#death-thrash — Public Fediverse posts

UK antifascist blackened death/thrash trio Tyrannus caught my attention with the be-castled cover art for their upcoming sophomore record, Mournhold. Having never listened to them prior, I gravitated towards the promise of yet another robust hybrid of styles and sounds. With bands like Antiverse and Skeletonwitch to call on as points of comparison, Tyrannus all but guarantee my appreciation. This is the kind of genre-blending that I crave on an hourly basis. Does Mournhold have the goods to satisfy my voracious needs?

Lead single “Reignfall” demonstrates that Tyrannus aren’t fucking around, boasting an adrenaline-fueled cataclysm of riffs, shreds, pummels, and roars. It is an ideal case study for what Mournhold captures, ensaring the icy raze of black, the fiery vitriol of thrash, and the swaggering aggression of death in one fell swoop. Separated from those superficial attributes, it embodies the Platonic ideal of a great metal track. And so, Tyrannus publish their infernal formula, and Mournhold’s multifaceted application of that formula brews excitement and fun at every turn. Tightly packed into 40 minutes, seven tracks tear through a blunderbuss of cool ideas, hooky motifs, and fun deviations from the expected.

Most surprising of these diversions is center cut “Flesh Eternal,” which recalls the gothic swing of Tribulation if they took the ashen path to black/thrash. A really cool song on its own, “Flesh Eternal” more importantly cements Tyrannus as versatile songwriters and shrewd album composers. It resolves the aggressive black metal scorch of the first three songs—the best of which (“Orbus Non Suffict,” “Seizing Stars”) fulfill the gap left by Skeletonwitch after Serpents Unleashed. At the same time, it sets up the second act, beautifully bisecting Mournhold’s story with something a little more rock-oriented as a palette cleanser. That brief reprieve allows me to properly prepare myself for “Reignfall.” A barnburner of devilish nature, “Reignfall” Hellrips my face clean off with speed-metal riffs, righteous dive-bomb solos, and downright ignorant grooves charred by black metal rasps. A second twist that I hoped for but dared not expect, Mournhold’s back half transitions to altogether darker and moodier spaces than the front. “Slower” and longer form compositions (“Mournhold,” “Back to Grey”) reside in those spaces, creating an expanded stage for Tyrannus’ final ideas to land and settle.

This arrangement allows listeners to bask in more instrumental noodling and melodic storytelling as Mournhold comes to a close, but the risk of drag creeps in. “Mournhold” is certainly thrashy and aggressive enough in its second half to offset that inertia, but at six-and-a-half minutes, it rubs against bloat with a cocky smirk. Closer “Back to Grey” toys that line even more salaciously, teasing attention spans to their limit at nearly eight minutes. Luckily, its classic heavy metal gallop and olde-timey meloblack charm make it hard to hate. Like many tight runtimes, though, 40 minutes suffers more noticeably when any one song overstays its welcome; Mournhold’s final couplet gently cross that threshold. Cutting a minute from each—perhaps fewer repetitions of a riff here, and trimming an intro or bridge there—would make them stronger and thus improve the whole in kind.

Mournhold doesn’t need much improving, though, to be an unqualified success. It’s a rip-roaring fun time, with a youthful personality as exuberant as it is infectious. Tyrannus improved in every aspect on the promise of their debut, refining their voice into something highly recognizable and alluring. If this is just the beginning for Tyrannus, I tremble to think of what they might accomplish on future records. That’s a later Ken problem. For now, I’m content and gunning to storm castles and slay eldritch monsters for an eternity with Mournhold. Join me!

Rating: Great!
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: True Cult Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: May 15th, 2026

Big Ass Metal Fest 45 just took place at #dbsutrecht Not sure how we missed the first 44 but the most important is that we finally had the opportunity to see #deadhead on stage. The #deaththrash veterans played with #escarnium and #shinigami Some killer bands don’t play live much, or focus their time outside their native habitat. We don’t know which applies to Dead Head, just that it was worth the wait.

Florida death thrash dealers Intoxicated came down the promo sump with a nest of surprises I didn’t anticipate. Learning that once again I selected promo from a forgotten 90s band shocked me. Finding out that not one but two of Intoxicated’s members also serve in known party rock entity Andrew W.K. bamboozled me even more. These little factoids all came to me long after I had imbibed deeply of their upcoming third LP The Dome, which sounds fresher and far more vicarious than what I might’ve expected otherwise. But can it compete with a modern thrash scene desperate to revitalize the glory days of olde?

If there’s one thing that Intoxicated do well, it’s finding and exploiting their references. Riffs sourced from the bloodied piles amassed by the likes of Destruction, Death Angel, Dark Angel, and Sodom abound, all laced with the deathly wiles of Death to give them extra oomph.1 Anthrax-esque drumming doubles down on speed and extremity as The Dome gallops and blasts through its lean 30-minute runtime.2 A lightly proggy songwriting bent, again reminiscent of Death’s more sophisticated fare, gives The Dome a bit more variety than your average thrash revival record. Nonetheless, Intoxicated feels most at home brawling at bars and swaggering down back alleys in head-to-toe leather.

The Dome by Intoxicated

When they double down on sleaze and hooks, Intoxicated shine brightest. High-octane cuts like “Carved in Stone,” “The Dome,” “War Club,” and “Drowning the Weak” ooze vitriol and gush piss and vinegar all over the place, making for one nasty arena in which to open up pits and push around posers. Sole original member Erik Payne’s raspy barks and serrated growls feel right at home in this pocket, spewing matter-of-fact verses in the classic thrash tradition with a consistency and effectiveness that belies his age (“It’s Dead”). While that vocal talent provides The Dome with a significant measure of personality, it’s Erik’s and John Sutton’s riffs/leads and Mike Radford’s multifaceted drumming that steal the show, routinely shoving great ideas and weaving durable stitching throughout remarkably tight runtimes (“Shifted Cross” and “Rake the Grate,” for example, feel far more substantial and meaty than their featherweight sub-3-minute lengths suggest).

There’s a lot to love in The Dome, but there’s also a lot of potential to go further. On the production front, The Dome is very clean and modern, which in some ways detracts from Intoxicated’s brutish delivery (though its clarity makes the drum tones stand out in fantastic fashion). Additionally, while you can hear Gregg Robert’s bass burbling underneath the surface, it lacks the prominence it needs for listeners to reliably nail down what unholy magic he’s doing with it. As far as songwriting goes, The Dome is quite strong but songs that lack punch instantly get lost in the sauce. In some cases, that’s the result of a lack of unique riffs or interesting ideas (“Sever the Strings,” “Tighten Your Eyes”). In others, it’s nothing more than a pacing or tracklist placing issue where The Dome’s momentum is slightly disrupted or impeded (“Unescaped”). And of course, the fact that multiple writers could so readily identify reference points from a number of classic acts speaks to the level of influence they had on Intoxicated’s current sound, which, for some, might make The Dome seem unoriginal or derivative.

Even so, The Dome is a wholly enjoyable and easily repeatable record by an unsung act hailing from the 90s era of thrash and death. The references they pull from are good company to keep, so if some of the material here borders on worship, at least Intoxicated have good taste. As the dust and rubble settle, The Dome is a fun, raucous, and feisty little gem, and it would be a shame for it to go unnoticed.

Rating: Good
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Redefining Darkness Records
Websites: intoxicatedflorida.bandcamp.com | intoxicatedfl.com | facebook.com/pg/intoxicatedFL
Releases Worldwide: March 27th, 2026

Another week of Mondays is afoot. Let's drown that out. https://master.bandcamp.com/album/collection-of-souls #MasterBand #DeathThrash

The new Beyond the Pale line-up, captured again. 🤘

We are deep into rehearsals with our new lead vocalist Bram and the vibe is stronger than ever. We can't wait to unleash this new energy live.

📅 May 10, 2026
📍 Club Hell, Diest (BE)
⚔️ Supporting Pestilence

#BeyondThePale #Metal #DeathMetal #ThrashMetal #thrash #DutchMetal #DeathThrash #metalband #metalband #metalmusic #metalcommunity

Free download codes:

Rancorous - Vultures Will Gather

"Raw, gritty, and abrasive blackened thrash that is sure to destroy... -Metal Trenches"

https://getmusic.fm/l/jBOQaJ

#metal #blackmetal #deathmetal #thrashmetal #extrememetal #deaththrash #blackthrash #music

For @derthomas' #ThrashThursday:

#Dissentience: Kaiju

https://album.link/xv9r4gnnnmpr5

#DeathThrash

FFO #Begravement #Confess #Depravity

The Netherlands really is the home of death thrash. So many great acts, and now we can add Black Rabbit to the list.

Warren of Necrosis EP by Black Rabbit:
https://blackrabbitnl.bandcamp.com/album/warren-of-necrosis-2

#ThrashThursday #Thursdeath #DeathThrash

Messiah - Sikhote Alin

The opener of Messiah’s last album. I have to admit that I had forgotten that band until I saw them live a couple of weeks ago. They did a good job and appeared to be very nice guys with a maniac on the bass guitar.

I like their sway between thrash and death metal and their old school sound. This track maybe does not quite represent that, however I like it.

https://youtu.be/e-3fCA5gbzs

#metal #rezensionen #vinyl #music #Messiah #DeathThrash

I just had the pleasure to attend a live show by Revocation. If you are into complex and really hard technical stuff I can only recommend to buy their albums.

https://tidal.com/track/432037234/u Here’s the track Sarcophagi of the Soul from the current one.

#metal #rezensionen #vinyl #music #concert #revocation #DeathThrash

Free download codes:

Rancorous - Into the Nuclear Fire

"Savage ripping death thrash from the edge of the abyss"

https://getmusic.fm/l/1BVSDY

#metal #blackmetal #deathmetal #thrashmetal #extrememetal #deaththrash #music

Free download codes:

Abhorred - None Shall Be Spared

"Raging uncontrolled thrash grinding metal of death"

https://getmusic.fm/l/kyCojO

#metal #blackmetal #deathmetal #thrashmetal #thrash #deaththrash #deaththrash #music

The Final Witness – Beneath the Altar Review

By Angry Metal Guy

By: Nameless_n00b_607

In a genre long since matured, a common way to avoid retreads is to combine multiple subgenres.1 Contemporary thrash in particular is difficult to get right without the proper guitar assault required to break necks. Hence, many opt to go for one of its offshoots instead. One newcomer looking to explore the avenue of genre blending is The Final Witness, the solo project of multi-instrumentalist Josh Henderson. Debut Beneath the Altar promises to deliver death and thrash in progressive form to the unwashed masses. I dove into Beneath the Altar with caution, having seen how often this combination of terms gets misused, but hoping The Final Witness would fulfill its promise.

Inspired guitar work and appropriate variety are the main strengths of The Final Witness. The majority of Beneath the Altar involves two core components: progressive thrash (“Coronation,” “The Blood”) and death/thrash (“Sanctum of the Holy”). Plentiful melodic leads further color the album, with “Testimony” even evoking the Gothenburg sound. Lastly, quieter semi-acoustic passages bridge these individual pieces together with varied levels of success. The compositions are vivid and frenetic, alternating between traditional breakneck drumming and rhythmic trickery. Henderson’s distorted vocals lack a bit of thrash attitude, but they do a fine job of punctuating the compositions with barks and snarls. Beneath the Altar’s best moments take inspiration from Coroner and Vader, and I wish those moments were much more frequent, because the sound leans a bit too close towards the groove school of guitar chugging on occasion (“Negative World,” “Principalities”). Nevertheless, the foundation of the album holds, and Henderson’s performances are impressive.

Beneath the Altar’s experimental side comes at the expense of its strengths. On top of the album’s bread and butter, most tracks differentiate themselves with eccentricities. For example, the title track’s electronic break with an almost hip-hop-like beat is memorable and surprisingly well-made, but it doesn’t exactly fit. “Testimony” ends with a dramatic organ layer that could sound excellent if the mix didn’t turn it into an ear-piercing inconvenience. Many of these one-off gimmicks are fun, but they are either misused or discarded before leaving an impact. Worse, they are a distraction. Beneath the Altar really shines when exploring the rhythmic and melodic sides of death/thrash. Diverging from this path trades depth for breadth; a tighter track like “Sanctum of the Holy” proves that The Final Witness would only benefit from holding onto a theme for longer.

The disparate ideas of Beneath the Altar are greater than the sum of their parts. Its foundational pillars work wonders individually, but interact too infrequently, and one-off experimental touches are fun but out of place. The somber semi-acoustic parts—while well done—hinder song flow when utilized too frequently (“Principalities”) and blend together after multiple listens. Good ideas feel haphazardly assembled. The foregoing is exacerbated by its production, overseen by Jason Wisdom of Becoming the Archetype. The sound is both sterile and rough, with Wisdom prioritizing guitars over vocals and drums—both of which are loud and distracting. Its qualities conjure a strange illusion of metalcore adjacency, further contributing to the album’s incoherent identity. All that being said, I don’t mind listening to Beneath the Altar again. There’s a lot to like, and a brief 36-minute runtime makes sure the record doesn’t overstay its welcome. Yet I feel more compelled to revisit individual parts of songs rather than any particular song in full.

Beneath the Altar is an interesting but unfocused prototype. Getting a solo project this far is already respectable, but I reckon Mr. Henderson is still capable of much more. With more coherent composition and a unified vision, the ideas on this record could form a powerful message. There are exciting bits and pieces here to digest, even if they don’t necessarily form a cohesive whole, and the result is that Beneath the Altar feels like a starting point for better things to come. But for the time being, The Final Witness is still trying to find its sound—and I find myself craving some Coroner instead.

Rating: Mixed
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s CBR MP3
Label: Rottweiler Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Release Date: August 15th, 2025

#25 #2025 #AmericanMetal #Aug25 #BecomingTheArchetype #BeneathTheAltar #Coroner #DeathThrash #ProgressiveThrashMetal #Review #RottweilerRecords #TheFinalWitness #ThrashMetal #Vader

Vertebra – The Same Review

By Angry Metal Guy

By: Nameless_n00b_601

There’s no shortage of bands trying to bottle the lightning of Death’s progressive era. Between groups like Horrendous, Paranorm, or even not-quite-cover-band Gruesome—whose recent take on Human with Condemned Identity is the band’s most exciting effort—there are plenty of impressive takes on Chuck Schuldiner’s revered late-‘90s output. Enter Vertebra: a Brazilian act that formed in the mid-‘90s, Vertebra disbanded before releasing a debut album. Now, in 2025, they have re-emerged from the sands of time with a mission to finally finish what they started. Their long-overdue debut release, The Same, promises a slab of progressive death/thrash which balances “raw edges” with “melodic awareness” in a way that “defies the passage of time.” Can these reunited rockers craft a collection of tunes that innovates and stands alongside their clear inspiration? Or has their time apart left us with a batch of songs that feel, well, The Same?

Vertebra’s take on death/thrash is firmly rooted in the sound of albums like Symbolic and The Sound of Perseverance, but it’s supercharged thanks to the dynamic guitar work of Arildo Leal and Fernando Luzardo. The duo rarely stays in one mode for long, shifting between acrobatic riffing and soaring melodic leads, often favoring the harmonic minor. This is the scale that classic Death melodies like “Lack of Comprehension” are in—it sounds “Egyptian” for lack of a better descriptor. Whether it’s Kreator-tinged thrash gallops (“Oblivion”), aggressive death metal tremolos (“Architecture of Perspective”), or proggy suspended-chord riffs (“Fanatic and Picturesque”), the two guitarists glide between styles with confidence, driving these constantly evolving compositions. The Same also features significantly more lead and harmony work than classic Death albums, which largely relegate leads to dedicated solo sections. Those are present here as well, and they’re impressive and reminiscent of James Murphy, especially, but Leal and Luzardo present a much more fluid take on leads, weaving them in and out of standard riffs (“Humanity”) and sweeping melodic sections (“Blessed Are the Forgetful”). Occasionally, this can distract from the effective simplicity of certain moments, but overall, their distinctive approach is one of Vertebra’s key strengths.

That same sense of urgency and exploration extends to Vertebra’s rhythm section—sometimes to the detriment of the songs and, by extension, the album as a whole. Drummer Cristiano Hulk (yes, really) brings a rock-solid, Bill Andrews-esque backbone to the material, but it’s bassist Tiago Vargas who often takes center stage. His hyperactive, “lead bass” approach recalls a blend of Steve DiGiorgio and Geddy Lee. Rarely does Vargas follow along with the rhythm guitars, instead opting for dexterous, serpentine basslines that give an Atheist flair to much of the record. Often, this accents the part nicely and provides a bit more instrumental nuance to any given section, but when it doesn’t—during a big chorus (“The Same”) or melodic section (“Fanatic and Picturesque”)—this highlights The Same’s biggest issue: a lack of definitive, memorable hooks to contrast with its rapid pace. A Death song like “Spirit Crusher” works as well as it does because its simple, primary chorus riff provides both a breather and release from the adventurous parts which surround it. Vertebra has no shortage of solid riffs and interesting sections that usually transition fluidly in and out of each other, but lack emphatic or iconic moments that make each song stand out.

This places The Same in an interesting predicament, where all of its tracks are remarkably consistent and varied in their own way, but as an album, I’m hard pressed for individual moments that beckon repeated listens. Vertebra succeeds with numbers like the sprawling “Behind the World,” the Masvidal-inspired “Overcoming the Void,” and mid-tempo prog-ripper “95 Eyes,” but much of the track list struggles to leave a lasting impression, even after a week of listening. Part of the issue lies in Arildo Leal’s vocal delivery. His high-pitched, raspy bark is serviceable in verses and suits the style (a less favorable description might claim it sounds like Dave Mustaine doing his best Quorthon impression), but it falters in the choruses, many of which rely on simple, repeated phrases (“Behind the World,” “Humanity,” or “The Same”). This puts more pressure on the songwriting to carry the weight, but it can get lost in the album’s relentless pacing.

The Same is a frustrating record to evaluate. It’s clearly good but missing the extra “oomph” of something great.1 Vertebra demonstrates a thorough understanding of the ins and outs of what makes late-‘90s Death engaging and puts its own unique spin on the material with oodles of instrumental embellishments. As a debut, it’s strong and satisfying in its way, but it doesn’t quite rise to meet the standard set by its peers. If Vertebra ever produces a follow-up, maybe next time they can focus on making sure the songs don’t sound The Same.2

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s CBR MP3
Label: Xtreem Music
Website: xtreemmusic.bandcamp.com/album/the-same
Releases Worldwide: July 29th, 2025

#2025 #30 #Atheist #BrazilianMetal #Death #DeathMetal #DeathThrash #GeddyLee #Jul25 #Kreator #Review #Reviews #SteveDiGiorgio #TheSame #ThrashMetal #Vertebra #XtreemMusic

​:BlobCat_Vibing:​ catching up on the new Oxygen Destroyer
https://oxygen-destroyer.bandcamp.com/album/guardian-of-the-universe
#DeathMetal #ThrashMetal #DeathThrash #music

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#MetalInjection
Album Review: HORRENDOUS Ontological Mysterium
"Horrendous, known for taking risks, really outdid themselves."

https://metalinjection.net/reviews/album-review-horrendous-ontological-mysterium

#Horrendous
#OntologicalMysterium
#MetalAlbumReview
#HeavyMetal
#DeathMetal
#DeathThrash
#ThrashMetal

#NowPlaying #TheMetalDogIsNowPlaying
#Sarcófago
The Laws Of Scourge
Midnight Queen

YouTube Search:
https://youtube.com/results?search_query=Sarcófago+The+Laws+Of+Scourge+Midnight+Queen

Lyrics:
https://genius.com/Sarcofago-midnight-queen-lyrics

Song Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlnbfJGf98E

#thrashmetal #blackmetal #metal #DeathThrash #heavymetal