#defeatedsanity — Public Fediverse posts

Deathcore is having an identity crisis; Lorna Shore’s breakout popularity influenced a horde of homogeneous blackened deathcore bands and became a tipping point for a genre more than happy to never evolve. As the glut of technically talented but melodically stunted bands continue fighting for second place in the Lorna Shore soundalikes competition, a few try to break out, but rarely have the chops to bring anything new or interesting. As if by a mandate from Hell, Crown Magnetar truly take to the deathcore moniker in a way few bands even attempt to; by drawing from the roots of death metal and hardcore, combining them to create a blender of bludgeoning worthy of a genre that combines two of the beefiest slabs of metal in terms of their sonic footprint. For a band relatively new to the game, Crown Magnetar’s third LP, The Hollowing of Godflesh, couldn’t have come at a better time, but whether it is a bona fide modern classic or another uninspired attempt will depend on how willing the band is to step out of the genre’s shadow and pummel a new path to devastation.

Crown Magnetar offers an eviscerating combination of brutal death metal, deathcore, and tech-death. The band excises overblown theatrics, snarl-fueled vocal tangents, and reliance on machine-gun breakdowns. Instead, they trade them for brutal death vocals, slamming riffs, and tech-death chainsaw riffage that would make Archspire blush. Dan Tucker’s vocals quickly stand out, drawing more from death metal and brutal death than the aforementioned blackened deathcore. He even cites brutal death as his major influence in recent years, especially bands like Defeated Sanity and Brodequein. This isn’t just lip service; The Hollowing of Godflesh is stuffed with brutal death and slam influences, making it one of the heaviest records in recent memory, a feat rare for the shock-focused banal heaviness typical of modern deathcore.

Not to be one-upped, new guitarist Rob Maramonte (ex-Fallujah, ex-The Zenith Passage) is the sleeper star of the affair. Crown Magnetar’s latest is their technical pinnacle and for an album so relentlessly devastating, Maramonte finds plenty of time to impress. Blinding speed bolsters songs that suplex you from beat to beat as he taps through leads or drops chainsaw-riff after riff of hooks, worthy of Aborted. Clearly, the group’s tour mates inspired their latest, with obvious influences from Archspire and Aborted as well as Dying Fetus and fellow core crushers Spite. As initially overwhelming as The Hollowing of Godflesh can be, repeated listens revealed the depth of Maramonte’s guitar work. Every song has riffs that will stick with you or multiple moments of creative destruction. Drummer Matt Kilner (ex-Vitriol) offers technical chops to match Maramonte, while still sounding natural in a way so few modern metal drummers do. The raucous snare sits right at home with the intensity of Crown Magnetar’s sound, and The Hollowing of Godflesh feels cohesive and consequential as a result.

The Hollowing of Godflesh is a rare beast, and Crown Magnetar took to the record with a surgeon’s scalpel. At ten tracks and just under thirty minutes, not a single one breaks the four-minute mark. The most egregious being the album’s introduction, the subtly titled “Gun Eater,” which wallows in deathcore staples and silliness, as if to get it out of the band’s system before the record can truly begin. Still, it hits like a truck thanks to the talent on hand and the clarity of production. While it isn’t perfect, The Hollowing of Godflesh mostly avoids the horrible compression of modern deathcore, especially on many of Unique Leader’s records. Having your longtime producer also become your bassist likely helps, as Michael Sahm clearly understands how to bring out the best in Crown Magnetar’s sound. “Gun Eater” aside, every track on the record feels vital and stuffed with memorable moments. The mid-record trio of “Impaled Genesis,” “The Hollowing of Godflesh,” and “Godkiller” offer up a manifesto of mutilation that should put the stank-face on any earnest listener.

I came into The Hollowing of Godflesh wary of yet another deathcore band with comically dark anti-religious theming and over-the-top names. Luckily for us all, there is no “Ov” in sight. Only miles of breakneck, grinding riffage, slamming breakdowns, and genuine heaviness that would make an elephant blush. With The Hollowing of Godflesh, Crown Magnetar have established themselves as modern masters of deathcore debauchery and set a new standard for other upcoming bands wanting to break away from blackened death and bring back the brutal.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 4 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Unique Leader Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: September 25th, 2026

Deathcore is having an identity crisis; Lorna Shore’s breakout popularity influenced a horde of homogeneous blackened deathcore bands and became a tipping point for a genre more than happy to never evolve. As the glut of technically talented but melodically stunted bands continue fighting for second place in the Lorna Shore soundalikes competition, a few try to break out, but rarely have the chops to bring anything new or interesting. As if by a mandate from Hell, Crown Magnetar truly take to the deathcore moniker in a way few bands even attempt to; by drawing from the roots of death metal and hardcore, combining them to create a blender of bludgeoning worthy of a genre that combines two of the beefiest slabs of metal in terms of their sonic footprint. For a band relatively new to the game, Crown Magnetar’s third LP, The Hollowing of Godflesh, couldn’t have come at a better time, but whether it is a bona fide modern classic or another uninspired attempt will depend on how willing the band is to step out of the genre’s shadow and pummel a new path to devastation.

Crown Magnetar offers an eviscerating combination of brutal death metal, deathcore, and tech-death. The band excises overblown theatrics, snarl-fueled vocal tangents, and reliance on machine-gun breakdowns. Instead, they trade them for brutal death vocals, slamming riffs, and tech-death chainsaw riffage that would make Archspire blush. Dan Tucker’s vocals quickly stand out, drawing more from death metal and brutal death than the aforementioned blackened deathcore. He even cites brutal death as his major influence in recent years, especially bands like Defeated Sanity and Brodequein. This isn’t just lip service; The Hollowing of Godflesh is stuffed with brutal death and slam influences, making it one of the heaviest records in recent memory, a feat rare for the shock-focused banal heaviness typical of modern deathcore.

Not to be one-upped, new guitarist Rob Maramonte (ex-Fallujah, ex-The Zenith Passage) is the sleeper star of the affair. Crown Magnetar’s latest is their technical pinnacle and for an album so relentlessly devastating, Maramonte finds plenty of time to impress. Blinding speed bolsters songs that suplex you from beat to beat as he taps through leads or drops chainsaw-riff after riff of hooks, worthy of Aborted. Clearly, the group’s tour mates inspired their latest, with obvious influences from Archspire and Aborted as well as Dying Fetus and fellow core crushers Spite. As initially overwhelming as The Hollowing of Godflesh can be, repeated listens revealed the depth of Maramonte’s guitar work. Every song has riffs that will stick with you or multiple moments of creative destruction. Drummer Matt Kilner (ex-Vitriol) offers technical chops to match Maramonte, while still sounding natural in a way so few modern metal drummers do. The raucous snare sits right at home with the intensity of Crown Magnetar’s sound, and The Hollowing of Godflesh feels cohesive and consequential as a result.

The Hollowing of Godflesh is a rare beast, and Crown Magnetar took to the record with a surgeon’s scalpel. At ten tracks and just under thirty minutes, not a single one breaks the four-minute mark. The most egregious being the album’s introduction, the subtly titled “Gun Eater,” which wallows in deathcore staples and silliness, as if to get it out of the band’s system before the record can truly begin. Still, it hits like a truck thanks to the talent on hand and the clarity of production. While it isn’t perfect, The Hollowing of Godflesh mostly avoids the horrible compression of modern deathcore, especially on many of Unique Leader’s records. Having your longtime producer also become your bassist likely helps, as Michael Sahm clearly understands how to bring out the best in Crown Magnetar’s sound. “Gun Eater” aside, every track on the record feels vital and stuffed with memorable moments. The mid-record trio of “Impaled Genesis,” “The Hollowing of Godflesh,” and “Godkiller” offer up a manifesto of mutilation that should put the stank-face on any earnest listener.

I came into The Hollowing of Godflesh wary of yet another deathcore band with comically dark anti-religious theming and over-the-top names. Luckily for us all, there is no “Ov” in sight. Only miles of breakneck, grinding riffage, slamming breakdowns, and genuine heaviness that would make an elephant blush. With The Hollowing of Godflesh, Crown Magnetar have established themselves as modern masters of deathcore debauchery and set a new standard for other upcoming bands wanting to break away from blackened death and bring back the brutal.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 4 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Unique Leader Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: September 25th, 2026

Deathcore is having an identity crisis; Lorna Shore’s breakout popularity influenced a horde of homogeneous blackened deathcore bands and became a tipping point for a genre more than happy to never evolve. As the glut of technically talented but melodically stunted bands continue fighting for second place in the Lorna Shore soundalikes competition, a few try to break out, but rarely have the chops to bring anything new or interesting. As if by a mandate from Hell, Crown Magnetar truly take to the deathcore moniker in a way few bands even attempt to; by drawing from the roots of death metal and hardcore, combining them to create a blender of bludgeoning worthy of a genre that combines two of the beefiest slabs of metal in terms of their sonic footprint. For a band relatively new to the game, Crown Magnetar’s third LP, The Hollowing of Godflesh, couldn’t have come at a better time, but whether it is a bona fide modern classic or another uninspired attempt will depend on how willing the band is to step out of the genre’s shadow and pummel a new path to devastation.

Crown Magnetar offers an eviscerating combination of brutal death metal, deathcore, and tech-death. The band excises overblown theatrics, snarl-fueled vocal tangents, and reliance on machine-gun breakdowns. Instead, they trade them for brutal death vocals, slamming riffs, and tech-death chainsaw riffage that would make Archspire blush. Dan Tucker’s vocals quickly stand out, drawing more from death metal and brutal death than the aforementioned blackened deathcore. He even cites brutal death as his major influence in recent years, especially bands like Defeated Sanity and Brodequein. This isn’t just lip service; The Hollowing of Godflesh is stuffed with brutal death and slam influences, making it one of the heaviest records in recent memory, a feat rare for the shock-focused banal heaviness typical of modern deathcore.

Not to be one-upped, new guitarist Rob Maramonte (ex-Fallujah, ex-The Zenith Passage) is the sleeper star of the affair. Crown Magnetar’s latest is their technical pinnacle and for an album so relentlessly devastating, Maramonte finds plenty of time to impress. Blinding speed bolsters songs that suplex you from beat to beat as he taps through leads or drops chainsaw-riff after riff of hooks, worthy of Aborted. Clearly, the group’s tour mates inspired their latest, with obvious influences from Archspire and Aborted as well as Dying Fetus and fellow core crushers Spite. As initially overwhelming as The Hollowing of Godflesh can be, repeated listens revealed the depth of Maramonte’s guitar work. Every song has riffs that will stick with you or multiple moments of creative destruction. Drummer Matt Kilner (ex-Vitriol) offers technical chops to match Maramonte, while still sounding natural in a way so few modern metal drummers do. The raucous snare sits right at home with the intensity of Crown Magnetar’s sound, and The Hollowing of Godflesh feels cohesive and consequential as a result.

The Hollowing of Godflesh is a rare beast, and Crown Magnetar took to the record with a surgeon’s scalpel. At ten tracks and just under thirty minutes, not a single one breaks the four-minute mark. The most egregious being the album’s introduction, the subtly titled “Gun Eater,” which wallows in deathcore staples and silliness, as if to get it out of the band’s system before the record can truly begin. Still, it hits like a truck thanks to the talent on hand and the clarity of production. While it isn’t perfect, The Hollowing of Godflesh mostly avoids the horrible compression of modern deathcore, especially on many of Unique Leader’s records. Having your longtime producer also become your bassist likely helps, as Michael Sahm clearly understands how to bring out the best in Crown Magnetar’s sound. “Gun Eater” aside, every track on the record feels vital and stuffed with memorable moments. The mid-record trio of “Impaled Genesis,” “The Hollowing of Godflesh,” and “Godkiller” offer up a manifesto of mutilation that should put the stank-face on any earnest listener.

I came into The Hollowing of Godflesh wary of yet another deathcore band with comically dark anti-religious theming and over-the-top names. Luckily for us all, there is no “Ov” in sight. Only miles of breakneck, grinding riffage, slamming breakdowns, and genuine heaviness that would make an elephant blush. With The Hollowing of Godflesh, Crown Magnetar have established themselves as modern masters of deathcore debauchery and set a new standard for other upcoming bands wanting to break away from blackened death and bring back the brutal.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 4 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Unique Leader Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: September 25th, 2026

https://www.europesays.com/uk/1058089/ Thætas – The Irredeemable Age Review #2026 #40 #Afterbirth #AmericanMetal #BrutalDeathMetal #DeathMetal #DefeatedSanity #Entertainment #ImperialTriumphant #Jun26 #music #ProfoundLore #ProfoundLoreRecords #Review #Reviews #slam #TechnicalDeathMetal #Thaetas #TheIrredeemableAge #UK #UnitedKingdom #Veilburner

When I happened upon New York brutal tech troupe Thætas back in 2020, I likened their particular brand of brutalist, sprawling death metal to an alternate universe where Afterbirth were raised in a Brooklyn gutter. It was a sound I didn’t realize would resonate as strongly with me as it did, but it seemed as time passed that I wasn’t going to get another hit. Then, out of nowhere, an announcement for The Irredeemable Age graced me with a seedy cover and a nasty single to hook me in once more. Armed with one fewer member and enough angular songwriting to make AMG Himself spontaneously explode, can Thætas build an even grander structure atop their Shrines to Absurdity?

Thætas still makes a great gritty companion to the more spiritually inclined Afterbirth, but The Irredeemable Age further develops and diversifies that sound. Boasting new twangs and bends that heavily recall Veilburner (“Daytime Lantern”) and a city-dwelling skew that echoes Imperial Triumphant (“Digital Locusts”)—working in concert with familiar gnarled twists that puts them in a similar space as Defeated Sanity—Thætas subverts my penchant for accessibility and lures me ‘neath the sewer grate. At one with the slime that writhes underfoot, The Irredeemable Age is a monstrous creature composed of ugly riffs, screeching scrapes and pinches, and enough stomping rhythms to level a mountain. It brooks no quarter as it tosses me through concrete walls, with very little in the way of telegraphing or transition in between pummels (“DHUKHA,” “Summers of Hate”). With such rapid shifting and relentless violence, I’d expect the experience to feel disjointed and scattered. Thætas are smarter songwriters than that. Somehow, they crafted these 31 minutes with such intricate and intentional technicality that no piece or portion can be excised from the whole without causing a major disruption to its form and flow.

Despite its mangled anatomy, The Irredeemable Age is effortlessly enjoyable. This is in no small part due to its warm, natural, and full-bodied engineering, but its deceptively hooky songwriting too makes an airtight case. High-energy romps “Summers of Hate,” “The End of History,” and “For the Hope Devoid” invigorate The Irredeemable Age’s first half, moving with a springy agility that belies their brutal musculature. Those Veilburner twangs come in clutch at the center of the record—evoking imagery of skulls bashed against I-beams under the train tracks—and imbue stomping slams like “The Irredeemable Age” with huge personality. A delightfully clanky bass tone deepens this robust character as the record progresses, too. Additional nuance and texture develops in this meaty core before late album bangers “Stretched Paradox” and “Pillars of Fault” dress me down once more. None of that prepares for the white-hot branding that awaits with stunning closer “Digital Locusts.” A vast improvement in editing compared to Shrines’ closing track, this five-minute send off embodies all of the skills displayed up to that point and coagulates them into one final tear that makes it impossible to deny the replay button’s allure.

That replay button turned out to be a critical piece of The Irredeemable Age’s success. Despite its more aggressive and propulsive attack, The Irredeemable Age is in some ways less immediate than Shrines. Shrines to Absurdity was so weird, darkly whimsical, and tricky that it made an instant impression. Here, however, I find refinement, sophistication, and maturity. A method informs madness. The whimsical aspects of Thætas’ sound acclimate better to their surroundings, and the unhinged nature of their songwriting settles into a smoother groove. Opening track “DUKHKA” is the only exception, posing a small introductory speed bump in pacing with its staggered slams. On the other hand, it tempers expectations just enough to make the subsequent obliteration all that much more impactful. All in all, though, The Irredeemable Age houses a greater density of details and ideas that reveal themselves with multiple spins, which in turn creates deeper memorability. But it comes at a price. Listeners must invest a small measure more time with The Irredeemable Age to see its magic unfurl.

Unfurl The Irredeemable Age inevitably does. Thætas found a striking balance of memorability, technical precision, and filth that makes The Irredeemable Age an absolute joy of grotesque sounds. And thanks to tightened editing, diversified sonic elements, and refined songwriting, it only gets better the more often you spin it. So the next time you wander into sketchy back alleys sniffing for prime brutal tech death, ask for Thætas.

Rating: Great!
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Profound Lore Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: June 26th, 2026

When I happened upon New York brutal tech troupe Thætas back in 2020, I likened their particular brand of brutalist, sprawling death metal to an alternate universe where Afterbirth were raised in a Brooklyn gutter. It was a sound I didn’t realize would resonate as strongly with me as it did, but it seemed as time passed that I wasn’t going to get another hit. Then, out of nowhere, an announcement for The Irredeemable Age graced me with a seedy cover and a nasty single to hook me in once more. Armed with one fewer member and enough angular songwriting to make AMG Himself spontaneously explode, can Thætas build an even grander structure atop their Shrines to Absurdity?

Thætas still makes a great gritty companion to the more spiritually inclined Afterbirth, but The Irredeemable Age further develops and diversifies that sound. Boasting new twangs and bends that heavily recall Veilburner (“Daytime Lantern”) and a city-dwelling skew that echoes Imperial Triumphant (“Digital Locusts”)—working in concert with familiar gnarled twists that puts them in a similar space as Defeated Sanity—Thætas subverts my penchant for accessibility and lures me ‘neath the sewer grate. At one with the slime that writhes underfoot, The Irredeemable Age is a monstrous creature composed of ugly riffs, screeching scrapes and pinches, and enough stomping rhythms to level a mountain. It brooks no quarter as it tosses me through concrete walls, with very little in the way of telegraphing or transition in between pummels (“DHUKHA,” “Summers of Hate”). With such rapid shifting and relentless violence, I’d expect the experience to feel disjointed and scattered. Thætas are smarter songwriters than that. Somehow, they crafted these 31 minutes with such intricate and intentional technicality that no piece or portion can be excised from the whole without causing a major disruption to its form and flow.

Despite its mangled anatomy, The Irredeemable Age is effortlessly enjoyable. This is in no small part due to its warm, natural, and full-bodied engineering, but its deceptively hooky songwriting too makes an airtight case. High-energy romps “Summers of Hate,” “The End of History,” and “For the Hope Devoid” invigorate The Irredeemable Age’s first half, moving with a springy agility that belies their brutal musculature. Those Veilburner twangs come in clutch at the center of the record—evoking imagery of skulls bashed against I-beams under the train tracks—and imbue stomping slams like “The Irredeemable Age” with huge personality. A delightfully clanky bass tone deepens this robust character as the record progresses, too. Additional nuance and texture develops in this meaty core before late album bangers “Stretched Paradox” and “Pillars of Fault” dress me down once more. None of that prepares for the white-hot branding that awaits with stunning closer “Digital Locusts.” A vast improvement in editing compared to Shrines’ closing track, this five-minute send off embodies all of the skills displayed up to that point and coagulates them into one final tear that makes it impossible to deny the replay button’s allure.

That replay button turned out to be a critical piece of The Irredeemable Age’s success. Despite its more aggressive and propulsive attack, The Irredeemable Age is in some ways less immediate than Shrines. Shrines to Absurdity was so weird, darkly whimsical, and tricky that it made an instant impression. Here, however, I find refinement, sophistication, and maturity. A method informs madness. The whimsical aspects of Thætas’ sound acclimate better to their surroundings, and the unhinged nature of their songwriting settles into a smoother groove. Opening track “DUKHKA” is the only exception, posing a small introductory speed bump in pacing with its staggered slams. On the other hand, it tempers expectations just enough to make the subsequent obliteration all that much more impactful. All in all, though, The Irredeemable Age houses a greater density of details and ideas that reveal themselves with multiple spins, which in turn creates deeper memorability. But it comes at a price. Listeners must invest a small measure more time with The Irredeemable Age to see its magic unfurl.

Unfurl The Irredeemable Age inevitably does. Thætas found a striking balance of memorability, technical precision, and filth that makes The Irredeemable Age an absolute joy of grotesque sounds. And thanks to tightened editing, diversified sonic elements, and refined songwriting, it only gets better the more often you spin it. So the next time you wander into sketchy back alleys sniffing for prime brutal tech death, ask for Thætas.

Rating: Great!
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Profound Lore Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: June 26th, 2026

When I happened upon New York brutal tech troupe Thætas back in 2020, I likened their particular brand of brutalist, sprawling death metal to an alternate universe where Afterbirth were raised in a Brooklyn gutter. It was a sound I didn’t realize would resonate as strongly with me as it did, but it seemed as time passed that I wasn’t going to get another hit. Then, out of nowhere, an announcement for The Irredeemable Age graced me with a seedy cover and a nasty single to hook me in once more. Armed with one fewer member and enough angular songwriting to make AMG Himself spontaneously explode, can Thætas build an even grander structure atop their Shrines to Absurdity?

Thætas still makes a great gritty companion to the more spiritually inclined Afterbirth, but The Irredeemable Age further develops and diversifies that sound. Boasting new twangs and bends that heavily recall Veilburner (“Daytime Lantern”) and a city-dwelling skew that echoes Imperial Triumphant (“Digital Locusts”)—working in concert with familiar gnarled twists that puts them in a similar space as Defeated Sanity—Thætas subverts my penchant for accessibility and lures me ‘neath the sewer grate. At one with the slime that writhes underfoot, The Irredeemable Age is a monstrous creature composed of ugly riffs, screeching scrapes and pinches, and enough stomping rhythms to level a mountain. It brooks no quarter as it tosses me through concrete walls, with very little in the way of telegraphing or transition in between pummels (“DHUKHA,” “Summers of Hate”). With such rapid shifting and relentless violence, I’d expect the experience to feel disjointed and scattered. Thætas are smarter songwriters than that. Somehow, they crafted these 31 minutes with such intricate and intentional technicality that no piece or portion can be excised from the whole without causing a major disruption to its form and flow.

Despite its mangled anatomy, The Irredeemable Age is effortlessly enjoyable. This is in no small part due to its warm, natural, and full-bodied engineering, but its deceptively hooky songwriting too makes an airtight case. High-energy romps “Summers of Hate,” “The End of History,” and “For the Hope Devoid” invigorate The Irredeemable Age’s first half, moving with a springy agility that belies their brutal musculature. Those Veilburner twangs come in clutch at the center of the record—evoking imagery of skulls bashed against I-beams under the train tracks—and imbue stomping slams like “The Irredeemable Age” with huge personality. A delightfully clanky bass tone deepens this robust character as the record progresses, too. Additional nuance and texture develops in this meaty core before late album bangers “Stretched Paradox” and “Pillars of Fault” dress me down once more. None of that prepares for the white-hot branding that awaits with stunning closer “Digital Locusts.” A vast improvement in editing compared to Shrines’ closing track, this five-minute send off embodies all of the skills displayed up to that point and coagulates them into one final tear that makes it impossible to deny the replay button’s allure.

That replay button turned out to be a critical piece of The Irredeemable Age’s success. Despite its more aggressive and propulsive attack, The Irredeemable Age is in some ways less immediate than Shrines. Shrines to Absurdity was so weird, darkly whimsical, and tricky that it made an instant impression. Here, however, I find refinement, sophistication, and maturity. A method informs madness. The whimsical aspects of Thætas’ sound acclimate better to their surroundings, and the unhinged nature of their songwriting settles into a smoother groove. Opening track “DUKHKA” is the only exception, posing a small introductory speed bump in pacing with its staggered slams. On the other hand, it tempers expectations just enough to make the subsequent obliteration all that much more impactful. All in all, though, The Irredeemable Age houses a greater density of details and ideas that reveal themselves with multiple spins, which in turn creates deeper memorability. But it comes at a price. Listeners must invest a small measure more time with The Irredeemable Age to see its magic unfurl.

Unfurl The Irredeemable Age inevitably does. Thætas found a striking balance of memorability, technical precision, and filth that makes The Irredeemable Age an absolute joy of grotesque sounds. And thanks to tightened editing, diversified sonic elements, and refined songwriting, it only gets better the more often you spin it. So the next time you wander into sketchy back alleys sniffing for prime brutal tech death, ask for Thætas.

Rating: Great!
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Profound Lore Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: June 26th, 2026

When I happened upon New York brutal tech troupe Thætas back in 2020, I likened their particular brand of brutalist, sprawling death metal to an alternate universe where Afterbirth were raised in a Brooklyn gutter. It was a sound I didn’t realize would resonate as strongly with me as it did, but it seemed as time passed that I wasn’t going to get another hit. Then, out of nowhere, an announcement for The Irredeemable Age graced me with a seedy cover and a nasty single to hook me in once more. Armed with one fewer member and enough angular songwriting to make AMG Himself spontaneously explode, can Thætas build an even grander structure atop their Shrines to Absurdity?

Thætas still makes a great gritty companion to the more spiritually inclined Afterbirth, but The Irredeemable Age further develops and diversifies that sound. Boasting new twangs and bends that heavily recall Veilburner (“Daytime Lantern”) and a city-dwelling skew that echoes Imperial Triumphant (“Digital Locusts”)—working in concert with familiar gnarled twists that puts them in a similar space as Defeated Sanity—Thætas subverts my penchant for accessibility and lures me ‘neath the sewer grate. At one with the slime that writhes underfoot, The Irredeemable Age is a monstrous creature composed of ugly riffs, screeching scrapes and pinches, and enough stomping rhythms to level a mountain. It brooks no quarter as it tosses me through concrete walls, with very little in the way of telegraphing or transition in between pummels (“DHUKHA,” “Summers of Hate”). With such rapid shifting and relentless violence, I’d expect the experience to feel disjointed and scattered. Thætas are smarter songwriters than that. Somehow, they crafted these 31 minutes with such intricate and intentional technicality that no piece or portion can be excised from the whole without causing a major disruption to its form and flow.

Despite its mangled anatomy, The Irredeemable Age is effortlessly enjoyable. This is in no small part due to its warm, natural, and full-bodied engineering, but its deceptively hooky songwriting too makes an airtight case. High-energy romps “Summers of Hate,” “The End of History,” and “For the Hope Devoid” invigorate The Irredeemable Age’s first half, moving with a springy agility that belies their brutal musculature. Those Veilburner twangs come in clutch at the center of the record—evoking imagery of skulls bashed against I-beams under the train tracks—and imbue stomping slams like “The Irredeemable Age” with huge personality. A delightfully clanky bass tone deepens this robust character as the record progresses, too. Additional nuance and texture develops in this meaty core before late album bangers “Stretched Paradox” and “Pillars of Fault” dress me down once more. None of that prepares for the white-hot branding that awaits with stunning closer “Digital Locusts.” A vast improvement in editing compared to Shrines’ closing track, this five-minute send off embodies all of the skills displayed up to that point and coagulates them into one final tear that makes it impossible to deny the replay button’s allure.

That replay button turned out to be a critical piece of The Irredeemable Age’s success. Despite its more aggressive and propulsive attack, The Irredeemable Age is in some ways less immediate than Shrines. Shrines to Absurdity was so weird, darkly whimsical, and tricky that it made an instant impression. Here, however, I find refinement, sophistication, and maturity. A method informs madness. The whimsical aspects of Thætas’ sound acclimate better to their surroundings, and the unhinged nature of their songwriting settles into a smoother groove. Opening track “DUKHKA” is the only exception, posing a small introductory speed bump in pacing with its staggered slams. On the other hand, it tempers expectations just enough to make the subsequent obliteration all that much more impactful. All in all, though, The Irredeemable Age houses a greater density of details and ideas that reveal themselves with multiple spins, which in turn creates deeper memorability. But it comes at a price. Listeners must invest a small measure more time with The Irredeemable Age to see its magic unfurl.

Unfurl The Irredeemable Age inevitably does. Thætas found a striking balance of memorability, technical precision, and filth that makes The Irredeemable Age an absolute joy of grotesque sounds. And thanks to tightened editing, diversified sonic elements, and refined songwriting, it only gets better the more often you spin it. So the next time you wander into sketchy back alleys sniffing for prime brutal tech death, ask for Thætas.

Rating: Great!
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Profound Lore Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: June 26th, 2026

When I happened upon New York brutal tech troupe Thætas back in 2020, I likened their particular brand of brutalist, sprawling death metal to an alternate universe where Afterbirth were raised in a Brooklyn gutter. It was a sound I didn’t realize would resonate as strongly with me as it did, but it seemed as time passed that I wasn’t going to get another hit. Then, out of nowhere, an announcement for The Irredeemable Age graced me with a seedy cover and a nasty single to hook me in once more. Armed with one fewer member and enough angular songwriting to make AMG Himself spontaneously explode, can Thætas build an even grander structure atop their Shrines to Absurdity?

Thætas still makes a great gritty companion to the more spiritually inclined Afterbirth, but The Irredeemable Age further develops and diversifies that sound. Boasting new twangs and bends that heavily recall Veilburner (“Daytime Lantern”) and a city-dwelling skew that echoes Imperial Triumphant (“Digital Locusts”)—working in concert with familiar gnarled twists that puts them in a similar space as Defeated Sanity—Thætas subverts my penchant for accessibility and lures me ‘neath the sewer grate. At one with the slime that writhes underfoot, The Irredeemable Age is a monstrous creature composed of ugly riffs, screeching scrapes and pinches, and enough stomping rhythms to level a mountain. It brooks no quarter as it tosses me through concrete walls, with very little in the way of telegraphing or transition in between pummels (“DHUKHA,” “Summers of Hate”). With such rapid shifting and relentless violence, I’d expect the experience to feel disjointed and scattered. Thætas are smarter songwriters than that. Somehow, they crafted these 31 minutes with such intricate and intentional technicality that no piece or portion can be excised from the whole without causing a major disruption to its form and flow.

Despite its mangled anatomy, The Irredeemable Age is effortlessly enjoyable. This is in no small part due to its warm, natural, and full-bodied engineering, but its deceptively hooky songwriting too makes an airtight case. High-energy romps “Summers of Hate,” “The End of History,” and “For the Hope Devoid” invigorate The Irredeemable Age’s first half, moving with a springy agility that belies their brutal musculature. Those Veilburner twangs come in clutch at the center of the record—evoking imagery of skulls bashed against I-beams under the train tracks—and imbue stomping slams like “The Irredeemable Age” with huge personality. A delightfully clanky bass tone deepens this robust character as the record progresses, too. Additional nuance and texture develops in this meaty core before late album bangers “Stretched Paradox” and “Pillars of Fault” dress me down once more. None of that prepares for the white-hot branding that awaits with stunning closer “Digital Locusts.” A vast improvement in editing compared to Shrines’ closing track, this five-minute send off embodies all of the skills displayed up to that point and coagulates them into one final tear that makes it impossible to deny the replay button’s allure.

That replay button turned out to be a critical piece of The Irredeemable Age’s success. Despite its more aggressive and propulsive attack, The Irredeemable Age is in some ways less immediate than Shrines. Shrines to Absurdity was so weird, darkly whimsical, and tricky that it made an instant impression. Here, however, I find refinement, sophistication, and maturity. A method informs madness. The whimsical aspects of Thætas’ sound acclimate better to their surroundings, and the unhinged nature of their songwriting settles into a smoother groove. Opening track “DUKHKA” is the only exception, posing a small introductory speed bump in pacing with its staggered slams. On the other hand, it tempers expectations just enough to make the subsequent obliteration all that much more impactful. All in all, though, The Irredeemable Age houses a greater density of details and ideas that reveal themselves with multiple spins, which in turn creates deeper memorability. But it comes at a price. Listeners must invest a small measure more time with The Irredeemable Age to see its magic unfurl.

Unfurl The Irredeemable Age inevitably does. Thætas found a striking balance of memorability, technical precision, and filth that makes The Irredeemable Age an absolute joy of grotesque sounds. And thanks to tightened editing, diversified sonic elements, and refined songwriting, it only gets better the more often you spin it. So the next time you wander into sketchy back alleys sniffing for prime brutal tech death, ask for Thætas.

Rating: Great!
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Profound Lore Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: June 26th, 2026

Revulsed – Cerebral Contamination Review

By Kenstrosity

Eight years ago, Australian brutal death duo Revulsed dropped one of the most overlooked slabs of quality murderizing, Infernal Atrocity. Dripping with grimy licks, slithering riffs, and enough pinch harmonics to pop your nipples right off your torso, Infernal Atrocity demanded the attention of all who would encounter it. The fact that it was the band’s debut outing makes it only that much more impressive. Now it’s 2023, going on 2024. Revulsed found their way into Everlasting Spew’s roster, and at long last sophomore follow-up Cerebral Contamination prepares for ultimate unleashment.

Extreme guttural evisceration is the name of Revulsed’s game, and in the eight years spanning between releases, nothing about that changed even one itty bitty bit. Their slimy Suffocation meets Defeated Sanity meets Unfathomable Ruination style remains as intact as ever, boasting deceptively hooky riffs wrapped around gnarled compositions that will challenge the mind as much as they will destroy the spine. At a tight and trim thirty-five minutes spread out over ten songs (and one superfluous intro), Cerebral Contamination makes quick work of flaying your flesh with the sound of music brutal death metal, all narrated by a battalion of subterranean gurgles. On the production side of things, Cerebral Contamination takes a minor hit compared to Infernal Atrocity. While the latter sounded suitably rough and gritty, this new outing suffers from relatively high gloss, vocals that present a bit too far forward in the mix, and some plastic-sounding bass triggers. Nonetheless, most listeners won’t be offended so long as they remain focused on crushing riffs, undulating song structures, and ugly vox—just as they ought to be.

Cerebral Contamination may be brutal, complex, and bludgeoning, but it somehow lacks the same feral vitality of Infernal Atrocity. Surely this issue doesn’t originate from a dearth of pure, murderous energy, as opener proper “Equitable Sufferance” clearly demonstrates with its serrated riffs and vicious blasts. “Asomatous Existence” similarly grooves and swerves just as hard as Revulsed’s prior highlights like “Transmutational Craniotomy,” so the problem does not lie in the band’s sense of rhythm. Rather, my reservations about Cerebral Contamination come from a place of memorability and distinction. This material, while incredibly heavy and suitably dense for the style, lacks the same palpable, animalistic ferocity that helped distinguish the band’s unstoppable debut. As a result of this shortcoming, most deeply felt in Cerebral Contamination’s first three and last two tracks, Revulsed’s latest treads a little too close to the term “generic” a little too often for my tastes.

That being said, there’s no denying that Revulsed are pros, unreasonably talented, and fully capable of razing the ground without mercy. “Delusional Servitude” serves as the first example of the band firing on all cylinders, blisteringly fast while remaining coherent and deliriously hooky. In fact, Cerebral Contamination’s entire midsection—spanning from track four all the way through track nine—houses Revulsed’s absolute best material. “Beyond the Depths of the Subconscious” riffs and noodles like the most vicious Suffocation track on speed and bath salts. “Perditional Enslavement” boasts its Defeated Sanity and Afterbirth heritage proudly, squealing with all of the wonderfully pinched, wriggling glee that you’d expect from a brutal band with such inspirations. Album highlights “Nefarious Devourment” and “Inconceivable Hallucinations” push even further, taking that heritage and shoving past it through excellent use of cymbal trickery, novel songwriting twists, and excessively groovy riffs that remind me only vaguely of Unbirth. Ultimately, these two tracks not only represent pure, untainted Revulsed, but also their current career best.

If Revulsed stuffed Cerebral Contaminations with songs of the same elevated caliber as the aforementioned “Nefarious Devourment,” the rating you see below would be higher. However, because this material sometimes lacks the same indelible zing that made Infernal Atrocity feel special—and because Revulsed clings too closely to their colleagues to truly stand-alone—my recommendation comes with small caveats. While not quite the barnstormer that is Infernal Atrocity, Cerebral Contamination remains a very good brutal death metal record that solidifies Revulsed as a major contender in the scene.

Rating: Very Good
DR: 51 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Everlasting Spew Records
Websites: revulsed.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/RevulsedDM
Releases Worldwide: December 15th, 2023

#2023 #35 #Afterbirth #AustralianMetal #BrutalDeathMetal #CerebralContamination #DeathMetal #Dec23 #DefeatedSanity #EverlastingSpewRecords #Review #Reviews #Revulsed #Suffocation #TechnicalDeathMetal #Unbirth #UnfathomableRuination

Revulsed – Cerebral Contamination Review

By Kenstrosity

Eight years ago, Australian brutal death duo Revulsed dropped one of the most overlooked slabs of quality murderizing, Infernal Atrocity. Dripping with grimy licks, slithering riffs, and enough pinch harmonics to pop your nipples right off your torso, Infernal Atrocity demanded the attention of all who would encounter it. The fact that it was the band’s debut outing makes it only that much more impressive. Now it’s 2023, going on 2024. Revulsed found their way into Everlasting Spew’s roster, and at long last sophomore follow-up Cerebral Contamination prepares for ultimate unleashment.

Extreme guttural evisceration is the name of Revulsed’s game, and in the eight years spanning between releases, nothing about that changed even one itty bitty bit. Their slimy Suffocation meets Defeated Sanity meets Unfathomable Ruination style remains as intact as ever, boasting deceptively hooky riffs wrapped around gnarled compositions that will challenge the mind as much as they will destroy the spine. At a tight and trim thirty-five minutes spread out over ten songs (and one superfluous intro), Cerebral Contamination makes quick work of flaying your flesh with the sound of music brutal death metal, all narrated by a battalion of subterranean gurgles. On the production side of things, Cerebral Contamination takes a minor hit compared to Infernal Atrocity. While the latter sounded suitably rough and gritty, this new outing suffers from relatively high gloss, vocals that present a bit too far forward in the mix, and some plastic-sounding bass triggers. Nonetheless, most listeners won’t be offended so long as they remain focused on crushing riffs, undulating song structures, and ugly vox—just as they ought to be.

Cerebral Contamination may be brutal, complex, and bludgeoning, but it somehow lacks the same feral vitality of Infernal Atrocity. Surely this issue doesn’t originate from a dearth of pure, murderous energy, as opener proper “Equitable Sufferance” clearly demonstrates with its serrated riffs and vicious blasts. “Asomatous Existence” similarly grooves and swerves just as hard as Revulsed’s prior highlights like “Transmutational Craniotomy,” so the problem does not lie in the band’s sense of rhythm. Rather, my reservations about Cerebral Contamination come from a place of memorability and distinction. This material, while incredibly heavy and suitably dense for the style, lacks the same palpable, animalistic ferocity that helped distinguish the band’s unstoppable debut. As a result of this shortcoming, most deeply felt in Cerebral Contamination’s first three and last two tracks, Revulsed’s latest treads a little too close to the term “generic” a little too often for my tastes.

That being said, there’s no denying that Revulsed are pros, unreasonably talented, and fully capable of razing the ground without mercy. “Delusional Servitude” serves as the first example of the band firing on all cylinders, blisteringly fast while remaining coherent and deliriously hooky. In fact, Cerebral Contamination’s entire midsection—spanning from track four all the way through track nine—houses Revulsed’s absolute best material. “Beyond the Depths of the Subconscious” riffs and noodles like the most vicious Suffocation track on speed and bath salts. “Perditional Enslavement” boasts its Defeated Sanity and Afterbirth heritage proudly, squealing with all of the wonderfully pinched, wriggling glee that you’d expect from a brutal band with such inspirations. Album highlights “Nefarious Devourment” and “Inconceivable Hallucinations” push even further, taking that heritage and shoving past it through excellent use of cymbal trickery, novel songwriting twists, and excessively groovy riffs that remind me only vaguely of Unbirth. Ultimately, these two tracks not only represent pure, untainted Revulsed, but also their current career best.

If Revulsed stuffed Cerebral Contaminations with songs of the same elevated caliber as the aforementioned “Nefarious Devourment,” the rating you see below would be higher. However, because this material sometimes lacks the same indelible zing that made Infernal Atrocity feel special—and because Revulsed clings too closely to their colleagues to truly stand-alone—my recommendation comes with small caveats. While not quite the barnstormer that is Infernal Atrocity, Cerebral Contamination remains a very good brutal death metal record that solidifies Revulsed as a major contender in the scene.

Rating: Very Good
DR: 51 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Everlasting Spew Records
Websites: revulsed.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/RevulsedDM
Releases Worldwide: December 15th, 2023

#2023 #35 #Afterbirth #AustralianMetal #BrutalDeathMetal #CerebralContamination #DeathMetal #Dec23 #DefeatedSanity #EverlastingSpewRecords #Review #Reviews #Revulsed #Suffocation #TechnicalDeathMetal #Unbirth #UnfathomableRuination