#cattle-decapitation — Public Fediverse posts

So so, der Ausstieg aus der Atomkraft war also ein Fehler. Na dann mal den passenden Soundtrack für die Rückwärtsrolle 🤯 ☠️

https://song.link/t/115147574

#CattleDecapitation

Stuck in the Filter: October 2025’s Angry Misses

By Kenstrosity

They say it’s going to be a harsh winter this year. They always say that, and it’s almost never true, at least not from where I’ve set up camp. However, no matter the weather I am a harsh taskmaster, doling out grueling hours, no pay or benefits, and probably the worst coffee on the planet to my dutiful minions. It takes a special kind of person, motivated by pure unadulterated greed to ravenously scour the filter for dusty, almost-forgotten gems like they do.

But we are thankful for them for being exactly that! And we also benefit, in the form of quality(ish) chunks of glimmery, shimmery metal. BEHOLD!

Kenstrosity’s Riffy Representation

Xaoc // Repulsive Summoning [October 31, 2025 – Edgewood Arsenal Records]

Xaoc’s history is one of the more confusing I’ve encountered in my time writing for this blog. After breaking up in 2008, a new lineup spawned in 2022 to record and release Proxime Mortis from the ashes of songs written pre-breakup, supported by Edgewood Arsenal. At some point this year, two more members spawned in anticipation of this new slab Repulsive Summoning. But the band’s labeled as Split Up already on Metallum? I don’t understand what’s going on there, but at least I can say that Repulsive Summoning is a turbo banger! These riffs are bonkers, full of verve and swagger, brimming with groove and muscularity. A happy mix of Vomitory and Dormant Ordeal, this Virginian outfit know how to throw down. Highlights like “Ave Solva Coagula,” “Antima Samskara,” “The Great Perfected Ones,” and the entire “Degenerate Era” three-part suite reduce my body into a fine slurry by the grinding, vicious power of their riffs alone. But the rabid growls, ballistic percussion, and meaty guitar tones contain more than enough fuel to propel those riffs across this tight and thunderous 35-minute runtime. It’s a simple record, built to beat me down and leave me broken and bloodied, but it’s also an effortlessly memorable affair that leaves me wanting more despite the mounting medical bills. Don’t sleep on Xaoc!

Andy-War-Hall’s Succulent Surplus

Canvas of Silence // As the World Tree Fell [October 31st, 2025 – Rockshots Records]

Finnish symphonic metallers Canvas of Silence describe themselves as “prog-influenced chorus metal,” and that description goes far in outlining their debut As the World Tree Fell. Their core sound resembles a progged-out Nightwish moonlighting as a melodeath band, committing ludicrous bombast on symphonic-heavy cuts like “The Great Unknown” and “Wayfarer” amidst a sharp Gothenburg riff attack in “Watching the World Tree Fall” and “Drown.” Canvas of Silence mete out a balanced approach of light and dark sounds between Theocracyesque prog-power (“One With the Wind,” “Humanimal”) and Madder Mortem-like gothic twists (“Drown,” “Anthem for Ashes”), all reined in by the commanding vocal presence of singer Loimu Satakieli.1 Sitting somewhere between Anette Olzon (ex-Nightwish, The Dark Element) and Agnete Kierkevaag (Madder Mortem), her impassioned and heavily-layered singing turns As the World Tree Fell into a smörgåsbord of lush, catchy and anthemic tunes of an uplifting, sing-along nature. Optimism permeates As the World Tree Fell, felt at a fever pitch on the enormous choral bridge of “Humanimal” and the folky power metal jaunt of “One With the Wind.” Even on lyrically dark/mournful passages like “Wayfarer” and “Garden of the Fallen,” Canvas of Silence deliver soaring, hopeful crescendos that at times reach Fellowship levels of good cheer. Canvas of Silence can craft sincerely beautiful moments, and though As the World Tree Fell’s production can be sterile and overly loud2 I am nothing but excited to see what these Finns can cook up next.

Spicie Forrest’s Punky Proferrings

Violent Testimony // Aggravate [October 17th, 2025 – Horror Pain Gore Death Productions]

Do you wish there was more grind in your life? Well, Cheyenne, Wyoming’s Violent Testimony just assumed you would. Combining the punky flair of Napalm Death with the lead foot ethos of early Pig Destroyer and Cattle Decapitation, debut LP Aggravate is 26 minutes of delicious grindy goodness. From the opening salvo of “God Complex Massacre” to the final detonations of “Hit N’ Run,” Violent Testimony shows absolutely no restraint. D.N.’s Gatling drums mow down everything in their path while T.W.’s serpentine bass clears the chaff and flattens any obstruction. Shrapnel propelled by N.Y.’s brutish, breakneck riffing can be seen burying itself in concrete walls, still quivering (“Rider in the Night,” “Psychotic Episode”). Caustic growls and vitriolic screams tear from T.W.’s throat at mach fuck (“Flashbang Celebration,” “Obligatory Manifestation of Infinite Grind”). With only two tracks exceeding the two-minute mark, Violent Testimony screams their piece with as much sound and fury as possible before moving on and picking their next bone with the system. This keeps Aggravate a lean, densely-packed offering. If you need to get pissed off right now and even the fastest death metal is too slow, Violent Testimony is all too happy to decimate the opposition with you.

Uaar // Galger og Brann [October 17th, 2025 – Fysisk Format Records]

Hailing from Oslo, Norway, crust outfit Uaar celebrates their tenth birthday by releasing their debut LP. Galger og Brann, which means “Gallows and Fire” in Norwegian, expands on the foundations laid by established acts like Skitsystem and Tragedy. With one foot firmly planted in black metal and the other in hardcore, Uaar unleashes a cacophony of rage unfettered. D-beats abound, courtesy of Truls Friesl Berg, creating a frantic, enraged atmosphere. Dag Schaug Carlsen’s blackened rasps are so cold they burn, matching the evil pall hanging over tracks like “Galeås” and “Den siste.” Post-flecked, Ancsty tendencies (“Alt Skal Brenne,” “Overalt”) peek through the feral hardcore riffage (“Håpet forsvinner”) of guitarists Erik Berg Friesl and Jon Schaug Carlsen, while bassist Stian S. Evensen provides the muscle to convince you these guys aren’t screwing around. Uaar is well-versed in their base genres, alternating between and mixing black metal and hardcore effortlessly. The occasional blues-tinged heavy metal lead—as in “Overalt” and “Dolken”—keep Galger og Brann from being a one-note affair. With a dearth of standout blackened hardcore releases this year, Uaar’s Galger og Brann is a welcome—if late—addition to the list.

Scorching Tomb // Ossuary [October 24th, 2025 – Time to Kill Records]

I’ll be honest, I’ve never considered Montreal, Canada, to be prime death metal territory. Luckily, Scorching Tomb doesn’t care what I think. Debut LP Ossuary is an aural violation born of Tren-induced hardcore aggression and filthy old school death metal. With a guitar tone (Philippe Lelbanc) like sandpaper and a bass like swallowing gravel (Miguel Lepage), Scorching Tomb plays in the same cesspools as Bloodgutter and Rotpit. We normally associate melted faces with guitar solos, but that honor belongs to whatever corrosive noises issue forth from vocalist Vincent Patrick Lajeunesse’s guts. Drummer Émile Savard loves a blast beat, often detonating them in short bursts to support an already bone-breaking assault (“Feel the Blade”). “Stalagmite3 Impalement” and “Sanctum of Bones (Ossuary)” are particularly savage, with tetanus-inflicting riffs and bloodthirsty screams threatening to drag you into the crypt to be used for meal prep. On “Skullcrush,” Sanguisugabogg’s Devin Swank perfectly matches Scorching Tomb’s vile depravity, cementing them as a promising new act in the scene. Ossuary is raging, muscle-bound, caveman death metal drowned in a vat of viscera and sewage, and it tastes incredible.

ClarkKent’s Gratifying Goodies

Sutratma // Adrift [October 3rd, 2025 – Self-Release]

While I didn’t purposely seek out more doom during my self-imposed month of picking only doom promos, Sutratma’s fifth full-length, Adrift, ranks as one of the better doom albums I listened to in November. This California four-piece has been writing funeral doom for 15 years, and it shows in their ability to craft effective melancholic slow-burns that strike a balance between melody and crushingly heavy. Adrift impresses straight out the gate with the piano-drenched “Wind and Sea.” This song nicely melds the sorrowful softness of the piano with punishing guitar riffs and impressive growls. Just like stalwarts My Dying Bride, Sutratma mixes growls with cleans, and Daniel Larios’s cleans effectively hit you right in the feels while the growls take on a more despairing note. There’s plenty of variety from song to song, with organs stealing the show on “Guiding Star” and a lovely melody on “The Great Bereaver” that builds up to a moving finale. Just like with Oromet, there’s a serenity to the music that is calming, and the skilled songwriting and musicianship lends a poignancy to it all. With the frenzy of list season upon us, it’s nice to have something like this to remind us that it’s okay to just slow down—even when an angry ape is berating you for more content.

Starer // Ancient Monuments and Modern Sadness [October 10th, 2025 – Fiadh Productions]

Josh Hines, the one man behind black metal project, Starer, has been very busy. Since forming Starer in 2020, he has released four EPs and now, with the release of Ancient Monuments and Modern Sadness, four LPs. I first became acquainted with this band on 2023’s Wind, Breeze, or Breath and was taken in by Hines’s aggressively atmospheric take on black metal. Ancient Monuments and Modern Sadness hits the ground running on “I Cry Your Mother’s Blood” with some aggressively catchy melodies. The aggression continues on “Il-Kantilena” with its icy riffs and pumping blast beats. Meanwhile, “The Field of Reeds” combines the black n’ roll of Fell Omen with the fuzzy reverb of atmoblack for a rollicking good time. Hines screams into the void as subdued symphonics add layers of melody, providing a surprising amount of depth to each song. Because of the frenetic pace, the 50-minute runtime flies right by, even as songs like “Song of the Harper” do their best to vary the tempo. For black metal, the production is lush and gorgeous, giving air to all instruments. The epic, ten-minute finale is the culmination of Hines’s ability to put together complex and compelling music that both excites by its aggression and dazzles with its atmospherics. Black metal fans should not miss this one.

Grin Reaper’s Haunted Harvest

Black Cross Hotel // Songs for Switches [October 31st, 2025 – Someoddpilot Records]

Three years after dropping their favorably reviewed debut Hex, keys-drenched and industrialized outfit Black Cross Hotel returns bearing Songs for Switches. 80s-inspired synths, mid-paced chugs, and dance-ready grooves pack neatly into forty-one minutes of grubby fun, sure to interest fans of Ministry and Killing Joke, or anyone with a predilection for leather. Where Hex boasted a wider assortment of tempos, Songs for Switches narrows its focus to mid-paced songs with a keener emphasis on keyboard melodies. Averting a direction that could have been limiting, Black Cross Hotel smartly sidesteps this by shaving down song lengths and arranging the tracks for optimal pacing. Individual moments across the album evoke Me and That Man (“Eyes from Nowhere”), Soulfly (“Blood Dance”), and Joy Division (“Typo”), casting an eclectic array of sounds into Mount Gloom to forge ten dangerously fun tracks. Though I liked the album at first listen, it took multiple spins for Songs for Switches’ distilled aesthetic to fully unfurl, and once it did, my appreciation redoubled. With a sinister atmosphere designed as much for pain as pleasure, Black Cross Hotel has readied your room for a night you won’t forget.

Miasmata // Subterrania [October 31st, 2025 – Naturmacht Productions]

Still hawking their distinctive blend of meloblack and heavy metal, Miasmata dropped sophomore platter Subterrania on what was one of the most congested release days of 2025.4 In addition to the recurring influences of Windir (“Die at the Right Time”) and Iron Maiden (the intro to “Subterrania” smacks of The X Factor), Subterrania adds a dollop of thrash into the mix. Opener “Those Who Cross the Flame” struts out with a punky riff that wouldn’t be out of place on an Anthrax record, while “Full of the Devil” tastes as much like Testament or Havok as Diamond Head. The beauty of Miasmata, both on debut Unlight: Songs of Earth and Atrophy and Subterrania, is one-man mastermind Mike Wilson’s aptitude to synthesize a mighty host of influences into a unique sonic palette all his own. As Sharky noted in Unlight’s review, Miasmata has a knack for remarkable restraint. Subterrania clocks under forty minutes, layering slithery riffs upon one another in a way that propels the music in constant motion, shifting and unfolding so organically that the album slips by before you realize it’s over (an especially impressive feat considering the self-titled closer’s near fourteen-minute runtime). If you missed Miasmata’s latest on release day, go rectify that. Don’t let Subterrania get lost to the underground.

Dolphin Whisperer’s Autumnal Anomoly

夢遊病者 // РЛБ300119225 [October 28th, 2025 – Self Release]

As if plucked into lucidity from amidst a hazy, proggy machination, РЛБ30011922 steps into its narrative—an exploration of a beloved figure in its creator’s life, including sound clips describing the trials through which she persisted—with an entrancing stumble. Through an understated math rock lens, tight kit rhythms with a tension-building hi-hat clashes strut against a loud and leading bass voice across 37 minutes of fluid guitar textures. Whether it’s the chunky fusion reminiscent of Hackett-era Gordian Knot, the playful rhythmic post-rock that evokes a band like toe, or the fuzzed-out punctuation that tell a prog tale as ’70s King Crimson would, 夢遊病者, also known as Sleepwalker, makes their love of sound as clear as their love of РЛБ30011922’s inspiration. In a setting this free and detailed, not a single moment of this one-long-song opus passes by without taking a moment to focus on a given performer’s escalation in the drama of the movement. Wielding short guitar solos as segues into popping double-kick trots, spoken word exposition as pedal switch-up opportunities, all leading to a crescendo of bent and bluesy expression, 夢遊病者 succeeds in more than just holding an audience captive with their jammy and heartfelt statement. РЛБ30011922, like the shorter form releases that have graced these halls before, will have you coming back time and time again to explore its sentiments, which feel both traced from a dream yet rooted in rich, earthly tone pleasures.

Saunders’ Slinky Sneaks

Enragement // Extinguish All Existence [October 31st, 2025 – Transcending Obscurity]

The back end of 2025 has thrown down some delightfully vicious, chunkified, and straightforward death metal gems, courtesy of the likes of Depravity, Glorious Depravity and Terror Corpse. Not to be discounted, Finland’s Enragement dropped their own intense slab of brutal death on fourth LP, Extinguish All Existence. Cutting with any pleasantries, Enragement get down to business, slamming through a tight, burly collection of Americanized death, keenly treading a balance between thuggish beatdowns, chest-busting blasts, slammy, pig-squealing grooves, and more traditional, though deceptively diverse brutal death fare. Despite the certifiably crushing formula deployed, there is an air of accessibility, perhaps attributed to the clean but suitably beefy production job, bludgeoning, addictive grooves and sinister currents of atmospheric melody flowing through the album’s riff-centric veins. Thrashy, straightforward bursts of fury are tempered by more technical flourishes and an impressively versatile vocal assault. The likes of Devourment, Deeds of Flesh, Dawn of Demise and Benighted are perhaps fitting reference points, however, Enragement blast their own path of uncompromisingly heavy destruction.

Stephen Brodsky // Cut to the Core Vol. 1 [October 3rd, 2025 – Pax Aeturnum]

There are a couple of ways to broach this latest solo endeavor from lovable rogue and Cave In/Mutoid Man mastermind Stephen Brodsky. Brodsky delivers refreshed interpretations of various ’90s hardcore songs, reimagined in acoustic form. Those familiar with the original compositions will likely have fun dissecting and comparing the original anthems. While others, such as myself, largely unfamiliar with the originals, can enjoy these polished takes in their reimagined form, without comparison. Over the years, I have developed a strong connection with Brodsky’s works and come to appreciate his softer, acoustic flavorings. The likes of Snapcase, Converge, Texas is the Reason, Threadbare and By the Grace of God are some of the acts covered with typical style, zest, and emotion. Brodsky’s expressive and emotive delivery showcases both a loving appreciation of the material and deeper emotional connection that bleeds through the often darker, melancholic vibes of the acoustic constructions. The collection is remarkably consistent and infectious, highlighted by Brodsky’s crisp and soulful acoustic playing and distinctive singing voice on standout cuts, including “Windows” (Snapcase), “Benchwarmer” (Lincoln), “Fissures” (By the Grace of God), “Farewell Note to This City” (Converge), and “Voice” (Sense Field).

Soul Blind // Red Sky Mourning [October 10th, 2025 – Closed Casket Activities]

Riding a familiar wave of early ’00s alt-rock/metal and ’90s grungy nostalgia, New York’s Soul Blind emerge with sophomore LP, Red Sky Mourning. Although they tread dangerously close to overt derivation of prominent influences, including Alice in Chains, Deftones, and Helmet, Soul Blind manage to just stay afloat on their own terms. The dreamy melodies, chunky alt metal riffs, and soaring, Cantrell-esque vocal melodies cultivate some earwormy hooks and fuzzy, 90s/’00s feels. Soul Blind possess a knack for writing textured, mildly sludgy, infectious rock ditties, dabbling in shoegazing atmospherics, and sturdier alt metal territories along the way. Soul Blind relish in AIC inspired earworms (“Dyno,” “Hide Your Evil”), grittier, more aggressive alt metal fare (‘Billy,’ “New York Smoke”) and airy, indie pop-rock (“Thru the Haze”). Soul Blind have work to do to stand out from their influences and develop a more unique sound and robust character. However, the signs are positive for better things to come. Red Sky Mourning is a solid throwback album and handy companion piece to the equally nostalgia-inspired album from Bleed earlier in the year.

#2025 #Acoustic #Adrift #Aggravate #AliceInChains #AmericanMetal #AncientMonumentsAndModernSadness #Ancst #Anthrax #AsTheWorldTreeFell #AtmosphericBlackMetal #BlackCrossHotel #BlackMetal #Bleed #Bloodgutter #ByTheGraceOfGod #CanadianMetal #CanvasOfSilence #CattleDecapitation #CaveIn #ClosedCasketActivities #Converge #Crust #CutToTheCoreVol1 #DeathMetal #Deftones #Depravity #DiamondHead #DormantOrdeal #EdgewoodArsenalRecords #Enragement #ExtinguishAllExistence #FellOmen #Fellowship #FiadhProductions #FinnishMetal #FuneralDoom #FysiskFormatRecords #GalgerOgBrann #GloriousDepravity #GordianKnot #GrooveMetal #Grunge #HardRock #Hardcore #Havok #HeavyMetal #Helmet #HorrorPainGoreDeathProductions #IndependentRelease #IndustrialMetal #InternationalMetal #IronMaiden #JapaneseMetal #KillingJoke #KingCrimson #Lincoln #MadderMortem #MeAndThatMan #MelodicBlackMetal #Miasmata #Ministry #MutoidMan #MyDyingBride #NapalmDeath #NaturmachtProductions #NewZealandMetal #Nightwish #NorwegianMetal #Oct25 #Oromet #Ossuary #PaxAeternum #PigDestroyer #ProgressiveMetal #ProgressiveRock #RedSkyMourning #RepulsiveSummoning #Review #Reviews #RockshotsRecords #Rotpit #Sanguisugabogg #ScorchingTomb #SelfRelease #SelfReleased #SenseField #Skitsystem #Snapcase #SomeoddpilotReocrds #SongsForSwitches #SoulBlind #Soulfly #Starer #StephenBrodsky #StuckInTheFilter #StuckInTheFilter2025 #Subterrania #Sutratma #SymphonicMetal #TerrorCorpse #Testament #TexasIsTheReason #TheDarkElement #Theocracy #Threadbare #TimeToKillRecords #toe #Tragedy #TranscendingObsurityRecords #Uaar #ViolentTestimony #Vomitory #Windir #Xaoc #РЛБ30011922 #夢遊病者

Sanguisugabogg – Hideous Aftermath Review

By Owlswald

This review almost didn’t happen. As the recently demoted were scraping the last bit of slime off the bottom of the skull pit to prepare for the new haul of Fall promo, we inadvertently found Sanguisugabogg’s third full-length, Hideous Aftermath, submerged in the sludgy remains of two ex-n00bs. Mistakes were made for which we do do not apologize. These Ohio-based purveyors of grimy, gore-inspired brutal death may have a name worthy of the national Spelling Bee and a logo that looks like blood-soaked, tangled string, but these chaps know how to dish out the goods. Spawning from Maggot Stomping grounds in 2019, Sanguisugabogg’s tongue-in-cheek brutality has raised them up to the forefront of this fetid genre. After a debut EP built considerable buzz, Diabolus and Felagund found follow-up LPs Tortured Whole and Homicidal Ecstasy to be forthright and fun slabs of brutal death. Hideous Aftermath now signals a shift, honing their caveman chugs to embrace more expansive horizons, but in the end, it’s still big gory, dumb fun.

On Hideous Aftermath, Sanguisugabogg sheds the muddy textures of 90s death for a significantly sharper and more organic sound. This is largely thanks to stellar production by Kurt Ballou (Converge, Nails). After long self-producing, Sanguisugabogg trusted Ballou’s expertise1 to elevate their sound, ditching the split low-end signal of the guitar in favor of real bass (played by guitarists Cedrik Davis and Drew Arnold) to add a clearer, punchier low-end. The result is a loud, full mix that still allows every nuance of the instrumentation to shine through. From Davis and Arnold’s chunky, downtuned guitar grooves, to Devin Swank’s stomach-churning gutturals, to Cody Davidson’s flashy, intricate kit work (including the trademark snare ping), everything hits like a fucking tank. Tracks like “Erotic Beheading,” “Abhorrent Contraception” and “Rotted Entanglement” Vomit Forth a platter of the ‘Bogg’s familiar chugs and slams, while facets of Vile Rites progressiveness (“Sanctified Defilement”), Godflesh-tinged industrial (“Replusive Demise”), sludgy drawls (“Paid in Flesh”) and laser blasts (“Semi Automatic Facial Reconstruction”) show the foursome at their boldest and most creative. Despite this internal split, Hideous Aftermath is a welcome evolution for Sanguisugabogg and a good time to boot.

Let’s curb any potential misconceptions: while Hideous Aftermath finds Sanguisugabogg exploring new sonic territory, it’s first and foremost the same ugly, blood-thirsty, brutal death that existing fans know and love. Across ten songs, the ‘Bogg bludgeons the listener with an unrelenting assault of riffs, blasts, breakdowns and half-time stomps. Moments of respite are few before the artillery fire of Davidson’s brilliant, anchoring rhythms resumes the barrage. Davidson’s drumming remains the top highlight, elevating Sanguisugabogg’s songwriting with technical aggression through flawless double bass runs, Bran Dailor-esque (Mastodon) snare rolls and violence-inducing bell work. Standout front-half tracks like “Abhorrent Contraception,” “Rotted Entanglement” and “Ritual of Autophagia” showcase the group’s strongest material to date. Here, pummeling brutality meets discordant melodies (“Ritual of Autophagia”), swirling arpeggiations (“Rotted Entanglement”) and djenty gallops (“Felony Abuse of a Corpse”). Coupled with the injection of high-caliber guests,2 these new twists and turns give Hideous Aftermath’s material a different, fresh feel and I’m here for it.

While the first half of Hideous Aftermath proves Sanguisugabogg is capable of taking calculated steps forward, the record’s overall impact is weakened by its excessive 47-minute length and hesitant execution in the final stretch. The record feels front-loaded, with later tracks “Erotic Beheading,” “Semi Automatic Facial Reconstruction,” and “Sanctified Defilement” hindered by conventionality, lacking the strength and progressiveness of the album’s stronger material. Accordingly, Hideous Aftermath would have benefited from trimming two or three tracks to distill its best ideas. The ambitious industrial interlude “Repulsive Demise,” for example, feels awkward and out of place, while the sludgy ending to the otherwise solid “Pain of Flesh” drones on unnecessarily for four minutes, further underscoring the pacing issue.

But make no mistake—Hideous Aftermath is the best material Sanguisugabogg has released to date, largely succeeding in balancing evolution with tradition. The album confidently delivers the ‘Bogg’s trademark slams and neck-snapping grooves that longtime fans expect, while integrating new twists and turns that showcase a newfound artistic confidence. Though the final stretch wades too far into the deep end and keeps me from awarding Hideous Aftermath a higher score, the record sets a clear path for future greatness. It’s no longer a question of if Sanguisugabogg will ascend, but when.

Rating: Good!
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Century Media
Websites: sanguisugabogg.bandcamp.com | sanguisugabogg.com | facebook.com/sanguisugabogg
Releases Worldwide: October 10th, 2025

#2025 #30 #AmericanMetal #CattleDecapitation #CenturyMedia #Converge #DeathMetal #DefeatedSanity #FullOfHell #Godflesh #HideousAftermath #Mastodon #Nails #Oct25 #PeelingFlesh #Review #Reviews #Sanguisugabogg #VileRites #VomitForth

Plague Curse – Verminous Contempt Review

By Spicie Forrest

We’ve all been told, once or thrice, not to judge a book by its cover. As a species, we’re pretty good at doing it anyway. In metal circles, band logos and album art often follow certain tropes that let us quickly identify what we’re about to hear and set expectations accordingly. Except when they don’t. When I first saw the cover art for Verminous Contempt, I thought I had it pegged. I mean, rats? Green mystery fluid? Skulls? This was sewage-drenched death metal for sure. I was, of course, wrong. For their debut, Plague Curse instead offers a highly polished platter of blackened death metal. Irregardless of genre, however, the only question that matters here is, does it slap?

The heart of Verminous Contempt beats death, but its blackened influences are plenty vital. Bolt Thrown riffs, courtesy of Joe Caswell (Burden of Ymir), and Neil Schneider’s fully automatic drums offer a tank tread massage on “In the Shadow of Hate” and “Procession of Dead,” while “Amidst the Devastation” and “Hate Fuck Of Fornication and Malice” get their meat hooks in you like Cattle Decapitation in an asylum. Guitar licks in the skeletal, dissonant veins of Morbid Angel or Pestilence add a hunted sense of unrest (“Nocturnal Cruelty,” “Callous Abomination”). This would make for a decent record on its own, but well-placed blackened tremolos coalesce and melt away throughout the album like specters in a fog. “Umbrage Earned” and “Of Fornication and Malice” open with hellish, blackened salvos of Archspired urgency, but what’s particularly noteworthy about the former—and true to varying degrees across all of Verminous Contempt—is the way the band twists and warps death metal instrumentation to fit over black metal structures. While much of this record sounds like death metal, “Umbrage Earned” reminds me more of Watain from a compositional standpoint. Verminous Contempt isn’t just black metal and death metal played next to each other; Plague Curse creates a true blend of the two.

The instrumentals on Verminous Contempt are nothing to sneeze at, and neither is Nick Rossi’s vocal performance. His lows evoke Suffocation or Septicflesh, while highs are closer to Cattle Decapitation or Mental Cruelty. Rossi even gets brutally low on “In the Shadow of Hate” and “Callous Abomination.” He’s got an impressive toolkit. And whether low, high, or somewhere in between, he’s phlegmy and wet, not unlike Lik. It brings an unrefined, unhinged edge to an album whose production is otherwise pretty clean. The added grit does wonders for Plague Curse’s sound, creating much-needed texture across Verminous Contempt. Rossi’s standout performance is occasionally a detriment, however, as a few instrumental sections struggle to hold their own in his absence (“Procession of Dead,” “Reigning in Ruin”).

Verminous Contempt is an energetic and dynamic album. Riffs abound, both searing like Spectral Wound (“Most Vile”) and crushing like Immolation (“Callous Abomination”). Whether slinging neoclassical hooks (“Most Vile”), creating blackened tension (“In the Shadow of Hate”), or expertly shifting tempo (“Reigning in Ruin”), Caswell can count on Schneider and bassist George Van Doorn to provide a solid foundation upon which to drive each track. Transitions are well-timed and flow seamlessly, making the album an enjoyable and smooth listen end to end. Even tastefully and sparingly added dissonance incorporates well into the broader picture (“Reigning in Ruin,” “Nocturnal Cruelty”). But with such obvious songwriting prowess and tight construction, it’s a little frustrating to trudge through several minutes that should have been left on the cutting room floor, including the last third of “Reigning in Ruin” and the entire outro “Oderint Dum Metuant.”

I picked up Verminous Contempt expecting Foetal Juice, but was instead treated to an impressive mix of some of metal’s meanest sounds. Like being blindsided with a brick, Plague Curse comes out swinging and, with the exception of a couple of competent slowdowns, never lets up. Between noteworthy vocals and frenetic yet controlled instrumentation, Verminous Contempt is an enjoyable and easily consumed album. On their debut, Plague Curse establish themselves as a vicious but accessible contender in blackened death circles. With a more enthusiastic scalpel and a little more attention paid to instrumental passages, Plague Curse could easily be a future cornerstone of the genre.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Adirondack Black Mass
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: October 10th, 2025

#2025 #35 #AdirondackBlackMass #Archspire #BlackMetal #BlackenedDeathMetal #BoltThrower #BurdenOfYmir #CattleDecapitation #DeathMetal #FoetalJuice #Immolation #InternationalMetal #LIK #MentalCruelty #MorbidAngel #Oct25 #Pestilence #PlagueCurse #Review #Reviews #SepticFlesh #SpectralWound #Suffocation #VerminousContempt #Watain

Revocation – New Gods, New Masters Review

By Saunders

Following in the esteemed footsteps of resident Revocation expert Kronos is a daunting task. But with Kronos on an extended sabbatical, it’s time to step up as a long-term fanboy of Boston’s technical death-thrash juggernaut and put thoughts to their latest artistic endeavor, ninth LP, New Gods, New Masters. Mastermind Dave Davidson is joined by long-serving drummer Ash Pearson and newly minted members, Harry Lannon (guitars) and bassist Alex Weber, both seasoned underground musicians and hardly newbies to the extreme metal game. The other factor of interest is the addition of numerous guests, including Travis Ryan (Cattle Decapitation), Jonny Davy (Job for a Cowboy), lesser-known Israeli musician Gilad Hekselman, and Gorguts legend Luc Lemay. Is this a ploy of a band running low on ideas and seeking reinforcements, or a master stroke to add firepower to an already stacked arsenal?

Consistency has been a mainstay across Revocation’s now lengthy career. Occasional dips from the gold-plated standards of their unstoppable early to mid-career run notwithstanding, Revocation has never shit the bed or careened spectacularly off the rails. Nevertheless, nearing the twenty-year milestone since formation, the Angry Metal Guy’s Law of Diminishing Recordings™ looms ominously. Return to form Netherheaven brought a sharper focus and bloodstained atmosphere to the songwriting, delving deeper into Revocation’s deathly impulses with striking results. New Gods, New Masters stays on trend with recent efforts, charting a notably uglier, angrier route in comparison to their thrashier, playful early roots. Veering down increasingly gnarled and brutal spirals and weighing heavily into their deathly persona, New Gods, New Masters has serious fucking teeth, while failing to dull Revocation’s penchant for wildly inventive, technical material and progressive flourishes.

Rumbling into gear with gritty bass lines and thunderous drums, the opening title track ramps up tension before unfolding into a rugged, thrashy rager, complete with playful melodic break and typically mind-bending soloing. Cold and calculating, at its most beastly, New Gods, New Masters cuts an imposing figure, cranking heaviness to the max during the gritty, almost hardcore-leaning crunch of “Dystopian Vermin,” and venomous, blackened swarm of “Despiritualized.” Davidson’s vocals are at their most unhinged and anguished as the pair of gut-wrenching belters are further shaped by moody, unspooling solos, adding a touch of class and improv feel. Ginormous, lumbering grooves shake the core of “Confines of Infinity,” leaving a satisfyingly bruising punch, embellished by blistering blast sections, warp speed riffing, and killer guest spot by Travis Ryan. Featuring an impressively guttural Davy on guest vox, the awesomely and aptly titled “Cronenberged” is even better; its vicious, relentless intensity, mutated riffs, and authoritative rhythm section cut a brutal swathe into your scrambled brain. These are fine additions to Revocation’s stacked repertoire.

Standing out amongst its vocal counterparts, the brilliantly composed instrumental “The All Seeing” is a stunning piece. Pearson and Weber’s excellent combination and jittery, complex rhythms share the spotlight through a multifaceted, proggy journey, bolstered by intricate, groovy riffs and jazz-inspired soloing. Closer “Buried Epoch,” featuring Lemay, largely matches its weighty ambitions and song length, whipping blackened, death, thrash, tech, and prog ingredients into a pummeling, unpredictable, though largely cohesive epic. The new line-up doesn’t miss a beat, striking chemistry and maintaining Revocation’s trademark ear-popping technicality. Weber’s bass is afforded a chunky presence in the mix, lending melodic nuance and reinforced grunt to the album’s bleak, dystopian atmosphere, blunt force grooves, and brutal, uncompromising edge. The underrated Pearson puts in another exceptional performance behind the kit. Meanwhile, riff king Davidson and newcomer Lannon ensure Revocation’s axe-centric tech death-thrash arsenal and intricate, infectious riffcraft remains intact. Davidson’s corkscrewing, endlessly inventive solos feature soulful licks amidst bleaker tones, syncing with the album’s harsh, ominous atmosphere.

Injecting new blood into a familiar formula, New Gods, New Masters opens another shifting chapter for Revocation, though avoids spinning wheels. Marginally less consistent and compelling than Netherheaven, New Gods, New Masters nevertheless marks another fruitful return from Revocation. While it cannot quite match the band’s highest peaks, with songs falling more towards the very good rather than great range, New Gods, New Masters features the hallmarks of a grower. Initial reservations swiftly subsided, revealing another unique entry and exceptionally heavy, vitriolic burst of body slamming, thrashy tech death, catching songcraft and artful shredding.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 1411kbps mp3
Label: Metal Blade Records
Websites: revocation.bandcamp.com | revocationband.com | facebook.com/revocation
Releases Worldwide: September 26th, 2025

#2025 #35 #AmericanMetal #CattleDecapitation #DeathMetal #Gorguts #JobForACowboy #NewGods #NewMasters #ProgressiveMetal #Review #Reviews #Revocation #TechnicalDeathMetal #TechnicalThrashMetal #ThrashMetal

Harvested – Dysthymia Review

By Tyme

Despite a waning stigma, mental illness remains an oft-closeted topic, as those suffering from it struggle not only to cope but to discuss their struggles with others. Here to shed some of their death metal light on the matter are Canadian upstarts Harvested, with their independent debut full-length Dysthymia, which, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine, is defined as a long-lasting form of mild depression. Touching on topics ranging from submitting to one’s long-bottled-up ‘shadow self’ (“Repressed Neurosis”) to the gluttonous way humans abuse the earth (“Unanchored”), something Harvested consider a form of mental illness, they’ve dialed back the lyrically gorier aspects of their eponymous 2022 EP to intensify the focus on their chosen theme. As evidenced by the beautifully rendered CJ Bertram cover art, which main guitarist Mitchi Dimitriadis says depicts ‘an individual in great mental turmoil’ and represents ‘the abstract visualization of the chaos that is the human brain,’ it’s clear that Harvested are committed to the subject. The only question left to answer is whether it’s worth reaping what Harvested’s Dysthymia hopes to have sown.

Nostalgically anchored in 1990s and early 2000s death metal, Harvested also incorporate modern elements of slam and tech-death into the mix to achieve Dysthymia’s goal. This is one brutal fucking record, and from the get, you realize Harvested aren’t messing about, as Dysthymia mashes the potatoes and pulls the meaty steaks off the grill, a muscle-bound manifestation of their Cannibal Corpse, Suffocation, and Deicide (“Harvested,” “The Infestation”) influences. Dimitriadis’ and Vitto Oh’s guitar harmonics are pinched harder than Grier‘s butt cheeks at an enema convention, ensorcelled by viscerally blistering riffs, technically proficient leads, and tornadic, swirling solos. Jacob Collins’ drums1 crack skulls and pummel sternums with whirling fills and destructive double-kicks while Eric Forget’s bass lines remember everything necessary to keep things rumbling along. Adam Semler’s vocals, primarily an homage to George Fisher’s chesty aggression and Glenn Benton’s demonic discernibility, also share elements with Cattle Decapitation’s Travis Ryan at his most high-pitched and raspy. For such a young band, Harvested have planted a flag on the death metal scene, and Dysthymia is the wind through which that flag furls, filled with exuberant, energy-filled performances and solid songwriting.

With highlights aplenty, Dysthymia demands attention by way of its genuine songcraft and near flawless execution. I found myself stank-faced and sweaty through many a listen, whether basking in the glow of galloping riffs and percussive bass on “Unending Madness” or taking in the detailed technicality of the Soreption and The Zenith Passage influenced “Designed Dilemma,” a song that chugs so hard through its last ninety seconds I nearly gave myself whiplash. My favorite track, “Gathered and Deluded,” is a Cattle Decapitation-tinted slammer with pinched harmonic progressions that have been living rent-free in my head for weeks as Forget’s bass marches in flurrying lockstep with Collins’ robotically precise drums, and Selmer channels his best inner Travis Ryan. Harvested is one tight-knit outfit, belying their relatively brief existence and sounding like a band that’s been together much longer.

I’d argue the efforts of Harvested’s “sixth member” deserve as much credit for the success Dysthymia should garner as the band themselves, and that is the excellent work Joe Lyko performed from the booth at Darkmoon Productions. Lyko’s mix and master slathers Dimitriadis’ and Oh’s guitar work in a tone that, for me, defies obvious comparison, as bright and bouncy as it is deadly and devastating. Like a calculated throat punch, it was the first thing that hit me when album opener, “Harvested,” launched, holding my rapt attention all the way through to “The Infestation,” an excellent close to Dysthymia’s very manageable thirty-two-minute runtime. Each instrument exists within its own space, breathing freely and intertwining with high-definition clarity, thereby topping this auditorily successful sundae with a big, fat, juicy cherry.

Lyrically poignant, brutally heavy, and bursting with engagingly twisted, hook-filled instrumentation, Dysthymia is a helluva debut, and one Harvested should be proud of. As poetically as I have waxed, I still believe there’s room for Harvested to grow. God help those who might lay their ears on a sophomore effort from this line-up, should they remain intact. Rest assured, I’ll definitely be watching and waiting. For now, however, I wholeheartedly recommend you spend some long-lasting, quality time with Dysthymia.

Rating: 3.5 / 5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320kbps mp3
Label: Self-Released
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: August 1st, 2025

#2025 #35 #Aug25 #CanadianMetal #CannibalCorpse #CattleDecapitation #DeathMetal #Deicide #Dysthymia #Harvested #Independent #Review #Soreption #Suffocation #TechnicalDeathMetal #TheZenithProcess

Recorruptor – Sorrow Will Drown Us All Review

By Alekhines Gun

One of the most entertaining things about describing death metal in any of its iterations is the limitless well of hyperbolic descriptors one can conjure. Older monikers like “crushes,” “brutalizes,” and “heavy” have given way to fun artistic notions like “being attacked by killer bees,” “gored by rabid rhinos,”1 and “being mated with by a coked out giraffe.” My own newest favorite phrase came by way of one of our loyal commentariat in the phrase “Taint kicker”. Michigan locals Recorruptor have arrived with their third LP, Sorrow Will Drown Us All, and it seeks to continue to force the listener to dig deeper into their well of artistic metaphors to describe the raw carnage on display. Are you up for a swim?

Like frosting with copious sprinkles on an extra chunky cake, Recorruptor use a hodgepodge of ingredients traversing from blackened deathcore to death metal and slam proper. This results in an album that is chuggy, blasty, slammy, and wammy, without easily being pigeonholed into any particular subgenre. A Venn diagram of sound neatly intersecting between Aborted, Cognitive, Cattle Decapitation and Lorna Shore, Sorrow Will Drown Us All flings the listener from one prolonged-shriek-laden chugging presentation with lightly strummed atmospheric lines (“Bearing the Befouled Spawn”) to vaguely OSDM melodic theatrics (“An Unnatural Lust”) without missing a beat or any part sounding out of place. The cohesiveness of songwriting is reflected in how each part is carefully composed for maximum impact without sounding like an unfocused collection of disparaging riffs. Recorruptor have opted for violence on a cinematic scale using a Batman-sized utility belt of tools to get their themes across, and those themes come in abundance.

This diversity of stylings means standout moments will depend entirely on what ingredient you’re most into. “Urn of Verglas” offers up a jumbo-sized plate of green eggs and slam, which is gleefully Ingested in its blunt simplicity, but rendered extra septic by contrast of the ruthless speed of what came before it. “Envenoming” is straight Cattle Decapitation worship with its atmospherics-rooted sense of grind and vocalist Clint Franklin doing a great impression of Travis Ryan at his most esophagus-abusing.2 “Insidious Rot” starts out with modern death metal groove before devolving into a prolonged breakdown set well beyond two-stepping pace and spotlighting some thunky chunky bass from Alex Schmidt. Guitarists Seth Earl and Isaac Marier slather the entire release in solos, which never lose their sense of tension and release to guitar hero wankery.

Where Sorrow Will Drown Us All fails is in the same way cakes can be too rich—too much of a good thing is real, and food is not the only victim. While every song is killer, they’re also long in the tooth and produced more abrasively than the DR would suggest. Vocals also follow the maddening modern trend of bathing the music almost nonstop rather than letting it breathe.3 There’s no denying the technical prowess and kaleidoscopic nature of the performances on display, but the album is so crammed with ideas that it feels much lengthier than its not unreasonable 48-minute runtime, and the two symphonic cuts do little to break up the whole into more palatable chunks. The name of the game for Recorruptor is going to be self-editing. If they can trim down the bulk of their ideas to more immediate offerings, they’ll be ready to blast and brawl their way to the top of the blackened deathcore heap without setting off genre purists in the process.

Sorrow Will Drown Us All is a caliber album, and if you’re a sucker for any of the various bands listed, you’ll find much to love here. There is sonic succulence reminiscent of meat grinders, bulldozers, horny wild animals, and yes, even taint kicking. Nevertheless, the final product topples under its own weight from the sheer glut of ideas on display. Quality ideas though they be, the album is so full of them that they end up fighting for the listener’s attention after the album has long ceased to play. I’m rooting for Recorruptor to hone in on their skillset and opt for a less-is-more approach. For now, grab a fork and let the sorrow get you into a diabetic coma.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: Time to Kill Records
Websites: Album Bandcamp | Official Facebook Page
Releases Worldwide: July 18th, 2025

#2025 #30 #Aborted #AmericanMetal #BlackenedDeathcore #CattleDecapitation #Cognitive #DeathMetal #Ingested #Jul25 #LornaShore #Recorruptor #Review #Reviews #SorrowWillDrownUsAll

New post: Cattle Decapitation present ‘From This Flesh’ – 2-hour documentary https://www.moshville.co.uk/news/2025/05/cattle-decapitation-present-from-this-flesh-2-hour-documentary/ #CattleDecapitation