Death Metal

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    Shrapnel Storm – We Come in Peace… (2013)

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    Steamrolling their way from Finland, today we have Shrapnel Storm and their monstrous two song demo titled “We Come in Peace…”. With the Death Metal scene being invaded by tons of posers and pseudo-Death Metal, it is quite refreshing to hear a release that goes back to the basics of imposing riffs, brutal vocals, and a very polished traditional sound.

    The release immediately sets a brutal tone with the commanding old-school inspired riffing of “Detracked”. In this track the band quickly sets a very traditional Death Metal mood with crunchy riffs and imposing guitars. The production is quite clear and allows every detail of the song to show.

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    HELK – The Chronos (2013)

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    Arriving from Mexico, today we have HELK and their very unique debut EP “The Chronos”. In this 6 song release, the band showcases a mixture of Black/Death/Thrash Metal that creates a melodic yet aggressive atmosphere very unique to this peculiar band. With a high dose of melodic riffs and epic headbanging moments, this is one EP that should not go unnoticed.

    Opening with “Dark Funeral”, the band showcases their melodic aptitudes with incisive riffs, tight drumming, and catchy harsh vocals. With a certain air of bands like Kalmah and Carcass the release keeps pushing forward with “Freedom”. The combination of deep growls and harsh BM-style screams is quite engaging and allows the music to grow in different directions. Other playful tracks play off to the Thrash Metal strengths of HELK like the blistering “Vistrera”.

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    Empire of the Scourged – Transcend Into Oblivion (2013)

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    Hailing form the Netherlands, today we have a very strange collective named Empire of the Scourged. Mixing Death Metal with Industrial elements, this band delivers their debut EP “Transcend Into Oblivion”. Featuring five tracks of deranged music filled with punishing Death Metal riffs and crazy electronic elements, this release will push your senses to the max.

    The EP opens with the punishing “Der Wanderer über dem Nebelsee” mixing powerful DM growls and riffs, all packaged into weird electronic atmospheric elements. There is also a very present melodic vibe to the riffs allowing them to be more accessible.  Things get heated up with the playful “Hollow Machinations of the Foul Spirited”, a track that reminded us of bands like Shade Empire in their heyday. Here you notice a bit of a disconnect between the atmospheric elements and the traditional instrumentation/vocals. While this sounds odd, it also gives that uniqueness to the band’s sound.

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    MaYaN – Antagonise (2014)

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    After a long album cycle with the last Epica release, Mark Jansen returns with his Symphonic Death Metal outfit MaYaN and their sophomore release “Antagonise”. In a release that is larger than life, we find ourselves somewhat lost with how many different elements and styles are put together in this album. While not being bad, but confusing and sometimes a bit dull, this is a most have release for any fans of Jansen’s previous work after a few listens to settle things in.

    The album kicks off with the Death Metal riffing intensity of “Bloodline Forfeit”, with the heavy elements getting offset by Henning Basse’s commanding vocals. The album keeps rolling filled with lush orchestrations in dramatic tracks like “Burn Your Witches”, “Redemption – The Democracy Illusions”, and “Paladins of Deceit”, all of these tracks follow the same formula with some Epica elements bleeding into some of the aspects of the music.

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    Dead Bread – Hatred Slice (2013)

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    Arriving from Poland, today we have one-man project Dead Bread and its killer Death Metal EP titled “Hatred Slice”. Featuring four tracks filled with punishing Death Metal riffs, blistering guitar solos, and a plethora of guests on vocals, this is one of the most powerful self-released EP that have found their way to our inbox in the last few months.

    Like a bag of bricks directly to the face, “Gates of Hell” opens this release with crushing riffs and brutal vocals courtesy of Janick Klausen. In this track we have Dead Bread playing a catchy and punishing Death Metal with very well-crafted guitars and an excellent guitar solo by Jacek Hiro. Not letting go of the listener, “Call Out” keeps the brutality going with tight drumming and incisive riffs.

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    Festerguts – Heritage of Putrescent (2013)

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    Hailing from Russia, today we have Festerguts debut full-length release “Heritage of Putrescent”. Featuring eight tracks eclipsing over 30 minutes of intensely atmospheric/symphonic Brutal Death Metal, this band reminds us of a mixture of Fleshgod Apocalypse and Cradle of Filth (on their good years). Not for the faint of heart, this release will squash you with its powerful riffing and intense drumming.

    Opening with the symphonic intro “Above A Cold Body: Pre-Funeral Preparations”, the band really gets into the thick of things with the punishing “Now I can Fee You From Inside”. Using keyboards from atmospheric effect, the band quickly delivers uncompromising riffing and demolishing growls. They nicely offset the brutality with lush female vocal arrangements thrown into the mix. One of the best things in this release is that the atmospheric elements are not the main direction of the music, since the brutality of tracks like “Besmeared With Blood and Viscera” focus on the aggressive side of things.

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    Dargonomel – Varkulama (2013)

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    Behemoth and company move over, today we have Russia’s Dargonomel and their devastating Black/Death Metal debut release “Varkulama”. Delivering over 45 minutes of crushing music, this band has enough power behind their sound to blow the competition away. Filled with hate and brutality, the 11 tracks presented in this release are relentless and uncompromising.

    Opening with two songs with atmospheric intros titled “Leviathan retributive” and “From the void this is beyond”, this Russian three-piece delivers unrivaled waves of brutality. Focusing on aggressive riffs, lush drumming, and brutal hate-filled vocals, tracks like “Varkulama” showcase their aggressive power and superior execution skills. The tracks are filled with powerful Death Metal riffs, enough to please any of the genre’s most demanding fans.

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    Malignant Monster – Yours in Murder (2013)

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    Featuring a solid ensemble of musicians from bands like The Amenta and Mhorgl, today we have Malignant Monster and their Aussie Black/Death/Thrash Metal attack. In “Yours in Murder” the band delivers over 40 minutes of crushing music combining traditional Death and Thrash Metal elements with a BM edge and a very modern and refined sound.

    Making their presence felt, Malignant Monster delivers crushing riffs since the first song. This track has a vibe similar to The Amenta, but this suddenly changes with the band’s piercing tempo changes and devastating drumming. Certain melodic moments of songs like “Until It Withers” and “Nothing Left” nicely give a different edge to the band’s already polished sound.

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    Kataklysm – Waiting for the End to Come (2013)

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    Canadian Extreme Death Metal masters return after three years with the devastating “Waiting for the End to Come”. Being one of the most representative Metal bands in Canada, Kataklysm returns in full force with one of their most brutal releases in over a decade. Filled with 45 minutes of neck-snapping music, this release will surely bring back memories of the band’s heavier and more extreme beginnings, but with their more modern and more polished elements from their latest releases.

    The album starts on a high note with the pummeling “Fire”. In this song we get a melodic intro that slowly progresses into full-on destructive mode with incisive riffs and punishing drums courtesy of newcomer Olivier Beaudoin. The Kataklysm signature sound is intact with hyper-fast sections and the killer vocals of Maurizio Iacono. Blending proficient songwriting with technical abilities, the band cruises through intense tunes like “If I Was God – I’d Burn It All”, “Like Animals”, and the brilliant “Kill the Elite”.

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    Fun at the Morgue – Massoula (2013)

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    Today we have Fun at the Morgue, a Swiss band delivering their debut EP titled “Massoula”. Featuring 11 tracks, this makes it the EP with the most number of tracks we have every received. Filled with neck breaking Death Metal, this release provides a nice insight into the band’s crazy little world and showcases their musical abilities. While the majority of the release has pretty straightforward Death Metal tracks, there are a few songs here and there that make the experience a whole lot more interesting.

    Opening with the commanding “Funeral Overture”, the band quickly establishes their power with their crushing riffing. This bleeds into “Faceripper” and “Heretic”, two short but sweet tracks filled with punishing guitars and thunderous drumming. The vocals are quite standard and very firm, as they should be in any DM release. “Dark Prophecy” is the longest song in this release clocking in at 4 minutes, and it has that Six Feet Under / Cannibal Corpse vibe thanks to the solid songwriting and attention to catchiness.

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