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  1. Barbarous – Initium Mors Review

    By Angry Metal Guy

    By: Nameless_n00b_603

    Death metal boasts a lush buffet of subgenres. From mind-flaying technicality to chilling dissonance to wanton mirth, there’s something for everyone. Unmoved by how much the genre has evolved, some folks just want the straightforward, grass-fed variety that defined American death metal in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. And what bloodsport that was—Cannibal Corpse hammer-smashed listeners to paste, Deicide seared anti-religious sentiment into their collective hide, and Morbid Angel infected them with tainted melody. Barbarous slides comfortably into the fray, wielding debut Initium Mors, but does it pack enough punch to survive the melee?1

    Inspiration plays an immediate role in Barbarous’s sound. Though they hail from Oakland, California, it’s the Tampa Bay scene that casts the longest shadow. Cannibal Corpse’s influence is undeniable, providing the blueprint for punishing grooves and six-string savagery (“The Tomb Spawn,” “Conscious Decomposition”). Vocalist Travis LaBerge retches and roars somewhere between Deicide’s Glen Benton and Hate Eternal’s Eric Rutan,2 while the music also harkens to early Deicide at times (compare “By Lead or Steel” with “Serpents of the Light”). There are additional influences, too, including Necrot and Skeletal Remains, two bands heavily influenced by Death and Morbid Angel, proving all roads lead to Tampa.3 This isn’t to say that Barbarous doesn’t flex their own brand of muscular death metal. The title track does a fabulous job of baking Slaughter of the Soul-esque melody into the chorus while staying true to the Floridian Sound Machine’s jackhammering boogie.4 I see flashes of a distinct identity in Initium Mors, but more refinement would serve Barbarous to forge their own path out from the shadows of giants.

    Throughout Initium Mors, Barbarous pounds and pummels with neck-snapping fury and brawny chugs. Any track would effortlessly slot into a respectable workout playlist, with “By Lead or Steel” and “Tools of the Trade” being my choice cuts. Opener “Injection of the Exhumed” storms out the gates with a phlegm-rattling gut punch buoyed by aggressive riffing and blast beats, followed by a Slayer-laced wail. And that’s just the first twenty seconds. Hostile grooves and pulverizing paces drive the momentum across Initium Mors’s fleeting runtime, never surrendering a moment to catch your breath. Barbarous’s unflinching imperative is to carve listeners to the root, evidenced by the album’s razor-sharp guitar-playing (“Tools of the Trade,” “Conscious Decomposition”) courtesy of Zach Weed and Thomas Belfiore. Solos set fire to tracks when they kick in, whether it’s via soulful swagger (“By Lead or Steel”) or finger-blistering fury (“Coup de Grace”). Either way, they’re unfailingly fun. Travis Zupo’s dynamic drumming bludgeons with teeth-rattling thunder (“Conscious Decomposition”) while LaBerge stays the course with calculated, vomitous barks. The only underseasoned component is Zach Jakes’s bass guitar, which is a commentary on audibility rather than skill. Listening for bass in Initium Mors reminds me of Tantalus—the more I crank the volume to hear what that sweet bottom end is doing, the murkier the wall of sound becomes.5 Considering the meaty through-line that bass provides in many a death metal casserole, elevating its heft would push Barbarous’s recipe to gloriously heinous heights.

    Production and mastering are a mixed bag, presenting opportunities and highlights. The album is LOUD, and while that’s generally how I like to listen to death metal, a more spacious mix would have improved the overarching balance. For an album brimming with balls-out belligerence, such an oppressive production creates an exhausting listen despite the twenty-nine-minute runtime. Still, there’s plenty to praise. Guitars and drums are front and center, so it’s easy to appreciate their intricacies and chops. LaBerge’s vocals are also conspicuously comprehensible,6 which is refreshing for extreme gutturals. While I initially noted his gurgles as monotonous, over repeated listens, I’ve come to appreciate LaBerge’s nimble work as he juggles spewing growls and coherence.

    Initium Mors is a triumphant debut and should appease death metal aficionados without qualification. Barbarous is loud, ugly, and here to melt your face in just under half an hour. There’s a lot to like on Initium Mors, even if it’s not breaking any molds. If Barbarous can give the mix a bit more room and firmly establish an identity that transcends their influences, their next release could be an absolute banger. For now, Initium Mors is a solid addition to the annals of meat ‘n’ taters death metal, leaving Barbarous to unapologetically smash skulls and shatter eardrums while delivering a veritable smörgåsbord of protein and spuds.7 Bon appétit!

    Rating: Good!
    DR: 4 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s CBR MP3
    Label: Creator-Destructor Records
    Website: barbarousband.bandcamp.com
    Releases Worldwide: August 1st, 2025

    #2025 #30 #AmericanDeathMetal #AtTheGates #Aug25 #Barbarous #CannibalCorpse #Death #Deicide #FloridaDeathMetal #HateEternal #InitiumMors #MorbidAngel #Necrot #Review #Reviews #SkeletalRemains #SlaughterOfTheSoul

  2. Barbarous – Initium Mors Review

    By Angry Metal Guy

    By: Nameless_n00b_603

    Death metal boasts a lush buffet of subgenres. From mind-flaying technicality to chilling dissonance to wanton mirth, there’s something for everyone. Unmoved by how much the genre has evolved, some folks just want the straightforward, grass-fed variety that defined American death metal in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. And what bloodsport that was—Cannibal Corpse hammer-smashed listeners to paste, Deicide seared anti-religious sentiment into their collective hide, and Morbid Angel infected them with tainted melody. Barbarous slides comfortably into the fray, wielding debut Initium Mors, but does it pack enough punch to survive the melee?1

    Inspiration plays an immediate role in Barbarous’s sound. Though they hail from Oakland, California, it’s the Tampa Bay scene that casts the longest shadow. Cannibal Corpse’s influence is undeniable, providing the blueprint for punishing grooves and six-string savagery (“The Tomb Spawn,” “Conscious Decomposition”). Vocalist Travis LaBerge retches and roars somewhere between Deicide’s Glen Benton and Hate Eternal’s Eric Rutan,2 while the music also harkens to early Deicide at times (compare “By Lead or Steel” with “Serpents of the Light”). There are additional influences, too, including Necrot and Skeletal Remains, two bands heavily influenced by Death and Morbid Angel, proving all roads lead to Tampa.3 This isn’t to say that Barbarous doesn’t flex their own brand of muscular death metal. The title track does a fabulous job of baking Slaughter of the Soul-esque melody into the chorus while staying true to the Floridian Sound Machine’s jackhammering boogie.4 I see flashes of a distinct identity in Initium Mors, but more refinement would serve Barbarous to forge their own path out from the shadows of giants.

    Throughout Initium Mors, Barbarous pounds and pummels with neck-snapping fury and brawny chugs. Any track would effortlessly slot into a respectable workout playlist, with “By Lead or Steel” and “Tools of the Trade” being my choice cuts. Opener “Injection of the Exhumed” storms out the gates with a phlegm-rattling gut punch buoyed by aggressive riffing and blast beats, followed by a Slayer-laced wail. And that’s just the first twenty seconds. Hostile grooves and pulverizing paces drive the momentum across Initium Mors’s fleeting runtime, never surrendering a moment to catch your breath. Barbarous’s unflinching imperative is to carve listeners to the root, evidenced by the album’s razor-sharp guitar-playing (“Tools of the Trade,” “Conscious Decomposition”) courtesy of Zach Weed and Thomas Belfiore. Solos set fire to tracks when they kick in, whether it’s via soulful swagger (“By Lead or Steel”) or finger-blistering fury (“Coup de Grace”). Either way, they’re unfailingly fun. Travis Zupo’s dynamic drumming bludgeons with teeth-rattling thunder (“Conscious Decomposition”) while LaBerge stays the course with calculated, vomitous barks. The only underseasoned component is Zach Jakes’s bass guitar, which is a commentary on audibility rather than skill. Listening for bass in Initium Mors reminds me of Tantalus—the more I crank the volume to hear what that sweet bottom end is doing, the murkier the wall of sound becomes.5 Considering the meaty through-line that bass provides in many a death metal casserole, elevating its heft would push Barbarous’s recipe to gloriously heinous heights.

    Production and mastering are a mixed bag, presenting opportunities and highlights. The album is LOUD, and while that’s generally how I like to listen to death metal, a more spacious mix would have improved the overarching balance. For an album brimming with balls-out belligerence, such an oppressive production creates an exhausting listen despite the twenty-nine-minute runtime. Still, there’s plenty to praise. Guitars and drums are front and center, so it’s easy to appreciate their intricacies and chops. LaBerge’s vocals are also conspicuously comprehensible,6 which is refreshing for extreme gutturals. While I initially noted his gurgles as monotonous, over repeated listens, I’ve come to appreciate LaBerge’s nimble work as he juggles spewing growls and coherence.

    Initium Mors is a triumphant debut and should appease death metal aficionados without qualification. Barbarous is loud, ugly, and here to melt your face in just under half an hour. There’s a lot to like on Initium Mors, even if it’s not breaking any molds. If Barbarous can give the mix a bit more room and firmly establish an identity that transcends their influences, their next release could be an absolute banger. For now, Initium Mors is a solid addition to the annals of meat ‘n’ taters death metal, leaving Barbarous to unapologetically smash skulls and shatter eardrums while delivering a veritable smörgåsbord of protein and spuds.7 Bon appétit!

    Rating: Good!
    DR: 4 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s CBR MP3
    Label: Creator-Destructor Records
    Website: barbarousband.bandcamp.com
    Releases Worldwide: August 1st, 2025

    #2025 #30 #AmericanDeathMetal #AtTheGates #Aug25 #Barbarous #CannibalCorpse #Death #Deicide #FloridaDeathMetal #HateEternal #InitiumMors #MorbidAngel #Necrot #Review #Reviews #SkeletalRemains #SlaughterOfTheSoul

  3. Barbarous – Initium Mors Review

    By Angry Metal Guy

    By: Nameless_n00b_603

    Death metal boasts a lush buffet of subgenres. From mind-flaying technicality to chilling dissonance to wanton mirth, there’s something for everyone. Unmoved by how much the genre has evolved, some folks just want the straightforward, grass-fed variety that defined American death metal in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. And what bloodsport that was—Cannibal Corpse hammer-smashed listeners to paste, Deicide seared anti-religious sentiment into their collective hide, and Morbid Angel infected them with tainted melody. Barbarous slides comfortably into the fray, wielding debut Initium Mors, but does it pack enough punch to survive the melee?1

    Inspiration plays an immediate role in Barbarous’s sound. Though they hail from Oakland, California, it’s the Tampa Bay scene that casts the longest shadow. Cannibal Corpse’s influence is undeniable, providing the blueprint for punishing grooves and six-string savagery (“The Tomb Spawn,” “Conscious Decomposition”). Vocalist Travis LaBerge retches and roars somewhere between Deicide’s Glen Benton and Hate Eternal’s Eric Rutan,2 while the music also harkens to early Deicide at times (compare “By Lead or Steel” with “Serpents of the Light”). There are additional influences, too, including Necrot and Skeletal Remains, two bands heavily influenced by Death and Morbid Angel, proving all roads lead to Tampa.3 This isn’t to say that Barbarous doesn’t flex their own brand of muscular death metal. The title track does a fabulous job of baking Slaughter of the Soul-esque melody into the chorus while staying true to the Floridian Sound Machine’s jackhammering boogie.4 I see flashes of a distinct identity in Initium Mors, but more refinement would serve Barbarous to forge their own path out from the shadows of giants.

    Throughout Initium Mors, Barbarous pounds and pummels with neck-snapping fury and brawny chugs. Any track would effortlessly slot into a respectable workout playlist, with “By Lead or Steel” and “Tools of the Trade” being my choice cuts. Opener “Injection of the Exhumed” storms out the gates with a phlegm-rattling gut punch buoyed by aggressive riffing and blast beats, followed by a Slayer-laced wail. And that’s just the first twenty seconds. Hostile grooves and pulverizing paces drive the momentum across Initium Mors’s fleeting runtime, never surrendering a moment to catch your breath. Barbarous’s unflinching imperative is to carve listeners to the root, evidenced by the album’s razor-sharp guitar-playing (“Tools of the Trade,” “Conscious Decomposition”) courtesy of Zach Weed and Thomas Belfiore. Solos set fire to tracks when they kick in, whether it’s via soulful swagger (“By Lead or Steel”) or finger-blistering fury (“Coup de Grace”). Either way, they’re unfailingly fun. Travis Zupo’s dynamic drumming bludgeons with teeth-rattling thunder (“Conscious Decomposition”) while LaBerge stays the course with calculated, vomitous barks. The only underseasoned component is Zach Jakes’s bass guitar, which is a commentary on audibility rather than skill. Listening for bass in Initium Mors reminds me of Tantalus—the more I crank the volume to hear what that sweet bottom end is doing, the murkier the wall of sound becomes.5 Considering the meaty through-line that bass provides in many a death metal casserole, elevating its heft would push Barbarous’s recipe to gloriously heinous heights.

    Production and mastering are a mixed bag, presenting opportunities and highlights. The album is LOUD, and while that’s generally how I like to listen to death metal, a more spacious mix would have improved the overarching balance. For an album brimming with balls-out belligerence, such an oppressive production creates an exhausting listen despite the twenty-nine-minute runtime. Still, there’s plenty to praise. Guitars and drums are front and center, so it’s easy to appreciate their intricacies and chops. LaBerge’s vocals are also conspicuously comprehensible,6 which is refreshing for extreme gutturals. While I initially noted his gurgles as monotonous, over repeated listens, I’ve come to appreciate LaBerge’s nimble work as he juggles spewing growls and coherence.

    Initium Mors is a triumphant debut and should appease death metal aficionados without qualification. Barbarous is loud, ugly, and here to melt your face in just under half an hour. There’s a lot to like on Initium Mors, even if it’s not breaking any molds. If Barbarous can give the mix a bit more room and firmly establish an identity that transcends their influences, their next release could be an absolute banger. For now, Initium Mors is a solid addition to the annals of meat ‘n’ taters death metal, leaving Barbarous to unapologetically smash skulls and shatter eardrums while delivering a veritable smörgåsbord of protein and spuds.7 Bon appétit!

    Rating: Good!
    DR: 4 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s CBR MP3
    Label: Creator-Destructor Records
    Website: barbarousband.bandcamp.com
    Releases Worldwide: August 1st, 2025

    #2025 #30 #AmericanDeathMetal #AtTheGates #Aug25 #Barbarous #CannibalCorpse #Death #Deicide #FloridaDeathMetal #HateEternal #InitiumMors #MorbidAngel #Necrot #Review #Reviews #SkeletalRemains #SlaughterOfTheSoul

  4. Barbarous – Initium Mors Review

    By Angry Metal Guy

    By: Nameless_n00b_603

    Death metal boasts a lush buffet of subgenres. From mind-flaying technicality to chilling dissonance to wanton mirth, there’s something for everyone. Unmoved by how much the genre has evolved, some folks just want the straightforward, grass-fed variety that defined American death metal in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. And what bloodsport that was—Cannibal Corpse hammer-smashed listeners to paste, Deicide seared anti-religious sentiment into their collective hide, and Morbid Angel infected them with tainted melody. Barbarous slides comfortably into the fray, wielding debut Initium Mors, but does it pack enough punch to survive the melee?1

    Inspiration plays an immediate role in Barbarous’s sound. Though they hail from Oakland, California, it’s the Tampa Bay scene that casts the longest shadow. Cannibal Corpse’s influence is undeniable, providing the blueprint for punishing grooves and six-string savagery (“The Tomb Spawn,” “Conscious Decomposition”). Vocalist Travis LaBerge retches and roars somewhere between Deicide’s Glen Benton and Hate Eternal’s Eric Rutan,2 while the music also harkens to early Deicide at times (compare “By Lead or Steel” with “Serpents of the Light”). There are additional influences, too, including Necrot and Skeletal Remains, two bands heavily influenced by Death and Morbid Angel, proving all roads lead to Tampa.3 This isn’t to say that Barbarous doesn’t flex their own brand of muscular death metal. The title track does a fabulous job of baking Slaughter of the Soul-esque melody into the chorus while staying true to the Floridian Sound Machine’s jackhammering boogie.4 I see flashes of a distinct identity in Initium Mors, but more refinement would serve Barbarous to forge their own path out from the shadows of giants.

    Throughout Initium Mors, Barbarous pounds and pummels with neck-snapping fury and brawny chugs. Any track would effortlessly slot into a respectable workout playlist, with “By Lead or Steel” and “Tools of the Trade” being my choice cuts. Opener “Injection of the Exhumed” storms out the gates with a phlegm-rattling gut punch buoyed by aggressive riffing and blast beats, followed by a Slayer-laced wail. And that’s just the first twenty seconds. Hostile grooves and pulverizing paces drive the momentum across Initium Mors’s fleeting runtime, never surrendering a moment to catch your breath. Barbarous’s unflinching imperative is to carve listeners to the root, evidenced by the album’s razor-sharp guitar-playing (“Tools of the Trade,” “Conscious Decomposition”) courtesy of Zach Weed and Thomas Belfiore. Solos set fire to tracks when they kick in, whether it’s via soulful swagger (“By Lead or Steel”) or finger-blistering fury (“Coup de Grace”). Either way, they’re unfailingly fun. Travis Zupo’s dynamic drumming bludgeons with teeth-rattling thunder (“Conscious Decomposition”) while LaBerge stays the course with calculated, vomitous barks. The only underseasoned component is Zach Jakes’s bass guitar, which is a commentary on audibility rather than skill. Listening for bass in Initium Mors reminds me of Tantalus—the more I crank the volume to hear what that sweet bottom end is doing, the murkier the wall of sound becomes.5 Considering the meaty through-line that bass provides in many a death metal casserole, elevating its heft would push Barbarous’s recipe to gloriously heinous heights.

    Production and mastering are a mixed bag, presenting opportunities and highlights. The album is LOUD, and while that’s generally how I like to listen to death metal, a more spacious mix would have improved the overarching balance. For an album brimming with balls-out belligerence, such an oppressive production creates an exhausting listen despite the twenty-nine-minute runtime. Still, there’s plenty to praise. Guitars and drums are front and center, so it’s easy to appreciate their intricacies and chops. LaBerge’s vocals are also conspicuously comprehensible,6 which is refreshing for extreme gutturals. While I initially noted his gurgles as monotonous, over repeated listens, I’ve come to appreciate LaBerge’s nimble work as he juggles spewing growls and coherence.

    Initium Mors is a triumphant debut and should appease death metal aficionados without qualification. Barbarous is loud, ugly, and here to melt your face in just under half an hour. There’s a lot to like on Initium Mors, even if it’s not breaking any molds. If Barbarous can give the mix a bit more room and firmly establish an identity that transcends their influences, their next release could be an absolute banger. For now, Initium Mors is a solid addition to the annals of meat ‘n’ taters death metal, leaving Barbarous to unapologetically smash skulls and shatter eardrums while delivering a veritable smörgåsbord of protein and spuds.7 Bon appétit!

    Rating: Good!
    DR: 4 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s CBR MP3
    Label: Creator-Destructor Records
    Website: barbarousband.bandcamp.com
    Releases Worldwide: August 1st, 2025

    #2025 #30 #AmericanDeathMetal #AtTheGates #Aug25 #Barbarous #CannibalCorpse #Death #Deicide #FloridaDeathMetal #HateEternal #InitiumMors #MorbidAngel #Necrot #Review #Reviews #SkeletalRemains #SlaughterOfTheSoul

  5. Inhuman Condition – Mind Trap Review

    By Tyme

    Inhuman Condition has been repping 90s-era Floridian death metal since 2020. Comprised of former Massacre members Jeramie Kling, Taylor Nordberg, and Terry Butler, Inhuman Condition‘s debut, Rat°God, was the best thing Massacre never recorded post From Beyond, garnering a 3.5 from our overlord and hater of over raters, Steel. Presumably rushed was 2022’s sophomore effort, Fearsick, which saw Inhuman Condition take a step backward despite sporting additional guitar appearances from Rick Rozz himself. With a freshly gory, revamped logo by Mark Riddick adorning yet another beautiful cover by Dan Goldsworthy,1 Inhuman Condition returns with its third offering, Mind Trap. Will this outing see Inhuman Condition walk a path of redemption and assume its own identity, or will it stumble again and continue suffering Massacre‘s curse of ever-diminishing relevance?

    Eschewing technicality and bouts of blistering speed, Inhuman Condition remain flagbearers of groovily mid-paced, thrashy death metal. Having simmered for a few years, however, Mind Trap feels fully cooked, more akin to Rat°God than Fearsick as Inhuman Condition further distance themselves from overt Massacre clone-ialism. Suffused with a renewed sense of immediacy, Nordberg’s re-energized guitar work features plenty of Rozz dives into the whammy pool (“Severely Lifeless,” “GodShip”), as well as serpentine solos and a multitude of chuggy-chunk riffs (“Chaos Engine,” “Obscurer”). His Royal Bassist, Terry Butler, continues to lay down a fat-bottomed low end that adds weight to Nordberg’s muscular machinations and hangs meatily on the hooks of Kling’s pounderous drumming, whose vocals, too, hit that brutal yet discernible sweet spot. For Inhuman Condition, simple is as simple does, and though Mind Trap adheres smashingly to the groovy, cavemanic formula perpetuated by the likes of Six Feet Under and Jungle Rot, it’s got the legs to outrun the pack.

    Mind Trap‘s thirty-one-minute runtime whisks you along faster than an In-N-Out Burger drive-thru and is full of bite-size death metal bits, most of them sirloin, but some filet mignon. One such morsel, lyrically penned by Cannibal Corpse‘s Paul Mazurkiewicz,2 and an album highlight, “Face for Later” is a viscerally speedy and satisfying death metal romp with up-tempo riffs, crazed solo work, and a chorus that will earworm its way in and haunt your corrupted brain. Also of note are the grower, not show-er riffs and quirky tempos of “The Betterment Plan,” which improved for me with repeated listens, and the mildly atmospheric “Recollections of the Future,” sporting a “King Con”-ic intro and guest vocals from Jonas Kjellgren (Carnal Forge, Scar Symmetry). Intact since inception, this stalwart lineup has defied its Massacred beginnings through sustained continuity. Mind Trap reflects an Inhuman Condition stepping further into their own, and more importantly, back in a positive direction.


    Inhuman Condition
    once again took up arms and recorded at Smoke & Mirrors Productions, with Kling’s mix and Nordberg’s master suffusing Mind Trap in a rich warmth that gives every meaty riff, beefy bass line, and brawny beat the space needed to thrive. Yet, even excellent production cannot overcome limp songwriting, and not all the tracks on Mind Trap stand out. With its doomy, Sabbathian trilled intro and straightforwardly speedy and boring midsection, “Mind | Tool | Weapon” did nothing to rouse my fist to pump or my head to bob. Then, the awkward riffs and sloppy guitar runs of “Science of Discontent” came across as amateurish and were not only a poor way to conclude the album but also an example of the material’s inferiority.

    Unlike Gruesome, who are happy to release quality albums that mimic their influences, Inhuman Condition continues to stitch a unique niche in the tapestry of OSDM and, in doing so, leave their Massacre ties further behind. Mind Trap is a fun, not too serious, attention-deficit-friendly death metal album that further exemplifies Inhuman Conditions growing coalescence. Among this trio’s other projects, of which Obituary (Butler), Deicide (Nordberg), and Goregäng (Nordberg and Kling) are just a few, it seems these guys genuinely enjoy playing together as Inhuman Condition. Mind Trap‘s got plenty to sink your teeth into, and I’m sure songs like “Face for Later” and “Obscurer” will go over well in a live setting. I was glad to hear Inhuman Condition returned to form here, and I would recommend you give Mind Trap a few spins this summer yourself.

    Rating: 3.0/5.0
    DR: 11 | Format Reviewed: 320kbps mp3
    Label: High Roller Records (Europe)
    Websites: Bandcamp | InhumanCondition.com | Facebook
    Releases Worldwide: June 27th, 2025

    #2025 #30 #AmericanDeathMetal #DeathMetal #HighRollerRecords #InhumanCondition #Jun25 #JungleRot #Massacre #MindTrap #Review #SixFeetUnder

  6. Inhuman Condition – Mind Trap Review

    By Tyme

    Inhuman Condition has been repping 90s-era Floridian death metal since 2020. Comprised of former Massacre members Jeramie Kling, Taylor Nordberg, and Terry Butler, Inhuman Condition‘s debut, Rat°God, was the best thing Massacre never recorded post From Beyond, garnering a 3.5 from our overlord and hater of over raters, Steel. Presumably rushed was 2022’s sophomore effort, Fearsick, which saw Inhuman Condition take a step backward despite sporting additional guitar appearances from Rick Rozz himself. With a freshly gory, revamped logo by Mark Riddick adorning yet another beautiful cover by Dan Goldsworthy,1 Inhuman Condition returns with its third offering, Mind Trap. Will this outing see Inhuman Condition walk a path of redemption and assume its own identity, or will it stumble again and continue suffering Massacre‘s curse of ever-diminishing relevance?

    Eschewing technicality and bouts of blistering speed, Inhuman Condition remain flagbearers of groovily mid-paced, thrashy death metal. Having simmered for a few years, however, Mind Trap feels fully cooked, more akin to Rat°God than Fearsick as Inhuman Condition further distance themselves from overt Massacre clone-ialism. Suffused with a renewed sense of immediacy, Nordberg’s re-energized guitar work features plenty of Rozz dives into the whammy pool (“Severely Lifeless,” “GodShip”), as well as serpentine solos and a multitude of chuggy-chunk riffs (“Chaos Engine,” “Obscurer”). His Royal Bassist, Terry Butler, continues to lay down a fat-bottomed low end that adds weight to Nordberg’s muscular machinations and hangs meatily on the hooks of Kling’s pounderous drumming, whose vocals, too, hit that brutal yet discernible sweet spot. For Inhuman Condition, simple is as simple does, and though Mind Trap adheres smashingly to the groovy, cavemanic formula perpetuated by the likes of Six Feet Under and Jungle Rot, it’s got the legs to outrun the pack.

    Mind Trap‘s thirty-one-minute runtime whisks you along faster than an In-N-Out Burger drive-thru and is full of bite-size death metal bits, most of them sirloin, but some filet mignon. One such morsel, lyrically penned by Cannibal Corpse‘s Paul Mazurkiewicz,2 and an album highlight, “Face for Later” is a viscerally speedy and satisfying death metal romp with up-tempo riffs, crazed solo work, and a chorus that will earworm its way in and haunt your corrupted brain. Also of note are the grower, not show-er riffs and quirky tempos of “The Betterment Plan,” which improved for me with repeated listens, and the mildly atmospheric “Recollections of the Future,” sporting a “King Con”-ic intro and guest vocals from Jonas Kjellgren (Carnal Forge, Scar Symmetry). Intact since inception, this stalwart lineup has defied its Massacred beginnings through sustained continuity. Mind Trap reflects an Inhuman Condition stepping further into their own, and more importantly, back in a positive direction.


    Inhuman Condition
    once again took up arms and recorded at Smoke & Mirrors Productions, with Kling’s mix and Nordberg’s master suffusing Mind Trap in a rich warmth that gives every meaty riff, beefy bass line, and brawny beat the space needed to thrive. Yet, even excellent production cannot overcome limp songwriting, and not all the tracks on Mind Trap stand out. With its doomy, Sabbathian trilled intro and straightforwardly speedy and boring midsection, “Mind | Tool | Weapon” did nothing to rouse my fist to pump or my head to bob. Then, the awkward riffs and sloppy guitar runs of “Science of Discontent” came across as amateurish and were not only a poor way to conclude the album but also an example of the material’s inferiority.

    Unlike Gruesome, who are happy to release quality albums that mimic their influences, Inhuman Condition continues to stitch a unique niche in the tapestry of OSDM and, in doing so, leave their Massacre ties further behind. Mind Trap is a fun, not too serious, attention-deficit-friendly death metal album that further exemplifies Inhuman Conditions growing coalescence. Among this trio’s other projects, of which Obituary (Butler), Deicide (Nordberg), and Goregäng (Nordberg and Kling) are just a few, it seems these guys genuinely enjoy playing together as Inhuman Condition. Mind Trap‘s got plenty to sink your teeth into, and I’m sure songs like “Face for Later” and “Obscurer” will go over well in a live setting. I was glad to hear Inhuman Condition returned to form here, and I would recommend you give Mind Trap a few spins this summer yourself.

    Rating: 3.0/5.0
    DR: 11 | Format Reviewed: 320kbps mp3
    Label: High Roller Records (Europe)
    Websites: Bandcamp | InhumanCondition.com | Facebook
    Releases Worldwide: June 27th, 2025

    #2025 #30 #AmericanDeathMetal #DeathMetal #HighRollerRecords #InhumanCondition #Jun25 #JungleRot #Massacre #MindTrap #Review #SixFeetUnder

  7. Inhuman Condition – Mind Trap Review

    By Tyme

    Inhuman Condition has been repping 90s-era Floridian death metal since 2020. Comprised of former Massacre members Jeramie Kling, Taylor Nordberg, and Terry Butler, Inhuman Condition‘s debut, Rat°God, was the best thing Massacre never recorded post From Beyond, garnering a 3.5 from our overlord and hater of over raters, Steel. Presumably rushed was 2022’s sophomore effort, Fearsick, which saw Inhuman Condition take a step backward despite sporting additional guitar appearances from Rick Rozz himself. With a freshly gory, revamped logo by Mark Riddick adorning yet another beautiful cover by Dan Goldsworthy,1 Inhuman Condition returns with its third offering, Mind Trap. Will this outing see Inhuman Condition walk a path of redemption and assume its own identity, or will it stumble again and continue suffering Massacre‘s curse of ever-diminishing relevance?

    Eschewing technicality and bouts of blistering speed, Inhuman Condition remain flagbearers of groovily mid-paced, thrashy death metal. Having simmered for a few years, however, Mind Trap feels fully cooked, more akin to Rat°God than Fearsick as Inhuman Condition further distance themselves from overt Massacre clone-ialism. Suffused with a renewed sense of immediacy, Nordberg’s re-energized guitar work features plenty of Rozz dives into the whammy pool (“Severely Lifeless,” “GodShip”), as well as serpentine solos and a multitude of chuggy-chunk riffs (“Chaos Engine,” “Obscurer”). His Royal Bassist, Terry Butler, continues to lay down a fat-bottomed low end that adds weight to Nordberg’s muscular machinations and hangs meatily on the hooks of Kling’s pounderous drumming, whose vocals, too, hit that brutal yet discernible sweet spot. For Inhuman Condition, simple is as simple does, and though Mind Trap adheres smashingly to the groovy, cavemanic formula perpetuated by the likes of Six Feet Under and Jungle Rot, it’s got the legs to outrun the pack.

    Mind Trap‘s thirty-one-minute runtime whisks you along faster than an In-N-Out Burger drive-thru and is full of bite-size death metal bits, most of them sirloin, but some filet mignon. One such morsel, lyrically penned by Cannibal Corpse‘s Paul Mazurkiewicz,2 and an album highlight, “Face for Later” is a viscerally speedy and satisfying death metal romp with up-tempo riffs, crazed solo work, and a chorus that will earworm its way in and haunt your corrupted brain. Also of note are the grower, not show-er riffs and quirky tempos of “The Betterment Plan,” which improved for me with repeated listens, and the mildly atmospheric “Recollections of the Future,” sporting a “King Con”-ic intro and guest vocals from Jonas Kjellgren (Carnal Forge, Scar Symmetry). Intact since inception, this stalwart lineup has defied its Massacred beginnings through sustained continuity. Mind Trap reflects an Inhuman Condition stepping further into their own, and more importantly, back in a positive direction.


    Inhuman Condition
    once again took up arms and recorded at Smoke & Mirrors Productions, with Kling’s mix and Nordberg’s master suffusing Mind Trap in a rich warmth that gives every meaty riff, beefy bass line, and brawny beat the space needed to thrive. Yet, even excellent production cannot overcome limp songwriting, and not all the tracks on Mind Trap stand out. With its doomy, Sabbathian trilled intro and straightforwardly speedy and boring midsection, “Mind | Tool | Weapon” did nothing to rouse my fist to pump or my head to bob. Then, the awkward riffs and sloppy guitar runs of “Science of Discontent” came across as amateurish and were not only a poor way to conclude the album but also an example of the material’s inferiority.

    Unlike Gruesome, who are happy to release quality albums that mimic their influences, Inhuman Condition continues to stitch a unique niche in the tapestry of OSDM and, in doing so, leave their Massacre ties further behind. Mind Trap is a fun, not too serious, attention-deficit-friendly death metal album that further exemplifies Inhuman Conditions growing coalescence. Among this trio’s other projects, of which Obituary (Butler), Deicide (Nordberg), and Goregäng (Nordberg and Kling) are just a few, it seems these guys genuinely enjoy playing together as Inhuman Condition. Mind Trap‘s got plenty to sink your teeth into, and I’m sure songs like “Face for Later” and “Obscurer” will go over well in a live setting. I was glad to hear Inhuman Condition returned to form here, and I would recommend you give Mind Trap a few spins this summer yourself.

    Rating: 3.0/5.0
    DR: 11 | Format Reviewed: 320kbps mp3
    Label: High Roller Records (Europe)
    Websites: Bandcamp | InhumanCondition.com | Facebook
    Releases Worldwide: June 27th, 2025

    #2025 #30 #AmericanDeathMetal #DeathMetal #HighRollerRecords #InhumanCondition #Jun25 #JungleRot #Massacre #MindTrap #Review #SixFeetUnder

  8. Inhuman Condition – Mind Trap Review

    By Tyme

    Inhuman Condition has been repping 90s-era Floridian death metal since 2020. Comprised of former Massacre members Jeramie Kling, Taylor Nordberg, and Terry Butler, Inhuman Condition‘s debut, Rat°God, was the best thing Massacre never recorded post From Beyond, garnering a 3.5 from our overlord and hater of over raters, Steel. Presumably rushed was 2022’s sophomore effort, Fearsick, which saw Inhuman Condition take a step backward despite sporting additional guitar appearances from Rick Rozz himself. With a freshly gory, revamped logo by Mark Riddick adorning yet another beautiful cover by Dan Goldsworthy,1 Inhuman Condition returns with its third offering, Mind Trap. Will this outing see Inhuman Condition walk a path of redemption and assume its own identity, or will it stumble again and continue suffering Massacre‘s curse of ever-diminishing relevance?

    Eschewing technicality and bouts of blistering speed, Inhuman Condition remain flagbearers of groovily mid-paced, thrashy death metal. Having simmered for a few years, however, Mind Trap feels fully cooked, more akin to Rat°God than Fearsick as Inhuman Condition further distance themselves from overt Massacre clone-ialism. Suffused with a renewed sense of immediacy, Nordberg’s re-energized guitar work features plenty of Rozz dives into the whammy pool (“Severely Lifeless,” “GodShip”), as well as serpentine solos and a multitude of chuggy-chunk riffs (“Chaos Engine,” “Obscurer”). His Royal Bassist, Terry Butler, continues to lay down a fat-bottomed low end that adds weight to Nordberg’s muscular machinations and hangs meatily on the hooks of Kling’s pounderous drumming, whose vocals, too, hit that brutal yet discernible sweet spot. For Inhuman Condition, simple is as simple does, and though Mind Trap adheres smashingly to the groovy, cavemanic formula perpetuated by the likes of Six Feet Under and Jungle Rot, it’s got the legs to outrun the pack.

    Mind Trap‘s thirty-one-minute runtime whisks you along faster than an In-N-Out Burger drive-thru and is full of bite-size death metal bits, most of them sirloin, but some filet mignon. One such morsel, lyrically penned by Cannibal Corpse‘s Paul Mazurkiewicz,2 and an album highlight, “Face for Later” is a viscerally speedy and satisfying death metal romp with up-tempo riffs, crazed solo work, and a chorus that will earworm its way in and haunt your corrupted brain. Also of note are the grower, not show-er riffs and quirky tempos of “The Betterment Plan,” which improved for me with repeated listens, and the mildly atmospheric “Recollections of the Future,” sporting a “King Con”-ic intro and guest vocals from Jonas Kjellgren (Carnal Forge, Scar Symmetry). Intact since inception, this stalwart lineup has defied its Massacred beginnings through sustained continuity. Mind Trap reflects an Inhuman Condition stepping further into their own, and more importantly, back in a positive direction.


    Inhuman Condition
    once again took up arms and recorded at Smoke & Mirrors Productions, with Kling’s mix and Nordberg’s master suffusing Mind Trap in a rich warmth that gives every meaty riff, beefy bass line, and brawny beat the space needed to thrive. Yet, even excellent production cannot overcome limp songwriting, and not all the tracks on Mind Trap stand out. With its doomy, Sabbathian trilled intro and straightforwardly speedy and boring midsection, “Mind | Tool | Weapon” did nothing to rouse my fist to pump or my head to bob. Then, the awkward riffs and sloppy guitar runs of “Science of Discontent” came across as amateurish and were not only a poor way to conclude the album but also an example of the material’s inferiority.

    Unlike Gruesome, who are happy to release quality albums that mimic their influences, Inhuman Condition continues to stitch a unique niche in the tapestry of OSDM and, in doing so, leave their Massacre ties further behind. Mind Trap is a fun, not too serious, attention-deficit-friendly death metal album that further exemplifies Inhuman Conditions growing coalescence. Among this trio’s other projects, of which Obituary (Butler), Deicide (Nordberg), and Goregäng (Nordberg and Kling) are just a few, it seems these guys genuinely enjoy playing together as Inhuman Condition. Mind Trap‘s got plenty to sink your teeth into, and I’m sure songs like “Face for Later” and “Obscurer” will go over well in a live setting. I was glad to hear Inhuman Condition returned to form here, and I would recommend you give Mind Trap a few spins this summer yourself.

    Rating: 3.0/5.0
    DR: 11 | Format Reviewed: 320kbps mp3
    Label: High Roller Records (Europe)
    Websites: Bandcamp | InhumanCondition.com | Facebook
    Releases Worldwide: June 27th, 2025

    #2025 #30 #AmericanDeathMetal #DeathMetal #HighRollerRecords #InhumanCondition #Jun25 #JungleRot #Massacre #MindTrap #Review #SixFeetUnder