#godflesh — Public Fediverse posts

What do you listen to death metal for? Are you a riff-centric fellow? Do you prioritize emotional catharsis? Do you like super artistic statements or are you here for a collection of banging songs? Spain’s Altarage have carved out quite a career for themselves over the last decade, beginning life as a much more predatory Portal before branching out into elements of drone and audible disease, but never wavering in their commitment to the savage and violent. Seventh album Cogwheel is rooted in the plight of the industrial worker, a major thematic shift for a typically ethereal band. I’ve had the misfortune of working in a manufacturing warehouse for a few years, and I was very curious to hear how a group rooted in cosmic horror would handle such a down-to-earth topic, so clock in with me and let’s get ready for a long day at the office.

Despite being no slouch in requisite bursts of speed and blasts, the overall vibe of Cogwheel is morose and plodding. The chords are foul, with the constant smashing of Primitive Man and a bone-crushingly heavy guitar tone that sounds like slowly being buried under liquid cement.1 It’s an album as gray as its cover, with cuts like “Wielder” offering up the methodicalness of Godflesh while drummer Phlegeton alternates between lightning assaults and drum-machine impressions. Look to “Future Wreck” for an industrial vibe, with mid-paced chords crashing together like factory gears, and Bassist Mikel Glez rumbling away under the noise. That theme of exhaustion and weariness is deeply embedded within the album’s DNA, as each cut beats you into submission over and over again.

Taken from the perspective of an average consumer of tunes, Cogwheel is a remarkably frustrating release. Songs are overly long, riffs are obnoxiously repetitive, and the drone elements are an annoyance in place of actual music. There’s an overreliance on quarter-note clanging, such as in “Not a Proper Burial”, (a gosh darn shame, as it also features one of the most devastating, and devastatingly short, riffs on the whole album), and “Peso Muerto” ends on completely atonal guitar scrapping in half notes for a full minute. There’s an unnecessary Sun 0))) tribute in all eight minutes of “1988” which does nothing for the album except being a track you regretfully recall existing. “Ichor” kicks off with nauseating strums and more half-note popping before evolving into a full-blown “Portal take you to your heaviest night at the opera” impression, with vocalist Javier going all in on vibrato-laced cleans which don’t quite suit the music underneath. And let’s not forget the three-minute ending of more string screeches, continuing the disquiet and the discontent.

And yet, when considered through the lens of what Altarage set out to accomplish, there’s an argument to be made that Cogwheel is an artistic joy.2 Every major criticism hurled at it suddenly becomes an important puzzle piece when viewed as the depiction of the overworked and spiritually malnourished industrial laborer. The riffs sound beaten and defeated, much like the broken factory employee. The few leads sound dismal, angry, and bitter, much like (presumably) that worker’s inner being. The songs are needlessly excessive in length, much like a shift, and the actual music repeatedly descends into mindless cacophony, much like the background noise emanating without remorse from the machines all around. Without pounding the metaphor to dust, Cogwheel offers up an auditory example of “commit to the bit”, taken to the most extreme maximalism. “Industrial Offering” could make a great soundtrack for the line of workers slowly trudging into another abysmal day, clocking in and disappearing under the factory smoke, leaving behind them their dreams and aspirations for another round of soul-crushing misery. Suddenly, all of Cogwheel’s points of agitation reveal themselves as purposeful and impassioned, carefully arranged for peak affect on the focused listener.

What then, is the honest reviewer to do? Cogwheel isn’t for casual listening; there are only a few riffs on here of any note, and there’s no reason for it to be seventy-five minutes long. And yet, major credit must be given for crafting such an album, where what would be extreme blemishes in the hands of another band turn into a well-thought-out artistic presentation. And so, we return to the original question of why we listen to death metal. Let the arbitrary score be a starting point for you, dear reader, to answer for yourself. If you’re seeking something engaging, violent, and immediate, deduct a full point and keep it moving, as there’s little for you here. If you appreciate music as a transcendental art piece, add a full point and stand in wonder at a thoughtful creation from a very forward-thinking band. For my part, I can’t find myself reaching back to this record much, particularly over The Approaching Roar, but I still must declare Altarage’s mission a resounding success.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Sentient Ruin Laboratories
Website: Official Album Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: July 31st, 2026

Sanguisugabogg – Hideous Aftermath Review

By Owlswald

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

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

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

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

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

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

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