#dying-fetus — 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 Brodequin. 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

This week on Matt's MoshCast we're talking awesome, funny and ridiculous band names. What do Amon Amarth have to do with Frodo and is Lorna Shore a Batman tribute band? Listen to find out!

#podcast #metalpodcast #amonamarth #stratovarius #dyingfetus #fitforanautopsy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ju-UC6prqs

Vertiginous – Incessant Affliction Review

Bludgeoning, bruising, and belligerent, brutal death metal beats listeners down into bloody paste when it does its job…
#NewsBeep #News #Music #2026 #Aug26 #BrutalDeathMetal #CannibalCorpse #ComatoseMusic #Cryptopsy #DeathMetal #Devourment #DyingFetus #Entertainment #IncessantAffliction #IndonesianMetal #review #Reviews #Skinless #SlamDeathMetal #Suffocation #UK #UnitedKingdom #Vertiginous
https://www.newsbeep.com/uk/731691/

https://www.europesays.com/uk/1138117/ Vertiginous – Incessant Affliction Review #2026 #Aug26 #BrutalDeathMetal #CannibalCorpse #ComatoseMusic #Cryptopsy #DeathMetal #Devourment #DyingFetus #Entertainment #IncessantAffliction #IndonesianMetal #music #Review #Reviews #Skinless #SlamDeathMetal #Suffocation #UK #UnitedKingdom #Vertiginous

Bludgeoning, bruising, and belligerent, brutal death metal beats listeners down into bloody paste when it does its job right. Indonesian duo Vertiginous takes this direction to heart, holding back nothing as they trounce on listeners with nary a batted eye. The pair released debut Reek of Putrefaction on Excruciating Lust in 2024, and now Hendika Dwi Prasetyo and Jossi Bima return to pulpify you with sophomore outing Incessant Affliction. As is the case for many in the genre, Vertiginous keeps it simple via a relentless teeth-rattling clatter that induces merciless pulverization. In the end, does this Incessant Affliction incubate an infectiously good time, or leave us dying to be put out of our collective misery?

From its first moment, Incessant Affliction pulverizes listeners with unflinching ruthlessness. Opener “Suffering, Misery, and Slaughtering” surges forth with tortured, inhuman vocals, flurries of snare abuse, and lawless stringed onslaught, setting the stage for Incessant Affliction’s violent incursion. And the hits keep coming, as each track roils with the seething intensity of touchstone titans. Musically, Vertiginous recalls early Suffocation with flecks of Devourment and Cannibal Corpse thrown in. Sprinkled throughout are bite-sized bass breaks that act as nice ‘n’ chunky, Alex Webster-inspired flourishes (“Mutilated with Anguishes”). And while paces mostly accelerate toward maximum impact, “Suffering, Misery, and Slaughtering,” “Engraved Loathing,” and “Unclear Misery” dawdle in quick snatches of lurching trudgery, providing brief but welcome respites.

For all the dizzying bombardments that Vertiginous unleashes, though, I find it difficult to differentiate one blood-soaked moment from the next. “Crucified in Fate Hesitation” mauls with pummeling drumming and buzzsaw guitar licks, leaving you sticky with phlegm and ichor. But moving into follow-up track “Incubated Inquietude,” I wouldn’t notice the songs changing if not for the short gap of silence between them. “Tortured with Endless Despair” and “Mutilated with Anguishes” repeat this pattern, separated only by the fading crash of a cymbal. And so on. At half an hour, Incessant Affliction rips and renders with nary a moment to cull, yet there’s also no peak or passage that sticks with me after “Unclear Misery” fades into the ether. Ultimately, this slathers Vertiginous’s latest with too much similitude, undercutting an album that otherwise roars with delicious menace.

Although Vertiginous could stand to add some diversity to Incessant Affliction, they elect some pretty mouthwatering choices as well. The production pushes everything to the fore, but given the genre, this embodies an appropriate choice. The sonic concussion is a calculated bludgeon rather than the result of a glossy or careless mix, and even with Vertiginous relentlessly flogging your skull, Incessant Affliction rumbles with a carefully honed depth. In addition to the production, performances satisfy as well. Bima’s frog-stomping gutturals can be felt as much as heard, churning guts and bowels with seismic malevolence. Prasetyo, meanwhile, handles all instrumentation, impressing with his clangorous drumming. The guitars are suitably chaotic and deadly, although a more focused effort on riff development would go a long way towards solidifying identities for individual songs, which characterizes what separates Vertiginous from brutal death greats like Cryptopsy, Skinless, and Dying Fetus. I also wish the bass played a more prominent role, as the times when it’s most audible create a refreshing dimension that stands out above the pack.

Despite the knocks against Incessant Affliction when evaluated as a whole, taken a song at a time, Vertiginous supplies killer tricks sopping with venomous barbs. I like it more than the score may reflect, but the lack of distinction between songs unfortunately hampers my desire to return to it. Still, I’ll be interested in what Vertiginous cooks up next, because their brand of unrestrained brutality evinces a potent batch of death metal. While Incessant Affliction doesn’t prove as contagious as I’d hoped, the disease is rotten enough for fans to give it a whiff or three.

Rating: Mixed
DR: 4 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Comatose Music
Websites: Bandcamp | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: August 7th, 2026

Crypts of Golgotha – Disembodied in the Arms of Perdition Review

Nestled in the underground crevices and rocky terrain of Denver, Colorado, emerging upstarts Crypts of Golgotha ris…
#NewsBeep #News #Music #2026 #3.5 #AmericanMetal #Bloodgutter #BrutalDeathMetal #CryptsofGolgotha #DawnofDemise #DeathMetal #DisembodiedintheArmsofPerdition #DSFPRecords #DyingFetus #Entertainment #MorbidAngel #review #Reviews #Suffocation #UK #UnhallowedDeliverance #UnitedKingdom
https://www.newsbeep.com/uk/670750/

Nestled in the underground crevices and rocky terrain of Denver, Colorado, emerging upstarts Crypts of Golgotha rise with the debut full-length, Disembodied in the Arms of Perdition, hellbent on bruising and battering the weak. Formed in 2022, the four-piece have cranked out a busy collection of demos, EPs and split releases before arriving at their debut LP. The term is perhaps used a little loosely in this case, as Crypts of Golgotha strip shit down to the bare essentials, crushing the listener into submission over the course of an all too brief twenty-four-minute beatdown. Boasting an uber chunky style of brutal, groove-infected death, let us dig in to see whether Crypts of Golgotha possess the chops and songwriting smarts to elevate themselves from the overcrowded pack.

As quickly determined, subtlety is not in the Crypts of Golgotha playbook. Nor are they preoccupied with techy flatulence, shitty interludes or throwaway instrumentals. These dudes cut to the chase, using the almighty power of the riff to drive each rugged, in-your-face composition, packing each meaty slab with enough tempo shifts, cohesion and structural variety to maintain interest. Tight, direct and refreshingly clutter- and gimmick-free, Crypts of Golgotha draws inspiration from classic sources, including the mighty Suffocation, Dying Fetus and Morbid Angel. Outside of the classic fare, Crypts of Golgotha strike a nifty balance of contemporary meets old school influences, recalling the immense weight, riff-based chugs, and uppercutting grooves of modern heavyweights Bloodgutter, Unhallowed Deliverance, and reliable Danish vets, Dawn of Demise.

Crypts of Golgotha slather their old school ideals with a modern approach, complete with lashings of slammy groove, pit-ready breakdowns, and guttural brutal death, wrapped in a dense, beefy production and darkly gritty underground atmosphere. Sprightly and impactful, Crypts of Golgotha crafted a heavyweight platform of bricks and mortar to expand upon. Roots of budding potential are well established, as Crypts of Golgotha thrive on pummeling the listener into dust, slowing down to bowel-rumbling levels for maximum heaviness, while frequently shifting tempos and rhythmic patterns to ensure the material doesn’t devolve into monotony. Instrumentally heavy opener “Cross on Calvary” spends most of its runtime battering auditory senses through beefy riffs, slick tempo changes, and a devastatingly heavy climax. Featuring impressive quality and consistency, Disembodied in the Arms of Perdition features a rampaging collection of killer tunes, with nary a moment wasted. Brutally rugged riffs, sick dual vox, and gargantuan grooves regularly detonate with crushing, infectious impact (“Disembodied in the Arms of Perdition,” ‘Pummeled into Nonexistence,” “I am Decay”).

“Wolf and the Knife” draws power from its thick, sinewy basslines, slobber-knocking riffs, and techy, urgent throes, while “Elegy of the Forgotten God” channels the stout power and attitude of classic New York death. The rapid affair concludes with the compellingly riff-stacked and body-slamming grooves of “Order to Comply.” Technically proficient without resorting to flashy showmanship, Crypts of Golgotha sound immensely tight and monstrously heavy. Showcasing a deft handle of songcraft, bolstered by a weighty sack of hammering riffs and gnarly, varied vox to drive momentum, the riffs cycle through brutal and classic death metal influences, cutting a satisfyingly heavy wallop and a brutally infectious streak. Guitars are reinforced by extra beefy tones, mixing sledgehammer heft and sharp clarity. Gabe Sragon (also on vox) and Dominik Dworak wield their axes with confidence and a nasty underground swagger. I would be remiss not to highlight the excellent rhythm section, from Cooper Jones’ ever-present, chunkified bass rumbles to the bulldozing, groove-centric and creative patterns of drummer Joaquin Aragon.

Strengths comfortably outweigh any nitpicks or weaknesses on Disembodied in the Arms of Perdition. To be expected from a young band’s debut LP, there is naturally room for growth and development in the songwriting department to refine their identity, and occasionally the album could benefit from more frequent bursts of speed. While reluctant to draw a negative of refreshing brevity, the album leaves you wanting more, making for enjoyable replay value, but a feeling an extra few minutes of material would have made for a more fully fleshed-out experience. Otherwise, matching songwriting smarts to compliment the preposterously guttural onslaughts and knuckle-dragging bruteness, Crypts of Golgotha unleashed a confident, delightfully crushing debut, with youth on their side to hone their craft into an even more deadly form of thuggish savagery.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: N/A | Format Reviewed: Stream
Label: DSFP Records
Website: Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: June 26th, 2026

“Scordatura” is an Italian word that means “mistuning.” This is a technique used for stringed instruments to allow for bizarre chords, or to simplify progressions that would require a lot of tendon mutilation to achieve in normal tunings. It’s a dope name, a cool concept, and an example of metal’s infinite ability to make badass monikers out of otherwise clinical, innocent terminology. Hailing from Scotland, rather than the land of leaning towers and opera, Scordatura have arrived with their 4th opus, Led Into Oblivion. Between their choice of title and their selection of album name, what sort of hellish soundscape awaits within?

With a name rooted in deep music theory, you’d expect an assault in the vein of Replicant or modern Pestilence. This is not the case. Scordatura lay their foundations off a respectable set of giant shoulders, featuring a high octane assault flavored primarily with the self-titled era of Cryptopsy. Drums are blasted, guitar strings are shredded, and the tempo maintains a consistently blurry pace. “Retali(H)ate” and “Led Into Oblivion” feature start-stop riffing with vocalist Daryl Boyce sounding like the lost brother of Matt McGachy in his earlier days, with the occasional sustained chord letting drummer Tam Moran show off flair and chops with rapid-fire cymbal fills. Doses of classic Vader stomp pepper “Oppressed Repressed”, and nods to Suffocation run through “Echoes of a Fractured Mind”. The flavor of the olde and trve are deeply embedded throughout the construction of Led Into Oblivion, all filtered through an exuberant attack that rarely pauses for breath.

In keeping with the stylings, Led Into Oblivion also keeps up with the sound. This album is meaty, layered, and not the most dynamic beast, but all instruments are given room to breathe by brutal death standards. A healthy dollop of pinch harmonics flow throughout the riff construction, and bassist Liam McCafferty is constantly heard clanging away in the background with the occasional spotlight given for a fill or scale. The concise runtime (about the length of Reign in Blood, yet another nod to the building blocks of greats) ensures ear fatigue doesn’t set in despite the perpetually speedy approach. A good track order does keep variety from cut to cut, with “A Manic Indoctrination” featuring open chord progressions and our first dose of real mid-tempo sound before the drums resume blasting away under the building menace. While being a well-arranged list of brutal death tropes, Scordatura wisely leave the concrete brick styled production in the past.

The only major blemish on Led Into Oblivion is a common one, but one that cannot be overlooked. Scordatura have spent so much time distilling the essence of the greats into their overall sound without capturing the distinguishing factors that made them great. “Existential Termination” dalliances with downtempo Cannibal Corpse, and the grindier moments of WWtFW era Dying Fetus as well as Deicide raise their head, but these snapshots lack the staying power of those names. Led Into Oblivion is an enjoyable release without any significant flaws, but it’s difficult to recall any standout moments once the album reaches its conclusion. This is disappointing, as Scordatura clearly have the skills to emulate all of these bands, but can’t quite stick the landing on a stank face triggering “rewind it and listen again” moment to distinguish it from their mountain of peers. Closer “Begging to Die” is an easy illustration, goes full New York style with a bouncy main riff which smacks of modern Pyrexia groove before trying to drop an Archspire verse (sans the vocals) and leads the listener to a thunderous but blurred conclusion.

Despite a name implying forays into the more uncomfortable realms of death, Scordatura have offered up a platter of decent-grade tribute to the death of olde. Led Into Oblivion isn’t a bad album, and is definitely worth a casual listen or three. But the band is still on the hunt for the X Factor to push them beyond their influences. They certainly have the playing chops, and I believe the compositional ability to make it come together. For now, let yourself be Led Into Oblivion and hear a good combination of the sounds of yore; just don’t be surprised when you find yourself wishing you were listening to their influences instead.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Everlasting Spew Records
Website: Album Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: June 19th, 2026

True Crime has had its moment in the mainstream, with more than a fair share of content having been generated, particularly in the first half of this decade. But rather than bingeing on Ryan Murphy’s questionable Monster series,1 I instead suggest you take Monument of Misanthropy’s discography for a spin. Washington State Charm is the Austrians’ third successive LP tackling the exploits of a notorious serial killer—this time, Ted Bundy—and it’s bags more fun and significantly less disrespectful than your average makeup-and-true-crime YouTube video2 or Netflix dramatization. It’s also a showcase for some pretty great tech-death. As has become their trademark, Monument of Misanthropy evolve once again, tweaking their style to fit their despicable protagonist whilst remaining satisfyingly heavy. Are they still getting away with the gimmick, or is it time to hang up the hacksaw?

One thing’s clear at least: Washington State Charm is entertaining, and it interestingly suits its subject matter. Pivoting away slightly from the grind and brutality of Vile Postmortem Irrumatio and towards melody, hookiness, and groove, the album taps into a different form of Monument of Misanthropy’s signature snappiness. With guest appearances from Johnny Ciardullo (Angelmaker), Mendel bij de Leij (ex-Aborted), Gabe Mangold (Enterprise Earth), Hal Microutsicos (Engulf), and Jean-Jacques Moréac (Misanthrope), the record is scattered with riff-centric deathcore influence. For the most part, this really works. Intentional or not, there’s a parallel between this catchier, more accessible sound and Bundy’s status as one of the most well-known serial killers in modern history, who was also infamously “charming,” “handsome,” and otherwise palatable to society. If the previous album sounded, as I said at the time, “like Cattle Decapitation had a baby with Aborted,” then Washington State Charm is that baby growing into a teenager and experimenting, funnily enough, resembling their parent Aborted quite markedly, but with a bit of Cytotoxin by way of Dying Fetus thrown in for good measure.

Washington State Charm’s key strength is how Monument of Misanthropy twisted each aspect of their sound to make the whole infectiously catchy and memorable. Melody floods in with effervescent lead arpeggios (“Neath Tacoma Asphalt,” “A Hunger Unstilled,” “Colorado Murder”). Speed is used smartly in tandem with punchy syncopation (title track), and is met with a fairer dose of slower, circular swing (“The 1974 PNW Spree,” “The Hacksaw Blade”). The band’s mastery of rhythm to emphasize their punchlines (“The 1974…,” “Colorado Murder”), amp up the energy (“Neath Tacoma Asphalt,” “Colorado Murder”), and create an irresistible groove (“Suwannee Hog Shed”) has markedly improved.3 Together, this makes for highlights like the twin-guitar soloing on “Neath Tacoma Asphalt,” the drop-tuned uptempo groove on “Colorado Murder,” the call-and-response snarls and beats on “Chi Omega Blood Rage,” and the wonderful seesawing slide on “Strapped to the Throne.” There’s no way you’re listening to this without a savage grin plastered on your face.

It’s the album’s structure that lets down what might otherwise be a knock-out success. Humming with adrenaline from the literal high note of “Neath Tacoma Asphalt”‘s final riff, the inexplicably instrumental “A Hunger Unstilled” hits a little strangely. It’s a great piece in isolation, with a churning progression of melody and pace that calls to mind some hybrid of Aborted and Hath. But it’s most charitably taken as an extended intro to “The 1974…—which instantly kicks things back into murderous gear—and that feels wasteful. Monument of Misanthropy again add interview samples as miniature tracks, but their placement is similarly wonky, clustered around the start and end. It’s also hard not to compare them unfavorably to the drama-enhancing atmospheric examples on VPI. One could argue—not without justification—that these quirks are an intended reflection of their subject’s “career”: long periods without arrest, and an escape and ensuing murder spree once he was finally caught the first time. That would be fair, though it wouldn’t totally iron out flaws in the album’s flow. Less understandable, though less egregious, is the recurrence of a classic death metal cover at the close—Nile’s “Eye of Ra.” It’s a decent cover, but I don’t fully see its relevance.4

Washington State Charm achieves what it sets out to do: narrate the grisly story of a serial killer through slick, crushing death metal. It even goes one further, improving on the production—non-sample tracks averaging a DR of 5.5. Naysayers might bemoan the perceived slide towards accessibility, but really, the sheer gleeful energy of Washington State Charm is a testament to Monument of Misanthropy’s ever-increasing mastery of their craft.

Rating: Very Good
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Listenable Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: June 26th, 2026

https://www.europesays.com/be-nl/81303/ Goreworm – Miasmic Solitude | Zware Metalen #2026 #alterbeast #Amusement #arsis #BE #België #Belgium #BoltThrower #Canada #death #DeathMetal #DyingFetus #Entertainment #fleshbore #goreworm #gorod #MiasmicSolitude #Music #Muziek #NapalmDeath #NibalCorpse #obscura #recensie #TechnicalDeathMetal #TheBlackDahliaMurder #TranscendingObscurityRecords #xenosis #ZwareMetalen

Dying Fetus Album Features World’s First ‘Prenatal Advisory’ Warning

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://thehardtimes.net/music/metal/dying-fetus-album-features-worlds-first-prenatal-advisory-warning/

Fun bit of #Thursdeath from France's Warside:
https://warside1.bandcamp.com/album/cognitive-extinction

A bit too tech to be brutal, but a bit too brutal to be tech, so maybe it lacks it's own identity like one review I read suggests. But every song has at least one good idea and plenty of memorable moments. And it's punchy and short, so it avoids the pitfall of becoming an unforgetable riff salad. And the performances are all top notch!

Ffo #DyingFetus #Benighted and early #Decapitated

Dying Fetus and Sanguisugabogg are hitting the road this fall.
A stacked lineup and a full North American run.
Details: https://metalinsider.net/touring/dying-fetus-and-sanguisugabogg-announce-fall-2026-co-headline-tour
#DyingFetus #Sanguisugabogg #DeathMetal #Metal #TourAnnouncement

Maybe war never changes, but Warside has. Between releasing inaugural EP The Enemy Inside, and recording their debut, three of Warside’s five members left the band. Now a quartet, the Lyon, France collective tromps into the death metal arena, brandishing Cognitive Extinction, their first long play. Down a guitarist, Warside reports Cognitive Extinction as having ‘a rawer, more direct sound.’ Though The Enemy Inside can’t be classified as polished or subtle, Cognitive Extinction embraces an even leaner, meaner aggression through twenty-eight minutes. Additionally, Warside weaves a broad theme into the album—the erosion of intelligence and critical thinking due to the proliferation of screens and dependence on technology. It’s an increasingly relevant theme in these crazy times, but is Warside’s warning enough to keep listeners’ gray matter from atrophying into pudding?

Though simply billed as ‘death metal,’ Warside skews towards the technical end of the spectrum. Dying Fetus, Misery Index, and Vomitory are cited as influences in the promo materials, and while elements of those bands exist on Cognitive Extinction,1 I also hear the frantic immediacy of Benighted and Aborted enmeshed with the tech-heavy grooves of more recent Cryptopsy and Suffocation. Technical without falling into technical death metal territory and bruising without earning a brutal death metal tag, Warside toes the line between extreme metal subgenres without fully committing to any specific one. Rather than wavering or wandering, though, Cognitive Extinction sounds confident, direct, and ready to peel your skull back to get a look at your cognition firsthand.

Despite adding some new members and shuffling guitar duties, Warside launches a savage assault that never relents. Returning from The Enemy Within, guitarist Vincent Morelle resumes six-string duties on Cognitive Extinction while former guitarist Jérôme dons the mantle of bassist. Joining them are duo Mathieu (vocals) and Thô (drums) from deathgrind project Festering Process, and together this foursome unleashes barrage after barrage of merciless death metal thunder. Tracks “Neurocide” and “Invasive Thoughts” meld Morbid Angel’s wicked melodies with Nile’s violent velocity, frequently coaxing involuntary stank-face. “Visceral” punches with Suffocation’s might, windmilling between stutter-stop leads and kick drum cannonades, while “Thirst for Rot” dive bombs into an early solo before hitting a swarthy Cryptopsy-meets-Decapitated groove. Throughout, Mathieu discharges fierce gutturals that remind me of Benighted’s Julien Truchan,2 primal and bloodthirsty without ever going full BREEE. All told, kinetic hooks, furious blast beats, and husky bass grooves carry the momentum of each track, with feverish solos offering brief detours from Warside’s otherwise unyielding onslaught.

Warside evokes death metal titans throughout Cognitive Extinction, yet clinging too tightly to these touchstones prevents them from fully realizing an identity of their own. In fairness, Cognitive Extinction works cohesively, with a consistent aural context that’s as bludgeoning as it is swift. And even though Warside sidesteps critical flaws, hooking an overcrowded niche with deathly wares can be a significant challenge. Genre greats can provide a strong template for writing compelling music, but emulation without innovation risks giving listeners an experience that drives them back to inspirations. Said simply, bands with unique sounds become reference points, while others get buried beneath the sands of time. In this regard, Cognitive Extinction feels like a half measure, where a blend of influences comes together to form a coherent album, yet lacks a wholly original voice.

Standout performances and sharp, economical songwriting distinguish Warside as an act I’ll follow closely, and help achieve a portion of the identity they need. Cognitive Extinction teems with talent and promise, and despite the abysmal dynamic range,3 the mix is well-balanced and allows listeners to appreciate what Warside does within its runtime. I’ve greatly enjoyed my time with Cognitive Extinction, and a couple of its gems have helped add some weight to my Heavy Moves Heavy ’26 playlist, but with so many killer death metal albums out this year, I’m unsure what lasting impact it’ll have. Time will tell, and in the meantime, I hope that Warside continues honing their blades to keep minds and interest sharp.

Rating: Good!
DR: 3 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Gruesome Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: April 17th, 2026