetal #Torche
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Self-Released
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: March 27th, 2026 -
By Saunders
Revocation makes me feeling fucking old. It’s difficult to believe fifteen odd years have passed since stumbling across their phenomenal sophomore effort, Existence is Futile. It became instantly clear Revocation were one of the fresher, most exciting bands emerging in the modern metal scene of the era. Their career seemed to propel in fast forward as they pumped out top notch album after album, maintaining an impressive work rate and exceptional consistency, while refusing to repeat themselves. Couple of minor bumps along the way notwithstanding, Revocation’s vibrant, signature combination of technical death-thrash, infectious songwriting and acrobatic guitar hero shreddage from mastermind Dave Davidson has long cemented Revocation as a titanic force in the crowded realms of the modern metalverse.
Formed in 2006, the Bostonites unleashed their brash and confident debut Empire of the Obscene in 2008. From humble but exciting beginnings the Revo boys have proceeded to go on an absolute fucking tear across multiple albums, the most recent being the darker pathways and heavier pastures of 2022’s Netherheaven, arguably a return to form. Though in fairness Revocation have never dropped a dud, and despite a couple of minor career lulls, they have remained a dependably consistent force to be reckoned with.
September 26th, 2025 ushers in Revocation’s ninth LP, New Gods, New Masters. As anticipation grows for the star packed opus, what better time for our resident Revocation fanboys; including the return of the illustrious Kronos, who so eloquently championed the band on these very pages across multiple releases with his insightful wordsmithery and critical analysis, to unload our collective opinions on the band’s formidable discography. Nearly twenty years since their formation and boasting a catalog of rare consistency and power, we have our work cut out for us. Strap yourselves in…
Disclaimer: After careful consideration we have actioned the Human Waste/Despise the Sun Ranking Law of including Revocation’s highly regarded Teratogenesis EP from 2012 due to the consensus this is a meaty and essential mini-platter in the power packed Revocation repertoire.
The Rankings
Saunders
#9. The Outer Ones (2018) – While difficult to pinpoint, The Outer Ones remains an elusive Revocation album, and one I reach for least frequently, despite being one their more recent offerings. Although The Outer Ones doesn’t deviate savagely from the vice-tight yet elastic formula Revocation long since mastered, it leans deeper into murkier blackened death forays and features a cold, clinical and dissonant edge. Its darkly menacing sheen and blasty, death forward approach is responsible for some rousing moments and it’s easy to admire the album’s frantic, calculated intensity. Tunes like the rip-roaring opener “Of Unworldly Origin,” chunky brawler “The Outer Ones” and the thrashy, proggy blackened death of “Luciferous” highlight an album that has grown on me but ultimately falls short of the band’s other works.
#8. Empire of the Obscene (2008) – A bold and potential-packed debut, Empire of the Obscene rises well beyond a mere curiosity or roughshod early edition of Revocation’s rapidly evolving sound. I came to the debut after being first enamored by Existence is Futile and Chaos of Forms, both superior examples of the band’s exceptional early career highs. Still, Empire of the Obscene is a killer debut and refreshing, slashing technical thrash opus, with a healthy smattering of death. The vibrant, raging “Tail from the Crypt” is an early career highpoint, while other choice cuts include the bizarro “Suffer These Wounds,” and rippling axerobatics of “Exhumed Identity.” It’s solid stuff, yet inconsistencies creep in and some of the writing feels a tad overcooked, falling short of the ripping high standards and impeccable writing featured across the Revocation career arc
#7. Great is Our Sin (2016) – Perhaps the first time upon release a Revocation release failed to gain immediate traction. Again the sheer strength and power of its predecessors found Great is Our Sin fall a fraction short of the impeccable standards maintained during the first half dozen or so years of the band’s recording career. And it feels like an outlier merging the band’s different eras, pre and post-Revocation. Playful tech thrash energy, proggy dabbling, and darker, deathly pummels are in abundance, as per expectations. I appreciate the more thrash-centric turns, less prominent in their later era. Great is Our Sin features many of the strong attributes listeners have come to expect, sounding like a melodically mature yet overly familiar and safe album. The songwriting is consistently solid, featuring the odd flirtation with greatness. Old school flavored thrasher “Arbiters of the Apocalypse,” the prog-infused death-thrash of “Communion,” sinister, punishing thrust of “Only the Spineless Survive,” and epic, experimental rumble of “Cleaving Giants of Ice” are nuggety examples of the album’s finer moments.
#6. Netherheaven (2022) – Netherheaven marked a refreshing return to form after the solid if underwhelming, The Outer Ones. Kronos hit the nail on the head when he proclaimed Netherheaven to be the natural successor to Deathless, as similarities in tone, mood and execution are evident. Revocation flexed their deathly muscles and advanced musicianship in service of complex, yet undoubtedly catchy compositions, such as the brutally groovy throes of “Nihilistic Violence,” labyrinthine trip of “Strange and Eternal” and blast-addled, vocal trade-off on scorching closer “Re-Crucified.” Despite being enveloped with shadowy, sinister atmospheres, Netherheaven is imbued with a fun, adventurous spirit, also resulting in one of Revocation’s heaviest offerings. Davidson’s ever inspiring axework never ceases to amaze and songwriting finds a real sweet spot between grooving, chunky chugs, technical mastery, and throwbacks to their thrashy roots. Meanwhile, his increasingly versatile and confident vocals remain a somewhat underrated aspect of the Revocation experience. Not a career high point, but a great album nonetheless.
#5. Deathless (2014) – Revocation’s distinctive formula has long separated them from the hordes of tech death and thrash bands in the scene. One of Revocation’s greatest attributes is their ability to manipulate their craft and pivot in versatile directions. Deathless emerged as a darker, sinister trip down a fittingly deathlier path, creating a welcome stylistic deviation to evolve and keep any semblance of stagnation at bay. Though follow-up Great is Our Sin slightly deviated, Deathless marked the beginning of Revocation embracing the darker corners of their psyche, charting murkier, heavier and altogether more brutal, unforgiving terrain. Thankfully, Deathless didn’t abandon their knack for penning challenging, infectious, thrash-powered tech-death jams. Nor does Deathless forget how to have fun, as evidenced by the shout-along chorus and straightforward headbangable riffs adorning the title track. However, Deathless’ most impactful, jolting moments are delivered elsewhere. Classic opener “A Debt Owed to the Grave” and the cutthroat “Scorched Earth Policy” unleash vicious yet eloquently delivered evidence Revocation still thrash with the best of them. While the immense “Madness Opus” channels Revocation’s progressive inclinations within a barbed, death metal shell. Top-tier stuff.
#4: Revocation (2013) – The dark horse and underrated gem in the Revocation kit bag, their self-titled effort sparkled between the stunning Teratogenesis EP and the brooding tones and violent stomp of Deathless. Though not regularly mentioned amongst the band’s finer works, Revocation demands regular attention amidst an increasingly stacked catalog. Following up Chaos of Forms was always going to be a tough ask, however, Revocation proved up to the challenge. Revocation is a playful, quirky, fun-filled blast from go to whoa, keeping Revocation’s ever-evolving formula fresh and inspired. The versatile songwriting makes for a consistently gripping listen and one of their more diverse offerings. Whether belting out aggressive, full-throttle tech-thrash workouts (“The Hive,” “Numbing Agents”), warped tech death beatdowns (“Fracked,” “Scattering the Flock”), banjo-infected riff monsters (“Invidious”) or mosh-ready juggernauts (“Archfiend”), Revocation has all bases covered. A slightly more stock backend the only thing diminishing an otherwise top-notch album.
#3. Teratogenesis (2012) – Only the most curmudgeony, glass-half-empty pessimist discounts the short and sweet value of the often underrated EP format. Continuing a creatively booming and prolific hot streak, Teratogenesis is a wild, breakneck ride featuring the Revocation lads operating at the peak of their powers. New and old listeners alike would be foolish to neglect this action-packed beauty. If there is something slightly lacking in Revocation’s later career, it misses the outrageously fun and turbo-charged thrashiness and technically dazzling though infectious spirit so prevalent on Teratogenesis and surrounding releases. Revocation’s eye-popping instrumental prowess and whipsmart songwriting serve genuinely well-crafted, catchy songcraft and a bevy of sharp turning dynamic twists and killer riffs. “The Grip Tightens” bottles everything great about the Revocation sound into a career stunner. Elsewhere, “Manically Unleashed” unleashes cracking bursts of tech thrash precision amidst intricate melodic breaks and soul-searching solos, while “Bound By Desire” closes proceedings with a blast and thrash-riddled bang, replete with gorgeous melodic soloing and proggy touches.
#2. Chaos of Forms (2011) – Weirdly enough, I recall being fleetingly underwhelmed when Chaos of Forms dropped. Expectations were sky high, and Chaos of Forms represented a different beast to its immediate predecessor. Featuring an aggressive though more lighthearted, freewheeling tone and experimental streak, Chaos has long since become a personal favorite and modern metal classic. It is also rather simply the most fun Revocation album. Davidson is in his element, firing off some of the finest solos of his career to decorate fast-paced, quirky tech death-thrash compositions, aided by an unstoppable line-up, including the first to feature guitarist/vocalist Dan Gargiulo (Artificial Brain), adding an exciting extra dimension to the band’s sound. Unleashing a trio of instant Revocation classics right off the bat courtesy of “Cretin,” “Grave Robber” and “Harlot”, any notion Chaos of Forms being front-loaded is swiftly demolished as the album unfurls with banger after banger. From the melodic, singalong chorus of “No Funeral,” through to the brainy, twisting riffage of the title track, zippy, thrash-laden charge of “Beloved Horrifier,” and densely packed, stuttering tech death of “Reprogrammed,” Chaos is a versatile, sparkling jewel in the Revocation canon.
#1. Existence is Futile (2009) – Beyond the endearing factor, this was my first Revocation album and the warm fuzzy nostalgia associated; Revocation’s astonishing sophomore belter Existence is Futile emerged as a bottled lightning moment. Revocation’s impressively acrobatic musicianship and technical prowess was accelerated to new heights. However, the bulletproof songwriting and smart, yet dazzlingly intriguing arrangements were grounded by tight and aggressive songs that pulled no punches. An astonishing leap forward from an already exciting and accomplished debut, Existence is Futile has a raw energy and speedy, exhilarating urgency backed by polished, intricate songwriting, parasitic hooks and the warped, unmatched musicianship and advanced shreddery we have now long come to expect from Davidson and crew. Songs are largely stripped back in length from the debut, pared down to the bare essentials, maximizing impact. Davidson’s underrated vocals sound as vital as ever. A thoroughly gripping listen front to back, with the likes of “Pestilence Reigns,” “Deathonomics,” “The Brain Scramblers,” “Reanimaniac,” “Dismantle the Dictator” and ambitious closer “The Tragedy of Modern Ages” a handful of essential cuts.
Kronos
“Please help!” prayed my erstwhile colleagues, “our taste is underdeveloped to a near-blastular degree, and we are oh so disdraught! We seek but a simple ordination of technical death-thrash records but lack the True Knowledge of quality!”
Now moved, I descend from on high, gracing them not just with my presence but with my very acknowledgement of their pitiful existence: in one hand my catechism, in the other my nose. For those enlightened beyond the reflexive need to communicate the truths of quality, the ordering of Revocation records is a simple thing. One needs only to recognize the generational talent and drive of a one Dave Davidson, the extraordinary caliber of musicians that he has surrounded himself with, and analyze the triumphs and, shall we say, try-umphs, of their many recordings with an objective eye informed by a coherent understanding of the material and aesthetic universe in which they occur.
# 9 The Outer Ones (2018) – Revocation built a career based on an inseparable trinity of inventive riffs, creative songwriting, and infectious fun. In 2018 they denied this trinity and were cast into oblivion for four years thereafter; sentenced to relentless touring in which they played The Outer Ones lethargic and self-serious tech death alongside probably fifty other bands peddling similar stuff but more committed to it. That The Outer Ones seems to be their most popular release is a testament to the essential wickedness of our heathen age, that so many will follow a false prophecy.
#8 Great Is Our Sin (2016) – Indeed, but Revocation’s Slayer-worship record might have been better named Great Will Be Our Sin, given that its follow-up was The Outer Ones. But the title gets the point across; this was at the time their nastiest, deathiest album. Muscular and mean, Great Is Our Sin attempted brute-force repentance with burly but brainy tracks like “Monolithic Ignorance” serving up festering fun and “Only the Spineless Survive” providing the band’s most brutal beating until Netherheaven. Cruel as a crucifixion, Great is Our Sin is a treat, but not a joy, to experience, with too much of its runtime given to grinding grooves that don’t showcase the band’s strengths.
#7 Empire of the Obscene (2008) – In a way, it’s stunning to see how far Revocation have come since their debut: not far at all. In this we are confronted by the theopneustic nature of their art; seventeen years on, we can expect New Gods, New Masters to sound basically like Empire of the Obscene. This is death thrash that, while more fun than a barrel of monkeys and twice as rowdy, is impossible to find corny because it’s just too perfectly executed. For a young band, Revocation have a self-assuredness that evades many veteran groups, even as the death-thrash trinity’s endless invention pushes fast-moving songs up to and past the five-minute mark. From the dry but clear production, grinning art-school riffing to the waggling, showboat jazz soloing, every surface of the Revocation mold is here for the band to crack and ooze out of and pull away from on future recordings.
#6 Netherheaven (2022) – Netherheaven saw Revocation a three-piece for the first time since Chaos of Forms, and on firm footing as ever to make their first devoted death metal record. Netherheaven’s highlights (“Galleries of Morbid Artistry” and “Re-Crucified”) unfold like intricate torture machines from a macabre storybook, but mean, mid-paced grooves stick together and weigh down far too much of the record’s runtime. Netherheaven recovered much of the charm that The Outer Ones jettisoned but doubts as to the band’s future form remain.
#5 Existence is Futile (2009) – Empire of the Obscene really didn’t need to be improved upon, but Revocation are moved not by need but possibility. Existence is Futile’s leaner, focused writing got the band out of their own way. While some sections can come across a bit sparse, the difference in memorability between Empire and Existence is marked, with tracks like Deathonomics and Dismantle the Dictator becoming staple songs. Gruesome tech-thrash tracks like “Pestillence Reigns” and “The Brain Scramblers” were a revelation, and bruisers like “Dismantle the Dictator” and “Anthem of the Betrayed” gained the group countless new adherents.
#4 Revocation (2013) – One of the lesser-appreciated joys of the Revocation discography are the band’s actual texts, and nowhere are they more compelling than on their self-titled record. Whether railing against the rich, oil companies, or the American media environment, Revocation pairs incisive sing-alongs with inspiring musicianship; Davidson even pulls out a Banjo to parody cable news (“Invidious”). Revocation capped the first era of the Revocation discography in impeccable form with their most front-to-back memorable LP.
#3 Deathless (2014) – Deathless was a turning point for Revocation; having played every riff possible on six strings, Davidson and Gargiulo turned fully to seven, beginning a more sinister version of Revocation that persists to this day. Yet Deathless isn’t heavy just for the sake of being heavy; it’s just as lithe and unpredictable as the records before it, but with a grim grace to its winding songs and some of the band’s most emotionally resonant solo work (see “Witch Trials”) and most poignant political criticism (“Beholden to their corporate masters/ politicians privatizing genocide/ condolences offered by the same who pulled the trigger” – “The Fix”). Without the grating title track, the record would be just about perfect.
#2 Teratogenesis (2012) – Many will argue (incorrectly) that Teratogenesis, Revocation’s 2012 EP hot off of the release of Chaos of Forms, is the group’s magnum opus. Granted, “The Grip Tightens” might be their best song, and, granted again, “Spurn the Outstretched Hand” might be their second-best song. But after that one-two punch of career-defining greats, they only go on to deliver three more. Paltry! Sure, the sinister “Teratogenesis” would prove to be the blueprint for the rest of their career, and “Bound By Desire” would shame thousands of aspiring axe-smiths with its sheer pummeling speed, but in context, Teratogenesis is dessert, a follow-up to what came just before. And there’s no horn section!
#1 Chaos of Forms (2011) – That Chaos of Forms is the highest among the Revocation records is almost axiomatic. From the opening bass slide of “Cretin” to the raving closing of “Reprogrammed,” there’s not a second of Chaos of Forms that doesn’t reach out and pull you into a rictus grin. Every song is packed to the brim with creative riffs, brilliant musicianship and playful twists. Take, for instance, “Cradle Robber,” which tips a playful chorus riff repeatedly into an absolute vortex of synchronized drumming and trem-picking until it spills over, then transitions into a spectacular solo courtesy of the newly-joined Dan Gargioulo. It’s put in its place by a brain-melting Davidson solo seconds later, for which the whole band actually speeds up, seemingly just to one-up the new guy. The pair return together with a showboat riff half-consumed by synchronized harmonics. Music really does not get much more fun than this, especially when it’s narrated by the Grim Reaper. The only time it does is when the music is “The Watchers,” which breaks out into a gallop halfway through before stampeding its way into a big, brassy introduction for producer Pete Rutcho’s funky little organ solo. Simply divine.
Maddog
In 2012, my metal taste was impressionable but ravenous. I spotted a death-thrash EP from an unfamiliar band, available for free download via the now-defunct label Scion A/V. Teratogenesis’ balance of death-thrash riffs and thoughtful melodies swept me off my feet.
In 2015, I had imbibed deeply of extreme metal, but never been to a show. One frigid night in February, I timidly headed to Brighton Music Hall in Boston. While Fallujah fell victim to sound issues, the final opener Revocation smashed me to pieces. It was a watershed moment in my metamorphosis from metal fan to metal adorer.
In 2025, Revocation is a cornerstone of my music taste. I love death metal; I love thrash’s energy; I love creative songwriting; I can’t help but love Revocation. Most of all, I love their consistency. Even the other two classic bands I’ve helped rank here (Suffocation and Dying Fetus) don’t have as deep a bench of memorable releases.
And so, perhaps you’re better off ignoring our concerted but pitiful attempts to dissect Revocation’s history. After all, this is Revocation; just listen to all of it.
#9. Empire of the Obscene (2008). Empire of the Obscene is merely a good album, but it lay the groundwork for Revocation’s career. While Empire isn’t as thrashy as its successor Existence Is Futile, melodeath permeates both its guitar leads and its riffs, which are textbook but punchy (“Summon the Spawn”). Despite its inconsistency, Empire of the Obscene hints at Revocation’s burgeoning strengths. The most brutal segments are death metal riffcraft at its finest (“Fields of Predation”), while the tinges of proggy song development are impressive for a new band. Even a fair helping of deathcore rears its head, remaining sporadic enough to stay fresh. Empire of the Obscene is entertaining, but with a 56-minute runtime and an overreliance on cookie-cutter death metal riffs, it struggles to stick in my mind. It’s a fun listen, but falls short of Revocation’s best.
#8. Deathless (2014). While Deathless is a worthwhile release, it doesn’t excel in any of Revocation’s usual dimensions. Frequent mid-paced riffs lose my focus throughout (“Madness Opus”), and I forget swaths of the album soon after it ends. Deathless progs with mixed success, and its creative efforts are often hindered by their length and low energy (“Apex”). The dwindling of Revocation’s thrash influences kneecaps the record. However, the exceptions save Deathless from the compost bin. The death-thrash menace “Scorched Earth Policy” houses one of Revocation’s most frantic and dangerous riffs, while the proggy adventures of “Witch Trials” hit hard because they’re tied together by punchy melodies. Deathless doesn’t top its neighbors, but it’s no slouch.
#7. Netherheaven (2022). Netherheaven’s ordinariness feels out of place. Revocation’s latest album abandons the elements that distinguished them from the death metal masses. The proggy escapades, off-kilter riffs, and melodeath influences are gone; the fretboard wizardry is dialed back; even thrash takes a back seat. And yet, Netherheaven succeeds as stone-cold death metal. Easily Revocation’s most brutal release, Netherheaven wows with the gigantic “Galleries of Morbid Artistry” and the rifftastic closer “Re-Crucified.” The occasional glimpses of Revocation’s former flair also go a long way, like the playful opening of “Strange and Eternal.” That said, Netherheaven suffers from inconsistency, with middling second-half tracks like “The 9th Chasm.” The technical spectacles feel like dispassionate exercises, and the lack of variety makes the album less replayable than Revocation’s best works. Still, there’s no shame in making rock-solid death metal. It’s telling that even my seventh-favorite Revocation album made my 2022 list.
#6. Revocation (2013). Often overlooked, Revocation’s self-titled showcases some of the band’s greatest guitar work. At this stage of their career, Revocation had mastered both the weird and the powerful. On one end, “Fracked” might be the guitar highlight of the band’s career, culminating with a virtuosic but punishing chorus and a climactic solo. Standing opposite, “Spastic” is a jazzy spectacle but holds my awe throughout. Uniting these worlds, “Invidious” blends a banjo intro, playful melodies, and a furious thrashy back half, while the shapeshifting “Archfiend” is the first and only Revocation track to make me cry. Revocation occupies a turning point, taming the insanity of Chaos of Forms without compromising its death-thrash intensity. While the midsection of Revocation shines, the record is bookended by slightly weaker cuts. Still, although it has more great songs than excellent songs, Revocation is essential in the Revocation canon.
#5. Chaos of Forms (2011). The aptly-titled Chaos of Forms is the wildest release of Revocation’s career. The infinitely thrashy tracks that kick things off are a riot, but they’re the tamest part. The album’s guitar effects (“Harlot”), lilted jazzy melodies (“Conjuring the Cataclysm”), and 1970s-inspired key digressions (“The Watchers”) are maniacal. These experiments work because Revocation is having fun every step of the way. To ward off any doubts, Chaos of Forms also features some of Revocation’s fiercest death-thrash riffs; indeed, “No Funeral” might be the greatest live performance I’ve ever witnessed. However, strangeness requires discipline, which Chaos of Forms could use more of. Fanciful digressions crop up in unexpected places, often sticking around long enough to confuse but not long enough to convince. Chaos of Forms isn’t Revocation’s most memorable record, but it’s easily the most ambitious.
#4. Teratogenesis (2012). The 22-minute Teratogenesis utilizes the EP format brilliantly, offering an action-packed tour through Revocation’s style. “The Grip Tightens” is a perfect crystallization of death-thrash, complete with both an iconic opening riff and one of metal’s most enduring music videos. Meanwhile, “Maniacally Unleashed” adventures from thrashy riffing to serene melodies as well as any other track in Revocation’s oeuvre. Teratogenesis hones the guitar pyrotechnics that would define its successor Revocation, employing them for stratospheric climaxes. While Teratogenesis loses steam as it progresses, this says more about the sky-high bar set by the first three tracks. In historical perspective, Teratogenesis feels monumental in the same way as Suffocation’s Human Waste. It isn’t flawless, but it’s an indispensable encapsulation of Revocation’s career. I can’t imagine them without it.
#3. Existence Is Futile (2009). Bridging the gap between the straightforward Empire of the Obscene and the batshit Chaos of Forms, Existence Is Futile is Revocation’s most melo- and least mellow album. Skeletonwitch looms large, and the album infects me through its chunky riffs (“Pestilence Reigns”), its jubilant solos (“Anthem of the Betrayed”), and its irresistible choruses (“Reanimaniac”). Even still, Existence Is Futile’s most enduring achievement is its thirst for adventure. The narrative evolution of the instrumental “Across Forests and Fjords” resembles Insomnium’s Winter’s Gate; in stark contrast, the proggy title track mutates so many times that I can never quite recall when it starts or ends. Not once does this ever feel like an intellectual exercise. Rather, Existence Is Futile is Revocation’s most consistently fun release, achieving immortality through the energy of thrash and the creative power of prog death. Revocation’s sophomore record isn’t immune to thrash metal’s age-old pitfalls, and the album’s weaker riffs occasionally bleed together. Even so, Existence Is Futile is the highlight of Revocation’s high-octane early career.
#2. The Outer Ones (2018). Yes, if you want a party anthem, don’t look here. But fun takes many forms, and The Outer Ones’ narrative prowess stands out. The album’s Lovecraft-inspired tales and Revocation’s best-ever vocal performance hold each track together. The instruments follow suit. The riffs achieve an unholy blend of melodic weirdness (“The Outer Ones”) and raw force (“Of Unworldly Origin”). The choruses rank among Revocation’s best, peaking on the underrated blackened death spectacle “Luciferous.” Dave Davidson and Dan Gargiulo’s technical wizardry arguably reaches its apex, across both unhinged riffs and soaring solos (“Blood Atonement”). Even these highlights don’t do justice to The Outer Ones’ remarkable consistency; though it takes a small dip in “Vanitas” and peters out with “A Starless Darkness,” the album is otherwise a masterclass. While The Outer Ones disappointed some of the AMG herd, some bold commenters fought back, even demanding (rightfully) that we give Kronos a paddling. While Kronos has evaded justice so far, I hope to honor this request; The Outer Ones is one of Revocation’s creative peaks.
#1. Great Is Our Sin (2016). While each of these nine albums is impressive, nearly every one has notable flaws. Great Is Our Sin is the exception. All of Revocation’s strengths coalesce here, and every moment counts. While Netherheaven is Revocation’s most brutal album, Great Is Our Sin’s heftiest cuts can shatter steel (“Altars of Sacrifice”). While Chaos of Forms leans into the bizarre, Great Is Our Sin’s stealthy escapades are even more engaging (“The Exaltation”). While Revocation’s earlier releases emphasize the rhythm section, “Monolith of Ignorance” is a gleaming monument to bass- and drum-led evolution. While Existence Is Futile embraces the fun factor, “Altars of Sacrifice” could dunk on it with both feet planted. While Revocation showcased the emotional range of a guitar, “Cleaving Giants of Ice” stands toe-to-toe through its melodic dirge for polar ice caps. These disparate elements fuse into the masterful “Communion,” whose jazzy opening, thrashy verse, crushing chorus, and enthralling solo make it a landmark in both Revocation’s career and death metal history. Put simply, when I’m in the middle of any Great Is Our Sin track, I can’t imagine listening to anything else. That’s the surest sign of excellence.
A short, sharp primer to convince the unconvinced…
Empire of the Obscene (2008)
- “Tail from the Crypt”
Existence is Futile (2009)
- “Pestilence Reigns”
- “Reanimaniac”
Chaos of Forms (2011)
- “Cradle Robber”
- “No Funeral”
Teratogenesis (2012)
“The Grip Tightens”
- “Maniacally Unleashed”
Revocation (2013)
- “Numbing Agents”
- “Fracked”
Deathless ((2014)
- “Scorched Earth Policy”
- “Witch Trials”
Great is Our Sin (2016)
- “Arbiters of the Apocalypse”
- “Cleaving Giants of Ice”
The Outer Ones (2018)
- “The Outer Ones”
- “Luciferous”
Netherheaven (2022)
- “Strange and Eternal”
- “Nihilistic Violence”
#AmericanMetal #AMGGoesRanking #DeathMetal #Review #Reviews #Revocation #TechDeath #TechnicalThrashMetal #ThrashMetal
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By Saunders
Revocation makes me feeling fucking old. It’s difficult to believe fifteen odd years have passed since stumbling across their phenomenal sophomore effort, Existence is Futile. It became instantly clear Revocation were one of the fresher, most exciting bands emerging in the modern metal scene of the era. Their career seemed to propel in fast forward as they pumped out top notch album after album, maintaining an impressive work rate and exceptional consistency, while refusing to repeat themselves. Couple of minor bumps along the way notwithstanding, Revocation’s vibrant, signature combination of technical death-thrash, infectious songwriting and acrobatic guitar hero shreddage from mastermind Dave Davidson has long cemented Revocation as a titanic force in the crowded realms of the modern metalverse.
Formed in 2006, the Bostonites unleashed their brash and confident debut Empire of the Obscene in 2008. From humble but exciting beginnings the Revo boys have proceeded to go on an absolute fucking tear across multiple albums, the most recent being the darker pathways and heavier pastures of 2022’s Netherheaven, arguably a return to form. Though in fairness Revocation have never dropped a dud, and despite a couple of minor career lulls, they have remained a dependably consistent force to be reckoned with.
September 26th, 2025 ushers in Revocation’s ninth LP, New Gods, New Masters. As anticipation grows for the star packed opus, what better time for our resident Revocation fanboys; including the return of the illustrious Kronos, who so eloquently championed the band on these very pages across multiple releases with his insightful wordsmithery and critical analysis, to unload our collective opinions on the band’s formidable discography. Nearly twenty years since their formation and boasting a catalog of rare consistency and power, we have our work cut out for us. Strap yourselves in…
Disclaimer: After careful consideration we have actioned the Human Waste/Despise the Sun Ranking Law of including Revocation’s highly regarded Teratogenesis EP from 2012 due to the consensus this is a meaty and essential mini-platter in the power packed Revocation repertoire.
The Rankings
Saunders
#9. The Outer Ones (2018) – While difficult to pinpoint, The Outer Ones remains an elusive Revocation album, and one I reach for least frequently, despite being one their more recent offerings. Although The Outer Ones doesn’t deviate savagely from the vice-tight yet elastic formula Revocation long since mastered, it leans deeper into murkier blackened death forays and features a cold, clinical and dissonant edge. Its darkly menacing sheen and blasty, death forward approach is responsible for some rousing moments and it’s easy to admire the album’s frantic, calculated intensity. Tunes like the rip-roaring opener “Of Unworldly Origin,” chunky brawler “The Outer Ones” and the thrashy, proggy blackened death of “Luciferous” highlight an album that has grown on me but ultimately falls short of the band’s other works.
#8. Empire of the Obscene (2008) – A bold and potential-packed debut, Empire of the Obscene rises well beyond a mere curiosity or roughshod early edition of Revocation’s rapidly evolving sound. I came to the debut after being first enamored by Existence is Futile and Chaos of Forms, both superior examples of the band’s exceptional early career highs. Still, Empire of the Obscene is a killer debut and refreshing, slashing technical thrash opus, with a healthy smattering of death. The vibrant, raging “Tail from the Crypt” is an early career highpoint, while other choice cuts include the bizarro “Suffer These Wounds,” and rippling axerobatics of “Exhumed Identity.” It’s solid stuff, yet inconsistencies creep in and some of the writing feels a tad overcooked, falling short of the ripping high standards and impeccable writing featured across the Revocation career arc
#7. Great is Our Sin (2016) – Perhaps the first time upon release a Revocation release failed to gain immediate traction. Again the sheer strength and power of its predecessors found Great is Our Sin fall a fraction short of the impeccable standards maintained during the first half dozen or so years of the band’s recording career. And it feels like an outlier merging the band’s different eras, pre and post-Revocation. Playful tech thrash energy, proggy dabbling, and darker, deathly pummels are in abundance, as per expectations. I appreciate the more thrash-centric turns, less prominent in their later era. Great is Our Sin features many of the strong attributes listeners have come to expect, sounding like a melodically mature yet overly familiar and safe album. The songwriting is consistently solid, featuring the odd flirtation with greatness. Old school flavored thrasher “Arbiters of the Apocalypse,” the prog-infused death-thrash of “Communion,” sinister, punishing thrust of “Only the Spineless Survive,” and epic, experimental rumble of “Cleaving Giants of Ice” are nuggety examples of the album’s finer moments.
#6. Netherheaven (2022) – Netherheaven marked a refreshing return to form after the solid if underwhelming, The Outer Ones. Kronos hit the nail on the head when he proclaimed Netherheaven to be the natural successor to Deathless, as similarities in tone, mood and execution are evident. Revocation flexed their deathly muscles and advanced musicianship in service of complex, yet undoubtedly catchy compositions, such as the brutally groovy throes of “Nihilistic Violence,” labyrinthine trip of “Strange and Eternal” and blast-addled, vocal trade-off on scorching closer “Re-Crucified.” Despite being enveloped with shadowy, sinister atmospheres, Netherheaven is imbued with a fun, adventurous spirit, also resulting in one of Revocation’s heaviest offerings. Davidson’s ever inspiring axework never ceases to amaze and songwriting finds a real sweet spot between grooving, chunky chugs, technical mastery, and throwbacks to their thrashy roots. Meanwhile, his increasingly versatile and confident vocals remain a somewhat underrated aspect of the Revocation experience. Not a career high point, but a great album nonetheless.
#5. Deathless (2014) – Revocation’s distinctive formula has long separated them from the hordes of tech death and thrash bands in the scene. One of Revocation’s greatest attributes is their ability to manipulate their craft and pivot in versatile directions. Deathless emerged as a darker, sinister trip down a fittingly deathlier path, creating a welcome stylistic deviation to evolve and keep any semblance of stagnation at bay. Though follow-up Great is Our Sin slightly deviated, Deathless marked the beginning of Revocation embracing the darker corners of their psyche, charting murkier, heavier and altogether more brutal, unforgiving terrain. Thankfully, Deathless didn’t abandon their knack for penning challenging, infectious, thrash-powered tech-death jams. Nor does Deathless forget how to have fun, as evidenced by the shout-along chorus and straightforward headbangable riffs adorning the title track. However, Deathless’ most impactful, jolting moments are delivered elsewhere. Classic opener “A Debt Owed to the Grave” and the cutthroat “Scorched Earth Policy” unleash vicious yet eloquently delivered evidence Revocation still thrash with the best of them. While the immense “Madness Opus” channels Revocation’s progressive inclinations within a barbed, death metal shell. Top-tier stuff.
#4: Revocation (2013) – The dark horse and underrated gem in the Revocation kit bag, their self-titled effort sparkled between the stunning Teratogenesis EP and the brooding tones and violent stomp of Deathless. Though not regularly mentioned amongst the band’s finer works, Revocation demands regular attention amidst an increasingly stacked catalog. Following up Chaos of Forms was always going to be a tough ask, however, Revocation proved up to the challenge. Revocation is a playful, quirky, fun-filled blast from go to whoa, keeping Revocation’s ever-evolving formula fresh and inspired. The versatile songwriting makes for a consistently gripping listen and one of their more diverse offerings. Whether belting out aggressive, full-throttle tech-thrash workouts (“The Hive,” “Numbing Agents”), warped tech death beatdowns (“Fracked,” “Scattering the Flock”), banjo-infected riff monsters (“Invidious”) or mosh-ready juggernauts (“Archfiend”), Revocation has all bases covered. A slightly more stock backend the only thing diminishing an otherwise top-notch album.
#3. Teratogenesis (2012) – Only the most curmudgeony, glass-half-empty pessimist discounts the short and sweet value of the often underrated EP format. Continuing a creatively booming and prolific hot streak, Teratogenesis is a wild, breakneck ride featuring the Revocation lads operating at the peak of their powers. New and old listeners alike would be foolish to neglect this action-packed beauty. If there is something slightly lacking in Revocation’s later career, it misses the outrageously fun and turbo-charged thrashiness and technically dazzling though infectious spirit so prevalent on Teratogenesis and surrounding releases. Revocation’s eye-popping instrumental prowess and whipsmart songwriting serve genuinely well-crafted, catchy songcraft and a bevy of sharp turning dynamic twists and killer riffs. “The Grip Tightens” bottles everything great about the Revocation sound into a career stunner. Elsewhere, “Manically Unleashed” unleashes cracking bursts of tech thrash precision amidst intricate melodic breaks and soul-searching solos, while “Bound By Desire” closes proceedings with a blast and thrash-riddled bang, replete with gorgeous melodic soloing and proggy touches.
#2. Chaos of Forms (2011) – Weirdly enough, I recall being fleetingly underwhelmed when Chaos of Forms dropped. Expectations were sky high, and Chaos of Forms represented a different beast to its immediate predecessor. Featuring an aggressive though more lighthearted, freewheeling tone and experimental streak, Chaos has long since become a personal favorite and modern metal classic. It is also rather simply the most fun Revocation album. Davidson is in his element, firing off some of the finest solos of his career to decorate fast-paced, quirky tech death-thrash compositions, aided by an unstoppable line-up, including the first to feature guitarist/vocalist Dan Gargiulo (Artificial Brain), adding an exciting extra dimension to the band’s sound. Unleashing a trio of instant Revocation classics right off the bat courtesy of “Cretin,” “Grave Robber” and “Harlot”, any notion Chaos of Forms being front-loaded is swiftly demolished as the album unfurls with banger after banger. From the melodic, singalong chorus of “No Funeral,” through to the brainy, twisting riffage of the title track, zippy, thrash-laden charge of “Beloved Horrifier,” and densely packed, stuttering tech death of “Reprogrammed,” Chaos is a versatile, sparkling jewel in the Revocation canon.
#1. Existence is Futile (2009) – Beyond the endearing factor, this was my first Revocation album and the warm fuzzy nostalgia associated; Revocation’s astonishing sophomore belter Existence is Futile emerged as a bottled lightning moment. Revocation’s impressively acrobatic musicianship and technical prowess was accelerated to new heights. However, the bulletproof songwriting and smart, yet dazzlingly intriguing arrangements were grounded by tight and aggressive songs that pulled no punches. An astonishing leap forward from an already exciting and accomplished debut, Existence is Futile has a raw energy and speedy, exhilarating urgency backed by polished, intricate songwriting, parasitic hooks and the warped, unmatched musicianship and advanced shreddery we have now long come to expect from Davidson and crew. Songs are largely stripped back in length from the debut, pared down to the bare essentials, maximizing impact. Davidson’s underrated vocals sound as vital as ever. A thoroughly gripping listen front to back, with the likes of “Pestilence Reigns,” “Deathonomics,” “The Brain Scramblers,” “Reanimaniac,” “Dismantle the Dictator” and ambitious closer “The Tragedy of Modern Ages” a handful of essential cuts.
Kronos
“Please help!” prayed my erstwhile colleagues, “our taste is underdeveloped to a near-blastular degree, and we are oh so disdraught! We seek but a simple ordination of technical death-thrash records but lack the True Knowledge of quality!”
Now moved, I descend from on high, gracing them not just with my presence but with my very acknowledgement of their pitiful existence: in one hand my catechism, in the other my nose. For those enlightened beyond the reflexive need to communicate the truths of quality, the ordering of Revocation records is a simple thing. One needs only to recognize the generational talent and drive of a one Dave Davidson, the extraordinary caliber of musicians that he has surrounded himself with, and analyze the triumphs and, shall we say, try-umphs, of their many recordings with an objective eye informed by a coherent understanding of the material and aesthetic universe in which they occur.
# 9 The Outer Ones (2018) – Revocation built a career based on an inseparable trinity of inventive riffs, creative songwriting, and infectious fun. In 2018 they denied this trinity and were cast into oblivion for four years thereafter; sentenced to relentless touring in which they played The Outer Ones lethargic and self-serious tech death alongside probably fifty other bands peddling similar stuff but more committed to it. That The Outer Ones seems to be their most popular release is a testament to the essential wickedness of our heathen age, that so many will follow a false prophecy.
#8 Great Is Our Sin (2016) – Indeed, but Revocation’s Slayer-worship record might have been better named Great Will Be Our Sin, given that its follow-up was The Outer Ones. But the title gets the point across; this was at the time their nastiest, deathiest album. Muscular and mean, Great Is Our Sin attempted brute-force repentance with burly but brainy tracks like “Monolithic Ignorance” serving up festering fun and “Only the Spineless Survive” providing the band’s most brutal beating until Netherheaven. Cruel as a crucifixion, Great is Our Sin is a treat, but not a joy, to experience, with too much of its runtime given to grinding grooves that don’t showcase the band’s strengths.
#7 Empire of the Obscene (2008) – In a way, it’s stunning to see how far Revocation have come since their debut: not far at all. In this we are confronted by the theopneustic nature of their art; seventeen years on, we can expect New Gods, New Masters to sound basically like Empire of the Obscene. This is death thrash that, while more fun than a barrel of monkeys and twice as rowdy, is impossible to find corny because it’s just too perfectly executed. For a young band, Revocation have a self-assuredness that evades many veteran groups, even as the death-thrash trinity’s endless invention pushes fast-moving songs up to and past the five-minute mark. From the dry but clear production, grinning art-school riffing to the waggling, showboat jazz soloing, every surface of the Revocation mold is here for the band to crack and ooze out of and pull away from on future recordings.
#6 Netherheaven (2022) – Netherheaven saw Revocation a three-piece for the first time since Chaos of Forms, and on firm footing as ever to make their first devoted death metal record. Netherheaven’s highlights (“Galleries of Morbid Artistry” and “Re-Crucified”) unfold like intricate torture machines from a macabre storybook, but mean, mid-paced grooves stick together and weigh down far too much of the record’s runtime. Netherheaven recovered much of the charm that The Outer Ones jettisoned but doubts as to the band’s future form remain.
#5 Existence is Futile (2009) – Empire of the Obscene really didn’t need to be improved upon, but Revocation are moved not by need but possibility. Existence is Futile’s leaner, focused writing got the band out of their own way. While some sections can come across a bit sparse, the difference in memorability between Empire and Existence is marked, with tracks like Deathonomics and Dismantle the Dictator becoming staple songs. Gruesome tech-thrash tracks like “Pestillence Reigns” and “The Brain Scramblers” were a revelation, and bruisers like “Dismantle the Dictator” and “Anthem of the Betrayed” gained the group countless new adherents.
#4 Revocation (2013) – One of the lesser-appreciated joys of the Revocation discography are the band’s actual texts, and nowhere are they more compelling than on their self-titled record. Whether railing against the rich, oil companies, or the American media environment, Revocation pairs incisive sing-alongs with inspiring musicianship; Davidson even pulls out a Banjo to parody cable news (“Invidious”). Revocation capped the first era of the Revocation discography in impeccable form with their most front-to-back memorable LP.
#3 Deathless (2014) – Deathless was a turning point for Revocation; having played every riff possible on six strings, Davidson and Gargiulo turned fully to seven, beginning a more sinister version of Revocation that persists to this day. Yet Deathless isn’t heavy just for the sake of being heavy; it’s just as lithe and unpredictable as the records before it, but with a grim grace to its winding songs and some of the band’s most emotionally resonant solo work (see “Witch Trials”) and most poignant political criticism (“Beholden to their corporate masters/ politicians privatizing genocide/ condolences offered by the same who pulled the trigger” – “The Fix”). Without the grating title track, the record would be just about perfect.
#2 Teratogenesis (2012) – Many will argue (incorrectly) that Teratogenesis, Revocation’s 2012 EP hot off of the release of Chaos of Forms, is the group’s magnum opus. Granted, “The Grip Tightens” might be their best song, and, granted again, “Spurn the Outstretched Hand” might be their second-best song. But after that one-two punch of career-defining greats, they only go on to deliver three more. Paltry! Sure, the sinister “Teratogenesis” would prove to be the blueprint for the rest of their career, and “Bound By Desire” would shame thousands of aspiring axe-smiths with its sheer pummeling speed, but in context, Teratogenesis is dessert, a follow-up to what came just before. And there’s no horn section!
#1 Chaos of Forms (2011) – That Chaos of Forms is the highest among the Revocation records is almost axiomatic. From the opening bass slide of “Cretin” to the raving closing of “Reprogrammed,” there’s not a second of Chaos of Forms that doesn’t reach out and pull you into a rictus grin. Every song is packed to the brim with creative riffs, brilliant musicianship and playful twists. Take, for instance, “Cradle Robber,” which tips a playful chorus riff repeatedly into an absolute vortex of synchronized drumming and trem-picking until it spills over, then transitions into a spectacular solo courtesy of the newly-joined Dan Gargioulo. It’s put in its place by a brain-melting Davidson solo seconds later, for which the whole band actually speeds up, seemingly just to one-up the new guy. The pair return together with a showboat riff half-consumed by synchronized harmonics. Music really does not get much more fun than this, especially when it’s narrated by the Grim Reaper. The only time it does is when the music is “The Watchers,” which breaks out into a gallop halfway through before stampeding its way into a big, brassy introduction for producer Pete Rutcho’s funky little organ solo. Simply divine.
Maddog
In 2012, my metal taste was impressionable but ravenous. I spotted a death-thrash EP from an unfamiliar band, available for free download via the now-defunct label Scion A/V. Teratogenesis’ balance of death-thrash riffs and thoughtful melodies swept me off my feet.
In 2015, I had imbibed deeply of extreme metal, but never been to a show. One frigid night in February, I timidly headed to Brighton Music Hall in Boston. While Fallujah fell victim to sound issues, the final opener Revocation smashed me to pieces. It was a watershed moment in my metamorphosis from metal fan to metal adorer.
In 2025, Revocation is a cornerstone of my music taste. I love death metal; I love thrash’s energy; I love creative songwriting; I can’t help but love Revocation. Most of all, I love their consistency. Even the other two classic bands I’ve helped rank here (Suffocation and Dying Fetus) don’t have as deep a bench of memorable releases.
And so, perhaps you’re better off ignoring our concerted but pitiful attempts to dissect Revocation’s history. After all, this is Revocation; just listen to all of it.
#9. Empire of the Obscene (2008). Empire of the Obscene is merely a good album, but it lay the groundwork for Revocation’s career. While Empire isn’t as thrashy as its successor Existence Is Futile, melodeath permeates both its guitar leads and its riffs, which are textbook but punchy (“Summon the Spawn”). Despite its inconsistency, Empire of the Obscene hints at Revocation’s burgeoning strengths. The most brutal segments are death metal riffcraft at its finest (“Fields of Predation”), while the tinges of proggy song development are impressive for a new band. Even a fair helping of deathcore rears its head, remaining sporadic enough to stay fresh. Empire of the Obscene is entertaining, but with a 56-minute runtime and an overreliance on cookie-cutter death metal riffs, it struggles to stick in my mind. It’s a fun listen, but falls short of Revocation’s best.
#8. Deathless (2014). While Deathless is a worthwhile release, it doesn’t excel in any of Revocation’s usual dimensions. Frequent mid-paced riffs lose my focus throughout (“Madness Opus”), and I forget swaths of the album soon after it ends. Deathless progs with mixed success, and its creative efforts are often hindered by their length and low energy (“Apex”). The dwindling of Revocation’s thrash influences kneecaps the record. However, the exceptions save Deathless from the compost bin. The death-thrash menace “Scorched Earth Policy” houses one of Revocation’s most frantic and dangerous riffs, while the proggy adventures of “Witch Trials” hit hard because they’re tied together by punchy melodies. Deathless doesn’t top its neighbors, but it’s no slouch.
#7. Netherheaven (2022). Netherheaven’s ordinariness feels out of place. Revocation’s latest album abandons the elements that distinguished them from the death metal masses. The proggy escapades, off-kilter riffs, and melodeath influences are gone; the fretboard wizardry is dialed back; even thrash takes a back seat. And yet, Netherheaven succeeds as stone-cold death metal. Easily Revocation’s most brutal release, Netherheaven wows with the gigantic “Galleries of Morbid Artistry” and the rifftastic closer “Re-Crucified.” The occasional glimpses of Revocation’s former flair also go a long way, like the playful opening of “Strange and Eternal.” That said, Netherheaven suffers from inconsistency, with middling second-half tracks like “The 9th Chasm.” The technical spectacles feel like dispassionate exercises, and the lack of variety makes the album less replayable than Revocation’s best works. Still, there’s no shame in making rock-solid death metal. It’s telling that even my seventh-favorite Revocation album made my 2022 list.
#6. Revocation (2013). Often overlooked, Revocation’s self-titled showcases some of the band’s greatest guitar work. At this stage of their career, Revocation had mastered both the weird and the powerful. On one end, “Fracked” might be the guitar highlight of the band’s career, culminating with a virtuosic but punishing chorus and a climactic solo. Standing opposite, “Spastic” is a jazzy spectacle but holds my awe throughout. Uniting these worlds, “Invidious” blends a banjo intro, playful melodies, and a furious thrashy back half, while the shapeshifting “Archfiend” is the first and only Revocation track to make me cry. Revocation occupies a turning point, taming the insanity of Chaos of Forms without compromising its death-thrash intensity. While the midsection of Revocation shines, the record is bookended by slightly weaker cuts. Still, although it has more great songs than excellent songs, Revocation is essential in the Revocation canon.
#5. Chaos of Forms (2011). The aptly-titled Chaos of Forms is the wildest release of Revocation’s career. The infinitely thrashy tracks that kick things off are a riot, but they’re the tamest part. The album’s guitar effects (“Harlot”), lilted jazzy melodies (“Conjuring the Cataclysm”), and 1970s-inspired key digressions (“The Watchers”) are maniacal. These experiments work because Revocation is having fun every step of the way. To ward off any doubts, Chaos of Forms also features some of Revocation’s fiercest death-thrash riffs; indeed, “No Funeral” might be the greatest live performance I’ve ever witnessed. However, strangeness requires discipline, which Chaos of Forms could use more of. Fanciful digressions crop up in unexpected places, often sticking around long enough to confuse but not long enough to convince. Chaos of Forms isn’t Revocation’s most memorable record, but it’s easily the most ambitious.
#4. Teratogenesis (2012). The 22-minute Teratogenesis utilizes the EP format brilliantly, offering an action-packed tour through Revocation’s style. “The Grip Tightens” is a perfect crystallization of death-thrash, complete with both an iconic opening riff and one of metal’s most enduring music videos. Meanwhile, “Maniacally Unleashed” adventures from thrashy riffing to serene melodies as well as any other track in Revocation’s oeuvre. Teratogenesis hones the guitar pyrotechnics that would define its successor Revocation, employing them for stratospheric climaxes. While Teratogenesis loses steam as it progresses, this says more about the sky-high bar set by the first three tracks. In historical perspective, Teratogenesis feels monumental in the same way as Suffocation’s Human Waste. It isn’t flawless, but it’s an indispensable encapsulation of Revocation’s career. I can’t imagine them without it.
#3. Existence Is Futile (2009). Bridging the gap between the straightforward Empire of the Obscene and the batshit Chaos of Forms, Existence Is Futile is Revocation’s most melo- and least mellow album. Skeletonwitch looms large, and the album infects me through its chunky riffs (“Pestilence Reigns”), its jubilant solos (“Anthem of the Betrayed”), and its irresistible choruses (“Reanimaniac”). Even still, Existence Is Futile’s most enduring achievement is its thirst for adventure. The narrative evolution of the instrumental “Across Forests and Fjords” resembles Insomnium’s Winter’s Gate; in stark contrast, the proggy title track mutates so many times that I can never quite recall when it starts or ends. Not once does this ever feel like an intellectual exercise. Rather, Existence Is Futile is Revocation’s most consistently fun release, achieving immortality through the energy of thrash and the creative power of prog death. Revocation’s sophomore record isn’t immune to thrash metal’s age-old pitfalls, and the album’s weaker riffs occasionally bleed together. Even so, Existence Is Futile is the highlight of Revocation’s high-octane early career.
#2. The Outer Ones (2018). Yes, if you want a party anthem, don’t look here. But fun takes many forms, and The Outer Ones’ narrative prowess stands out. The album’s Lovecraft-inspired tales and Revocation’s best-ever vocal performance hold each track together. The instruments follow suit. The riffs achieve an unholy blend of melodic weirdness (“The Outer Ones”) and raw force (“Of Unworldly Origin”). The choruses rank among Revocation’s best, peaking on the underrated blackened death spectacle “Luciferous.” Dave Davidson and Dan Gargiulo’s technical wizardry arguably reaches its apex, across both unhinged riffs and soaring solos (“Blood Atonement”). Even these highlights don’t do justice to The Outer Ones’ remarkable consistency; though it takes a small dip in “Vanitas” and peters out with “A Starless Darkness,” the album is otherwise a masterclass. While The Outer Ones disappointed some of the AMG herd, some bold commenters fought back, even demanding (rightfully) that we give Kronos a paddling. While Kronos has evaded justice so far, I hope to honor this request; The Outer Ones is one of Revocation’s creative peaks.
#1. Great Is Our Sin (2016). While each of these nine albums is impressive, nearly every one has notable flaws. Great Is Our Sin is the exception. All of Revocation’s strengths coalesce here, and every moment counts. While Netherheaven is Revocation’s most brutal album, Great Is Our Sin’s heftiest cuts can shatter steel (“Altars of Sacrifice”). While Chaos of Forms leans into the bizarre, Great Is Our Sin’s stealthy escapades are even more engaging (“The Exaltation”). While Revocation’s earlier releases emphasize the rhythm section, “Monolith of Ignorance” is a gleaming monument to bass- and drum-led evolution. While Existence Is Futile embraces the fun factor, “Altars of Sacrifice” could dunk on it with both feet planted. While Revocation showcased the emotional range of a guitar, “Cleaving Giants of Ice” stands toe-to-toe through its melodic dirge for polar ice caps. These disparate elements fuse into the masterful “Communion,” whose jazzy opening, thrashy verse, crushing chorus, and enthralling solo make it a landmark in both Revocation’s career and death metal history. Put simply, when I’m in the middle of any Great Is Our Sin track, I can’t imagine listening to anything else. That’s the surest sign of excellence.
A short, sharp primer to convince the unconvinced…
Empire of the Obscene (2008)
- “Tail from the Crypt”
Existence is Futile (2009)
- “Pestilence Reigns”
- “Reanimaniac”
Chaos of Forms (2011)
- “Cradle Robber”
- “No Funeral”
Teratogenesis (2012)
“The Grip Tightens”
- “Maniacally Unleashed”
Revocation (2013)
- “Numbing Agents”
- “Fracked”
Deathless ((2014)
- “Scorched Earth Policy”
- “Witch Trials”
Great is Our Sin (2016)
- “Arbiters of the Apocalypse”
- “Cleaving Giants of Ice”
The Outer Ones (2018)
- “The Outer Ones”
- “Luciferous”
Netherheaven (2022)
- “Strange and Eternal”
- “Nihilistic Violence”
#AmericanMetal #AMGGoesRanking #DeathMetal #Review #Reviews #Revocation #TechDeath #TechnicalThrashMetal #ThrashMetal
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By Saunders
Revocation makes me feeling fucking old. It’s difficult to believe fifteen odd years have passed since stumbling across their phenomenal sophomore effort, Existence is Futile. It became instantly clear Revocation were one of the fresher, most exciting bands emerging in the modern metal scene of the era. Their career seemed to propel in fast forward as they pumped out top notch album after album, maintaining an impressive work rate and exceptional consistency, while refusing to repeat themselves. Couple of minor bumps along the way notwithstanding, Revocation’s vibrant, signature combination of technical death-thrash, infectious songwriting and acrobatic guitar hero shreddage from mastermind Dave Davidson has long cemented Revocation as a titanic force in the crowded realms of the modern metalverse.
Formed in 2006, the Bostonites unleashed their brash and confident debut Empire of the Obscene in 2008. From humble but exciting beginnings the Revo boys have proceeded to go on an absolute fucking tear across multiple albums, the most recent being the darker pathways and heavier pastures of 2022’s Netherheaven, arguably a return to form. Though in fairness Revocation have never dropped a dud, and despite a couple of minor career lulls, they have remained a dependably consistent force to be reckoned with.
September 26th, 2025 ushers in Revocation’s ninth LP, New Gods, New Masters. As anticipation grows for the star packed opus, what better time for our resident Revocation fanboys; including the return of the illustrious Kronos, who so eloquently championed the band on these very pages across multiple releases with his insightful wordsmithery and critical analysis, to unload our collective opinions on the band’s formidable discography. Nearly twenty years since their formation and boasting a catalog of rare consistency and power, we have our work cut out for us. Strap yourselves in…
Disclaimer: After careful consideration we have actioned the Human Waste/Despise the Sun Ranking Law of including Revocation’s highly regarded Teratogenesis EP from 2012 due to the consensus this is a meaty and essential mini-platter in the power packed Revocation repertoire.
The Rankings
Saunders
#9. The Outer Ones (2018) – While difficult to pinpoint, The Outer Ones remains an elusive Revocation album, and one I reach for least frequently, despite being one their more recent offerings. Although The Outer Ones doesn’t deviate savagely from the vice-tight yet elastic formula Revocation long since mastered, it leans deeper into murkier blackened death forays and features a cold, clinical and dissonant edge. Its darkly menacing sheen and blasty, death forward approach is responsible for some rousing moments and it’s easy to admire the album’s frantic, calculated intensity. Tunes like the rip-roaring opener “Of Unworldly Origin,” chunky brawler “The Outer Ones” and the thrashy, proggy blackened death of “Luciferous” highlight an album that has grown on me but ultimately falls short of the band’s other works.
#8. Empire of the Obscene (2008) – A bold and potential-packed debut, Empire of the Obscene rises well beyond a mere curiosity or roughshod early edition of Revocation’s rapidly evolving sound. I came to the debut after being first enamored by Existence is Futile and Chaos of Forms, both superior examples of the band’s exceptional early career highs. Still, Empire of the Obscene is a killer debut and refreshing, slashing technical thrash opus, with a healthy smattering of death. The vibrant, raging “Tail from the Crypt” is an early career highpoint, while other choice cuts include the bizarro “Suffer These Wounds,” and rippling axerobatics of “Exhumed Identity.” It’s solid stuff, yet inconsistencies creep in and some of the writing feels a tad overcooked, falling short of the ripping high standards and impeccable writing featured across the Revocation career arc
#7. Great is Our Sin (2016) – Perhaps the first time upon release a Revocation release failed to gain immediate traction. Again the sheer strength and power of its predecessors found Great is Our Sin fall a fraction short of the impeccable standards maintained during the first half dozen or so years of the band’s recording career. And it feels like an outlier merging the band’s different eras, pre and post-Revocation. Playful tech thrash energy, proggy dabbling, and darker, deathly pummels are in abundance, as per expectations. I appreciate the more thrash-centric turns, less prominent in their later era. Great is Our Sin features many of the strong attributes listeners have come to expect, sounding like a melodically mature yet overly familiar and safe album. The songwriting is consistently solid, featuring the odd flirtation with greatness. Old school flavored thrasher “Arbiters of the Apocalypse,” the prog-infused death-thrash of “Communion,” sinister, punishing thrust of “Only the Spineless Survive,” and epic, experimental rumble of “Cleaving Giants of Ice” are nuggety examples of the album’s finer moments.
#6. Netherheaven (2022) – Netherheaven marked a refreshing return to form after the solid if underwhelming, The Outer Ones. Kronos hit the nail on the head when he proclaimed Netherheaven to be the natural successor to Deathless, as similarities in tone, mood and execution are evident. Revocation flexed their deathly muscles and advanced musicianship in service of complex, yet undoubtedly catchy compositions, such as the brutally groovy throes of “Nihilistic Violence,” labyrinthine trip of “Strange and Eternal” and blast-addled, vocal trade-off on scorching closer “Re-Crucified.” Despite being enveloped with shadowy, sinister atmospheres, Netherheaven is imbued with a fun, adventurous spirit, also resulting in one of Revocation’s heaviest offerings. Davidson’s ever inspiring axework never ceases to amaze and songwriting finds a real sweet spot between grooving, chunky chugs, technical mastery, and throwbacks to their thrashy roots. Meanwhile, his increasingly versatile and confident vocals remain a somewhat underrated aspect of the Revocation experience. Not a career high point, but a great album nonetheless.
#5. Deathless (2014) – Revocation’s distinctive formula has long separated them from the hordes of tech death and thrash bands in the scene. One of Revocation’s greatest attributes is their ability to manipulate their craft and pivot in versatile directions. Deathless emerged as a darker, sinister trip down a fittingly deathlier path, creating a welcome stylistic deviation to evolve and keep any semblance of stagnation at bay. Though follow-up Great is Our Sin slightly deviated, Deathless marked the beginning of Revocation embracing the darker corners of their psyche, charting murkier, heavier and altogether more brutal, unforgiving terrain. Thankfully, Deathless didn’t abandon their knack for penning challenging, infectious, thrash-powered tech-death jams. Nor does Deathless forget how to have fun, as evidenced by the shout-along chorus and straightforward headbangable riffs adorning the title track. However, Deathless’ most impactful, jolting moments are delivered elsewhere. Classic opener “A Debt Owed to the Grave” and the cutthroat “Scorched Earth Policy” unleash vicious yet eloquently delivered evidence Revocation still thrash with the best of them. While the immense “Madness Opus” channels Revocation’s progressive inclinations within a barbed, death metal shell. Top-tier stuff.
#4: Revocation (2013) – The dark horse and underrated gem in the Revocation kit bag, their self-titled effort sparkled between the stunning Teratogenesis EP and the brooding tones and violent stomp of Deathless. Though not regularly mentioned amongst the band’s finer works, Revocation demands regular attention amidst an increasingly stacked catalog. Following up Chaos of Forms was always going to be a tough ask, however, Revocation proved up to the challenge. Revocation is a playful, quirky, fun-filled blast from go to whoa, keeping Revocation’s ever-evolving formula fresh and inspired. The versatile songwriting makes for a consistently gripping listen and one of their more diverse offerings. Whether belting out aggressive, full-throttle tech-thrash workouts (“The Hive,” “Numbing Agents”), warped tech death beatdowns (“Fracked,” “Scattering the Flock”), banjo-infected riff monsters (“Invidious”) or mosh-ready juggernauts (“Archfiend”), Revocation has all bases covered. A slightly more stock backend the only thing diminishing an otherwise top-notch album.
#3. Teratogenesis (2012) – Only the most curmudgeony, glass-half-empty pessimist discounts the short and sweet value of the often underrated EP format. Continuing a creatively booming and prolific hot streak, Teratogenesis is a wild, breakneck ride featuring the Revocation lads operating at the peak of their powers. New and old listeners alike would be foolish to neglect this action-packed beauty. If there is something slightly lacking in Revocation’s later career, it misses the outrageously fun and turbo-charged thrashiness and technically dazzling though infectious spirit so prevalent on Teratogenesis and surrounding releases. Revocation’s eye-popping instrumental prowess and whipsmart songwriting serve genuinely well-crafted, catchy songcraft and a bevy of sharp turning dynamic twists and killer riffs. “The Grip Tightens” bottles everything great about the Revocation sound into a career stunner. Elsewhere, “Manically Unleashed” unleashes cracking bursts of tech thrash precision amidst intricate melodic breaks and soul-searching solos, while “Bound By Desire” closes proceedings with a blast and thrash-riddled bang, replete with gorgeous melodic soloing and proggy touches.
#2. Chaos of Forms (2011) – Weirdly enough, I recall being fleetingly underwhelmed when Chaos of Forms dropped. Expectations were sky high, and Chaos of Forms represented a different beast to its immediate predecessor. Featuring an aggressive though more lighthearted, freewheeling tone and experimental streak, Chaos has long since become a personal favorite and modern metal classic. It is also rather simply the most fun Revocation album. Davidson is in his element, firing off some of the finest solos of his career to decorate fast-paced, quirky tech death-thrash compositions, aided by an unstoppable line-up, including the first to feature guitarist/vocalist Dan Gargiulo (Artificial Brain), adding an exciting extra dimension to the band’s sound. Unleashing a trio of instant Revocation classics right off the bat courtesy of “Cretin,” “Grave Robber” and “Harlot”, any notion Chaos of Forms being front-loaded is swiftly demolished as the album unfurls with banger after banger. From the melodic, singalong chorus of “No Funeral,” through to the brainy, twisting riffage of the title track, zippy, thrash-laden charge of “Beloved Horrifier,” and densely packed, stuttering tech death of “Reprogrammed,” Chaos is a versatile, sparkling jewel in the Revocation canon.
#1. Existence is Futile (2009) – Beyond the endearing factor, this was my first Revocation album and the warm fuzzy nostalgia associated; Revocation’s astonishing sophomore belter Existence is Futile emerged as a bottled lightning moment. Revocation’s impressively acrobatic musicianship and technical prowess was accelerated to new heights. However, the bulletproof songwriting and smart, yet dazzlingly intriguing arrangements were grounded by tight and aggressive songs that pulled no punches. An astonishing leap forward from an already exciting and accomplished debut, Existence is Futile has a raw energy and speedy, exhilarating urgency backed by polished, intricate songwriting, parasitic hooks and the warped, unmatched musicianship and advanced shreddery we have now long come to expect from Davidson and crew. Songs are largely stripped back in length from the debut, pared down to the bare essentials, maximizing impact. Davidson’s underrated vocals sound as vital as ever. A thoroughly gripping listen front to back, with the likes of “Pestilence Reigns,” “Deathonomics,” “The Brain Scramblers,” “Reanimaniac,” “Dismantle the Dictator” and ambitious closer “The Tragedy of Modern Ages” a handful of essential cuts.
Kronos
“Please help!” prayed my erstwhile colleagues, “our taste is underdeveloped to a near-blastular degree, and we are oh so disdraught! We seek but a simple ordination of technical death-thrash records but lack the True Knowledge of quality!”
Now moved, I descend from on high, gracing them not just with my presence but with my very acknowledgement of their pitiful existence: in one hand my catechism, in the other my nose. For those enlightened beyond the reflexive need to communicate the truths of quality, the ordering of Revocation records is a simple thing. One needs only to recognize the generational talent and drive of a one Dave Davidson, the extraordinary caliber of musicians that he has surrounded himself with, and analyze the triumphs and, shall we say, try-umphs, of their many recordings with an objective eye informed by a coherent understanding of the material and aesthetic universe in which they occur.
# 9 The Outer Ones (2018) – Revocation built a career based on an inseparable trinity of inventive riffs, creative songwriting, and infectious fun. In 2018 they denied this trinity and were cast into oblivion for four years thereafter; sentenced to relentless touring in which they played The Outer Ones lethargic and self-serious tech death alongside probably fifty other bands peddling similar stuff but more committed to it. That The Outer Ones seems to be their most popular release is a testament to the essential wickedness of our heathen age, that so many will follow a false prophecy.
#8 Great Is Our Sin (2016) – Indeed, but Revocation’s Slayer-worship record might have been better named Great Will Be Our Sin, given that its follow-up was The Outer Ones. But the title gets the point across; this was at the time their nastiest, deathiest album. Muscular and mean, Great Is Our Sin attempted brute-force repentance with burly but brainy tracks like “Monolithic Ignorance” serving up festering fun and “Only the Spineless Survive” providing the band’s most brutal beating until Netherheaven. Cruel as a crucifixion, Great is Our Sin is a treat, but not a joy, to experience, with too much of its runtime given to grinding grooves that don’t showcase the band’s strengths.
#7 Empire of the Obscene (2008) – In a way, it’s stunning to see how far Revocation have come since their debut: not far at all. In this we are confronted by the theopneustic nature of their art; seventeen years on, we can expect New Gods, New Masters to sound basically like Empire of the Obscene. This is death thrash that, while more fun than a barrel of monkeys and twice as rowdy, is impossible to find corny because it’s just too perfectly executed. For a young band, Revocation have a self-assuredness that evades many veteran groups, even as the death-thrash trinity’s endless invention pushes fast-moving songs up to and past the five-minute mark. From the dry but clear production, grinning art-school riffing to the waggling, showboat jazz soloing, every surface of the Revocation mold is here for the band to crack and ooze out of and pull away from on future recordings.
#6 Netherheaven (2022) – Netherheaven saw Revocation a three-piece for the first time since Chaos of Forms, and on firm footing as ever to make their first devoted death metal record. Netherheaven’s highlights (“Galleries of Morbid Artistry” and “Re-Crucified”) unfold like intricate torture machines from a macabre storybook, but mean, mid-paced grooves stick together and weigh down far too much of the record’s runtime. Netherheaven recovered much of the charm that The Outer Ones jettisoned but doubts as to the band’s future form remain.
#5 Existence is Futile (2009) – Empire of the Obscene really didn’t need to be improved upon, but Revocation are moved not by need but possibility. Existence is Futile’s leaner, focused writing got the band out of their own way. While some sections can come across a bit sparse, the difference in memorability between Empire and Existence is marked, with tracks like Deathonomics and Dismantle the Dictator becoming staple songs. Gruesome tech-thrash tracks like “Pestillence Reigns” and “The Brain Scramblers” were a revelation, and bruisers like “Dismantle the Dictator” and “Anthem of the Betrayed” gained the group countless new adherents.
#4 Revocation (2013) – One of the lesser-appreciated joys of the Revocation discography are the band’s actual texts, and nowhere are they more compelling than on their self-titled record. Whether railing against the rich, oil companies, or the American media environment, Revocation pairs incisive sing-alongs with inspiring musicianship; Davidson even pulls out a Banjo to parody cable news (“Invidious”). Revocation capped the first era of the Revocation discography in impeccable form with their most front-to-back memorable LP.
#3 Deathless (2014) – Deathless was a turning point for Revocation; having played every riff possible on six strings, Davidson and Gargiulo turned fully to seven, beginning a more sinister version of Revocation that persists to this day. Yet Deathless isn’t heavy just for the sake of being heavy; it’s just as lithe and unpredictable as the records before it, but with a grim grace to its winding songs and some of the band’s most emotionally resonant solo work (see “Witch Trials”) and most poignant political criticism (“Beholden to their corporate masters/ politicians privatizing genocide/ condolences offered by the same who pulled the trigger” – “The Fix”). Without the grating title track, the record would be just about perfect.
#2 Teratogenesis (2012) – Many will argue (incorrectly) that Teratogenesis, Revocation’s 2012 EP hot off of the release of Chaos of Forms, is the group’s magnum opus. Granted, “The Grip Tightens” might be their best song, and, granted again, “Spurn the Outstretched Hand” might be their second-best song. But after that one-two punch of career-defining greats, they only go on to deliver three more. Paltry! Sure, the sinister “Teratogenesis” would prove to be the blueprint for the rest of their career, and “Bound By Desire” would shame thousands of aspiring axe-smiths with its sheer pummeling speed, but in context, Teratogenesis is dessert, a follow-up to what came just before. And there’s no horn section!
#1 Chaos of Forms (2011) – That Chaos of Forms is the highest among the Revocation records is almost axiomatic. From the opening bass slide of “Cretin” to the raving closing of “Reprogrammed,” there’s not a second of Chaos of Forms that doesn’t reach out and pull you into a rictus grin. Every song is packed to the brim with creative riffs, brilliant musicianship and playful twists. Take, for instance, “Cradle Robber,” which tips a playful chorus riff repeatedly into an absolute vortex of synchronized drumming and trem-picking until it spills over, then transitions into a spectacular solo courtesy of the newly-joined Dan Gargioulo. It’s put in its place by a brain-melting Davidson solo seconds later, for which the whole band actually speeds up, seemingly just to one-up the new guy. The pair return together with a showboat riff half-consumed by synchronized harmonics. Music really does not get much more fun than this, especially when it’s narrated by the Grim Reaper. The only time it does is when the music is “The Watchers,” which breaks out into a gallop halfway through before stampeding its way into a big, brassy introduction for producer Pete Rutcho’s funky little organ solo. Simply divine.
Maddog
In 2012, my metal taste was impressionable but ravenous. I spotted a death-thrash EP from an unfamiliar band, available for free download via the now-defunct label Scion A/V. Teratogenesis’ balance of death-thrash riffs and thoughtful melodies swept me off my feet.
In 2015, I had imbibed deeply of extreme metal, but never been to a show. One frigid night in February, I timidly headed to Brighton Music Hall in Boston. While Fallujah fell victim to sound issues, the final opener Revocation smashed me to pieces. It was a watershed moment in my metamorphosis from metal fan to metal adorer.
In 2025, Revocation is a cornerstone of my music taste. I love death metal; I love thrash’s energy; I love creative songwriting; I can’t help but love Revocation. Most of all, I love their consistency. Even the other two classic bands I’ve helped rank here (Suffocation and Dying Fetus) don’t have as deep a bench of memorable releases.
And so, perhaps you’re better off ignoring our concerted but pitiful attempts to dissect Revocation’s history. After all, this is Revocation; just listen to all of it.
#9. Empire of the Obscene (2008). Empire of the Obscene is merely a good album, but it lay the groundwork for Revocation’s career. While Empire isn’t as thrashy as its successor Existence Is Futile, melodeath permeates both its guitar leads and its riffs, which are textbook but punchy (“Summon the Spawn”). Despite its inconsistency, Empire of the Obscene hints at Revocation’s burgeoning strengths. The most brutal segments are death metal riffcraft at its finest (“Fields of Predation”), while the tinges of proggy song development are impressive for a new band. Even a fair helping of deathcore rears its head, remaining sporadic enough to stay fresh. Empire of the Obscene is entertaining, but with a 56-minute runtime and an overreliance on cookie-cutter death metal riffs, it struggles to stick in my mind. It’s a fun listen, but falls short of Revocation’s best.
#8. Deathless (2014). While Deathless is a worthwhile release, it doesn’t excel in any of Revocation’s usual dimensions. Frequent mid-paced riffs lose my focus throughout (“Madness Opus”), and I forget swaths of the album soon after it ends. Deathless progs with mixed success, and its creative efforts are often hindered by their length and low energy (“Apex”). The dwindling of Revocation’s thrash influences kneecaps the record. However, the exceptions save Deathless from the compost bin. The death-thrash menace “Scorched Earth Policy” houses one of Revocation’s most frantic and dangerous riffs, while the proggy adventures of “Witch Trials” hit hard because they’re tied together by punchy melodies. Deathless doesn’t top its neighbors, but it’s no slouch.
#7. Netherheaven (2022). Netherheaven’s ordinariness feels out of place. Revocation’s latest album abandons the elements that distinguished them from the death metal masses. The proggy escapades, off-kilter riffs, and melodeath influences are gone; the fretboard wizardry is dialed back; even thrash takes a back seat. And yet, Netherheaven succeeds as stone-cold death metal. Easily Revocation’s most brutal release, Netherheaven wows with the gigantic “Galleries of Morbid Artistry” and the rifftastic closer “Re-Crucified.” The occasional glimpses of Revocation’s former flair also go a long way, like the playful opening of “Strange and Eternal.” That said, Netherheaven suffers from inconsistency, with middling second-half tracks like “The 9th Chasm.” The technical spectacles feel like dispassionate exercises, and the lack of variety makes the album less replayable than Revocation’s best works. Still, there’s no shame in making rock-solid death metal. It’s telling that even my seventh-favorite Revocation album made my 2022 list.
#6. Revocation (2013). Often overlooked, Revocation’s self-titled showcases some of the band’s greatest guitar work. At this stage of their career, Revocation had mastered both the weird and the powerful. On one end, “Fracked” might be the guitar highlight of the band’s career, culminating with a virtuosic but punishing chorus and a climactic solo. Standing opposite, “Spastic” is a jazzy spectacle but holds my awe throughout. Uniting these worlds, “Invidious” blends a banjo intro, playful melodies, and a furious thrashy back half, while the shapeshifting “Archfiend” is the first and only Revocation track to make me cry. Revocation occupies a turning point, taming the insanity of Chaos of Forms without compromising its death-thrash intensity. While the midsection of Revocation shines, the record is bookended by slightly weaker cuts. Still, although it has more great songs than excellent songs, Revocation is essential in the Revocation canon.
#5. Chaos of Forms (2011). The aptly-titled Chaos of Forms is the wildest release of Revocation’s career. The infinitely thrashy tracks that kick things off are a riot, but they’re the tamest part. The album’s guitar effects (“Harlot”), lilted jazzy melodies (“Conjuring the Cataclysm”), and 1970s-inspired key digressions (“The Watchers”) are maniacal. These experiments work because Revocation is having fun every step of the way. To ward off any doubts, Chaos of Forms also features some of Revocation’s fiercest death-thrash riffs; indeed, “No Funeral” might be the greatest live performance I’ve ever witnessed. However, strangeness requires discipline, which Chaos of Forms could use more of. Fanciful digressions crop up in unexpected places, often sticking around long enough to confuse but not long enough to convince. Chaos of Forms isn’t Revocation’s most memorable record, but it’s easily the most ambitious.
#4. Teratogenesis (2012). The 22-minute Teratogenesis utilizes the EP format brilliantly, offering an action-packed tour through Revocation’s style. “The Grip Tightens” is a perfect crystallization of death-thrash, complete with both an iconic opening riff and one of metal’s most enduring music videos. Meanwhile, “Maniacally Unleashed” adventures from thrashy riffing to serene melodies as well as any other track in Revocation’s oeuvre. Teratogenesis hones the guitar pyrotechnics that would define its successor Revocation, employing them for stratospheric climaxes. While Teratogenesis loses steam as it progresses, this says more about the sky-high bar set by the first three tracks. In historical perspective, Teratogenesis feels monumental in the same way as Suffocation’s Human Waste. It isn’t flawless, but it’s an indispensable encapsulation of Revocation’s career. I can’t imagine them without it.
#3. Existence Is Futile (2009). Bridging the gap between the straightforward Empire of the Obscene and the batshit Chaos of Forms, Existence Is Futile is Revocation’s most melo- and least mellow album. Skeletonwitch looms large, and the album infects me through its chunky riffs (“Pestilence Reigns”), its jubilant solos (“Anthem of the Betrayed”), and its irresistible choruses (“Reanimaniac”). Even still, Existence Is Futile’s most enduring achievement is its thirst for adventure. The narrative evolution of the instrumental “Across Forests and Fjords” resembles Insomnium’s Winter’s Gate; in stark contrast, the proggy title track mutates so many times that I can never quite recall when it starts or ends. Not once does this ever feel like an intellectual exercise. Rather, Existence Is Futile is Revocation’s most consistently fun release, achieving immortality through the energy of thrash and the creative power of prog death. Revocation’s sophomore record isn’t immune to thrash metal’s age-old pitfalls, and the album’s weaker riffs occasionally bleed together. Even so, Existence Is Futile is the highlight of Revocation’s high-octane early career.
#2. The Outer Ones (2018). Yes, if you want a party anthem, don’t look here. But fun takes many forms, and The Outer Ones’ narrative prowess stands out. The album’s Lovecraft-inspired tales and Revocation’s best-ever vocal performance hold each track together. The instruments follow suit. The riffs achieve an unholy blend of melodic weirdness (“The Outer Ones”) and raw force (“Of Unworldly Origin”). The choruses rank among Revocation’s best, peaking on the underrated blackened death spectacle “Luciferous.” Dave Davidson and Dan Gargiulo’s technical wizardry arguably reaches its apex, across both unhinged riffs and soaring solos (“Blood Atonement”). Even these highlights don’t do justice to The Outer Ones’ remarkable consistency; though it takes a small dip in “Vanitas” and peters out with “A Starless Darkness,” the album is otherwise a masterclass. While The Outer Ones disappointed some of the AMG herd, some bold commenters fought back, even demanding (rightfully) that we give Kronos a paddling. While Kronos has evaded justice so far, I hope to honor this request; The Outer Ones is one of Revocation’s creative peaks.
#1. Great Is Our Sin (2016). While each of these nine albums is impressive, nearly every one has notable flaws. Great Is Our Sin is the exception. All of Revocation’s strengths coalesce here, and every moment counts. While Netherheaven is Revocation’s most brutal album, Great Is Our Sin’s heftiest cuts can shatter steel (“Altars of Sacrifice”). While Chaos of Forms leans into the bizarre, Great Is Our Sin’s stealthy escapades are even more engaging (“The Exaltation”). While Revocation’s earlier releases emphasize the rhythm section, “Monolith of Ignorance” is a gleaming monument to bass- and drum-led evolution. While Existence Is Futile embraces the fun factor, “Altars of Sacrifice” could dunk on it with both feet planted. While Revocation showcased the emotional range of a guitar, “Cleaving Giants of Ice” stands toe-to-toe through its melodic dirge for polar ice caps. These disparate elements fuse into the masterful “Communion,” whose jazzy opening, thrashy verse, crushing chorus, and enthralling solo make it a landmark in both Revocation’s career and death metal history. Put simply, when I’m in the middle of any Great Is Our Sin track, I can’t imagine listening to anything else. That’s the surest sign of excellence.
A short, sharp primer to convince the unconvinced…
Empire of the Obscene (2008)
- “Tail from the Crypt”
Existence is Futile (2009)
- “Pestilence Reigns”
- “Reanimaniac”
Chaos of Forms (2011)
- “Cradle Robber”
- “No Funeral”
Teratogenesis (2012)
“The Grip Tightens”
- “Maniacally Unleashed”
Revocation (2013)
- “Numbing Agents”
- “Fracked”
Deathless ((2014)
- “Scorched Earth Policy”
- “Witch Trials”
Great is Our Sin (2016)
- “Arbiters of the Apocalypse”
- “Cleaving Giants of Ice”
The Outer Ones (2018)
- “The Outer Ones”
- “Luciferous”
Netherheaven (2022)
- “Strange and Eternal”
- “Nihilistic Violence”
#AmericanMetal #AMGGoesRanking #DeathMetal #Review #Reviews #Revocation #TechDeath #TechnicalThrashMetal #ThrashMetal
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By Saunders
Revocation makes me feeling fucking old. It’s difficult to believe fifteen odd years have passed since stumbling across their phenomenal sophomore effort, Existence is Futile. It became instantly clear Revocation were one of the fresher, most exciting bands emerging in the modern metal scene of the era. Their career seemed to propel in fast forward as they pumped out top notch album after album, maintaining an impressive work rate and exceptional consistency, while refusing to repeat themselves. Couple of minor bumps along the way notwithstanding, Revocation’s vibrant, signature combination of technical death-thrash, infectious songwriting and acrobatic guitar hero shreddage from mastermind Dave Davidson has long cemented Revocation as a titanic force in the crowded realms of the modern metalverse.
Formed in 2006, the Bostonites unleashed their brash and confident debut Empire of the Obscene in 2008. From humble but exciting beginnings the Revo boys have proceeded to go on an absolute fucking tear across multiple albums, the most recent being the darker pathways and heavier pastures of 2022’s Netherheaven, arguably a return to form. Though in fairness Revocation have never dropped a dud, and despite a couple of minor career lulls, they have remained a dependably consistent force to be reckoned with.
September 26th, 2025 ushers in Revocation’s ninth LP, New Gods, New Masters. As anticipation grows for the star packed opus, what better time for our resident Revocation fanboys; including the return of the illustrious Kronos, who so eloquently championed the band on these very pages across multiple releases with his insightful wordsmithery and critical analysis, to unload our collective opinions on the band’s formidable discography. Nearly twenty years since their formation and boasting a catalog of rare consistency and power, we have our work cut out for us. Strap yourselves in…
Disclaimer: After careful consideration we have actioned the Human Waste/Despise the Sun Ranking Law of including Revocation’s highly regarded Teratogenesis EP from 2012 due to the consensus this is a meaty and essential mini-platter in the power packed Revocation repertoire.
The Rankings
Saunders
#9. The Outer Ones (2018) – While difficult to pinpoint, The Outer Ones remains an elusive Revocation album, and one I reach for least frequently, despite being one their more recent offerings. Although The Outer Ones doesn’t deviate savagely from the vice-tight yet elastic formula Revocation long since mastered, it leans deeper into murkier blackened death forays and features a cold, clinical and dissonant edge. Its darkly menacing sheen and blasty, death forward approach is responsible for some rousing moments and it’s easy to admire the album’s frantic, calculated intensity. Tunes like the rip-roaring opener “Of Unworldly Origin,” chunky brawler “The Outer Ones” and the thrashy, proggy blackened death of “Luciferous” highlight an album that has grown on me but ultimately falls short of the band’s other works.
#8. Empire of the Obscene (2008) – A bold and potential-packed debut, Empire of the Obscene rises well beyond a mere curiosity or roughshod early edition of Revocation’s rapidly evolving sound. I came to the debut after being first enamored by Existence is Futile and Chaos of Forms, both superior examples of the band’s exceptional early career highs. Still, Empire of the Obscene is a killer debut and refreshing, slashing technical thrash opus, with a healthy smattering of death. The vibrant, raging “Tail from the Crypt” is an early career highpoint, while other choice cuts include the bizarro “Suffer These Wounds,” and rippling axerobatics of “Exhumed Identity.” It’s solid stuff, yet inconsistencies creep in and some of the writing feels a tad overcooked, falling short of the ripping high standards and impeccable writing featured across the Revocation career arc
#7. Great is Our Sin (2016) – Perhaps the first time upon release a Revocation release failed to gain immediate traction. Again the sheer strength and power of its predecessors found Great is Our Sin fall a fraction short of the impeccable standards maintained during the first half dozen or so years of the band’s recording career. And it feels like an outlier merging the band’s different eras, pre and post-Revocation. Playful tech thrash energy, proggy dabbling, and darker, deathly pummels are in abundance, as per expectations. I appreciate the more thrash-centric turns, less prominent in their later era. Great is Our Sin features many of the strong attributes listeners have come to expect, sounding like a melodically mature yet overly familiar and safe album. The songwriting is consistently solid, featuring the odd flirtation with greatness. Old school flavored thrasher “Arbiters of the Apocalypse,” the prog-infused death-thrash of “Communion,” sinister, punishing thrust of “Only the Spineless Survive,” and epic, experimental rumble of “Cleaving Giants of Ice” are nuggety examples of the album’s finer moments.
#6. Netherheaven (2022) – Netherheaven marked a refreshing return to form after the solid if underwhelming, The Outer Ones. Kronos hit the nail on the head when he proclaimed Netherheaven to be the natural successor to Deathless, as similarities in tone, mood and execution are evident. Revocation flexed their deathly muscles and advanced musicianship in service of complex, yet undoubtedly catchy compositions, such as the brutally groovy throes of “Nihilistic Violence,” labyrinthine trip of “Strange and Eternal” and blast-addled, vocal trade-off on scorching closer “Re-Crucified.” Despite being enveloped with shadowy, sinister atmospheres, Netherheaven is imbued with a fun, adventurous spirit, also resulting in one of Revocation’s heaviest offerings. Davidson’s ever inspiring axework never ceases to amaze and songwriting finds a real sweet spot between grooving, chunky chugs, technical mastery, and throwbacks to their thrashy roots. Meanwhile, his increasingly versatile and confident vocals remain a somewhat underrated aspect of the Revocation experience. Not a career high point, but a great album nonetheless.
#5. Deathless (2014) – Revocation’s distinctive formula has long separated them from the hordes of tech death and thrash bands in the scene. One of Revocation’s greatest attributes is their ability to manipulate their craft and pivot in versatile directions. Deathless emerged as a darker, sinister trip down a fittingly deathlier path, creating a welcome stylistic deviation to evolve and keep any semblance of stagnation at bay. Though follow-up Great is Our Sin slightly deviated, Deathless marked the beginning of Revocation embracing the darker corners of their psyche, charting murkier, heavier and altogether more brutal, unforgiving terrain. Thankfully, Deathless didn’t abandon their knack for penning challenging, infectious, thrash-powered tech-death jams. Nor does Deathless forget how to have fun, as evidenced by the shout-along chorus and straightforward headbangable riffs adorning the title track. However, Deathless’ most impactful, jolting moments are delivered elsewhere. Classic opener “A Debt Owed to the Grave” and the cutthroat “Scorched Earth Policy” unleash vicious yet eloquently delivered evidence Revocation still thrash with the best of them. While the immense “Madness Opus” channels Revocation’s progressive inclinations within a barbed, death metal shell. Top-tier stuff.
#4: Revocation (2013) – The dark horse and underrated gem in the Revocation kit bag, their self-titled effort sparkled between the stunning Teratogenesis EP and the brooding tones and violent stomp of Deathless. Though not regularly mentioned amongst the band’s finer works, Revocation demands regular attention amidst an increasingly stacked catalog. Following up Chaos of Forms was always going to be a tough ask, however, Revocation proved up to the challenge. Revocation is a playful, quirky, fun-filled blast from go to whoa, keeping Revocation’s ever-evolving formula fresh and inspired. The versatile songwriting makes for a consistently gripping listen and one of their more diverse offerings. Whether belting out aggressive, full-throttle tech-thrash workouts (“The Hive,” “Numbing Agents”), warped tech death beatdowns (“Fracked,” “Scattering the Flock”), banjo-infected riff monsters (“Invidious”) or mosh-ready juggernauts (“Archfiend”), Revocation has all bases covered. A slightly more stock backend the only thing diminishing an otherwise top-notch album.
#3. Teratogenesis (2012) – Only the most curmudgeony, glass-half-empty pessimist discounts the short and sweet value of the often underrated EP format. Continuing a creatively booming and prolific hot streak, Teratogenesis is a wild, breakneck ride featuring the Revocation lads operating at the peak of their powers. New and old listeners alike would be foolish to neglect this action-packed beauty. If there is something slightly lacking in Revocation’s later career, it misses the outrageously fun and turbo-charged thrashiness and technically dazzling though infectious spirit so prevalent on Teratogenesis and surrounding releases. Revocation’s eye-popping instrumental prowess and whipsmart songwriting serve genuinely well-crafted, catchy songcraft and a bevy of sharp turning dynamic twists and killer riffs. “The Grip Tightens” bottles everything great about the Revocation sound into a career stunner. Elsewhere, “Manically Unleashed” unleashes cracking bursts of tech thrash precision amidst intricate melodic breaks and soul-searching solos, while “Bound By Desire” closes proceedings with a blast and thrash-riddled bang, replete with gorgeous melodic soloing and proggy touches.
#2. Chaos of Forms (2011) – Weirdly enough, I recall being fleetingly underwhelmed when Chaos of Forms dropped. Expectations were sky high, and Chaos of Forms represented a different beast to its immediate predecessor. Featuring an aggressive though more lighthearted, freewheeling tone and experimental streak, Chaos has long since become a personal favorite and modern metal classic. It is also rather simply the most fun Revocation album. Davidson is in his element, firing off some of the finest solos of his career to decorate fast-paced, quirky tech death-thrash compositions, aided by an unstoppable line-up, including the first to feature guitarist/vocalist Dan Gargiulo (Artificial Brain), adding an exciting extra dimension to the band’s sound. Unleashing a trio of instant Revocation classics right off the bat courtesy of “Cretin,” “Grave Robber” and “Harlot”, any notion Chaos of Forms being front-loaded is swiftly demolished as the album unfurls with banger after banger. From the melodic, singalong chorus of “No Funeral,” through to the brainy, twisting riffage of the title track, zippy, thrash-laden charge of “Beloved Horrifier,” and densely packed, stuttering tech death of “Reprogrammed,” Chaos is a versatile, sparkling jewel in the Revocation canon.
#1. Existence is Futile (2009) – Beyond the endearing factor, this was my first Revocation album and the warm fuzzy nostalgia associated; Revocation’s astonishing sophomore belter Existence is Futile emerged as a bottled lightning moment. Revocation’s impressively acrobatic musicianship and technical prowess was accelerated to new heights. However, the bulletproof songwriting and smart, yet dazzlingly intriguing arrangements were grounded by tight and aggressive songs that pulled no punches. An astonishing leap forward from an already exciting and accomplished debut, Existence is Futile has a raw energy and speedy, exhilarating urgency backed by polished, intricate songwriting, parasitic hooks and the warped, unmatched musicianship and advanced shreddery we have now long come to expect from Davidson and crew. Songs are largely stripped back in length from the debut, pared down to the bare essentials, maximizing impact. Davidson’s underrated vocals sound as vital as ever. A thoroughly gripping listen front to back, with the likes of “Pestilence Reigns,” “Deathonomics,” “The Brain Scramblers,” “Reanimaniac,” “Dismantle the Dictator” and ambitious closer “The Tragedy of Modern Ages” a handful of essential cuts.
Kronos
“Please help!” prayed my erstwhile colleagues, “our taste is underdeveloped to a near-blastular degree, and we are oh so disdraught! We seek but a simple ordination of technical death-thrash records but lack the True Knowledge of quality!”
Now moved, I descend from on high, gracing them not just with my presence but with my very acknowledgement of their pitiful existence: in one hand my catechism, in the other my nose. For those enlightened beyond the reflexive need to communicate the truths of quality, the ordering of Revocation records is a simple thing. One needs only to recognize the generational talent and drive of a one Dave Davidson, the extraordinary caliber of musicians that he has surrounded himself with, and analyze the triumphs and, shall we say, try-umphs, of their many recordings with an objective eye informed by a coherent understanding of the material and aesthetic universe in which they occur.
# 9 The Outer Ones (2018) – Revocation built a career based on an inseparable trinity of inventive riffs, creative songwriting, and infectious fun. In 2018 they denied this trinity and were cast into oblivion for four years thereafter; sentenced to relentless touring in which they played The Outer Ones lethargic and self-serious tech death alongside probably fifty other bands peddling similar stuff but more committed to it. That The Outer Ones seems to be their most popular release is a testament to the essential wickedness of our heathen age, that so many will follow a false prophecy.
#8 Great Is Our Sin (2016) – Indeed, but Revocation’s Slayer-worship record might have been better named Great Will Be Our Sin, given that its follow-up was The Outer Ones. But the title gets the point across; this was at the time their nastiest, deathiest album. Muscular and mean, Great Is Our Sin attempted brute-force repentance with burly but brainy tracks like “Monolithic Ignorance” serving up festering fun and “Only the Spineless Survive” providing the band’s most brutal beating until Netherheaven. Cruel as a crucifixion, Great is Our Sin is a treat, but not a joy, to experience, with too much of its runtime given to grinding grooves that don’t showcase the band’s strengths.
#7 Empire of the Obscene (2008) – In a way, it’s stunning to see how far Revocation have come since their debut: not far at all. In this we are confronted by the theopneustic nature of their art; seventeen years on, we can expect New Gods, New Masters to sound basically like Empire of the Obscene. This is death thrash that, while more fun than a barrel of monkeys and twice as rowdy, is impossible to find corny because it’s just too perfectly executed. For a young band, Revocation have a self-assuredness that evades many veteran groups, even as the death-thrash trinity’s endless invention pushes fast-moving songs up to and past the five-minute mark. From the dry but clear production, grinning art-school riffing to the waggling, showboat jazz soloing, every surface of the Revocation mold is here for the band to crack and ooze out of and pull away from on future recordings.
#6 Netherheaven (2022) – Netherheaven saw Revocation a three-piece for the first time since Chaos of Forms, and on firm footing as ever to make their first devoted death metal record. Netherheaven’s highlights (“Galleries of Morbid Artistry” and “Re-Crucified”) unfold like intricate torture machines from a macabre storybook, but mean, mid-paced grooves stick together and weigh down far too much of the record’s runtime. Netherheaven recovered much of the charm that The Outer Ones jettisoned but doubts as to the band’s future form remain.
#5 Existence is Futile (2009) – Empire of the Obscene really didn’t need to be improved upon, but Revocation are moved not by need but possibility. Existence is Futile’s leaner, focused writing got the band out of their own way. While some sections can come across a bit sparse, the difference in memorability between Empire and Existence is marked, with tracks like Deathonomics and Dismantle the Dictator becoming staple songs. Gruesome tech-thrash tracks like “Pestillence Reigns” and “The Brain Scramblers” were a revelation, and bruisers like “Dismantle the Dictator” and “Anthem of the Betrayed” gained the group countless new adherents.
#4 Revocation (2013) – One of the lesser-appreciated joys of the Revocation discography are the band’s actual texts, and nowhere are they more compelling than on their self-titled record. Whether railing against the rich, oil companies, or the American media environment, Revocation pairs incisive sing-alongs with inspiring musicianship; Davidson even pulls out a Banjo to parody cable news (“Invidious”). Revocation capped the first era of the Revocation discography in impeccable form with their most front-to-back memorable LP.
#3 Deathless (2014) – Deathless was a turning point for Revocation; having played every riff possible on six strings, Davidson and Gargiulo turned fully to seven, beginning a more sinister version of Revocation that persists to this day. Yet Deathless isn’t heavy just for the sake of being heavy; it’s just as lithe and unpredictable as the records before it, but with a grim grace to its winding songs and some of the band’s most emotionally resonant solo work (see “Witch Trials”) and most poignant political criticism (“Beholden to their corporate masters/ politicians privatizing genocide/ condolences offered by the same who pulled the trigger” – “The Fix”). Without the grating title track, the record would be just about perfect.
#2 Teratogenesis (2012) – Many will argue (incorrectly) that Teratogenesis, Revocation’s 2012 EP hot off of the release of Chaos of Forms, is the group’s magnum opus. Granted, “The Grip Tightens” might be their best song, and, granted again, “Spurn the Outstretched Hand” might be their second-best song. But after that one-two punch of career-defining greats, they only go on to deliver three more. Paltry! Sure, the sinister “Teratogenesis” would prove to be the blueprint for the rest of their career, and “Bound By Desire” would shame thousands of aspiring axe-smiths with its sheer pummeling speed, but in context, Teratogenesis is dessert, a follow-up to what came just before. And there’s no horn section!
#1 Chaos of Forms (2011) – That Chaos of Forms is the highest among the Revocation records is almost axiomatic. From the opening bass slide of “Cretin” to the raving closing of “Reprogrammed,” there’s not a second of Chaos of Forms that doesn’t reach out and pull you into a rictus grin. Every song is packed to the brim with creative riffs, brilliant musicianship and playful twists. Take, for instance, “Cradle Robber,” which tips a playful chorus riff repeatedly into an absolute vortex of synchronized drumming and trem-picking until it spills over, then transitions into a spectacular solo courtesy of the newly-joined Dan Gargioulo. It’s put in its place by a brain-melting Davidson solo seconds later, for which the whole band actually speeds up, seemingly just to one-up the new guy. The pair return together with a showboat riff half-consumed by synchronized harmonics. Music really does not get much more fun than this, especially when it’s narrated by the Grim Reaper. The only time it does is when the music is “The Watchers,” which breaks out into a gallop halfway through before stampeding its way into a big, brassy introduction for producer Pete Rutcho’s funky little organ solo. Simply divine.
Maddog
In 2012, my metal taste was impressionable but ravenous. I spotted a death-thrash EP from an unfamiliar band, available for free download via the now-defunct label Scion A/V. Teratogenesis’ balance of death-thrash riffs and thoughtful melodies swept me off my feet.
In 2015, I had imbibed deeply of extreme metal, but never been to a show. One frigid night in February, I timidly headed to Brighton Music Hall in Boston. While Fallujah fell victim to sound issues, the final opener Revocation smashed me to pieces. It was a watershed moment in my metamorphosis from metal fan to metal adorer.
In 2025, Revocation is a cornerstone of my music taste. I love death metal; I love thrash’s energy; I love creative songwriting; I can’t help but love Revocation. Most of all, I love their consistency. Even the other two classic bands I’ve helped rank here (Suffocation and Dying Fetus) don’t have as deep a bench of memorable releases.
And so, perhaps you’re better off ignoring our concerted but pitiful attempts to dissect Revocation’s history. After all, this is Revocation; just listen to all of it.
#9. Empire of the Obscene (2008). Empire of the Obscene is merely a good album, but it lay the groundwork for Revocation’s career. While Empire isn’t as thrashy as its successor Existence Is Futile, melodeath permeates both its guitar leads and its riffs, which are textbook but punchy (“Summon the Spawn”). Despite its inconsistency, Empire of the Obscene hints at Revocation’s burgeoning strengths. The most brutal segments are death metal riffcraft at its finest (“Fields of Predation”), while the tinges of proggy song development are impressive for a new band. Even a fair helping of deathcore rears its head, remaining sporadic enough to stay fresh. Empire of the Obscene is entertaining, but with a 56-minute runtime and an overreliance on cookie-cutter death metal riffs, it struggles to stick in my mind. It’s a fun listen, but falls short of Revocation’s best.
#8. Deathless (2014). While Deathless is a worthwhile release, it doesn’t excel in any of Revocation’s usual dimensions. Frequent mid-paced riffs lose my focus throughout (“Madness Opus”), and I forget swaths of the album soon after it ends. Deathless progs with mixed success, and its creative efforts are often hindered by their length and low energy (“Apex”). The dwindling of Revocation’s thrash influences kneecaps the record. However, the exceptions save Deathless from the compost bin. The death-thrash menace “Scorched Earth Policy” houses one of Revocation’s most frantic and dangerous riffs, while the proggy adventures of “Witch Trials” hit hard because they’re tied together by punchy melodies. Deathless doesn’t top its neighbors, but it’s no slouch.
#7. Netherheaven (2022). Netherheaven’s ordinariness feels out of place. Revocation’s latest album abandons the elements that distinguished them from the death metal masses. The proggy escapades, off-kilter riffs, and melodeath influences are gone; the fretboard wizardry is dialed back; even thrash takes a back seat. And yet, Netherheaven succeeds as stone-cold death metal. Easily Revocation’s most brutal release, Netherheaven wows with the gigantic “Galleries of Morbid Artistry” and the rifftastic closer “Re-Crucified.” The occasional glimpses of Revocation’s former flair also go a long way, like the playful opening of “Strange and Eternal.” That said, Netherheaven suffers from inconsistency, with middling second-half tracks like “The 9th Chasm.” The technical spectacles feel like dispassionate exercises, and the lack of variety makes the album less replayable than Revocation’s best works. Still, there’s no shame in making rock-solid death metal. It’s telling that even my seventh-favorite Revocation album made my 2022 list.
#6. Revocation (2013). Often overlooked, Revocation’s self-titled showcases some of the band’s greatest guitar work. At this stage of their career, Revocation had mastered both the weird and the powerful. On one end, “Fracked” might be the guitar highlight of the band’s career, culminating with a virtuosic but punishing chorus and a climactic solo. Standing opposite, “Spastic” is a jazzy spectacle but holds my awe throughout. Uniting these worlds, “Invidious” blends a banjo intro, playful melodies, and a furious thrashy back half, while the shapeshifting “Archfiend” is the first and only Revocation track to make me cry. Revocation occupies a turning point, taming the insanity of Chaos of Forms without compromising its death-thrash intensity. While the midsection of Revocation shines, the record is bookended by slightly weaker cuts. Still, although it has more great songs than excellent songs, Revocation is essential in the Revocation canon.
#5. Chaos of Forms (2011). The aptly-titled Chaos of Forms is the wildest release of Revocation’s career. The infinitely thrashy tracks that kick things off are a riot, but they’re the tamest part. The album’s guitar effects (“Harlot”), lilted jazzy melodies (“Conjuring the Cataclysm”), and 1970s-inspired key digressions (“The Watchers”) are maniacal. These experiments work because Revocation is having fun every step of the way. To ward off any doubts, Chaos of Forms also features some of Revocation’s fiercest death-thrash riffs; indeed, “No Funeral” might be the greatest live performance I’ve ever witnessed. However, strangeness requires discipline, which Chaos of Forms could use more of. Fanciful digressions crop up in unexpected places, often sticking around long enough to confuse but not long enough to convince. Chaos of Forms isn’t Revocation’s most memorable record, but it’s easily the most ambitious.
#4. Teratogenesis (2012). The 22-minute Teratogenesis utilizes the EP format brilliantly, offering an action-packed tour through Revocation’s style. “The Grip Tightens” is a perfect crystallization of death-thrash, complete with both an iconic opening riff and one of metal’s most enduring music videos. Meanwhile, “Maniacally Unleashed” adventures from thrashy riffing to serene melodies as well as any other track in Revocation’s oeuvre. Teratogenesis hones the guitar pyrotechnics that would define its successor Revocation, employing them for stratospheric climaxes. While Teratogenesis loses steam as it progresses, this says more about the sky-high bar set by the first three tracks. In historical perspective, Teratogenesis feels monumental in the same way as Suffocation’s Human Waste. It isn’t flawless, but it’s an indispensable encapsulation of Revocation’s career. I can’t imagine them without it.
#3. Existence Is Futile (2009). Bridging the gap between the straightforward Empire of the Obscene and the batshit Chaos of Forms, Existence Is Futile is Revocation’s most melo- and least mellow album. Skeletonwitch looms large, and the album infects me through its chunky riffs (“Pestilence Reigns”), its jubilant solos (“Anthem of the Betrayed”), and its irresistible choruses (“Reanimaniac”). Even still, Existence Is Futile’s most enduring achievement is its thirst for adventure. The narrative evolution of the instrumental “Across Forests and Fjords” resembles Insomnium’s Winter’s Gate; in stark contrast, the proggy title track mutates so many times that I can never quite recall when it starts or ends. Not once does this ever feel like an intellectual exercise. Rather, Existence Is Futile is Revocation’s most consistently fun release, achieving immortality through the energy of thrash and the creative power of prog death. Revocation’s sophomore record isn’t immune to thrash metal’s age-old pitfalls, and the album’s weaker riffs occasionally bleed together. Even so, Existence Is Futile is the highlight of Revocation’s high-octane early career.
#2. The Outer Ones (2018). Yes, if you want a party anthem, don’t look here. But fun takes many forms, and The Outer Ones’ narrative prowess stands out. The album’s Lovecraft-inspired tales and Revocation’s best-ever vocal performance hold each track together. The instruments follow suit. The riffs achieve an unholy blend of melodic weirdness (“The Outer Ones”) and raw force (“Of Unworldly Origin”). The choruses rank among Revocation’s best, peaking on the underrated blackened death spectacle “Luciferous.” Dave Davidson and Dan Gargiulo’s technical wizardry arguably reaches its apex, across both unhinged riffs and soaring solos (“Blood Atonement”). Even these highlights don’t do justice to The Outer Ones’ remarkable consistency; though it takes a small dip in “Vanitas” and peters out with “A Starless Darkness,” the album is otherwise a masterclass. While The Outer Ones disappointed some of the AMG herd, some bold commenters fought back, even demanding (rightfully) that we give Kronos a paddling. While Kronos has evaded justice so far, I hope to honor this request; The Outer Ones is one of Revocation’s creative peaks.
#1. Great Is Our Sin (2016). While each of these nine albums is impressive, nearly every one has notable flaws. Great Is Our Sin is the exception. All of Revocation’s strengths coalesce here, and every moment counts. While Netherheaven is Revocation’s most brutal album, Great Is Our Sin’s heftiest cuts can shatter steel (“Altars of Sacrifice”). While Chaos of Forms leans into the bizarre, Great Is Our Sin’s stealthy escapades are even more engaging (“The Exaltation”). While Revocation’s earlier releases emphasize the rhythm section, “Monolith of Ignorance” is a gleaming monument to bass- and drum-led evolution. While Existence Is Futile embraces the fun factor, “Altars of Sacrifice” could dunk on it with both feet planted. While Revocation showcased the emotional range of a guitar, “Cleaving Giants of Ice” stands toe-to-toe through its melodic dirge for polar ice caps. These disparate elements fuse into the masterful “Communion,” whose jazzy opening, thrashy verse, crushing chorus, and enthralling solo make it a landmark in both Revocation’s career and death metal history. Put simply, when I’m in the middle of any Great Is Our Sin track, I can’t imagine listening to anything else. That’s the surest sign of excellence.
A short, sharp primer to convince the unconvinced…
Empire of the Obscene (2008)
- “Tail from the Crypt”
Existence is Futile (2009)
- “Pestilence Reigns”
- “Reanimaniac”
Chaos of Forms (2011)
- “Cradle Robber”
- “No Funeral”
Teratogenesis (2012)
“The Grip Tightens”
- “Maniacally Unleashed”
Revocation (2013)
- “Numbing Agents”
- “Fracked”
Deathless ((2014)
- “Scorched Earth Policy”
- “Witch Trials”
Great is Our Sin (2016)
- “Arbiters of the Apocalypse”
- “Cleaving Giants of Ice”
The Outer Ones (2018)
- “The Outer Ones”
- “Luciferous”
Netherheaven (2022)
- “Strange and Eternal”
- “Nihilistic Violence”
#AmericanMetal #AMGGoesRanking #DeathMetal #Review #Reviews #Revocation #TechDeath #TechnicalThrashMetal #ThrashMetal
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By Saunders
Revocation makes me feeling fucking old. It’s difficult to believe fifteen odd years have passed since stumbling across their phenomenal sophomore effort, Existence is Futile. It became instantly clear Revocation were one of the fresher, most exciting bands emerging in the modern metal scene of the era. Their career seemed to propel in fast forward as they pumped out top notch album after album, maintaining an impressive work rate and exceptional consistency, while refusing to repeat themselves. Couple of minor bumps along the way notwithstanding, Revocation’s vibrant, signature combination of technical death-thrash, infectious songwriting and acrobatic guitar hero shreddage from mastermind Dave Davidson has long cemented Revocation as a titanic force in the crowded realms of the modern metalverse.
Formed in 2006, the Bostonites unleashed their brash and confident debut Empire of the Obscene in 2008. From humble but exciting beginnings the Revo boys have proceeded to go on an absolute fucking tear across multiple albums, the most recent being the darker pathways and heavier pastures of 2022’s Netherheaven, arguably a return to form. Though in fairness Revocation have never dropped a dud, and despite a couple of minor career lulls, they have remained a dependably consistent force to be reckoned with.
September 26th, 2025 ushers in Revocation’s ninth LP, New Gods, New Masters. As anticipation grows for the star packed opus, what better time for our resident Revocation fanboys; including the return of the illustrious Kronos, who so eloquently championed the band on these very pages across multiple releases with his insightful wordsmithery and critical analysis, to unload our collective opinions on the band’s formidable discography. Nearly twenty years since their formation and boasting a catalog of rare consistency and power, we have our work cut out for us. Strap yourselves in…
Disclaimer: After careful consideration we have actioned the Human Waste/Despise the Sun Ranking Law of including Revocation’s highly regarded Teratogenesis EP from 2012 due to the consensus this is a meaty and essential mini-platter in the power packed Revocation repertoire.
The Rankings
Saunders
#9. The Outer Ones (2018) – While difficult to pinpoint, The Outer Ones remains an elusive Revocation album, and one I reach for least frequently, despite being one their more recent offerings. Although The Outer Ones doesn’t deviate savagely from the vice-tight yet elastic formula Revocation long since mastered, it leans deeper into murkier blackened death forays and features a cold, clinical and dissonant edge. Its darkly menacing sheen and blasty, death forward approach is responsible for some rousing moments and it’s easy to admire the album’s frantic, calculated intensity. Tunes like the rip-roaring opener “Of Unworldly Origin,” chunky brawler “The Outer Ones” and the thrashy, proggy blackened death of “Luciferous” highlight an album that has grown on me but ultimately falls short of the band’s other works.
#8. Empire of the Obscene (2008) – A bold and potential-packed debut, Empire of the Obscene rises well beyond a mere curiosity or roughshod early edition of Revocation’s rapidly evolving sound. I came to the debut after being first enamored by Existence is Futile and Chaos of Forms, both superior examples of the band’s exceptional early career highs. Still, Empire of the Obscene is a killer debut and refreshing, slashing technical thrash opus, with a healthy smattering of death. The vibrant, raging “Tail from the Crypt” is an early career highpoint, while other choice cuts include the bizarro “Suffer These Wounds,” and rippling axerobatics of “Exhumed Identity.” It’s solid stuff, yet inconsistencies creep in and some of the writing feels a tad overcooked, falling short of the ripping high standards and impeccable writing featured across the Revocation career arc
#7. Great is Our Sin (2016) – Perhaps the first time upon release a Revocation release failed to gain immediate traction. Again the sheer strength and power of its predecessors found Great is Our Sin fall a fraction short of the impeccable standards maintained during the first half dozen or so years of the band’s recording career. And it feels like an outlier merging the band’s different eras, pre and post-Revocation. Playful tech thrash energy, proggy dabbling, and darker, deathly pummels are in abundance, as per expectations. I appreciate the more thrash-centric turns, less prominent in their later era. Great is Our Sin features many of the strong attributes listeners have come to expect, sounding like a melodically mature yet overly familiar and safe album. The songwriting is consistently solid, featuring the odd flirtation with greatness. Old school flavored thrasher “Arbiters of the Apocalypse,” the prog-infused death-thrash of “Communion,” sinister, punishing thrust of “Only the Spineless Survive,” and epic, experimental rumble of “Cleaving Giants of Ice” are nuggety examples of the album’s finer moments.
#6. Netherheaven (2022) – Netherheaven marked a refreshing return to form after the solid if underwhelming, The Outer Ones. Kronos hit the nail on the head when he proclaimed Netherheaven to be the natural successor to Deathless, as similarities in tone, mood and execution are evident. Revocation flexed their deathly muscles and advanced musicianship in service of complex, yet undoubtedly catchy compositions, such as the brutally groovy throes of “Nihilistic Violence,” labyrinthine trip of “Strange and Eternal” and blast-addled, vocal trade-off on scorching closer “Re-Crucified.” Despite being enveloped with shadowy, sinister atmospheres, Netherheaven is imbued with a fun, adventurous spirit, also resulting in one of Revocation’s heaviest offerings. Davidson’s ever inspiring axework never ceases to amaze and songwriting finds a real sweet spot between grooving, chunky chugs, technical mastery, and throwbacks to their thrashy roots. Meanwhile, his increasingly versatile and confident vocals remain a somewhat underrated aspect of the Revocation experience. Not a career high point, but a great album nonetheless.
#5. Deathless (2014) – Revocation’s distinctive formula has long separated them from the hordes of tech death and thrash bands in the scene. One of Revocation’s greatest attributes is their ability to manipulate their craft and pivot in versatile directions. Deathless emerged as a darker, sinister trip down a fittingly deathlier path, creating a welcome stylistic deviation to evolve and keep any semblance of stagnation at bay. Though follow-up Great is Our Sin slightly deviated, Deathless marked the beginning of Revocation embracing the darker corners of their psyche, charting murkier, heavier and altogether more brutal, unforgiving terrain. Thankfully, Deathless didn’t abandon their knack for penning challenging, infectious, thrash-powered tech-death jams. Nor does Deathless forget how to have fun, as evidenced by the shout-along chorus and straightforward headbangable riffs adorning the title track. However, Deathless’ most impactful, jolting moments are delivered elsewhere. Classic opener “A Debt Owed to the Grave” and the cutthroat “Scorched Earth Policy” unleash vicious yet eloquently delivered evidence Revocation still thrash with the best of them. While the immense “Madness Opus” channels Revocation’s progressive inclinations within a barbed, death metal shell. Top-tier stuff.
#4: Revocation (2013) – The dark horse and underrated gem in the Revocation kit bag, their self-titled effort sparkled between the stunning Teratogenesis EP and the brooding tones and violent stomp of Deathless. Though not regularly mentioned amongst the band’s finer works, Revocation demands regular attention amidst an increasingly stacked catalog. Following up Chaos of Forms was always going to be a tough ask, however, Revocation proved up to the challenge. Revocation is a playful, quirky, fun-filled blast from go to whoa, keeping Revocation’s ever-evolving formula fresh and inspired. The versatile songwriting makes for a consistently gripping listen and one of their more diverse offerings. Whether belting out aggressive, full-throttle tech-thrash workouts (“The Hive,” “Numbing Agents”), warped tech death beatdowns (“Fracked,” “Scattering the Flock”), banjo-infected riff monsters (“Invidious”) or mosh-ready juggernauts (“Archfiend”), Revocation has all bases covered. A slightly more stock backend the only thing diminishing an otherwise top-notch album.
#3. Teratogenesis (2012) – Only the most curmudgeony, glass-half-empty pessimist discounts the short and sweet value of the often underrated EP format. Continuing a creatively booming and prolific hot streak, Teratogenesis is a wild, breakneck ride featuring the Revocation lads operating at the peak of their powers. New and old listeners alike would be foolish to neglect this action-packed beauty. If there is something slightly lacking in Revocation’s later career, it misses the outrageously fun and turbo-charged thrashiness and technically dazzling though infectious spirit so prevalent on Teratogenesis and surrounding releases. Revocation’s eye-popping instrumental prowess and whipsmart songwriting serve genuinely well-crafted, catchy songcraft and a bevy of sharp turning dynamic twists and killer riffs. “The Grip Tightens” bottles everything great about the Revocation sound into a career stunner. Elsewhere, “Manically Unleashed” unleashes cracking bursts of tech thrash precision amidst intricate melodic breaks and soul-searching solos, while “Bound By Desire” closes proceedings with a blast and thrash-riddled bang, replete with gorgeous melodic soloing and proggy touches.
#2. Chaos of Forms (2011) – Weirdly enough, I recall being fleetingly underwhelmed when Chaos of Forms dropped. Expectations were sky high, and Chaos of Forms represented a different beast to its immediate predecessor. Featuring an aggressive though more lighthearted, freewheeling tone and experimental streak, Chaos has long since become a personal favorite and modern metal classic. It is also rather simply the most fun Revocation album. Davidson is in his element, firing off some of the finest solos of his career to decorate fast-paced, quirky tech death-thrash compositions, aided by an unstoppable line-up, including the first to feature guitarist/vocalist Dan Gargiulo (Artificial Brain), adding an exciting extra dimension to the band’s sound. Unleashing a trio of instant Revocation classics right off the bat courtesy of “Cretin,” “Grave Robber” and “Harlot”, any notion Chaos of Forms being front-loaded is swiftly demolished as the album unfurls with banger after banger. From the melodic, singalong chorus of “No Funeral,” through to the brainy, twisting riffage of the title track, zippy, thrash-laden charge of “Beloved Horrifier,” and densely packed, stuttering tech death of “Reprogrammed,” Chaos is a versatile, sparkling jewel in the Revocation canon.
#1. Existence is Futile (2009) – Beyond the endearing factor, this was my first Revocation album and the warm fuzzy nostalgia associated; Revocation’s astonishing sophomore belter Existence is Futile emerged as a bottled lightning moment. Revocation’s impressively acrobatic musicianship and technical prowess was accelerated to new heights. However, the bulletproof songwriting and smart, yet dazzlingly intriguing arrangements were grounded by tight and aggressive songs that pulled no punches. An astonishing leap forward from an already exciting and accomplished debut, Existence is Futile has a raw energy and speedy, exhilarating urgency backed by polished, intricate songwriting, parasitic hooks and the warped, unmatched musicianship and advanced shreddery we have now long come to expect from Davidson and crew. Songs are largely stripped back in length from the debut, pared down to the bare essentials, maximizing impact. Davidson’s underrated vocals sound as vital as ever. A thoroughly gripping listen front to back, with the likes of “Pestilence Reigns,” “Deathonomics,” “The Brain Scramblers,” “Reanimaniac,” “Dismantle the Dictator” and ambitious closer “The Tragedy of Modern Ages” a handful of essential cuts.
Kronos
“Please help!” prayed my erstwhile colleagues, “our taste is underdeveloped to a near-blastular degree, and we are oh so disdraught! We seek but a simple ordination of technical death-thrash records but lack the True Knowledge of quality!”
Now moved, I descend from on high, gracing them not just with my presence but with my very acknowledgement of their pitiful existence: in one hand my catechism, in the other my nose. For those enlightened beyond the reflexive need to communicate the truths of quality, the ordering of Revocation records is a simple thing. One needs only to recognize the generational talent and drive of a one Dave Davidson, the extraordinary caliber of musicians that he has surrounded himself with, and analyze the triumphs and, shall we say, try-umphs, of their many recordings with an objective eye informed by a coherent understanding of the material and aesthetic universe in which they occur.
# 9 The Outer Ones (2018) – Revocation built a career based on an inseparable trinity of inventive riffs, creative songwriting, and infectious fun. In 2018 they denied this trinity and were cast into oblivion for four years thereafter; sentenced to relentless touring in which they played The Outer Ones lethargic and self-serious tech death alongside probably fifty other bands peddling similar stuff but more committed to it. That The Outer Ones seems to be their most popular release is a testament to the essential wickedness of our heathen age, that so many will follow a false prophecy.
#8 Great Is Our Sin (2016) – Indeed, but Revocation’s Slayer-worship record might have been better named Great Will Be Our Sin, given that its follow-up was The Outer Ones. But the title gets the point across; this was at the time their nastiest, deathiest album. Muscular and mean, Great Is Our Sin attempted brute-force repentance with burly but brainy tracks like “Monolithic Ignorance” serving up festering fun and “Only the Spineless Survive” providing the band’s most brutal beating until Netherheaven. Cruel as a crucifixion, Great is Our Sin is a treat, but not a joy, to experience, with too much of its runtime given to grinding grooves that don’t showcase the band’s strengths.
#7 Empire of the Obscene (2008) – In a way, it’s stunning to see how far Revocation have come since their debut: not far at all. In this we are confronted by the theopneustic nature of their art; seventeen years on, we can expect New Gods, New Masters to sound basically like Empire of the Obscene. This is death thrash that, while more fun than a barrel of monkeys and twice as rowdy, is impossible to find corny because it’s just too perfectly executed. For a young band, Revocation have a self-assuredness that evades many veteran groups, even as the death-thrash trinity’s endless invention pushes fast-moving songs up to and past the five-minute mark. From the dry but clear production, grinning art-school riffing to the waggling, showboat jazz soloing, every surface of the Revocation mold is here for the band to crack and ooze out of and pull away from on future recordings.
#6 Netherheaven (2022) – Netherheaven saw Revocation a three-piece for the first time since Chaos of Forms, and on firm footing as ever to make their first devoted death metal record. Netherheaven’s highlights (“Galleries of Morbid Artistry” and “Re-Crucified”) unfold like intricate torture machines from a macabre storybook, but mean, mid-paced grooves stick together and weigh down far too much of the record’s runtime. Netherheaven recovered much of the charm that The Outer Ones jettisoned but doubts as to the band’s future form remain.
#5 Existence is Futile (2009) – Empire of the Obscene really didn’t need to be improved upon, but Revocation are moved not by need but possibility. Existence is Futile’s leaner, focused writing got the band out of their own way. While some sections can come across a bit sparse, the difference in memorability between Empire and Existence is marked, with tracks like Deathonomics and Dismantle the Dictator becoming staple songs. Gruesome tech-thrash tracks like “Pestillence Reigns” and “The Brain Scramblers” were a revelation, and bruisers like “Dismantle the Dictator” and “Anthem of the Betrayed” gained the group countless new adherents.
#4 Revocation (2013) – One of the lesser-appreciated joys of the Revocation discography are the band’s actual texts, and nowhere are they more compelling than on their self-titled record. Whether railing against the rich, oil companies, or the American media environment, Revocation pairs incisive sing-alongs with inspiring musicianship; Davidson even pulls out a Banjo to parody cable news (“Invidious”). Revocation capped the first era of the Revocation discography in impeccable form with their most front-to-back memorable LP.
#3 Deathless (2014) – Deathless was a turning point for Revocation; having played every riff possible on six strings, Davidson and Gargiulo turned fully to seven, beginning a more sinister version of Revocation that persists to this day. Yet Deathless isn’t heavy just for the sake of being heavy; it’s just as lithe and unpredictable as the records before it, but with a grim grace to its winding songs and some of the band’s most emotionally resonant solo work (see “Witch Trials”) and most poignant political criticism (“Beholden to their corporate masters/ politicians privatizing genocide/ condolences offered by the same who pulled the trigger” – “The Fix”). Without the grating title track, the record would be just about perfect.
#2 Teratogenesis (2012) – Many will argue (incorrectly) that Teratogenesis, Revocation’s 2012 EP hot off of the release of Chaos of Forms, is the group’s magnum opus. Granted, “The Grip Tightens” might be their best song, and, granted again, “Spurn the Outstretched Hand” might be their second-best song. But after that one-two punch of career-defining greats, they only go on to deliver three more. Paltry! Sure, the sinister “Teratogenesis” would prove to be the blueprint for the rest of their career, and “Bound By Desire” would shame thousands of aspiring axe-smiths with its sheer pummeling speed, but in context, Teratogenesis is dessert, a follow-up to what came just before. And there’s no horn section!
#1 Chaos of Forms (2011) – That Chaos of Forms is the highest among the Revocation records is almost axiomatic. From the opening bass slide of “Cretin” to the raving closing of “Reprogrammed,” there’s not a second of Chaos of Forms that doesn’t reach out and pull you into a rictus grin. Every song is packed to the brim with creative riffs, brilliant musicianship and playful twists. Take, for instance, “Cradle Robber,” which tips a playful chorus riff repeatedly into an absolute vortex of synchronized drumming and trem-picking until it spills over, then transitions into a spectacular solo courtesy of the newly-joined Dan Gargioulo. It’s put in its place by a brain-melting Davidson solo seconds later, for which the whole band actually speeds up, seemingly just to one-up the new guy. The pair return together with a showboat riff half-consumed by synchronized harmonics. Music really does not get much more fun than this, especially when it’s narrated by the Grim Reaper. The only time it does is when the music is “The Watchers,” which breaks out into a gallop halfway through before stampeding its way into a big, brassy introduction for producer Pete Rutcho’s funky little organ solo. Simply divine.
Maddog
In 2012, my metal taste was impressionable but ravenous. I spotted a death-thrash EP from an unfamiliar band, available for free download via the now-defunct label Scion A/V. Teratogenesis’ balance of death-thrash riffs and thoughtful melodies swept me off my feet.
In 2015, I had imbibed deeply of extreme metal, but never been to a show. One frigid night in February, I timidly headed to Brighton Music Hall in Boston. While Fallujah fell victim to sound issues, the final opener Revocation smashed me to pieces. It was a watershed moment in my metamorphosis from metal fan to metal adorer.
In 2025, Revocation is a cornerstone of my music taste. I love death metal; I love thrash’s energy; I love creative songwriting; I can’t help but love Revocation. Most of all, I love their consistency. Even the other two classic bands I’ve helped rank here (Suffocation and Dying Fetus) don’t have as deep a bench of memorable releases.
And so, perhaps you’re better off ignoring our concerted but pitiful attempts to dissect Revocation’s history. After all, this is Revocation; just listen to all of it.
#9. Empire of the Obscene (2008). Empire of the Obscene is merely a good album, but it lay the groundwork for Revocation’s career. While Empire isn’t as thrashy as its successor Existence Is Futile, melodeath permeates both its guitar leads and its riffs, which are textbook but punchy (“Summon the Spawn”). Despite its inconsistency, Empire of the Obscene hints at Revocation’s burgeoning strengths. The most brutal segments are death metal riffcraft at its finest (“Fields of Predation”), while the tinges of proggy song development are impressive for a new band. Even a fair helping of deathcore rears its head, remaining sporadic enough to stay fresh. Empire of the Obscene is entertaining, but with a 56-minute runtime and an overreliance on cookie-cutter death metal riffs, it struggles to stick in my mind. It’s a fun listen, but falls short of Revocation’s best.
#8. Deathless (2014). While Deathless is a worthwhile release, it doesn’t excel in any of Revocation’s usual dimensions. Frequent mid-paced riffs lose my focus throughout (“Madness Opus”), and I forget swaths of the album soon after it ends. Deathless progs with mixed success, and its creative efforts are often hindered by their length and low energy (“Apex”). The dwindling of Revocation’s thrash influences kneecaps the record. However, the exceptions save Deathless from the compost bin. The death-thrash menace “Scorched Earth Policy” houses one of Revocation’s most frantic and dangerous riffs, while the proggy adventures of “Witch Trials” hit hard because they’re tied together by punchy melodies. Deathless doesn’t top its neighbors, but it’s no slouch.
#7. Netherheaven (2022). Netherheaven’s ordinariness feels out of place. Revocation’s latest album abandons the elements that distinguished them from the death metal masses. The proggy escapades, off-kilter riffs, and melodeath influences are gone; the fretboard wizardry is dialed back; even thrash takes a back seat. And yet, Netherheaven succeeds as stone-cold death metal. Easily Revocation’s most brutal release, Netherheaven wows with the gigantic “Galleries of Morbid Artistry” and the rifftastic closer “Re-Crucified.” The occasional glimpses of Revocation’s former flair also go a long way, like the playful opening of “Strange and Eternal.” That said, Netherheaven suffers from inconsistency, with middling second-half tracks like “The 9th Chasm.” The technical spectacles feel like dispassionate exercises, and the lack of variety makes the album less replayable than Revocation’s best works. Still, there’s no shame in making rock-solid death metal. It’s telling that even my seventh-favorite Revocation album made my 2022 list.
#6. Revocation (2013). Often overlooked, Revocation’s self-titled showcases some of the band’s greatest guitar work. At this stage of their career, Revocation had mastered both the weird and the powerful. On one end, “Fracked” might be the guitar highlight of the band’s career, culminating with a virtuosic but punishing chorus and a climactic solo. Standing opposite, “Spastic” is a jazzy spectacle but holds my awe throughout. Uniting these worlds, “Invidious” blends a banjo intro, playful melodies, and a furious thrashy back half, while the shapeshifting “Archfiend” is the first and only Revocation track to make me cry. Revocation occupies a turning point, taming the insanity of Chaos of Forms without compromising its death-thrash intensity. While the midsection of Revocation shines, the record is bookended by slightly weaker cuts. Still, although it has more great songs than excellent songs, Revocation is essential in the Revocation canon.
#5. Chaos of Forms (2011). The aptly-titled Chaos of Forms is the wildest release of Revocation’s career. The infinitely thrashy tracks that kick things off are a riot, but they’re the tamest part. The album’s guitar effects (“Harlot”), lilted jazzy melodies (“Conjuring the Cataclysm”), and 1970s-inspired key digressions (“The Watchers”) are maniacal. These experiments work because Revocation is having fun every step of the way. To ward off any doubts, Chaos of Forms also features some of Revocation’s fiercest death-thrash riffs; indeed, “No Funeral” might be the greatest live performance I’ve ever witnessed. However, strangeness requires discipline, which Chaos of Forms could use more of. Fanciful digressions crop up in unexpected places, often sticking around long enough to confuse but not long enough to convince. Chaos of Forms isn’t Revocation’s most memorable record, but it’s easily the most ambitious.
#4. Teratogenesis (2012). The 22-minute Teratogenesis utilizes the EP format brilliantly, offering an action-packed tour through Revocation’s style. “The Grip Tightens” is a perfect crystallization of death-thrash, complete with both an iconic opening riff and one of metal’s most enduring music videos. Meanwhile, “Maniacally Unleashed” adventures from thrashy riffing to serene melodies as well as any other track in Revocation’s oeuvre. Teratogenesis hones the guitar pyrotechnics that would define its successor Revocation, employing them for stratospheric climaxes. While Teratogenesis loses steam as it progresses, this says more about the sky-high bar set by the first three tracks. In historical perspective, Teratogenesis feels monumental in the same way as Suffocation’s Human Waste. It isn’t flawless, but it’s an indispensable encapsulation of Revocation’s career. I can’t imagine them without it.
#3. Existence Is Futile (2009). Bridging the gap between the straightforward Empire of the Obscene and the batshit Chaos of Forms, Existence Is Futile is Revocation’s most melo- and least mellow album. Skeletonwitch looms large, and the album infects me through its chunky riffs (“Pestilence Reigns”), its jubilant solos (“Anthem of the Betrayed”), and its irresistible choruses (“Reanimaniac”). Even still, Existence Is Futile’s most enduring achievement is its thirst for adventure. The narrative evolution of the instrumental “Across Forests and Fjords” resembles Insomnium’s Winter’s Gate; in stark contrast, the proggy title track mutates so many times that I can never quite recall when it starts or ends. Not once does this ever feel like an intellectual exercise. Rather, Existence Is Futile is Revocation’s most consistently fun release, achieving immortality through the energy of thrash and the creative power of prog death. Revocation’s sophomore record isn’t immune to thrash metal’s age-old pitfalls, and the album’s weaker riffs occasionally bleed together. Even so, Existence Is Futile is the highlight of Revocation’s high-octane early career.
#2. The Outer Ones (2018). Yes, if you want a party anthem, don’t look here. But fun takes many forms, and The Outer Ones’ narrative prowess stands out. The album’s Lovecraft-inspired tales and Revocation’s best-ever vocal performance hold each track together. The instruments follow suit. The riffs achieve an unholy blend of melodic weirdness (“The Outer Ones”) and raw force (“Of Unworldly Origin”). The choruses rank among Revocation’s best, peaking on the underrated blackened death spectacle “Luciferous.” Dave Davidson and Dan Gargiulo’s technical wizardry arguably reaches its apex, across both unhinged riffs and soaring solos (“Blood Atonement”). Even these highlights don’t do justice to The Outer Ones’ remarkable consistency; though it takes a small dip in “Vanitas” and peters out with “A Starless Darkness,” the album is otherwise a masterclass. While The Outer Ones disappointed some of the AMG herd, some bold commenters fought back, even demanding (rightfully) that we give Kronos a paddling. While Kronos has evaded justice so far, I hope to honor this request; The Outer Ones is one of Revocation’s creative peaks.
#1. Great Is Our Sin (2016). While each of these nine albums is impressive, nearly every one has notable flaws. Great Is Our Sin is the exception. All of Revocation’s strengths coalesce here, and every moment counts. While Netherheaven is Revocation’s most brutal album, Great Is Our Sin’s heftiest cuts can shatter steel (“Altars of Sacrifice”). While Chaos of Forms leans into the bizarre, Great Is Our Sin’s stealthy escapades are even more engaging (“The Exaltation”). While Revocation’s earlier releases emphasize the rhythm section, “Monolith of Ignorance” is a gleaming monument to bass- and drum-led evolution. While Existence Is Futile embraces the fun factor, “Altars of Sacrifice” could dunk on it with both feet planted. While Revocation showcased the emotional range of a guitar, “Cleaving Giants of Ice” stands toe-to-toe through its melodic dirge for polar ice caps. These disparate elements fuse into the masterful “Communion,” whose jazzy opening, thrashy verse, crushing chorus, and enthralling solo make it a landmark in both Revocation’s career and death metal history. Put simply, when I’m in the middle of any Great Is Our Sin track, I can’t imagine listening to anything else. That’s the surest sign of excellence.
A short, sharp primer to convince the unconvinced…
Empire of the Obscene (2008)
- “Tail from the Crypt”
Existence is Futile (2009)
- “Pestilence Reigns”
- “Reanimaniac”
Chaos of Forms (2011)
- “Cradle Robber”
- “No Funeral”
Teratogenesis (2012)
“The Grip Tightens”
- “Maniacally Unleashed”
Revocation (2013)
- “Numbing Agents”
- “Fracked”
Deathless ((2014)
- “Scorched Earth Policy”
- “Witch Trials”
Great is Our Sin (2016)
- “Arbiters of the Apocalypse”
- “Cleaving Giants of Ice”
The Outer Ones (2018)
- “The Outer Ones”
- “Luciferous”
Netherheaven (2022)
- “Strange and Eternal”
- “Nihilistic Violence”
#AmericanMetal #AMGGoesRanking #DeathMetal #Review #Reviews #Revocation #TechDeath #TechnicalThrashMetal #ThrashMetal
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Chestcrush – ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ Review
By Tyme
Chestcrush is what happens when you fuck around and find out. These three blackened death dealers from Edinburgh, Scotland, formed in 2020, released their independent debut album, Vthelygmia, in 2021. That’s when Chestcrush caught my ear for the first time, penning one of my favorite songs, “Different Shepherd, Same Sheep.” After swapping original vocalist Thomas Blanc for Topias Jokipii, who debuted his wares on 2022’s Apechtheia EP, Chestcrush is back with its sophomore prüno-piss and vinegar-filled platter, ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ. Translated from Greek to mean ‘soul extractor,’ ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ metaphorically describes an experience or person that is so incredibly tormenting to you that it feels like it’s pulling your very soul out through your mouth. Will I need my jaw re-aligned after listening to ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ, or is this dog just a toothless barker?
Chestcrush executes its misanthropic, anti-everything brand of nihilism by fusing blackened deathgrind with sludgy, doomy industrialism on ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ. And even with the grindier bits dialed back, ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣA sounds like a bloodied blend of Anaal Nathrakh, Immolation, and Napalm Death sprinkled with an extra vitriolic dash o’ Nails. Evangelos Vasilakos crushes chests and eardrums with an onslaught of riffs full of brutish chugs, crusty sludge, and deathly density (“Existence is Punishment”). Drummer Robin Stone (Ashen Horde) brings the mutha-fuckin’ skulls to the yard with his rib-rattling, Anaal Nathrakhian double kick work, which often serves as a tempodic counterpoint to Evan’s wall of sound bass and guitar destruction (“We Shall Be Devoured by the Offspring of Our Own Flesh”). Topping off this sundae of fuck-off-fun-day decimation are the Mikael Åkerfeldtish vocals of Jokipii, whose roars and guttural growls bring an altogether beastlier edge to ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ‘s throat work. Chestcrush will not make you feel good about yourself, nor will they have you looking hopefully into the future.
Speaking of hope, if not abandoned wholly before entering Chestcrush‘s world, it will be by the time “Every Single Word That Comes Out of Your Filthy Hole Is an Infectious Lie a Spreading Disease” invades your earholes. It is a punishing, anti-religious anthem full of chunky riffs, dissonant tremolos, Stone’s inhuman drumming, and Jokipii’s tortured growls and screams, prefaced by an ominous warning, ‘Until the last stone, from the last church, falls on the last priest.’ And as the screechy, staticky ending of “Hang Them! Torch Them!” gives way to the tolling bells of the sludgy behemoth and album closer, “As the Damned Writhe in Eternal Woe,” it is clear that Chestcrush hates us all. ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ has no high points, no zenith; it is a cavalcade of sorrow, a series of nadirs plumbing depths subterranean of Dante’s seventh circle.
From the very Hellraiser-esque cover art courtesy of Vladimir Chebakov to the forty-minute runtime, Chestcrush‘s ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ is infinitely more mature than its predecessor, Vthelygmia. I attribute this leap in maturation to two things. First, Chestcrush‘s songwriting has blossomed like a blackened rose, resulting in fully developed compositions that wend, wind, and weave within themselves, an ebb and flow of drama that casts a pall of abject hopelessness over the entire affair. Second, the addition of vocalist Topias Jokipii, whose beefier delivery and propensity to stay in his lower, more guttural register better fit Chestrcush‘s aural aesthetic. I have little in the way of criticism for ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ, but there was something that stood out, which is a brief screech of feedback that rears its head throughout the album, mainly as an exclamation point. It works when employed to create an intersong dynamic (“Every Single Word…”), but it becomes grating when tacked on the end of nearly every track, sometimes twice (“We Shall Be Devoured…”).
Chestcrush has penned a dirge celebrating the death of humanity and is the human embodiment of existential hate. You’ll not be blasting ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ poolside this summer, cracking beers and seltzers with your buddies and their wives, crisping flesh in the sun. Chestcrush is of darkness, despair, and destitution, and that is where ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ will take you. I have committed several hours to ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ in preparation for this review, and this time has left me spent, my jaw firmly wired shut, soul removed. I think I need to go and listen to some Fellowship now.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320kbps mp3
Label: Self-Released
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: April 4, 2025#2025 #35 #AnaalNathrakh #Apr25 #BlackMetal #Chestcrush #DeathMetal #Immolation #Nails #NapalmDeath #Review #Reviews #ScottishMetal #Sludge #ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ
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Chestcrush – ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ Review
By Tyme
Chestcrush is what happens when you fuck around and find out. These three blackened death dealers from Edinburgh, Scotland, formed in 2020, released their independent debut album, Vthelygmia, in 2021. That’s when Chestcrush caught my ear for the first time, penning one of my favorite songs, “Different Shepherd, Same Sheep.” After swapping original vocalist Thomas Blanc for Topias Jokipii, who debuted his wares on 2022’s Apechtheia EP, Chestcrush is back with its sophomore prüno-piss and vinegar-filled platter, ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ. Translated from Greek to mean ‘soul extractor,’ ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ metaphorically describes an experience or person that is so incredibly tormenting to you that it feels like it’s pulling your very soul out through your mouth. Will I need my jaw re-aligned after listening to ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ, or is this dog just a toothless barker?
Chestcrush executes its misanthropic, anti-everything brand of nihilism by fusing blackened deathgrind with sludgy, doomy industrialism on ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ. And even with the grindier bits dialed back, ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣA sounds like a bloodied blend of Anaal Nathrakh, Immolation, and Napalm Death sprinkled with an extra vitriolic dash o’ Nails. Evangelos Vasilakos crushes chests and eardrums with an onslaught of riffs full of brutish chugs, crusty sludge, and deathly density (“Existence is Punishment”). Drummer Robin Stone (Ashen Horde) brings the mutha-fuckin’ skulls to the yard with his rib-rattling, Anaal Nathrakhian double kick work, which often serves as a tempodic counterpoint to Evan’s wall of sound bass and guitar destruction (“We Shall Be Devoured by the Offspring of Our Own Flesh”). Topping off this sundae of fuck-off-fun-day decimation are the Mikael Åkerfeldtish vocals of Jokipii, whose roars and guttural growls bring an altogether beastlier edge to ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ‘s throat work. Chestcrush will not make you feel good about yourself, nor will they have you looking hopefully into the future.
Speaking of hope, if not abandoned wholly before entering Chestcrush‘s world, it will be by the time “Every Single Word That Comes Out of Your Filthy Hole Is an Infectious Lie a Spreading Disease” invades your earholes. It is a punishing, anti-religious anthem full of chunky riffs, dissonant tremolos, Stone’s inhuman drumming, and Jokipii’s tortured growls and screams, prefaced by an ominous warning, ‘Until the last stone, from the last church, falls on the last priest.’ And as the screechy, staticky ending of “Hang Them! Torch Them!” gives way to the tolling bells of the sludgy behemoth and album closer, “As the Damned Writhe in Eternal Woe,” it is clear that Chestcrush hates us all. ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ has no high points, no zenith; it is a cavalcade of sorrow, a series of nadirs plumbing depths subterranean of Dante’s seventh circle.
From the very Hellraiser-esque cover art courtesy of Vladimir Chebakov to the forty-minute runtime, Chestcrush‘s ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ is infinitely more mature than its predecessor, Vthelygmia. I attribute this leap in maturation to two things. First, Chestcrush‘s songwriting has blossomed like a blackened rose, resulting in fully developed compositions that wend, wind, and weave within themselves, an ebb and flow of drama that casts a pall of abject hopelessness over the entire affair. Second, the addition of vocalist Topias Jokipii, whose beefier delivery and propensity to stay in his lower, more guttural register better fit Chestrcush‘s aural aesthetic. I have little in the way of criticism for ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ, but there was something that stood out, which is a brief screech of feedback that rears its head throughout the album, mainly as an exclamation point. It works when employed to create an intersong dynamic (“Every Single Word…”), but it becomes grating when tacked on the end of nearly every track, sometimes twice (“We Shall Be Devoured…”).
Chestcrush has penned a dirge celebrating the death of humanity and is the human embodiment of existential hate. You’ll not be blasting ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ poolside this summer, cracking beers and seltzers with your buddies and their wives, crisping flesh in the sun. Chestcrush is of darkness, despair, and destitution, and that is where ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ will take you. I have committed several hours to ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ in preparation for this review, and this time has left me spent, my jaw firmly wired shut, soul removed. I think I need to go and listen to some Fellowship now.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320kbps mp3
Label: Self-Released
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: April 4, 2025#2025 #35 #AnaalNathrakh #Apr25 #BlackMetal #Chestcrush #DeathMetal #Immolation #Nails #NapalmDeath #Review #Reviews #ScottishMetal #Sludge #ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ
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Chestcrush – ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ Review
By Tyme
Chestcrush is what happens when you fuck around and find out. These three blackened death dealers from Edinburgh, Scotland, formed in 2020, released their independent debut album, Vthelygmia, in 2021. That’s when Chestcrush caught my ear for the first time, penning one of my favorite songs, “Different Shepherd, Same Sheep.” After swapping original vocalist Thomas Blanc for Topias Jokipii, who debuted his wares on 2022’s Apechtheia EP, Chestcrush is back with its sophomore prüno-piss and vinegar-filled platter, ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ. Translated from Greek to mean ‘soul extractor,’ ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ metaphorically describes an experience or person that is so incredibly tormenting to you that it feels like it’s pulling your very soul out through your mouth. Will I need my jaw re-aligned after listening to ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ, or is this dog just a toothless barker?
Chestcrush executes its misanthropic, anti-everything brand of nihilism by fusing blackened deathgrind with sludgy, doomy industrialism on ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ. And even with the grindier bits dialed back, ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣA sounds like a bloodied blend of Anaal Nathrakh, Immolation, and Napalm Death sprinkled with an extra vitriolic dash o’ Nails. Evangelos Vasilakos crushes chests and eardrums with an onslaught of riffs full of brutish chugs, crusty sludge, and deathly density (“Existence is Punishment”). Drummer Robin Stone (Ashen Horde) brings the mutha-fuckin’ skulls to the yard with his rib-rattling, Anaal Nathrakhian double kick work, which often serves as a tempodic counterpoint to Evan’s wall of sound bass and guitar destruction (“We Shall Be Devoured by the Offspring of Our Own Flesh”). Topping off this sundae of fuck-off-fun-day decimation are the Mikael Åkerfeldtish vocals of Jokipii, whose roars and guttural growls bring an altogether beastlier edge to ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ‘s throat work. Chestcrush will not make you feel good about yourself, nor will they have you looking hopefully into the future.
Speaking of hope, if not abandoned wholly before entering Chestcrush‘s world, it will be by the time “Every Single Word That Comes Out of Your Filthy Hole Is an Infectious Lie a Spreading Disease” invades your earholes. It is a punishing, anti-religious anthem full of chunky riffs, dissonant tremolos, Stone’s inhuman drumming, and Jokipii’s tortured growls and screams, prefaced by an ominous warning, ‘Until the last stone, from the last church, falls on the last priest.’ And as the screechy, staticky ending of “Hang Them! Torch Them!” gives way to the tolling bells of the sludgy behemoth and album closer, “As the Damned Writhe in Eternal Woe,” it is clear that Chestcrush hates us all. ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ has no high points, no zenith; it is a cavalcade of sorrow, a series of nadirs plumbing depths subterranean of Dante’s seventh circle.
From the very Hellraiser-esque cover art courtesy of Vladimir Chebakov to the forty-minute runtime, Chestcrush‘s ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ is infinitely more mature than its predecessor, Vthelygmia. I attribute this leap in maturation to two things. First, Chestcrush‘s songwriting has blossomed like a blackened rose, resulting in fully developed compositions that wend, wind, and weave within themselves, an ebb and flow of drama that casts a pall of abject hopelessness over the entire affair. Second, the addition of vocalist Topias Jokipii, whose beefier delivery and propensity to stay in his lower, more guttural register better fit Chestrcush‘s aural aesthetic. I have little in the way of criticism for ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ, but there was something that stood out, which is a brief screech of feedback that rears its head throughout the album, mainly as an exclamation point. It works when employed to create an intersong dynamic (“Every Single Word…”), but it becomes grating when tacked on the end of nearly every track, sometimes twice (“We Shall Be Devoured…”).
Chestcrush has penned a dirge celebrating the death of humanity and is the human embodiment of existential hate. You’ll not be blasting ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ poolside this summer, cracking beers and seltzers with your buddies and their wives, crisping flesh in the sun. Chestcrush is of darkness, despair, and destitution, and that is where ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ will take you. I have committed several hours to ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ in preparation for this review, and this time has left me spent, my jaw firmly wired shut, soul removed. I think I need to go and listen to some Fellowship now.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320kbps mp3
Label: Self-Released
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: April 4, 2025#2025 #35 #AnaalNathrakh #Apr25 #BlackMetal #Chestcrush #DeathMetal #Immolation #Nails #NapalmDeath #Review #Reviews #ScottishMetal #Sludge #ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ
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Chestcrush – ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ Review
By Tyme
Chestcrush is what happens when you fuck around and find out. These three blackened death dealers from Edinburgh, Scotland, formed in 2020, released their independent debut album, Vthelygmia, in 2021. That’s when Chestcrush caught my ear for the first time, penning one of my favorite songs, “Different Shepherd, Same Sheep.” After swapping original vocalist Thomas Blanc for Topias Jokipii, who debuted his wares on 2022’s Apechtheia EP, Chestcrush is back with its sophomore prüno-piss and vinegar-filled platter, ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ. Translated from Greek to mean ‘soul extractor,’ ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ metaphorically describes an experience or person that is so incredibly tormenting to you that it feels like it’s pulling your very soul out through your mouth. Will I need my jaw re-aligned after listening to ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ, or is this dog just a toothless barker?
Chestcrush executes its misanthropic, anti-everything brand of nihilism by fusing blackened deathgrind with sludgy, doomy industrialism on ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ. And even with the grindier bits dialed back, ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣA sounds like a bloodied blend of Anaal Nathrakh, Immolation, and Napalm Death sprinkled with an extra vitriolic dash o’ Nails. Evangelos Vasilakos crushes chests and eardrums with an onslaught of riffs full of brutish chugs, crusty sludge, and deathly density (“Existence is Punishment”). Drummer Robin Stone (Ashen Horde) brings the mutha-fuckin’ skulls to the yard with his rib-rattling, Anaal Nathrakhian double kick work, which often serves as a tempodic counterpoint to Evan’s wall of sound bass and guitar destruction (“We Shall Be Devoured by the Offspring of Our Own Flesh”). Topping off this sundae of fuck-off-fun-day decimation are the Mikael Åkerfeldtish vocals of Jokipii, whose roars and guttural growls bring an altogether beastlier edge to ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ‘s throat work. Chestcrush will not make you feel good about yourself, nor will they have you looking hopefully into the future.
Speaking of hope, if not abandoned wholly before entering Chestcrush‘s world, it will be by the time “Every Single Word That Comes Out of Your Filthy Hole Is an Infectious Lie a Spreading Disease” invades your earholes. It is a punishing, anti-religious anthem full of chunky riffs, dissonant tremolos, Stone’s inhuman drumming, and Jokipii’s tortured growls and screams, prefaced by an ominous warning, ‘Until the last stone, from the last church, falls on the last priest.’ And as the screechy, staticky ending of “Hang Them! Torch Them!” gives way to the tolling bells of the sludgy behemoth and album closer, “As the Damned Writhe in Eternal Woe,” it is clear that Chestcrush hates us all. ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ has no high points, no zenith; it is a cavalcade of sorrow, a series of nadirs plumbing depths subterranean of Dante’s seventh circle.
From the very Hellraiser-esque cover art courtesy of Vladimir Chebakov to the forty-minute runtime, Chestcrush‘s ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ is infinitely more mature than its predecessor, Vthelygmia. I attribute this leap in maturation to two things. First, Chestcrush‘s songwriting has blossomed like a blackened rose, resulting in fully developed compositions that wend, wind, and weave within themselves, an ebb and flow of drama that casts a pall of abject hopelessness over the entire affair. Second, the addition of vocalist Topias Jokipii, whose beefier delivery and propensity to stay in his lower, more guttural register better fit Chestrcush‘s aural aesthetic. I have little in the way of criticism for ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ, but there was something that stood out, which is a brief screech of feedback that rears its head throughout the album, mainly as an exclamation point. It works when employed to create an intersong dynamic (“Every Single Word…”), but it becomes grating when tacked on the end of nearly every track, sometimes twice (“We Shall Be Devoured…”).
Chestcrush has penned a dirge celebrating the death of humanity and is the human embodiment of existential hate. You’ll not be blasting ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ poolside this summer, cracking beers and seltzers with your buddies and their wives, crisping flesh in the sun. Chestcrush is of darkness, despair, and destitution, and that is where ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ will take you. I have committed several hours to ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ in preparation for this review, and this time has left me spent, my jaw firmly wired shut, soul removed. I think I need to go and listen to some Fellowship now.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320kbps mp3
Label: Self-Released
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: April 4, 2025#2025 #35 #AnaalNathrakh #Apr25 #BlackMetal #Chestcrush #DeathMetal #Immolation #Nails #NapalmDeath #Review #Reviews #ScottishMetal #Sludge #ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ
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Antifascist prisoner Maja T., who is currently being held in isolation in Budapest on the basis of charges involving violence against Nazis (something that should be regarded as a public service, not a crime), has written a letter to supporters on the outside. The following is a rough translation:
Dear Friends, Comrades, Family, and Supporters,
I have decided to write to you and to everyone who is interested in hearing from me. Today is December 30, 2024. I thought that, after half a year, I would have had a habeas corpus hearing by now. That would have meant that the prosecution, my lawyer, and I would have met before a Hungarian court to argue whether it is (still) necessary for me to be held in pretrial custody. It has been almost 13 months since I was arrested in Berlin, and just a few days after my first “anniversary” in prison, the Hungarian prosecutor’s office submitted my indictment to the court without seeing any need to let me know. The indictment describes the charges, introduces “evidence”, and roughly outlines a specific image of me and my co-defendants as a group of brutal thugs, driven by hatred, who would randomly pursue people through the streets. That is why the prosecution alleges that I am a danger to society and has decided to pursue the maximum sentence for me of 14 years without the possibility of parole. As a precondition, I would have to plead guilty on all counts. Additionally, the prosecution demands that I continue to be held in pretrial detention at least until the first verdict. For that, the court has a comfortable three-year window and is by no means obligated to hurry. The indictment was sent to my lawyer a few days ago, together with the court’s decision, made in our absence, to keep me in prison for an indeterminate time. That means no actual habeas corpus hearing, and we are left only with the possibility of filing a written protest with the next court.
Sitting here, I can only shake my head, gaze dumbfounded, laugh, and get angry, while the feeling of powerlessness and trepidation starts to tear away at the ground under my feet. It isn’t so much the absurd, reality-distorting charges that the prosecution has concocted or their destructive demands. It’s much more the way they claim the right to steal time from my life. Absurdly, I’m comforted by the thought that it was to be expected, that Hungary hides behind grand language like “rule of law”, but that’s just a label – one of many. Not many people have rights here, or at least not everyone has the same ones. The state has the authority and the law has to serve its actors more than it does “justice”. This completely “legal” move by the prosecution tells me that they did not want to risk letting a judge hear a word from me. There was too much of a risk that my solitary confinement, which is beneath human dignity by design, could have come to an end.
Since I am forbidden to speak before the court at the moment, I’ve decided to do it here, a step that is long overdue. I’d like to apologize for the fact that this seems to be so extremely rare. So many people have felt the need over the past two years to courageously raise their voices, speak out, write, plan, organize, demonstrate, donate, and warm shaking hands by holding each other’s. In the past few years, your solidarity has reached me in so many different ways and given me strength, courage, and confidence. Again, it seems to me that I have far too rarely put the gratitude I feel for that into words. Thanks to you, utopias still come in bright colors, held in tender hands with unbreaking will. I want to let you know that every word, every thought, every political struggle that I hear about and that has the courage not to be silent continually rears up anew, rather than fizzling out in the sea of abundance.
You and your comrades have my solidarity. My thoughts remain with you and with all the political prisoners around the world who are working for an emancipatory society. I am also thinking of your pain, the rage over states and their violence, as well as the hope of living in a society that dares to transform itself for the better, that turns away from war, violence, oppression, and exploitation. I respect each individual person who dares to defend themselves against patriarchy, authoritarian cravings, and pretenses of ethnic communities and unfettered enrichment, be it on a large or small scale.
Even if Hungary continues to hold me captive, to prejudge, punish, and frighten me out of sheer will while the German government timidly nods and shakes Orban’s hand, even if the isolation wears down my mind, the lack of sunlight leaves me pale, and the yearning for a conversation with someone I trust and a single embrace should pull me out of sleep at night, I will still be there, I will remain at your side. Let’s dare to not be quiet again and again, even if the months and years sometimes threaten to destroy all hope and confidence in our own strength. We cannot despair; that would be fatal. There is too much at stake. So much is already backsliding that was once fought for and learned. If my brief words have given you courage, maybe with an intimate smile, a strengthening, careful look that you give someone, then all that remains for me is to thank you for reading and listening. A presto mi faro vivo!
With thoughts of solidarity, Maja
Original: https://www.basc.news/ein-versuch-zu-sprechen-maja-zur-anklageschrift/
#FreeMaja #FreeHanna #FreeTobi #FreeAllAntifas #FreeThemAll #antifa #antifascism #Orban #Hungary #Alerta
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About Super Mario Bros. and a rant about game reviews lacking focus on technology
I just recently played through Super Mario Bros. through without Warps or skips for the first time in a few decades. It’s a challenge, especially without Warps. I made a note how in World 4-2 gets harder in its layout and enemies just after the spot where you can get to Warp via beanstalk. This is where the first Buzzy Beetles appear, mirrored to a Green Koopa Troopa. You can get a Star above it, but first time players wouldn’t know you can’t hurt them with a Fireball, leading to an easy death if you’re rushing things.
Rushing things was something I kept doing too much, trying to rely on my atrophied muscle memory and skill I don’t have any more. There’s over 200 seconds in the timer, I could afford to slow down and take in the game’s design the way I properly never had before. While I’m more partial for physics found in Mega Man, the way Mario retains motion and accelerates allows tight control. More skilled players can blaze through the game and abuse some of the coding bugs and quirks, but for a normal player the game is coded so no bugs or errors appear outside some hitbox interactions. Like in World 8-3, where kicking a Koopa shell often misses Hammer Bros. despite the stage layout being designed for it. I recall this being fixed in Mario All-Stars.
Super Mario Bros. is a wonderful game, outmatched by pretty much every single action game that followed it, but nevertheless a joy to play. Being able to choose a stage after finishing the game is a fun thing, and the Hard Mode is for players who want more punishing enemies and stage elements. It’s not Lost Levels, but still.
The main reason I picked up SMB as my weekend game out of all others is because I wanted to stand by my words. You can find tons of references to the game on this blog, and going back with older set of eyes made me appreciate the game slightly more. In a few ways, SMB is almost a perfect game, a perfect home console game. You get fast into it, the game doesn’t waste your time. The game’s mechanics are very easy to learn, but ultimately hard to master. Once you master them, you can proceed to break it. I never really mastered the game, I never could pull off Infinite Lives trick. Not that it is needed, but it’d be nice to have. The music and sounds are all apt, and for a game that’s running on the most bare bones of NES hardware without any extra bells and whistles when it comes to mappers, it’s just nice. SMB was supposed to be the last, greatest cartridge game Nintendo published to the Famicom after all, just before the launched the Disk System. Hindsight is 20/20.
Games don’t become old because technology advances, game become old if there if newer games are better. While subjective, we have objective metrics on which we can measure how well a game is made on. Most of that is subject how well the game is coded and good the controls are. Ghost’n Goblins’ NES port isn’t a good game because its coding is an awful mess, for example. Its various other ports are a lot better though. For example, the Amiga port is a superb game, as is the Saturn port. Not too many games can hit the level of quality SMB has, and when they do, you can often find the stage designs being overly obtuse or some mechanical gimmick being introduced to make it stand separate. Part of why SMB plays so well is because it is very distilled down to the core; there are no unnecessary extra bits bolted unto it to mess it up. Even Nintendo messes this up, introducing gimmicks to Mario games that add no value to the game or its play.
Sometimes I check a younger Youtuber doing a review on older games. Sometimes they mention how they don’t have intentions to consider the times the game was made in, or put the game in its place in its era. All that matters if the game is worth playing now or something else along those lines. I find this a weak justification to ignore what the game was made to be played on, as that discolours the objectivity of the review. Unless we accept that Super Mario Bros. was made to be played on a forty years old console on a CRT, we can’t really have an objective view on it. Sure we can play it on other consoles via re-releases, but as we know, modern technology throws a few monkey wrenches into the mix that make the play less than ideal. Be it from introducing save states to LCD screen lag compared to CRT, the play will be inherently different. Especially on emulators, where people can further muddle up the play as they want.
I inherently distrust a reviewer who doesn’t consider the context of the game. If we don’t, I might as well exclaim stupidly that we might as well delete all the video and computer games from last console generation onwards. Clearly, these are inferior products as they’re on inferior hardware and offer lesser play than newer games. On the other hand, it is also apparent the generations you grew up with are the best and exempt from the whole shebang. You would be surprised how many kids these days have told me that the Seventh console generation was the peak of gaming, that the competition between the 360 and PS3 was the greatest thing there was, with the Wii being a great outlier. Similarly I’ve met people who consider the Sixth Gen to be the best there ever was, citing the massive library the PS2 had, how Xbox introduced online gaming to consoles and how Super Smash Bros. Melee is the best fighting game out there still. The point being, we often forget the context games were made in and what were their limitations. Video and computer games, broadly speaking, have no limitations as they used to have.
Let’s dismiss those hyperbole and superlatives, and let me squeeze the juice out of that; we can’t dismiss the era a game was made in no matter how much we’d like to.
Technology advances, but a game’s play doesn’t. It’ll always stay the same no matter on what future technology it is put on. Recognizing that SMB is a NES game made in a certain moment in time to a certain platform with technological limitations on can only elevate a review, because it would recognize the passage of time and in comparison to any game that’s on better technology.
Hell, I’d go as far as argue that game reviews should put more emphasize on how well current technology is being used alongside its coding. If a generic engine like Unreal is used, then there needs to be even more scrutinizing whether or not the engine is used to its utmost extent and how well it has been modified for the game. We don’t see most reviews mentioning any of these, because most game reviewers aren’t considering the technology at all.
Of course, consumers aren’t thinking about the technology either, generally speaking. The only place where discussion about hardware and coding rears its ugly head is when people discuss low framerates, bugs and play issues. Graphics is something that’s an inherent part of PC gaming culture, so we can dismiss it. I’m like a broken clock with this, but we can’t really escape the unoptimised games nowadays with uncompressed data galore. Developers and publishers are largely moving towards technological progress that isn’t valuable to the consumers, which in turn make developing games cost more and more. One of the many reasons why games end up costing 70 to 100 euro now, if not more. If any of these companies would practice the Blue Ocean strategy any more, they’d aim to product with value to the customer with lower cost. This can be done, and it has been done multiple time in gaming history. It will be done again, once companies and corporations realize ever-rising costs to consumers isn’t the healthiest way of making money.
We can’t really expect reviewers to spend time to look behind the curtains about games though. Very, very few reviewer is adept at coding and looking at how a game is made. Most we can do, in general, is to look at the results how they play. One Youtube channel concentrates solely on framerates and ignores pretty much everything else how a game is built and how it functions, be it enemy AI or something else, and makes a call whether or not a game plays well. I honestly can’t recall what its name is.
There’s no depth when it comes to discussion about the technology behind video games in reviews, but maybe that just reflects the general consumers. Perhaps very few people are interested in reading about the tech, and outlets have optimised their content to match the general consumer expectations. Maybe publishers and devs themselves aren’t really adept making statements about their games outside broad strokes if a game is marketing itself with some kind of technological breakthrough or advancement. These often end up being a dud. The real magic happens behind the scenes, and perhaps that’s where its fated to be in. Ultimately, the consumer shouldn’t really care about the technology behind how things work, but it sure would make their life that much more easier.
Classics sold well for many reasons in their time, and the same classics keep selling nowadays whenever they get new ports. I find it foolish to forget their context in favour of favour of sterile, clinical reviews.
#electronicGames #games #gaming #mario #Nintendo #videoGames #videogames
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Saunders and Felagund’s Top Ten(ish) of 2024
By Dr. A.N. Grier
Saunders
Rather than delve into the not-so-good parts of a rollercoaster 2024, which had its share of rough circumstances, I’m using this rare soapbox moment to focus on the positives of another action-packed year of metal. Celebrating ten years of writing at Angry Metal Guy was an achievement that crept up. All these years later I remain beyond stoked and privileged to still be contributing in a small way as the blog has snowballed into the juggernaut it is today.
Unfortunately, I haven’t quite fulfilled my writing productivity goals in 2024. However, even when motivation slips, it still gives me great satisfaction to have a platform to share my thoughts and opinions on the music I love. I cannot match the writing chops or word smithery of our most esteemed scribes. However, honing my craft within my own abilities and drawing inspiration from the excellence of my fellow writers continues to motivate me and hopefully steer listeners toward some great music.
While it may not compete with some of the top-shelf individual years over the past decade, 2024 featured a lot of top-shelf stuff across a multitude of genres sprawled over the heavy spectrum. As per usual, the plethora of releases was overwhelming and again I stumble into the end-of-year chaos with a hefty list of stuff I need to check out or spend more time with. Nevertheless, from the numerous albums, I spent quality time with throughout the year, I eventually arrived at the releases that mattered the most to me, with many gems to no doubt uncover in the end-of-year wash-up. This is probably one of the more eclectic lists I’ve cultivated during my time here. Not sure exactly why that was the case, but a year of fluctuating, uneasy shifts on personal and professional fronts perhaps contributed to the more diverse listening rotation.
To wrap up, a heartfelt thank you to our beloved readership for making this all worthwhile and to all my colleagues/writing buddies and general crew of awesome people comprising the ever-expanding blog. Also shout-out to my list buddy Felagund, here’s hoping our combined powers partially align or otherwise complement and provide some listening inspiration. Lastly, a special heads-up to Angry Metal Guy, Steel Druhm, and the rest of the AMG editors and brains trust for whipping us all into order and doing the behind-the-scenes heavy lifting to keep this great thing chugging along. Cheers.
#ish: Anciients // Beyond the Reach of the Sun – Personal dramas, line-up shuffles, and an extended stint away from the studio failed to hamper the triumphant return of Canada’s progressive-stoner-sludge heavyweights Anciients. Beyond the Reach of the Sun marks a strong return that expands the band’s songwriting vision through a standout collection of ambitious, heavily prog-leaning cuts. Loaded with dazzling guitar work and gripping songwriting, Beyond the Reach of the Sun finds the band recalibrating and hitting their songwriting straps without compromising the genre-splicing traits and character they formed across their first couple of albums. It is not a perfect album by any means, with some niggling elements rearing their head, mostly via the way of some bloat, sequencing issues, and a flat production job. But with songs of the outstanding quality of “Despoiled,” “Is it Your God,” and “The Torch” leading the way, the album’s issues fail to extinguish my overall enthusiasm.
#10. Madder Mortem // Old Eyes New Heart – I came to veteran Norwegian progressive metal outfit Madder Mortem late in the game, just as they appeared to be hitting modern-era career peaks via Red in Tooth and Claw, and most recent album, 2018’s Marrow. Six long years in the wilderness and Madder Mortem return without missing a beat, continuing to pump out expressive, powerfully composed jams of their trademark mix of Goth-tinged progressive/alt metal. Although I enjoyed the album from the outset, if anything it has grown in stature since its early year release. The album’s subtleties and bevy of emotion-charged hooks bury deeper into the brain upon repeat doses. The tough period the band endured prior to the unleashing of Old Eyes New Heart is reflected in the album’s raw, potent swell of emotions and overall depth. This is further reflected in the diverse nature of the colorful songwriting, swinging from bluesy, melancholic restraint (“Cold Hard Rain”), pop-infected prog (‘Here and Now”) to urgent, dramatic, and infectious rock powerhouses (“The Head That Wears the Crown,” “Towers”).
#9. Opeth // The Last Will and Testament – As a longtime Opeth fanboy, it is a cool feeling to be genuinely enthused about a new LP, nearly three decades since their underrated Orchid debut. All the pre-release buzz centered on the return of Åkerfeldt’s famed death growls. While certainly a cool and unexpected touch, the fourteenth album The Last Will and Testament is not merely a nostalgic throwback to the band’s glory days. Instead, Opeth fuses those quirky, vintage prog tools from their modern-era material and fuses them into an intricate concept album that is a significant step up from the past couple of uneven efforts and easily their best work since at least 2014’s Pale Communion. Dazzling musicianship, jazzy licks, and inventively crafted, yet notably more focused and concise writing marked an album that features better production and tighter, punchier songs than the band has written in a while. It is also Opeth’s heaviest, most riff-centric release in many moons. Despite the trademark melancholic moods and darker shades, it also sounds as if the band is having real fun, reinforced by the abundance of bouncy, infectious riffs, shreddy solos, and boisterous grooves littering the album. Likely would have earned higher honors with time, as I still feel there is much more to discover.
#8. Oceans of Slumber // Where Gods Fear to Speak – Previously enjoyed the idea of Texan progressive metal powerhouse Oceans of Slumber, more than the execution and finished product. In particular, 2016’s Winter has grown in stature over the years. Yet for much of their career, it has felt like a case of incredible talent and potential not fully realized. That changed on Where Gods Fear to Speak, arguably the band’s most complete, consistent, and hook-laden release. When I felt the prog itch throughout 2024, Where Gods Fear to Speak was often the go-to. An album of lush, moody, drama-filled compositions, deftly contrasting soaring melodies, and skyscraping hooks with muscular riffage and heftier bouts of aggression, the writing is tighter and more compelling than previous efforts. Cammie Beverly’s scene-stealing vocals may take center stage, but this is very much a complete effort, where the rich soundscapes, brooding atmospheres, and technical musicianship shine brightly. Loaded with killer jams, including stirring highlights, “Don’t Come Back from Hell Empty Handed,” “Wish,” and “Poem of Ecstasy,” Where Gods Fear to Speak finally finds Oceans of Slumber firing on all cylinders.
#7. Pyrrhon // Exhaust – In theory, Pyrrhon should be one of my favorite bands. I used to eat up all manner of skronky, dissonant, and abrasive extreme metal. Perhaps my thirst for the weirder, experimental forms of death metal and dissonance has softened over the years. However, while largely enjoying Pyrrhon’s career up to this point, Exhaust feels like the album I have been waiting for the band to deliver. Exhaust dropped unexpectedly and that element of surprise flowed through another oddball, deranged platter of wildly inventive, chaotic, yet oddly accessible (in Pyrrhon terms) extreme metal. From cautious, challenging early listens, I found myself increasingly compelled to revisit Exhaust on a regular basis, marveling at its flexible, fractured songwriting, nimble musicianship, and raw hardcore punk edge infiltrating the dissonant, experimental death metal at the core of the Pyrrhon experience. Gritty production, perfectly unhinged vocal performance from Doug Moore, and occasional burst of groove and shred of accessibility punctuating the chaos (“First as Tragedy, Then as Farce,” “Strange Pains,” “Stress Fractures”) lend the album a refreshingly addictive edge to counterbalance its abrasive, challenging angles.
#6. Replicant // Infinite Mortality – New Jersey’s Replicant previously exhibited their brawny, yet brainy mix of gnarled dissonance, technicality, and knuckle-dragging street grooves to powerful effect. However, third album Infinite Mortality levelled the playing field as the band upped their game to elite levels of controlled chaos, while the writing remained challenging yet strangely accessible and memorable. In spirit, the ugly mix of harshness, discordance, and headbangable blockbuster grooves reminds me of the great Ion Dissonance. Meanwhile, the contrasting blend of unorthodox melody, jagged dissonance, and stuttering, complex song structures come together with cohesion and blunt force, punctuated by the occasional warped solo. Like a harsh, harrowing soundtrack to a bleak dystopian future, Infinite Mortality is a mean, chunky, technical, and deliciously primal slab of advanced disso-tech-death excellence.
#5. Noxis // Violence Inherent in the System – Notably death metal in 2024 was dominated by brutal, dissonant varieties, designed to scramble brains and challenge minds while battering the listener into submission. Refreshingly, unheralded surprise packet Noxis unloaded a killer debut LP to savor. Drawing from an array of old-school influences and ’90s touchstones without ever aping one particular band or style, Noxis unleashed a nostalgic yet unique death metal platter. Managing to at once sound raw and unclean, technical and brutal, thrashy and proggy, sharp and refined, Noxis blaze their way craftily through memorable, riff-infested wastelands with unbridled aggression, speed, and finesse, rubber-stamped by some exceptional bass work. Remnants of the classic Floridian scene mingle with powerful influences, including early Cryptopsy, later-era Death, Atheist, and Cannibal Corpse, resulting in a finished product that sounds fresh and vital, while containing an endearing, workmanlike old-school charm. It works a treat, and the top-notch and frequently inventive writing reveals impressive depth and character that rewards repeat listens.
#4. Dissimulator // Lower Form Resistance – There are some serviceable, enjoyable thrash-aligned albums in 2024, but one stood head and shoulders above the competition. Comprised of a grizzled bunch of underground Canadian musicians hellbent on fusing advanced technical thrash assaults with sick old-school death-thrash, a fuckton of killer riffs, quirky vocoder action, and razor-sharp hooks, Lower Form Resistance has consistently provided an adrenaline-filled shot of thrash when needing that specific fix. Dissimulator rewires thrash in intricate and intriguing ways, giving me the same giddy rush as past experiences with the likes of Capharnaum, Vhol, and Revocation. Excited to hear what these dudes conjure up next. In the meantime, Lower Form Resistance will continue to keep my thrash cogs oiled through potent bangers like “Warped,” “Automoil & Robotoil,” and “Hyperline Underflow.”
#3. Huntsmen // The Dry Land – After somehow sleeping on 2018 debut American Scrap and subsequently their apparent sophomore slumping second album, I finally righted my wrongs by delving into the strange and wildly unique woodlands of Chicago metal troupe Huntsmen and their phenomenal third LP, The Dry Land. A raw, rustic, and emotionally striking explosion of genre-bending excellence, where blackened sludge, doom, post, prog, folk, and Americana influences coalesce into an intoxicating and frequently thrilling musical formula, rich in detail and emotion. The skilled genre mashing is cohesive and genuine, loaded with surprises, structural twists, dramatic ebbs and flows, deep burrowing hooks, and contrasting vocal trade-offs to seal the deal on a remarkable album. Despite only a small handful of songs comprising the album (six in total), Huntsmen make every moment count, from blazing longer numbers with stunning contrasts and peaks (“This, Our Gospel,” “In Time, All things”) to plaintive folk dusted rock (“Lean Times”), through to the stunningly moving, compact power of “Rain.” Huntsmen occupy a unique space in the metalverse.
#2. Borknagar // Fall – I have a slightly odd history with Norwegian legends Borknagar. I recall being taken by their excellent 2012 album Urd, yet oddly enough I didn’t extend my listening beyond that isolated release. Things changed with 2019’s True North, a typically solid offering that inspired my explorations of portions of their vast and consistently engaging catalog. The twelfth album Fall marks their first album since True North and again features an outstanding line-up of talents, including founding mastermind Øystein Brun, multi-talented keyboardist/clean vocalist Lars Nedland, and ace up their sleeve bass/vocal powerhouse ICS Vortex. Fall smacks of a veteran band not merely content to coast on their laurels but rather carve freshly creative trajectories for their now signature blend of epic prog, triumphant Viking, and icy black metal to thrive. An extra shot of old-school blackened aggression and fuller production boosted an album of consistently high quality. Fall became a true all-occasions album in 2024; often uplifting me when I felt down or giving me a punchy charge when the need arose. Wall-to-wall prime cuts feature, headlined by the storming “Summits,” moody earworm, “The Wild Lingers”, and the striking, epic shimmer of “Moon.” Stalwarts still operating at the top of their game.
#1. Counting Hours // The Wishing Tomb – Not since Fvneral Fvkk’s remarkable Carnal Confessions debut has a doom album struck as hard as the second platter of sadboi misery perpetrated by Finland’s excellent Counting Hours. While doom and its death-doom companion may not always dominate my listening habits, when an album does hit that sweet spot, it usually leaves a profound impact. Few forms of metal generate the emotional resonance of quality doom and Counting Hours tears at the heartstrings through a riveting collection of gorgeously played and executed death-doom ditties, spearheaded by former members of the hugely underrated Rapture. Ilpo Paasela backs up the stellar musicianship, superb guitar work, and tight, addictive songwriting with a stunning mix of emotively raw, stately cleans and rugged death growls. The whole package packs an emotional wallop, yet its soulful edge and hopelessly addictive hooks and sing-along moments prevent a drop too deeply into depressive waters, as such earwormy gems as “Timeless Ones,” “All That Blooms (Needs to Die),” and “Starlit / Lifeless” attest. The Wishing Tomb is an epic album to lose yourself in.
Honorable Mentions:
- Blood Incantation // Absolute Elsewhere – Did I overrate Absolute Elsewhere? Possibly. Is it overhyped? Absolutely. Yet Blood Incantation remains a brave, adventurous band and Absolute Elsewhere represents a welcome return to form from these gifted, star-gazing space cadets. A flawed but effective fusing of their death metal roots with an increased focus on ’70s-inspired progressive rock and trippy psych flourishes.
- 200 Stab Wounds // Manual Manic Procedures – I barely took notice of Cleveland’s 200 Stab Wounds debut LP, but sophomore album Manual Manic Procedures provided one of the real surprise packets in 2024. It very nearly cracked the main list sheerly through heavy rotation. A meaty, adrenaline-charged shot of muscular death into the veins.
- Ripped to Shreds // Sanshi – Another reliably awesome slab of old-school death from Andrew Lee and co. Increasingly shreddy, extravagant solo work and a grindier edge powered one of their best albums yet.
- Nails // Every Bridge Burning – Nails is back and that is a great thing. New line-up, the same mode of short, sharp, blast-your-skin-off aggression, head-caving grooves, and hate-filled energy.
- Unhallowed Deliverance // Of Spectre and Strife – A pleasant surprise and one of the best debut albums in 2024. German tech-slam-brutal death juggernaut Unhallowed Deliverance knocked it out of the park with limited subtlety but a heap of talent, creativity, and songwriting smarts.
- Wormed // Omegon – With Ulcerate’s latest release not quite hitting me on the intense level of others, and having run out of time to properly digest and rank the obvious high-quality new Defeated Sanity, Wormed’s long-awaited return gave me my fix of calculated brutality via futuristic, slammy, technical brutal death executed in typically warped, mind-blowing fashion.
- Khirki // Κυκεώνας – Following up an impressive, well-received debut LP is no easy feat. Kenstrosity steered many of us from the AMG community onto Greek band Khirki’s Κτηνωδία debut in 2021, so I eagerly anticipated Khirki’s return for the second go around. The resulting album met expectations through a fiery, passionate, and eclectic mix of metal, rock, and traditional Greek folk.
- Sergeant Thunderhoof // The Ghost of Badon Hill – A late-year list shaker, underappreciated UK psych-prog-stoner outfit Sergeant Thunderhoof unleased a more restrained, psych-enhanced, and introspective album, showing signs of being a genuine grower since its November release, despite not quite hitting the irresistible highs of 2022’s This Sceptred Veil.
Disappointments o’ the Year:
- Several highly anticipated albums did not quite land the killer blows I was hoping for. Respectable to very good albums, but I expected better from Vola (admittedly a grower), Caligula’s Horse, Ihsahn, and especially Zeal and Ardor.
Non-Metal Picks:
- St Vincent, SIR, Michael Kiwanuka, Allie X, MGMT
Song ‘o the Year:
- Counting Hours – “Timeless Ones”
There were any number of standouts and potential Song o’ the Year candidates that could have nabbed top honors, including several counterparts from Counting Hours’ spectacular sophomore album. In the end, I settled on the (proper) album opener of my album of the year, as the tune that really hooked me initially from an album that captivated my soul. A rich, emotive piece of dark, melodic death-doom with superlative guitar melodies and a chorus for the ages. Honorable mention to Huntsmen’s “Rain.”
Felgund
I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of living in interesting times. But as that wizened sage, Gandalf so wisely reminds us: “So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”
So what have I been doing with the time that has been given? A fair amount, as it turns out. 2024 has certainly been a tumultuous year for our small family. On the one hand, the business that I launched in 2023 has been chugging along for well over a year and a half now, and I think I’m far enough along in the process that I feel (at least somewhat) comfortable calling it a success. The baby that we brought home from the hospital is now, inexplicably, a whip-smart 7-year-old. My wife’s career continues to blossom as she continues to moonlight as my business manager. Things are good.
And yet 2024 also proved to be harder than I’d ever imagined. My dad died back in April, an experience that remains both devastating and surreal. He’d had multiple sclerosis for well over a decade, and as I’m sure many of you know, MS is a grasping, grinding petty little disease. But for as much as it stole, it proved incapable of taking away who my father was; it couldn’t quite make off with what made him him. He was my best friend before his diagnosis, and he remained my best friend up until that impossible evening in a hospital room in early April. Truth be told, he’s still my best friend, only now he’s free to walk wherever I see fit to imagine him.
Despite my best efforts, I realized pretty quickly you can’t capture a life in a few paragraphs. I couldn’t do it in his eulogy, and I certainly won’t attempt to do so on a heavy metal blog. But I will share this:
My dad was a carpenter by trade and an artist by choice; he was a fisherman and a cook; he was a handyman, a builder, a designer, and a writer; he taught himself how to play guitar, and he’s perhaps the singular reason why I’m writing for this website today. Because while he wasn’t a fan of metal himself, he instilled in me not only a love for music, but an interest in the process; in the people who create it, the minds that shape it, and the passion that births it.
He played in countless bands in his youth, and I can think of no better way to honor his memory than by sharing some of his music with you all. With Steel’s blessing, I’m embedding a two-song demo (“A Place in Time” and “Street Legal”) ripped from a cassette my old man recorded in the late 80s, so apologies in advance for the questionable quality. He composed both the music and lyrics, played guitar and bass, and sang on both tracks, which were devised when he was perhaps at his Rush fanboy peak. It’s been a delight and a balm hearing his voice again, captured as it was in a moment when he was young, vibrant, and doing what he loved.
So here we are. Despite (or perhaps because of) this, I managed to consume a fair amount of metal this year. And while I was far less productive as a writer than I’d hoped and I wasn’t able to listen to as much as I originally planned, I discovered a plethora of new music here on AMG that soothed what Neil Peart once referred to as his “baby soul.” And surprisingly, I found much of that solace in the discordant, the dissonant, and the off-kilter, as the list below probably reflects. But more importantly, I found compassion, support, and understanding amongst the writing staff here. And while they may not know it, I will be forever thankful for the folks who showed me such boundless kindness during a year that felt decidedly unkind. Thank you, my friends.
Now let’s get to to it. Here are my top ten(ish) albums of 2024.
#(ish). Beaten to Death // Sunrise Over Rigor Mortis – It almost feels like cheating to place an 18-minute album in my Top 10(ish), but here we are. 2024 proved to be a year where my interest in grind and grind-adjacent acts expanded, and this “ish” is the result. While I wasn’t aware of Beaten to Death prior to this release, I was quickly swept away by Sunrise Over Rigor Mortis’ ability to bludgeon its idiosyncratic way into my brain and coil there like the most glorious of infections. Beaten to Death has delivered a concise helping of grinding goodness, with crispy prog edges and a schmear of off-kilter humor. Back catalog, here I come!
#10. Sleepytime Gorilla Museum // Of the Last Human Being – Gardenstale’s gushing review of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum’s fourth album Of the Last Human Being was a tough endorsement to ignore, as was an invocation of Diablo Swing Orchestra. So I threw caution to the wind and leaped headlong into this experimental maelstrom. And I’m so happy I did. Don’t let the runtime dissuade you; Of the Last Human Being doesn’t feel nearly as long as it is, and over that relatively brief timespan, you’re provided with a front-row seat to the aural equivalent of perhaps the most fun kind of performance art. Hard-edged riffs, off-kilter instrumentation, ominous theatrics interlaced with beautiful, sparse melodies, and all capped off by the deranged croons of chief carnival barker Nils Frykdahl. If I’d spent more time with this record it may have placed higher, but as it is, I’m happy it’s making an appearance at the number 10 spot.
#9. Sur Austru // Datura Strǎhiarelor – Despite Twelve underrating this album, I suppose I should commend him for introducing me to Sur Austru in the first place. This Romanian outfit’s third full-length Datura Strǎhiarelor is a potent blend of rumbling, blackened fury, and melodic folk metal, with plenty of flute work, orchestration, choral elements, and plaintive keys thrown in. And, while the gruff, chanting growls might rub some listeners the wrong way, it was this aspect more than any other that first grabbed my attention, and proceeded to keep it. And while I haven’t a clue what the vocalists are shouting at me, the tone and placement in the mix feels just right, especially for this brand of folk-infused black metal. Such is the strength of Sur Austru that this album began as my “ish” before eventually working its way to ninth. Mightly bold of them.
#8. Necrowretch // Swords of Dajjal – Some of the entries on this list were either late discoveries or took some time before they got their dirty little hooks in me. Necrowretch’s Swords of Dajjal was not one of them. As soon as I spun it back in February, it was love at first listen. Swords of Dajjal focuses on the greater deceiver in Islamic mythology, and explores that tradition through the use of ferocious blackened death metal (with perhaps a dollop or two of thrash thrown in). Although, as Carcharodon rightly pointed out in his review, the “blackened” part is doing most of the heavy lifting here. And that’s not a bad thing, as Necrowretch is more than adept at crafting memorable hooks and an engaging atmosphere without sacrificing heft or freneticism. Swords of Dajjal is an unmitigated success, and my only real gripe is that Necrowretch dropped a new platter so early in the year that it may go overlooked on too many end-of-year lists.
#7. The Vision Bleak // Weird Tales – Grier and I may not see eye to eye on music, but what can I say? The man knows his way around gothic metal. So when he awarded a 4.0 to Weird Tales back in April, what was I to do? If you said wait several months before bothering to press play, you’re correct. But folks, I may have been late to the party, but it’s a rager nonetheless. The Vision Bleak has produced an emotive, memorable, downright heart-wrenching concept album; one that is both lush and harsh, both achingly melodic and morosely heavy. Weird Tales isn’t my usual cup of tea, but The Vision Bleak has rejected my assertion by doing what many similar acts appear incapable of doing: cohesively balancing “gothic” and “metal” without lessening the impact of either. A well-earned addition, indeed.
#6. Stenched // Purulence Gushing from the Coffin – While Rots-giving may have been tarnished by a less-than-stellar release from Rotpit back in November, I’ve moved on since then, and am now proudly celebrating Stenched-mas. The Manly n’ Mighty Steel reviewed this one-man grimy death outfit last month, and even though I was still smarting from my failed attempt to poach Purulence Gushing from the Coffin for myself, I can’t in good conscience deny how hard this globular mass of funerary muck rips. From the first track to the last, you’ll be rocking a near-permanent stank face, and you can’t blame that solely on the fungal miasma wafting from your speakers. The truth is, Stenched has delivered a masterclass in riff-heavy, moss-encrusted death metal; the kind that’s perfect to drag your knuckles to. Purulence Gushing from the Coffin is the exact kind of no-frills, all-guts death metal I needed in 2024, and that’s why it’s sitting pretty at 6.
#5. Aklash // Reincarnation – How are we already at the Top Five? And what better way to kick off this most treasured of positions than with the melodic black metal stylings of Aklash on their fourth album Reincarnation? Aklash received a solid write-up in June’s Stuck in the Filter by our very own Kenstrosity, and their most recent outing has continued to climb higher and higher on my list the more I’ve spun it. Part black metal, part progressive metal, part trad metal (epic choruses included), Reincarnation packs a wallop in just a short 37 minutes. overflowing with varied instrumentation and keen lyrical chops, grandiose in scope and medieval in tone, yet more personal than it has any right to be, Aklash is firing on all cylinders here, and, as such, is perfectly suited for anyone’s top 5.
#4. Devenial Verdict // Blessing of Despair – And, just like that, more death metal rears its ugly head. I’m still surprised at how high up Devenial Verdict’s sophomore album landed on my list, primarily because their 2022 debut Ash Blind failed to connect. But Blessing of Despair seems to have arrived just in time for my increasing flirtation with the cruel mistress that is dissodeath. As such, I found myself utterly taken with Devenial Verdict’s latest, overflowing as it is with equally heavy doses of discordant ferocity and mournful melodicism. And while Blessing of Despair is an undeniably heavy record, it makes sure to leave plenty of room for quieter moments, where slower sections and sparse instrumentation have room to bloom and breathe. This approach not only results in a wonderfully balanced album but ensures the bludgeoning that’s sure to follow is all the more impactful. Consider me reformed.
#3. Aborted // Vault of Horrors – I’m fairly certain that any death metal fan worth their salt is legally required to include the latest Aborted release on their end-of-year list. Over 25 years and 12 albums into their carnal career, these death metal titans need no introduction. Blood-drenched, gore-soaked, and happily grindy, Aborted are in a league all their own, and it shows on Vault of Horrors. The music remains tight and explosive, building a menacing atmosphere that pervades only the stickiest of grindhouse theaters. Besides, with songs dedicated to classics like Return of the Living Dead, Hellraiser, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, how could I do anything other than include this gem of an album in my top 3? I for one welcome our horror-themed overlords.
#2. Noxis // Violence Inherent in the System – What began as a random pick from the promo sump by one Kenstrosity quickly rose to become a favorite of the death metal maniacs (those with good taste, anyway) on the AMG staff. Now, more importantly, it’s nabbed the second-highest honor on my year-end list. Noxis’ first full-length album Violence Inherent in the System sounds like the product of a much more experienced band. The songwriting is top-notch, the performances are big and bold without being overwrought, and the sticky riffs stay wedged in your mind long after the album ends. And yet for all of its bombast, Noxis is still able to infuse their debut with oodles of atmosphere, not to mention a level of balance between death metal orthodoxy and fresh bells and whistles (and horns) that would make even Thanos grimace in jealousy. Special attention must also be paid to Joe Lowrie’s snare tone and Dave Kirsch’s godlike bass performance.
#1. Pyrrhon // Exhaust – I suppose I was always destined to end up here, I just didn’t know it right away. Pyrrhon’s fifth full-length Exhaust didn’t initially grab me the way some of my other entries did. However, on repeat spins, I found myself falling deeper and deeper into its frenetic, dissonant embrace, discovering both nuances and subtleties amidst the proggy cacophony. On an album that thoroughly explores the universal theme of exhaustion, be it physical, mental, social, or economic, Pyrrhon’s brand of noise-tinged death metal feels like the ideal tool with which to scrawl their livid manifesto. But what truly sets Exhaust apart is its unrelenting groove, stoked by Pyrrhon’s inventive capacity to not only feature but to uplift its unique brand of melodicism amidst the unrelenting maelstrom. It’s hard to overstate just how critical this aspect is to Exhaust’s success, especially since it would have been so easy to excise. But Exhaust’s manic ferocity, which swerves jerks, hops, and heaves, is all the better for it. And while its charms were initially lost on me, I found it easier and easier to finally succumb to its tremulous tendrils. Any record with that kind of staying power (not to mention a theme so applicable to my own experiences this past year) has more than earned my top spot for 2024.
Honorable Mentions:
- Defeated Sanity // Chronicles of Lunacy – Defeated Sanity is a brutal tech death stalwart at this point, and now seven albums in, Chronicles of Lunacy only further cements that status. Chronicles of Lunacy provides the listener with track after aggressively intricate track exploring lunacy in its many forms, but the real treat here is Lille Gruber’s masterful performance on the drums.
- Full of Hell // Coagulated Bliss – while I don’t think I’ve become a complete grind convert, albums like Full of Hell’s Coagulated Bliss and Beaten to Death’s Sunrise Over Rigor Mortis certainly set me on the path to one day become a proud proselytizer. You can’t deny Coagulated Bliss’ infectious groove and whirlwind pace, although I agree with the Dolphin’s rating adjustment.
- Undeath // More Insane – no, it’s not as good as It’s Time…to Rise from the Grave, and there’s no reason to pretend that it is. Nor does it need to be. While More Insane may not reach the lofty heights of its predecessor, it still showcases an Undeath doing what it does best, while also hinting at an undeniable ability to evolve into an even sharper, more fetid OSDM beast.
- 200 Stab Wounds // Manual Manic Procedures – while I wasn’t entirely kind in my review of 200 Stab Wounds’ debut, Mark Z suggested I take their follow-up Manual Manic Procedures for a spin, and I’m glad I did. It’s clear they’ve grown as artists, and their sophomore effort reflects that heightened maturity. Keep stabbing on, your crazy diamonds!
- Mamaleek // Vida Blue – I’m confident this album captures what it would sound like if Tom Waits listened to too much Ashenspire before leaving for the recording studio. Long, difficult, and bold, I found myself returning again and again to Vida Blue no matter how challenging I found the experience. While this album didn’t make my top 10, I’m convinced a future Mamaleek release will.
Song o’ the Year:
- Noxis – ”Skullcrushing Defilement”
This song goes hard. Exceptionally hard. In truth, there are any number of tunes from Violence Inherent in the System that fit the “Song o’ the Year” bill, but I had to give the edge to “Skullcrushing Defilement.” Not only does it begin with an absolutely searing bass solo, but it sets the stage for the four-string onslaught that’s to come. There’s a noticeable Cannibal Corpse influence that I can’t help but love here, alongside heaping doses of maniacal melodicism, turbocharged technicality, and an earworm chorus to boot. Abandon all cervical spines, ye who enter here.
#200StabWounds #2024 #Aborted #Aklash #AllieX #Anciients #Archspire #Atheist #BeatenToDeath #BlogPosts #BloodIncantation #Borknagar #CaligulaSHorse #CannibalCorpse #Capharnaum #CountingHours #Crytopsy #Death #DefeatedSanity #DevenialVerdict #DiabloSwingOrchestra #Dissimulator #Dissonance #FullOfHell #FvneralFvkk #Huntsmen #Ihsahn #Khirki #Lists #MadderMortem #Mamaleek #MGMT #MichaelKiwanuka #Nails #Necrowretch #Noxis #OceansOfSlumber #Opeth #Pyrrhon #Rapture #Replicant #Revocation #RippedToShreds #Rotpit #SaundersAndFelagundSTopTenIshOf2024 #SergeantThunderfoot #SIR #SleepytimeGorillaMuseum #StVincent #Stenched #SurAustru #TheVisionBleak #TomWaits #Ulcerate #Undeath #UnhallowedDeliverance #Vhöl #Wormed #ZealAndArdor
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Saunders and Felagund’s Top Ten(ish) of 2024
By Dr. A.N. Grier
Saunders
Rather than delve into the not-so-good parts of a rollercoaster 2024, which had its share of rough circumstances, I’m using this rare soapbox moment to focus on the positives of another action-packed year of metal. Celebrating ten years of writing at Angry Metal Guy was an achievement that crept up. All these years later I remain beyond stoked and privileged to still be contributing in a small way as the blog has snowballed into the juggernaut it is today.
Unfortunately, I haven’t quite fulfilled my writing productivity goals in 2024. However, even when motivation slips, it still gives me great satisfaction to have a platform to share my thoughts and opinions on the music I love. I cannot match the writing chops or word smithery of our most esteemed scribes. However, honing my craft within my own abilities and drawing inspiration from the excellence of my fellow writers continues to motivate me and hopefully steer listeners toward some great music.
While it may not compete with some of the top-shelf individual years over the past decade, 2024 featured a lot of top-shelf stuff across a multitude of genres sprawled over the heavy spectrum. As per usual, the plethora of releases was overwhelming and again I stumble into the end-of-year chaos with a hefty list of stuff I need to check out or spend more time with. Nevertheless, from the numerous albums, I spent quality time with throughout the year, I eventually arrived at the releases that mattered the most to me, with many gems to no doubt uncover in the end-of-year wash-up. This is probably one of the more eclectic lists I’ve cultivated during my time here. Not sure exactly why that was the case, but a year of fluctuating, uneasy shifts on personal and professional fronts perhaps contributed to the more diverse listening rotation.
To wrap up, a heartfelt thank you to our beloved readership for making this all worthwhile and to all my colleagues/writing buddies and general crew of awesome people comprising the ever-expanding blog. Also shout-out to my list buddy Felagund, here’s hoping our combined powers partially align or otherwise complement and provide some listening inspiration. Lastly, a special heads-up to Angry Metal Guy, Steel Druhm, and the rest of the AMG editors and brains trust for whipping us all into order and doing the behind-the-scenes heavy lifting to keep this great thing chugging along. Cheers.
#ish: Anciients // Beyond the Reach of the Sun – Personal dramas, line-up shuffles, and an extended stint away from the studio failed to hamper the triumphant return of Canada’s progressive-stoner-sludge heavyweights Anciients. Beyond the Reach of the Sun marks a strong return that expands the band’s songwriting vision through a standout collection of ambitious, heavily prog-leaning cuts. Loaded with dazzling guitar work and gripping songwriting, Beyond the Reach of the Sun finds the band recalibrating and hitting their songwriting straps without compromising the genre-splicing traits and character they formed across their first couple of albums. It is not a perfect album by any means, with some niggling elements rearing their head, mostly via the way of some bloat, sequencing issues, and a flat production job. But with songs of the outstanding quality of “Despoiled,” “Is it Your God,” and “The Torch” leading the way, the album’s issues fail to extinguish my overall enthusiasm.
#10. Madder Mortem // Old Eyes New Heart – I came to veteran Norwegian progressive metal outfit Madder Mortem late in the game, just as they appeared to be hitting modern-era career peaks via Red in Tooth and Claw, and most recent album, 2018’s Marrow. Six long years in the wilderness and Madder Mortem return without missing a beat, continuing to pump out expressive, powerfully composed jams of their trademark mix of Goth-tinged progressive/alt metal. Although I enjoyed the album from the outset, if anything it has grown in stature since its early year release. The album’s subtleties and bevy of emotion-charged hooks bury deeper into the brain upon repeat doses. The tough period the band endured prior to the unleashing of Old Eyes New Heart is reflected in the album’s raw, potent swell of emotions and overall depth. This is further reflected in the diverse nature of the colorful songwriting, swinging from bluesy, melancholic restraint (“Cold Hard Rain”), pop-infected prog (‘Here and Now”) to urgent, dramatic, and infectious rock powerhouses (“The Head That Wears the Crown,” “Towers”).
#9. Opeth // The Last Will and Testament – As a longtime Opeth fanboy, it is a cool feeling to be genuinely enthused about a new LP, nearly three decades since their underrated Orchid debut. All the pre-release buzz centered on the return of Åkerfeldt’s famed death growls. While certainly a cool and unexpected touch, the fourteenth album The Last Will and Testament is not merely a nostalgic throwback to the band’s glory days. Instead, Opeth fuses those quirky, vintage prog tools from their modern-era material and fuses them into an intricate concept album that is a significant step up from the past couple of uneven efforts and easily their best work since at least 2014’s Pale Communion. Dazzling musicianship, jazzy licks, and inventively crafted, yet notably more focused and concise writing marked an album that features better production and tighter, punchier songs than the band has written in a while. It is also Opeth’s heaviest, most riff-centric release in many moons. Despite the trademark melancholic moods and darker shades, it also sounds as if the band is having real fun, reinforced by the abundance of bouncy, infectious riffs, shreddy solos, and boisterous grooves littering the album. Likely would have earned higher honors with time, as I still feel there is much more to discover.
#8. Oceans of Slumber // Where Gods Fear to Speak – Previously enjoyed the idea of Texan progressive metal powerhouse Oceans of Slumber, more than the execution and finished product. In particular, 2016’s Winter has grown in stature over the years. Yet for much of their career, it has felt like a case of incredible talent and potential not fully realized. That changed on Where Gods Fear to Speak, arguably the band’s most complete, consistent, and hook-laden release. When I felt the prog itch throughout 2024, Where Gods Fear to Speak was often the go-to. An album of lush, moody, drama-filled compositions, deftly contrasting soaring melodies, and skyscraping hooks with muscular riffage and heftier bouts of aggression, the writing is tighter and more compelling than previous efforts. Cammie Beverly’s scene-stealing vocals may take center stage, but this is very much a complete effort, where the rich soundscapes, brooding atmospheres, and technical musicianship shine brightly. Loaded with killer jams, including stirring highlights, “Don’t Come Back from Hell Empty Handed,” “Wish,” and “Poem of Ecstasy,” Where Gods Fear to Speak finally finds Oceans of Slumber firing on all cylinders.
#7. Pyrrhon // Exhaust – In theory, Pyrrhon should be one of my favorite bands. I used to eat up all manner of skronky, dissonant, and abrasive extreme metal. Perhaps my thirst for the weirder, experimental forms of death metal and dissonance has softened over the years. However, while largely enjoying Pyrrhon’s career up to this point, Exhaust feels like the album I have been waiting for the band to deliver. Exhaust dropped unexpectedly and that element of surprise flowed through another oddball, deranged platter of wildly inventive, chaotic, yet oddly accessible (in Pyrrhon terms) extreme metal. From cautious, challenging early listens, I found myself increasingly compelled to revisit Exhaust on a regular basis, marveling at its flexible, fractured songwriting, nimble musicianship, and raw hardcore punk edge infiltrating the dissonant, experimental death metal at the core of the Pyrrhon experience. Gritty production, perfectly unhinged vocal performance from Doug Moore, and occasional burst of groove and shred of accessibility punctuating the chaos (“First as Tragedy, Then as Farce,” “Strange Pains,” “Stress Fractures”) lend the album a refreshingly addictive edge to counterbalance its abrasive, challenging angles.
#6. Replicant // Infinite Mortality – New Jersey’s Replicant previously exhibited their brawny, yet brainy mix of gnarled dissonance, technicality, and knuckle-dragging street grooves to powerful effect. However, third album Infinite Mortality levelled the playing field as the band upped their game to elite levels of controlled chaos, while the writing remained challenging yet strangely accessible and memorable. In spirit, the ugly mix of harshness, discordance, and headbangable blockbuster grooves reminds me of the great Ion Dissonance. Meanwhile, the contrasting blend of unorthodox melody, jagged dissonance, and stuttering, complex song structures come together with cohesion and blunt force, punctuated by the occasional warped solo. Like a harsh, harrowing soundtrack to a bleak dystopian future, Infinite Mortality is a mean, chunky, technical, and deliciously primal slab of advanced disso-tech-death excellence.
#5. Noxis // Violence Inherent in the System – Notably death metal in 2024 was dominated by brutal, dissonant varieties, designed to scramble brains and challenge minds while battering the listener into submission. Refreshingly, unheralded surprise packet Noxis unloaded a killer debut LP to savor. Drawing from an array of old-school influences and ’90s touchstones without ever aping one particular band or style, Noxis unleashed a nostalgic yet unique death metal platter. Managing to at once sound raw and unclean, technical and brutal, thrashy and proggy, sharp and refined, Noxis blaze their way craftily through memorable, riff-infested wastelands with unbridled aggression, speed, and finesse, rubber-stamped by some exceptional bass work. Remnants of the classic Floridian scene mingle with powerful influences, including early Cryptopsy, later-era Death, Atheist, and Cannibal Corpse, resulting in a finished product that sounds fresh and vital, while containing an endearing, workmanlike old-school charm. It works a treat, and the top-notch and frequently inventive writing reveals impressive depth and character that rewards repeat listens.
#4. Dissimulator // Lower Form Resistance – There are some serviceable, enjoyable thrash-aligned albums in 2024, but one stood head and shoulders above the competition. Comprised of a grizzled bunch of underground Canadian musicians hellbent on fusing advanced technical thrash assaults with sick old-school death-thrash, a fuckton of killer riffs, quirky vocoder action, and razor-sharp hooks, Lower Form Resistance has consistently provided an adrenaline-filled shot of thrash when needing that specific fix. Dissimulator rewires thrash in intricate and intriguing ways, giving me the same giddy rush as past experiences with the likes of Capharnaum, Vhol, and Revocation. Excited to hear what these dudes conjure up next. In the meantime, Lower Form Resistance will continue to keep my thrash cogs oiled through potent bangers like “Warped,” “Automoil & Robotoil,” and “Hyperline Underflow.”
#3. Huntsmen // The Dry Land – After somehow sleeping on 2018 debut American Scrap and subsequently their apparent sophomore slumping second album, I finally righted my wrongs by delving into the strange and wildly unique woodlands of Chicago metal troupe Huntsmen and their phenomenal third LP, The Dry Land. A raw, rustic, and emotionally striking explosion of genre-bending excellence, where blackened sludge, doom, post, prog, folk, and Americana influences coalesce into an intoxicating and frequently thrilling musical formula, rich in detail and emotion. The skilled genre mashing is cohesive and genuine, loaded with surprises, structural twists, dramatic ebbs and flows, deep burrowing hooks, and contrasting vocal trade-offs to seal the deal on a remarkable album. Despite only a small handful of songs comprising the album (six in total), Huntsmen make every moment count, from blazing longer numbers with stunning contrasts and peaks (“This, Our Gospel,” “In Time, All things”) to plaintive folk dusted rock (“Lean Times”), through to the stunningly moving, compact power of “Rain.” Huntsmen occupy a unique space in the metalverse.
#2. Borknagar // Fall – I have a slightly odd history with Norwegian legends Borknagar. I recall being taken by their excellent 2012 album Urd, yet oddly enough I didn’t extend my listening beyond that isolated release. Things changed with 2019’s True North, a typically solid offering that inspired my explorations of portions of their vast and consistently engaging catalog. The twelfth album Fall marks their first album since True North and again features an outstanding line-up of talents, including founding mastermind Øystein Brun, multi-talented keyboardist/clean vocalist Lars Nedland, and ace up their sleeve bass/vocal powerhouse ICS Vortex. Fall smacks of a veteran band not merely content to coast on their laurels but rather carve freshly creative trajectories for their now signature blend of epic prog, triumphant Viking, and icy black metal to thrive. An extra shot of old-school blackened aggression and fuller production boosted an album of consistently high quality. Fall became a true all-occasions album in 2024; often uplifting me when I felt down or giving me a punchy charge when the need arose. Wall-to-wall prime cuts feature, headlined by the storming “Summits,” moody earworm, “The Wild Lingers”, and the striking, epic shimmer of “Moon.” Stalwarts still operating at the top of their game.
#1. Counting Hours // The Wishing Tomb – Not since Fvneral Fvkk’s remarkable Carnal Confessions debut has a doom album struck as hard as the second platter of sadboi misery perpetrated by Finland’s excellent Counting Hours. While doom and its death-doom companion may not always dominate my listening habits, when an album does hit that sweet spot, it usually leaves a profound impact. Few forms of metal generate the emotional resonance of quality doom and Counting Hours tears at the heartstrings through a riveting collection of gorgeously played and executed death-doom ditties, spearheaded by former members of the hugely underrated Rapture. Ilpo Paasela backs up the stellar musicianship, superb guitar work, and tight, addictive songwriting with a stunning mix of emotively raw, stately cleans and rugged death growls. The whole package packs an emotional wallop, yet its soulful edge and hopelessly addictive hooks and sing-along moments prevent a drop too deeply into depressive waters, as such earwormy gems as “Timeless Ones,” “All That Blooms (Needs to Die),” and “Starlit / Lifeless” attest. The Wishing Tomb is an epic album to lose yourself in.
Honorable Mentions:
- Blood Incantation // Absolute Elsewhere – Did I overrate Absolute Elsewhere? Possibly. Is it overhyped? Absolutely. Yet Blood Incantation remains a brave, adventurous band and Absolute Elsewhere represents a welcome return to form from these gifted, star-gazing space cadets. A flawed but effective fusing of their death metal roots with an increased focus on ’70s-inspired progressive rock and trippy psych flourishes.
- 200 Stab Wounds // Manual Manic Procedures – I barely took notice of Cleveland’s 200 Stab Wounds debut LP, but sophomore album Manual Manic Procedures provided one of the real surprise packets in 2024. It very nearly cracked the main list sheerly through heavy rotation. A meaty, adrenaline-charged shot of muscular death into the veins.
- Ripped to Shreds // Sanshi – Another reliably awesome slab of old-school death from Andrew Lee and co. Increasingly shreddy, extravagant solo work and a grindier edge powered one of their best albums yet.
- Nails // Every Bridge Burning – Nails is back and that is a great thing. New line-up, the same mode of short, sharp, blast-your-skin-off aggression, head-caving grooves, and hate-filled energy.
- Unhallowed Deliverance // Of Spectre and Strife – A pleasant surprise and one of the best debut albums in 2024. German tech-slam-brutal death juggernaut Unhallowed Deliverance knocked it out of the park with limited subtlety but a heap of talent, creativity, and songwriting smarts.
- Wormed // Omegon – With Ulcerate’s latest release not quite hitting me on the intense level of others, and having run out of time to properly digest and rank the obvious high-quality new Defeated Sanity, Wormed’s long-awaited return gave me my fix of calculated brutality via futuristic, slammy, technical brutal death executed in typically warped, mind-blowing fashion.
- Khirki // Κυκεώνας – Following up an impressive, well-received debut LP is no easy feat. Kenstrosity steered many of us from the AMG community onto Greek band Khirki’s Κτηνωδία debut in 2021, so I eagerly anticipated Khirki’s return for the second go around. The resulting album met expectations through a fiery, passionate, and eclectic mix of metal, rock, and traditional Greek folk.
- Sergeant Thunderhoof // The Ghost of Badon Hill – A late-year list shaker, underappreciated UK psych-prog-stoner outfit Sergeant Thunderhoof unleased a more restrained, psych-enhanced, and introspective album, showing signs of being a genuine grower since its November release, despite not quite hitting the irresistible highs of 2022’s This Sceptred Veil.
Disappointments o’ the Year:
- Several highly anticipated albums did not quite land the killer blows I was hoping for. Respectable to very good albums, but I expected better from Vola (admittedly a grower), Caligula’s Horse, Ihsahn, and especially Zeal and Ardor.
Non-Metal Picks:
- St Vincent, SIR, Michael Kiwanuka, Allie X, MGMT
Song ‘o the Year:
- Counting Hours – “Timeless Ones”
There were any number of standouts and potential Song o’ the Year candidates that could have nabbed top honors, including several counterparts from Counting Hours’ spectacular sophomore album. In the end, I settled on the (proper) album opener of my album of the year, as the tune that really hooked me initially from an album that captivated my soul. A rich, emotive piece of dark, melodic death-doom with superlative guitar melodies and a chorus for the ages. Honorable mention to Huntsmen’s “Rain.”
Felgund
I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of living in interesting times. But as that wizened sage, Gandalf so wisely reminds us: “So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”
So what have I been doing with the time that has been given? A fair amount, as it turns out. 2024 has certainly been a tumultuous year for our small family. On the one hand, the business that I launched in 2023 has been chugging along for well over a year and a half now, and I think I’m far enough along in the process that I feel (at least somewhat) comfortable calling it a success. The baby that we brought home from the hospital is now, inexplicably, a whip-smart 7-year-old. My wife’s career continues to blossom as she continues to moonlight as my business manager. Things are good.
And yet 2024 also proved to be harder than I’d ever imagined. My dad died back in April, an experience that remains both devastating and surreal. He’d had multiple sclerosis for well over a decade, and as I’m sure many of you know, MS is a grasping, grinding petty little disease. But for as much as it stole, it proved incapable of taking away who my father was; it couldn’t quite make off with what made him him. He was my best friend before his diagnosis, and he remained my best friend up until that impossible evening in a hospital room in early April. Truth be told, he’s still my best friend, only now he’s free to walk wherever I see fit to imagine him.
Despite my best efforts, I realized pretty quickly you can’t capture a life in a few paragraphs. I couldn’t do it in his eulogy, and I certainly won’t attempt to do so on a heavy metal blog. But I will share this:
My dad was a carpenter by trade and an artist by choice; he was a fisherman and a cook; he was a handyman, a builder, a designer, and a writer; he taught himself how to play guitar, and he’s perhaps the singular reason why I’m writing for this website today. Because while he wasn’t a fan of metal himself, he instilled in me not only a love for music, but an interest in the process; in the people who create it, the minds that shape it, and the passion that births it.
He played in countless bands in his youth, and I can think of no better way to honor his memory than by sharing some of his music with you all. With Steel’s blessing, I’m embedding a two-song demo (“A Place in Time” and “Street Legal”) ripped from a cassette my old man recorded in the late 80s, so apologies in advance for the questionable quality. He composed both the music and lyrics, played guitar and bass, and sang on both tracks, which were devised when he was perhaps at his Rush fanboy peak. It’s been a delight and a balm hearing his voice again, captured as it was in a moment when he was young, vibrant, and doing what he loved.
So here we are. Despite (or perhaps because of) this, I managed to consume a fair amount of metal this year. And while I was far less productive as a writer than I’d hoped and I wasn’t able to listen to as much as I originally planned, I discovered a plethora of new music here on AMG that soothed what Neil Peart once referred to as his “baby soul.” And surprisingly, I found much of that solace in the discordant, the dissonant, and the off-kilter, as the list below probably reflects. But more importantly, I found compassion, support, and understanding amongst the writing staff here. And while they may not know it, I will be forever thankful for the folks who showed me such boundless kindness during a year that felt decidedly unkind. Thank you, my friends.
Now let’s get to to it. Here are my top ten(ish) albums of 2024.
#(ish). Beaten to Death // Sunrise Over Rigor Mortis – It almost feels like cheating to place an 18-minute album in my Top 10(ish), but here we are. 2024 proved to be a year where my interest in grind and grind-adjacent acts expanded, and this “ish” is the result. While I wasn’t aware of Beaten to Death prior to this release, I was quickly swept away by Sunrise Over Rigor Mortis’ ability to bludgeon its idiosyncratic way into my brain and coil there like the most glorious of infections. Beaten to Death has delivered a concise helping of grinding goodness, with crispy prog edges and a schmear of off-kilter humor. Back catalog, here I come!
#10. Sleepytime Gorilla Museum // Of the Last Human Being – Gardenstale’s gushing review of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum’s fourth album Of the Last Human Being was a tough endorsement to ignore, as was an invocation of Diablo Swing Orchestra. So I threw caution to the wind and leaped headlong into this experimental maelstrom. And I’m so happy I did. Don’t let the runtime dissuade you; Of the Last Human Being doesn’t feel nearly as long as it is, and over that relatively brief timespan, you’re provided with a front-row seat to the aural equivalent of perhaps the most fun kind of performance art. Hard-edged riffs, off-kilter instrumentation, ominous theatrics interlaced with beautiful, sparse melodies, and all capped off by the deranged croons of chief carnival barker Nils Frykdahl. If I’d spent more time with this record it may have placed higher, but as it is, I’m happy it’s making an appearance at the number 10 spot.
#9. Sur Austru // Datura Strǎhiarelor – Despite Twelve underrating this album, I suppose I should commend him for introducing me to Sur Austru in the first place. This Romanian outfit’s third full-length Datura Strǎhiarelor is a potent blend of rumbling, blackened fury, and melodic folk metal, with plenty of flute work, orchestration, choral elements, and plaintive keys thrown in. And, while the gruff, chanting growls might rub some listeners the wrong way, it was this aspect more than any other that first grabbed my attention, and proceeded to keep it. And while I haven’t a clue what the vocalists are shouting at me, the tone and placement in the mix feels just right, especially for this brand of folk-infused black metal. Such is the strength of Sur Austru that this album began as my “ish” before eventually working its way to ninth. Mightly bold of them.
#8. Necrowretch // Swords of Dajjal – Some of the entries on this list were either late discoveries or took some time before they got their dirty little hooks in me. Necrowretch’s Swords of Dajjal was not one of them. As soon as I spun it back in February, it was love at first listen. Swords of Dajjal focuses on the greater deceiver in Islamic mythology, and explores that tradition through the use of ferocious blackened death metal (with perhaps a dollop or two of thrash thrown in). Although, as Carcharodon rightly pointed out in his review, the “blackened” part is doing most of the heavy lifting here. And that’s not a bad thing, as Necrowretch is more than adept at crafting memorable hooks and an engaging atmosphere without sacrificing heft or freneticism. Swords of Dajjal is an unmitigated success, and my only real gripe is that Necrowretch dropped a new platter so early in the year that it may go overlooked on too many end-of-year lists.
#7. The Vision Bleak // Weird Tales – Grier and I may not see eye to eye on music, but what can I say? The man knows his way around gothic metal. So when he awarded a 4.0 to Weird Tales back in April, what was I to do? If you said wait several months before bothering to press play, you’re correct. But folks, I may have been late to the party, but it’s a rager nonetheless. The Vision Bleak has produced an emotive, memorable, downright heart-wrenching concept album; one that is both lush and harsh, both achingly melodic and morosely heavy. Weird Tales isn’t my usual cup of tea, but The Vision Bleak has rejected my assertion by doing what many similar acts appear incapable of doing: cohesively balancing “gothic” and “metal” without lessening the impact of either. A well-earned addition, indeed.
#6. Stenched // Purulence Gushing from the Coffin – While Rots-giving may have been tarnished by a less-than-stellar release from Rotpit back in November, I’ve moved on since then, and am now proudly celebrating Stenched-mas. The Manly n’ Mighty Steel reviewed this one-man grimy death outfit last month, and even though I was still smarting from my failed attempt to poach Purulence Gushing from the Coffin for myself, I can’t in good conscience deny how hard this globular mass of funerary muck rips. From the first track to the last, you’ll be rocking a near-permanent stank face, and you can’t blame that solely on the fungal miasma wafting from your speakers. The truth is, Stenched has delivered a masterclass in riff-heavy, moss-encrusted death metal; the kind that’s perfect to drag your knuckles to. Purulence Gushing from the Coffin is the exact kind of no-frills, all-guts death metal I needed in 2024, and that’s why it’s sitting pretty at 6.
#5. Aklash // Reincarnation – How are we already at the Top Five? And what better way to kick off this most treasured of positions than with the melodic black metal stylings of Aklash on their fourth album Reincarnation? Aklash received a solid write-up in June’s Stuck in the Filter by our very own Kenstrosity, and their most recent outing has continued to climb higher and higher on my list the more I’ve spun it. Part black metal, part progressive metal, part trad metal (epic choruses included), Reincarnation packs a wallop in just a short 37 minutes. overflowing with varied instrumentation and keen lyrical chops, grandiose in scope and medieval in tone, yet more personal than it has any right to be, Aklash is firing on all cylinders here, and, as such, is perfectly suited for anyone’s top 5.
#4. Devenial Verdict // Blessing of Despair – And, just like that, more death metal rears its ugly head. I’m still surprised at how high up Devenial Verdict’s sophomore album landed on my list, primarily because their 2022 debut Ash Blind failed to connect. But Blessing of Despair seems to have arrived just in time for my increasing flirtation with the cruel mistress that is dissodeath. As such, I found myself utterly taken with Devenial Verdict’s latest, overflowing as it is with equally heavy doses of discordant ferocity and mournful melodicism. And while Blessing of Despair is an undeniably heavy record, it makes sure to leave plenty of room for quieter moments, where slower sections and sparse instrumentation have room to bloom and breathe. This approach not only results in a wonderfully balanced album but ensures the bludgeoning that’s sure to follow is all the more impactful. Consider me reformed.
#3. Aborted // Vault of Horrors – I’m fairly certain that any death metal fan worth their salt is legally required to include the latest Aborted release on their end-of-year list. Over 25 years and 12 albums into their carnal career, these death metal titans need no introduction. Blood-drenched, gore-soaked, and happily grindy, Aborted are in a league all their own, and it shows on Vault of Horrors. The music remains tight and explosive, building a menacing atmosphere that pervades only the stickiest of grindhouse theaters. Besides, with songs dedicated to classics like Return of the Living Dead, Hellraiser, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, how could I do anything other than include this gem of an album in my top 3? I for one welcome our horror-themed overlords.
#2. Noxis // Violence Inherent in the System – What began as a random pick from the promo sump by one Kenstrosity quickly rose to become a favorite of the death metal maniacs (those with good taste, anyway) on the AMG staff. Now, more importantly, it’s nabbed the second-highest honor on my year-end list. Noxis’ first full-length album Violence Inherent in the System sounds like the product of a much more experienced band. The songwriting is top-notch, the performances are big and bold without being overwrought, and the sticky riffs stay wedged in your mind long after the album ends. And yet for all of its bombast, Noxis is still able to infuse their debut with oodles of atmosphere, not to mention a level of balance between death metal orthodoxy and fresh bells and whistles (and horns) that would make even Thanos grimace in jealousy. Special attention must also be paid to Joe Lowrie’s snare tone and Dave Kirsch’s godlike bass performance.
#1. Pyrrhon // Exhaust – I suppose I was always destined to end up here, I just didn’t know it right away. Pyrrhon’s fifth full-length Exhaust didn’t initially grab me the way some of my other entries did. However, on repeat spins, I found myself falling deeper and deeper into its frenetic, dissonant embrace, discovering both nuances and subtleties amidst the proggy cacophony. On an album that thoroughly explores the universal theme of exhaustion, be it physical, mental, social, or economic, Pyrrhon’s brand of noise-tinged death metal feels like the ideal tool with which to scrawl their livid manifesto. But what truly sets Exhaust apart is its unrelenting groove, stoked by Pyrrhon’s inventive capacity to not only feature but to uplift its unique brand of melodicism amidst the unrelenting maelstrom. It’s hard to overstate just how critical this aspect is to Exhaust’s success, especially since it would have been so easy to excise. But Exhaust’s manic ferocity, which swerves jerks, hops, and heaves, is all the better for it. And while its charms were initially lost on me, I found it easier and easier to finally succumb to its tremulous tendrils. Any record with that kind of staying power (not to mention a theme so applicable to my own experiences this past year) has more than earned my top spot for 2024.
Honorable Mentions:
- Defeated Sanity // Chronicles of Lunacy – Defeated Sanity is a brutal tech death stalwart at this point, and now seven albums in, Chronicles of Lunacy only further cements that status. Chronicles of Lunacy provides the listener with track after aggressively intricate track exploring lunacy in its many forms, but the real treat here is Lille Gruber’s masterful performance on the drums.
- Full of Hell // Coagulated Bliss – while I don’t think I’ve become a complete grind convert, albums like Full of Hell’s Coagulated Bliss and Beaten to Death’s Sunrise Over Rigor Mortis certainly set me on the path to one day become a proud proselytizer. You can’t deny Coagulated Bliss’ infectious groove and whirlwind pace, although I agree with the Dolphin’s rating adjustment.
- Undeath // More Insane – no, it’s not as good as It’s Time…to Rise from the Grave, and there’s no reason to pretend that it is. Nor does it need to be. While More Insane may not reach the lofty heights of its predecessor, it still showcases an Undeath doing what it does best, while also hinting at an undeniable ability to evolve into an even sharper, more fetid OSDM beast.
- 200 Stab Wounds // Manual Manic Procedures – while I wasn’t entirely kind in my review of 200 Stab Wounds’ debut, Mark Z suggested I take their follow-up Manual Manic Procedures for a spin, and I’m glad I did. It’s clear they’ve grown as artists, and their sophomore effort reflects that heightened maturity. Keep stabbing on, your crazy diamonds!
- Mamaleek // Vida Blue – I’m confident this album captures what it would sound like if Tom Waits listened to too much Ashenspire before leaving for the recording studio. Long, difficult, and bold, I found myself returning again and again to Vida Blue no matter how challenging I found the experience. While this album didn’t make my top 10, I’m convinced a future Mamaleek release will.
Song o’ the Year:
- Noxis – ”Skullcrushing Defilement”
This song goes hard. Exceptionally hard. In truth, there are any number of tunes from Violence Inherent in the System that fit the “Song o’ the Year” bill, but I had to give the edge to “Skullcrushing Defilement.” Not only does it begin with an absolutely searing bass solo, but it sets the stage for the four-string onslaught that’s to come. There’s a noticeable Cannibal Corpse influence that I can’t help but love here, alongside heaping doses of maniacal melodicism, turbocharged technicality, and an earworm chorus to boot. Abandon all cervical spines, ye who enter here.
#200StabWounds #2024 #Aborted #Aklash #AllieX #Anciients #Archspire #Atheist #BeatenToDeath #BlogPosts #BloodIncantation #Borknagar #CaligulaSHorse #CannibalCorpse #Capharnaum #CountingHours #Crytopsy #Death #DefeatedSanity #DevenialVerdict #DiabloSwingOrchestra #Dissimulator #Dissonance #FullOfHell #FvneralFvkk #Huntsmen #Ihsahn #Khirki #Lists #MadderMortem #Mamaleek #MGMT #MichaelKiwanuka #Nails #Necrowretch #Noxis #OceansOfSlumber #Opeth #Pyrrhon #Rapture #Replicant #Revocation #RippedToShreds #Rotpit #SaundersAndFelagundSTopTenIshOf2024 #SergeantThunderfoot #SIR #SleepytimeGorillaMuseum #StVincent #Stenched #SurAustru #TheVisionBleak #TomWaits #Ulcerate #Undeath #UnhallowedDeliverance #Vhöl #Wormed #ZealAndArdor
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Saunders and Felagund’s Top Ten(ish) of 2024
By Dr. A.N. Grier
Saunders
Rather than delve into the not-so-good parts of a rollercoaster 2024, which had its share of rough circumstances, I’m using this rare soapbox moment to focus on the positives of another action-packed year of metal. Celebrating ten years of writing at Angry Metal Guy was an achievement that crept up. All these years later I remain beyond stoked and privileged to still be contributing in a small way as the blog has snowballed into the juggernaut it is today.
Unfortunately, I haven’t quite fulfilled my writing productivity goals in 2024. However, even when motivation slips, it still gives me great satisfaction to have a platform to share my thoughts and opinions on the music I love. I cannot match the writing chops or word smithery of our most esteemed scribes. However, honing my craft within my own abilities and drawing inspiration from the excellence of my fellow writers continues to motivate me and hopefully steer listeners toward some great music.
While it may not compete with some of the top-shelf individual years over the past decade, 2024 featured a lot of top-shelf stuff across a multitude of genres sprawled over the heavy spectrum. As per usual, the plethora of releases was overwhelming and again I stumble into the end-of-year chaos with a hefty list of stuff I need to check out or spend more time with. Nevertheless, from the numerous albums, I spent quality time with throughout the year, I eventually arrived at the releases that mattered the most to me, with many gems to no doubt uncover in the end-of-year wash-up. This is probably one of the more eclectic lists I’ve cultivated during my time here. Not sure exactly why that was the case, but a year of fluctuating, uneasy shifts on personal and professional fronts perhaps contributed to the more diverse listening rotation.
To wrap up, a heartfelt thank you to our beloved readership for making this all worthwhile and to all my colleagues/writing buddies and general crew of awesome people comprising the ever-expanding blog. Also shout-out to my list buddy Felagund, here’s hoping our combined powers partially align or otherwise complement and provide some listening inspiration. Lastly, a special heads-up to Angry Metal Guy, Steel Druhm, and the rest of the AMG editors and brains trust for whipping us all into order and doing the behind-the-scenes heavy lifting to keep this great thing chugging along. Cheers.
#ish: Anciients // Beyond the Reach of the Sun – Personal dramas, line-up shuffles, and an extended stint away from the studio failed to hamper the triumphant return of Canada’s progressive-stoner-sludge heavyweights Anciients. Beyond the Reach of the Sun marks a strong return that expands the band’s songwriting vision through a standout collection of ambitious, heavily prog-leaning cuts. Loaded with dazzling guitar work and gripping songwriting, Beyond the Reach of the Sun finds the band recalibrating and hitting their songwriting straps without compromising the genre-splicing traits and character they formed across their first couple of albums. It is not a perfect album by any means, with some niggling elements rearing their head, mostly via the way of some bloat, sequencing issues, and a flat production job. But with songs of the outstanding quality of “Despoiled,” “Is it Your God,” and “The Torch” leading the way, the album’s issues fail to extinguish my overall enthusiasm.
#10. Madder Mortem // Old Eyes New Heart – I came to veteran Norwegian progressive metal outfit Madder Mortem late in the game, just as they appeared to be hitting modern-era career peaks via Red in Tooth and Claw, and most recent album, 2018’s Marrow. Six long years in the wilderness and Madder Mortem return without missing a beat, continuing to pump out expressive, powerfully composed jams of their trademark mix of Goth-tinged progressive/alt metal. Although I enjoyed the album from the outset, if anything it has grown in stature since its early year release. The album’s subtleties and bevy of emotion-charged hooks bury deeper into the brain upon repeat doses. The tough period the band endured prior to the unleashing of Old Eyes New Heart is reflected in the album’s raw, potent swell of emotions and overall depth. This is further reflected in the diverse nature of the colorful songwriting, swinging from bluesy, melancholic restraint (“Cold Hard Rain”), pop-infected prog (‘Here and Now”) to urgent, dramatic, and infectious rock powerhouses (“The Head That Wears the Crown,” “Towers”).
#9. Opeth // The Last Will and Testament – As a longtime Opeth fanboy, it is a cool feeling to be genuinely enthused about a new LP, nearly three decades since their underrated Orchid debut. All the pre-release buzz centered on the return of Åkerfeldt’s famed death growls. While certainly a cool and unexpected touch, the fourteenth album The Last Will and Testament is not merely a nostalgic throwback to the band’s glory days. Instead, Opeth fuses those quirky, vintage prog tools from their modern-era material and fuses them into an intricate concept album that is a significant step up from the past couple of uneven efforts and easily their best work since at least 2014’s Pale Communion. Dazzling musicianship, jazzy licks, and inventively crafted, yet notably more focused and concise writing marked an album that features better production and tighter, punchier songs than the band has written in a while. It is also Opeth’s heaviest, most riff-centric release in many moons. Despite the trademark melancholic moods and darker shades, it also sounds as if the band is having real fun, reinforced by the abundance of bouncy, infectious riffs, shreddy solos, and boisterous grooves littering the album. Likely would have earned higher honors with time, as I still feel there is much more to discover.
#8. Oceans of Slumber // Where Gods Fear to Speak – Previously enjoyed the idea of Texan progressive metal powerhouse Oceans of Slumber, more than the execution and finished product. In particular, 2016’s Winter has grown in stature over the years. Yet for much of their career, it has felt like a case of incredible talent and potential not fully realized. That changed on Where Gods Fear to Speak, arguably the band’s most complete, consistent, and hook-laden release. When I felt the prog itch throughout 2024, Where Gods Fear to Speak was often the go-to. An album of lush, moody, drama-filled compositions, deftly contrasting soaring melodies, and skyscraping hooks with muscular riffage and heftier bouts of aggression, the writing is tighter and more compelling than previous efforts. Cammie Beverly’s scene-stealing vocals may take center stage, but this is very much a complete effort, where the rich soundscapes, brooding atmospheres, and technical musicianship shine brightly. Loaded with killer jams, including stirring highlights, “Don’t Come Back from Hell Empty Handed,” “Wish,” and “Poem of Ecstasy,” Where Gods Fear to Speak finally finds Oceans of Slumber firing on all cylinders.
#7. Pyrrhon // Exhaust – In theory, Pyrrhon should be one of my favorite bands. I used to eat up all manner of skronky, dissonant, and abrasive extreme metal. Perhaps my thirst for the weirder, experimental forms of death metal and dissonance has softened over the years. However, while largely enjoying Pyrrhon’s career up to this point, Exhaust feels like the album I have been waiting for the band to deliver. Exhaust dropped unexpectedly and that element of surprise flowed through another oddball, deranged platter of wildly inventive, chaotic, yet oddly accessible (in Pyrrhon terms) extreme metal. From cautious, challenging early listens, I found myself increasingly compelled to revisit Exhaust on a regular basis, marveling at its flexible, fractured songwriting, nimble musicianship, and raw hardcore punk edge infiltrating the dissonant, experimental death metal at the core of the Pyrrhon experience. Gritty production, perfectly unhinged vocal performance from Doug Moore, and occasional burst of groove and shred of accessibility punctuating the chaos (“First as Tragedy, Then as Farce,” “Strange Pains,” “Stress Fractures”) lend the album a refreshingly addictive edge to counterbalance its abrasive, challenging angles.
#6. Replicant // Infinite Mortality – New Jersey’s Replicant previously exhibited their brawny, yet brainy mix of gnarled dissonance, technicality, and knuckle-dragging street grooves to powerful effect. However, third album Infinite Mortality levelled the playing field as the band upped their game to elite levels of controlled chaos, while the writing remained challenging yet strangely accessible and memorable. In spirit, the ugly mix of harshness, discordance, and headbangable blockbuster grooves reminds me of the great Ion Dissonance. Meanwhile, the contrasting blend of unorthodox melody, jagged dissonance, and stuttering, complex song structures come together with cohesion and blunt force, punctuated by the occasional warped solo. Like a harsh, harrowing soundtrack to a bleak dystopian future, Infinite Mortality is a mean, chunky, technical, and deliciously primal slab of advanced disso-tech-death excellence.
#5. Noxis // Violence Inherent in the System – Notably death metal in 2024 was dominated by brutal, dissonant varieties, designed to scramble brains and challenge minds while battering the listener into submission. Refreshingly, unheralded surprise packet Noxis unloaded a killer debut LP to savor. Drawing from an array of old-school influences and ’90s touchstones without ever aping one particular band or style, Noxis unleashed a nostalgic yet unique death metal platter. Managing to at once sound raw and unclean, technical and brutal, thrashy and proggy, sharp and refined, Noxis blaze their way craftily through memorable, riff-infested wastelands with unbridled aggression, speed, and finesse, rubber-stamped by some exceptional bass work. Remnants of the classic Floridian scene mingle with powerful influences, including early Cryptopsy, later-era Death, Atheist, and Cannibal Corpse, resulting in a finished product that sounds fresh and vital, while containing an endearing, workmanlike old-school charm. It works a treat, and the top-notch and frequently inventive writing reveals impressive depth and character that rewards repeat listens.
#4. Dissimulator // Lower Form Resistance – There are some serviceable, enjoyable thrash-aligned albums in 2024, but one stood head and shoulders above the competition. Comprised of a grizzled bunch of underground Canadian musicians hellbent on fusing advanced technical thrash assaults with sick old-school death-thrash, a fuckton of killer riffs, quirky vocoder action, and razor-sharp hooks, Lower Form Resistance has consistently provided an adrenaline-filled shot of thrash when needing that specific fix. Dissimulator rewires thrash in intricate and intriguing ways, giving me the same giddy rush as past experiences with the likes of Capharnaum, Vhol, and Revocation. Excited to hear what these dudes conjure up next. In the meantime, Lower Form Resistance will continue to keep my thrash cogs oiled through potent bangers like “Warped,” “Automoil & Robotoil,” and “Hyperline Underflow.”
#3. Huntsmen // The Dry Land – After somehow sleeping on 2018 debut American Scrap and subsequently their apparent sophomore slumping second album, I finally righted my wrongs by delving into the strange and wildly unique woodlands of Chicago metal troupe Huntsmen and their phenomenal third LP, The Dry Land. A raw, rustic, and emotionally striking explosion of genre-bending excellence, where blackened sludge, doom, post, prog, folk, and Americana influences coalesce into an intoxicating and frequently thrilling musical formula, rich in detail and emotion. The skilled genre mashing is cohesive and genuine, loaded with surprises, structural twists, dramatic ebbs and flows, deep burrowing hooks, and contrasting vocal trade-offs to seal the deal on a remarkable album. Despite only a small handful of songs comprising the album (six in total), Huntsmen make every moment count, from blazing longer numbers with stunning contrasts and peaks (“This, Our Gospel,” “In Time, All things”) to plaintive folk dusted rock (“Lean Times”), through to the stunningly moving, compact power of “Rain.” Huntsmen occupy a unique space in the metalverse.
#2. Borknagar // Fall – I have a slightly odd history with Norwegian legends Borknagar. I recall being taken by their excellent 2012 album Urd, yet oddly enough I didn’t extend my listening beyond that isolated release. Things changed with 2019’s True North, a typically solid offering that inspired my explorations of portions of their vast and consistently engaging catalog. The twelfth album Fall marks their first album since True North and again features an outstanding line-up of talents, including founding mastermind Øystein Brun, multi-talented keyboardist/clean vocalist Lars Nedland, and ace up their sleeve bass/vocal powerhouse ICS Vortex. Fall smacks of a veteran band not merely content to coast on their laurels but rather carve freshly creative trajectories for their now signature blend of epic prog, triumphant Viking, and icy black metal to thrive. An extra shot of old-school blackened aggression and fuller production boosted an album of consistently high quality. Fall became a true all-occasions album in 2024; often uplifting me when I felt down or giving me a punchy charge when the need arose. Wall-to-wall prime cuts feature, headlined by the storming “Summits,” moody earworm, “The Wild Lingers”, and the striking, epic shimmer of “Moon.” Stalwarts still operating at the top of their game.
#1. Counting Hours // The Wishing Tomb – Not since Fvneral Fvkk’s remarkable Carnal Confessions debut has a doom album struck as hard as the second platter of sadboi misery perpetrated by Finland’s excellent Counting Hours. While doom and its death-doom companion may not always dominate my listening habits, when an album does hit that sweet spot, it usually leaves a profound impact. Few forms of metal generate the emotional resonance of quality doom and Counting Hours tears at the heartstrings through a riveting collection of gorgeously played and executed death-doom ditties, spearheaded by former members of the hugely underrated Rapture. Ilpo Paasela backs up the stellar musicianship, superb guitar work, and tight, addictive songwriting with a stunning mix of emotively raw, stately cleans and rugged death growls. The whole package packs an emotional wallop, yet its soulful edge and hopelessly addictive hooks and sing-along moments prevent a drop too deeply into depressive waters, as such earwormy gems as “Timeless Ones,” “All That Blooms (Needs to Die),” and “Starlit / Lifeless” attest. The Wishing Tomb is an epic album to lose yourself in.
Honorable Mentions:
- Blood Incantation // Absolute Elsewhere – Did I overrate Absolute Elsewhere? Possibly. Is it overhyped? Absolutely. Yet Blood Incantation remains a brave, adventurous band and Absolute Elsewhere represents a welcome return to form from these gifted, star-gazing space cadets. A flawed but effective fusing of their death metal roots with an increased focus on ’70s-inspired progressive rock and trippy psych flourishes.
- 200 Stab Wounds // Manual Manic Procedures – I barely took notice of Cleveland’s 200 Stab Wounds debut LP, but sophomore album Manual Manic Procedures provided one of the real surprise packets in 2024. It very nearly cracked the main list sheerly through heavy rotation. A meaty, adrenaline-charged shot of muscular death into the veins.
- Ripped to Shreds // Sanshi – Another reliably awesome slab of old-school death from Andrew Lee and co. Increasingly shreddy, extravagant solo work and a grindier edge powered one of their best albums yet.
- Nails // Every Bridge Burning – Nails is back and that is a great thing. New line-up, the same mode of short, sharp, blast-your-skin-off aggression, head-caving grooves, and hate-filled energy.
- Unhallowed Deliverance // Of Spectre and Strife – A pleasant surprise and one of the best debut albums in 2024. German tech-slam-brutal death juggernaut Unhallowed Deliverance knocked it out of the park with limited subtlety but a heap of talent, creativity, and songwriting smarts.
- Wormed // Omegon – With Ulcerate’s latest release not quite hitting me on the intense level of others, and having run out of time to properly digest and rank the obvious high-quality new Defeated Sanity, Wormed’s long-awaited return gave me my fix of calculated brutality via futuristic, slammy, technical brutal death executed in typically warped, mind-blowing fashion.
- Khirki // Κυκεώνας – Following up an impressive, well-received debut LP is no easy feat. Kenstrosity steered many of us from the AMG community onto Greek band Khirki’s Κτηνωδία debut in 2021, so I eagerly anticipated Khirki’s return for the second go around. The resulting album met expectations through a fiery, passionate, and eclectic mix of metal, rock, and traditional Greek folk.
- Sergeant Thunderhoof // The Ghost of Badon Hill – A late-year list shaker, underappreciated UK psych-prog-stoner outfit Sergeant Thunderhoof unleased a more restrained, psych-enhanced, and introspective album, showing signs of being a genuine grower since its November release, despite not quite hitting the irresistible highs of 2022’s This Sceptred Veil.
Disappointments o’ the Year:
- Several highly anticipated albums did not quite land the killer blows I was hoping for. Respectable to very good albums, but I expected better from Vola (admittedly a grower), Caligula’s Horse, Ihsahn, and especially Zeal and Ardor.
Non-Metal Picks:
- St Vincent, SIR, Michael Kiwanuka, Allie X, MGMT
Song ‘o the Year:
- Counting Hours – “Timeless Ones”
There were any number of standouts and potential Song o’ the Year candidates that could have nabbed top honors, including several counterparts from Counting Hours’ spectacular sophomore album. In the end, I settled on the (proper) album opener of my album of the year, as the tune that really hooked me initially from an album that captivated my soul. A rich, emotive piece of dark, melodic death-doom with superlative guitar melodies and a chorus for the ages. Honorable mention to Huntsmen’s “Rain.”
Felgund
I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of living in interesting times. But as that wizened sage, Gandalf so wisely reminds us: “So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”
So what have I been doing with the time that has been given? A fair amount, as it turns out. 2024 has certainly been a tumultuous year for our small family. On the one hand, the business that I launched in 2023 has been chugging along for well over a year and a half now, and I think I’m far enough along in the process that I feel (at least somewhat) comfortable calling it a success. The baby that we brought home from the hospital is now, inexplicably, a whip-smart 7-year-old. My wife’s career continues to blossom as she continues to moonlight as my business manager. Things are good.
And yet 2024 also proved to be harder than I’d ever imagined. My dad died back in April, an experience that remains both devastating and surreal. He’d had multiple sclerosis for well over a decade, and as I’m sure many of you know, MS is a grasping, grinding petty little disease. But for as much as it stole, it proved incapable of taking away who my father was; it couldn’t quite make off with what made him him. He was my best friend before his diagnosis, and he remained my best friend up until that impossible evening in a hospital room in early April. Truth be told, he’s still my best friend, only now he’s free to walk wherever I see fit to imagine him.
Despite my best efforts, I realized pretty quickly you can’t capture a life in a few paragraphs. I couldn’t do it in his eulogy, and I certainly won’t attempt to do so on a heavy metal blog. But I will share this:
My dad was a carpenter by trade and an artist by choice; he was a fisherman and a cook; he was a handyman, a builder, a designer, and a writer; he taught himself how to play guitar, and he’s perhaps the singular reason why I’m writing for this website today. Because while he wasn’t a fan of metal himself, he instilled in me not only a love for music, but an interest in the process; in the people who create it, the minds that shape it, and the passion that births it.
He played in countless bands in his youth, and I can think of no better way to honor his memory than by sharing some of his music with you all. With Steel’s blessing, I’m embedding a two-song demo (“A Place in Time” and “Street Legal”) ripped from a cassette my old man recorded in the late 80s, so apologies in advance for the questionable quality. He composed both the music and lyrics, played guitar and bass, and sang on both tracks, which were devised when he was perhaps at his Rush fanboy peak. It’s been a delight and a balm hearing his voice again, captured as it was in a moment when he was young, vibrant, and doing what he loved.
So here we are. Despite (or perhaps because of) this, I managed to consume a fair amount of metal this year. And while I was far less productive as a writer than I’d hoped and I wasn’t able to listen to as much as I originally planned, I discovered a plethora of new music here on AMG that soothed what Neil Peart once referred to as his “baby soul.” And surprisingly, I found much of that solace in the discordant, the dissonant, and the off-kilter, as the list below probably reflects. But more importantly, I found compassion, support, and understanding amongst the writing staff here. And while they may not know it, I will be forever thankful for the folks who showed me such boundless kindness during a year that felt decidedly unkind. Thank you, my friends.
Now let’s get to to it. Here are my top ten(ish) albums of 2024.
#(ish). Beaten to Death // Sunrise Over Rigor Mortis – It almost feels like cheating to place an 18-minute album in my Top 10(ish), but here we are. 2024 proved to be a year where my interest in grind and grind-adjacent acts expanded, and this “ish” is the result. While I wasn’t aware of Beaten to Death prior to this release, I was quickly swept away by Sunrise Over Rigor Mortis’ ability to bludgeon its idiosyncratic way into my brain and coil there like the most glorious of infections. Beaten to Death has delivered a concise helping of grinding goodness, with crispy prog edges and a schmear of off-kilter humor. Back catalog, here I come!
#10. Sleepytime Gorilla Museum // Of the Last Human Being – Gardenstale’s gushing review of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum’s fourth album Of the Last Human Being was a tough endorsement to ignore, as was an invocation of Diablo Swing Orchestra. So I threw caution to the wind and leaped headlong into this experimental maelstrom. And I’m so happy I did. Don’t let the runtime dissuade you; Of the Last Human Being doesn’t feel nearly as long as it is, and over that relatively brief timespan, you’re provided with a front-row seat to the aural equivalent of perhaps the most fun kind of performance art. Hard-edged riffs, off-kilter instrumentation, ominous theatrics interlaced with beautiful, sparse melodies, and all capped off by the deranged croons of chief carnival barker Nils Frykdahl. If I’d spent more time with this record it may have placed higher, but as it is, I’m happy it’s making an appearance at the number 10 spot.
#9. Sur Austru // Datura Strǎhiarelor – Despite Twelve underrating this album, I suppose I should commend him for introducing me to Sur Austru in the first place. This Romanian outfit’s third full-length Datura Strǎhiarelor is a potent blend of rumbling, blackened fury, and melodic folk metal, with plenty of flute work, orchestration, choral elements, and plaintive keys thrown in. And, while the gruff, chanting growls might rub some listeners the wrong way, it was this aspect more than any other that first grabbed my attention, and proceeded to keep it. And while I haven’t a clue what the vocalists are shouting at me, the tone and placement in the mix feels just right, especially for this brand of folk-infused black metal. Such is the strength of Sur Austru that this album began as my “ish” before eventually working its way to ninth. Mightly bold of them.
#8. Necrowretch // Swords of Dajjal – Some of the entries on this list were either late discoveries or took some time before they got their dirty little hooks in me. Necrowretch’s Swords of Dajjal was not one of them. As soon as I spun it back in February, it was love at first listen. Swords of Dajjal focuses on the greater deceiver in Islamic mythology, and explores that tradition through the use of ferocious blackened death metal (with perhaps a dollop or two of thrash thrown in). Although, as Carcharodon rightly pointed out in his review, the “blackened” part is doing most of the heavy lifting here. And that’s not a bad thing, as Necrowretch is more than adept at crafting memorable hooks and an engaging atmosphere without sacrificing heft or freneticism. Swords of Dajjal is an unmitigated success, and my only real gripe is that Necrowretch dropped a new platter so early in the year that it may go overlooked on too many end-of-year lists.
#7. The Vision Bleak // Weird Tales – Grier and I may not see eye to eye on music, but what can I say? The man knows his way around gothic metal. So when he awarded a 4.0 to Weird Tales back in April, what was I to do? If you said wait several months before bothering to press play, you’re correct. But folks, I may have been late to the party, but it’s a rager nonetheless. The Vision Bleak has produced an emotive, memorable, downright heart-wrenching concept album; one that is both lush and harsh, both achingly melodic and morosely heavy. Weird Tales isn’t my usual cup of tea, but The Vision Bleak has rejected my assertion by doing what many similar acts appear incapable of doing: cohesively balancing “gothic” and “metal” without lessening the impact of either. A well-earned addition, indeed.
#6. Stenched // Purulence Gushing from the Coffin – While Rots-giving may have been tarnished by a less-than-stellar release from Rotpit back in November, I’ve moved on since then, and am now proudly celebrating Stenched-mas. The Manly n’ Mighty Steel reviewed this one-man grimy death outfit last month, and even though I was still smarting from my failed attempt to poach Purulence Gushing from the Coffin for myself, I can’t in good conscience deny how hard this globular mass of funerary muck rips. From the first track to the last, you’ll be rocking a near-permanent stank face, and you can’t blame that solely on the fungal miasma wafting from your speakers. The truth is, Stenched has delivered a masterclass in riff-heavy, moss-encrusted death metal; the kind that’s perfect to drag your knuckles to. Purulence Gushing from the Coffin is the exact kind of no-frills, all-guts death metal I needed in 2024, and that’s why it’s sitting pretty at 6.
#5. Aklash // Reincarnation – How are we already at the Top Five? And what better way to kick off this most treasured of positions than with the melodic black metal stylings of Aklash on their fourth album Reincarnation? Aklash received a solid write-up in June’s Stuck in the Filter by our very own Kenstrosity, and their most recent outing has continued to climb higher and higher on my list the more I’ve spun it. Part black metal, part progressive metal, part trad metal (epic choruses included), Reincarnation packs a wallop in just a short 37 minutes. overflowing with varied instrumentation and keen lyrical chops, grandiose in scope and medieval in tone, yet more personal than it has any right to be, Aklash is firing on all cylinders here, and, as such, is perfectly suited for anyone’s top 5.
#4. Devenial Verdict // Blessing of Despair – And, just like that, more death metal rears its ugly head. I’m still surprised at how high up Devenial Verdict’s sophomore album landed on my list, primarily because their 2022 debut Ash Blind failed to connect. But Blessing of Despair seems to have arrived just in time for my increasing flirtation with the cruel mistress that is dissodeath. As such, I found myself utterly taken with Devenial Verdict’s latest, overflowing as it is with equally heavy doses of discordant ferocity and mournful melodicism. And while Blessing of Despair is an undeniably heavy record, it makes sure to leave plenty of room for quieter moments, where slower sections and sparse instrumentation have room to bloom and breathe. This approach not only results in a wonderfully balanced album but ensures the bludgeoning that’s sure to follow is all the more impactful. Consider me reformed.
#3. Aborted // Vault of Horrors – I’m fairly certain that any death metal fan worth their salt is legally required to include the latest Aborted release on their end-of-year list. Over 25 years and 12 albums into their carnal career, these death metal titans need no introduction. Blood-drenched, gore-soaked, and happily grindy, Aborted are in a league all their own, and it shows on Vault of Horrors. The music remains tight and explosive, building a menacing atmosphere that pervades only the stickiest of grindhouse theaters. Besides, with songs dedicated to classics like Return of the Living Dead, Hellraiser, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, how could I do anything other than include this gem of an album in my top 3? I for one welcome our horror-themed overlords.
#2. Noxis // Violence Inherent in the System – What began as a random pick from the promo sump by one Kenstrosity quickly rose to become a favorite of the death metal maniacs (those with good taste, anyway) on the AMG staff. Now, more importantly, it’s nabbed the second-highest honor on my year-end list. Noxis’ first full-length album Violence Inherent in the System sounds like the product of a much more experienced band. The songwriting is top-notch, the performances are big and bold without being overwrought, and the sticky riffs stay wedged in your mind long after the album ends. And yet for all of its bombast, Noxis is still able to infuse their debut with oodles of atmosphere, not to mention a level of balance between death metal orthodoxy and fresh bells and whistles (and horns) that would make even Thanos grimace in jealousy. Special attention must also be paid to Joe Lowrie’s snare tone and Dave Kirsch’s godlike bass performance.
#1. Pyrrhon // Exhaust – I suppose I was always destined to end up here, I just didn’t know it right away. Pyrrhon’s fifth full-length Exhaust didn’t initially grab me the way some of my other entries did. However, on repeat spins, I found myself falling deeper and deeper into its frenetic, dissonant embrace, discovering both nuances and subtleties amidst the proggy cacophony. On an album that thoroughly explores the universal theme of exhaustion, be it physical, mental, social, or economic, Pyrrhon’s brand of noise-tinged death metal feels like the ideal tool with which to scrawl their livid manifesto. But what truly sets Exhaust apart is its unrelenting groove, stoked by Pyrrhon’s inventive capacity to not only feature but to uplift its unique brand of melodicism amidst the unrelenting maelstrom. It’s hard to overstate just how critical this aspect is to Exhaust’s success, especially since it would have been so easy to excise. But Exhaust’s manic ferocity, which swerves jerks, hops, and heaves, is all the better for it. And while its charms were initially lost on me, I found it easier and easier to finally succumb to its tremulous tendrils. Any record with that kind of staying power (not to mention a theme so applicable to my own experiences this past year) has more than earned my top spot for 2024.
Honorable Mentions:
- Defeated Sanity // Chronicles of Lunacy – Defeated Sanity is a brutal tech death stalwart at this point, and now seven albums in, Chronicles of Lunacy only further cements that status. Chronicles of Lunacy provides the listener with track after aggressively intricate track exploring lunacy in its many forms, but the real treat here is Lille Gruber’s masterful performance on the drums.
- Full of Hell // Coagulated Bliss – while I don’t think I’ve become a complete grind convert, albums like Full of Hell’s Coagulated Bliss and Beaten to Death’s Sunrise Over Rigor Mortis certainly set me on the path to one day become a proud proselytizer. You can’t deny Coagulated Bliss’ infectious groove and whirlwind pace, although I agree with the Dolphin’s rating adjustment.
- Undeath // More Insane – no, it’s not as good as It’s Time…to Rise from the Grave, and there’s no reason to pretend that it is. Nor does it need to be. While More Insane may not reach the lofty heights of its predecessor, it still showcases an Undeath doing what it does best, while also hinting at an undeniable ability to evolve into an even sharper, more fetid OSDM beast.
- 200 Stab Wounds // Manual Manic Procedures – while I wasn’t entirely kind in my review of 200 Stab Wounds’ debut, Mark Z suggested I take their follow-up Manual Manic Procedures for a spin, and I’m glad I did. It’s clear they’ve grown as artists, and their sophomore effort reflects that heightened maturity. Keep stabbing on, your crazy diamonds!
- Mamaleek // Vida Blue – I’m confident this album captures what it would sound like if Tom Waits listened to too much Ashenspire before leaving for the recording studio. Long, difficult, and bold, I found myself returning again and again to Vida Blue no matter how challenging I found the experience. While this album didn’t make my top 10, I’m convinced a future Mamaleek release will.
Song o’ the Year:
- Noxis – ”Skullcrushing Defilement”
This song goes hard. Exceptionally hard. In truth, there are any number of tunes from Violence Inherent in the System that fit the “Song o’ the Year” bill, but I had to give the edge to “Skullcrushing Defilement.” Not only does it begin with an absolutely searing bass solo, but it sets the stage for the four-string onslaught that’s to come. There’s a noticeable Cannibal Corpse influence that I can’t help but love here, alongside heaping doses of maniacal melodicism, turbocharged technicality, and an earworm chorus to boot. Abandon all cervical spines, ye who enter here.
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Excited to see so many university press folks here on the server, especially during #UniversityPressWeek!
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Excited to see so many university press folks here on the server, especially during #UniversityPressWeek!