Abysmal Dawn- Phylogensis (Album Review)

Musician: Abysmal Dawn
Album Title: Phylogensis
Genre/ Subgenre: Death Metal
Label: Season of Mist
Release Date: April 17, 2020

Six years after their last album, Obsolescence, LA death metal band, Abysmal Dawn, are back with Phylogensis. And, this long wait has resulted in one of fuck of a killer release.

The album has the band trademarks of being technical, brutal, and rich in melody. They deliver on all these aspects in top form. Crushing and, yet wholly listenable, it really stands out among the death metal masses. While, some may not have heard this band's music before, this is the album that I feel will definitely cement them in the minds of fans of extreme music (if they weren't already).

The album opens up with the chaotic and unrelenting tech assault of "Mundane Existence". The ferocious and pounding track erupts, especially when the vocals and blasts-beats kick in. The Morbid Angel like lead riffing will surely please fellow fans of the genre. Speaking of riffs the one in "Hedonistic" absolutely fucking kills. Combine it with machine-gun drumming and brutal vocals and you get one of the fucking best death metal tracks of 2020. It is an absolute future classic! For more sick riffing check out absolutely crushing and smashing assault of "Coerced Evolution". It is destined to set the mosh pit on fucking fire (once tours and normal life return, of course).

The band also shows a real maturity in its lyrical content that separates it from their contemporaries. They take on social media fights ("The Path of the Totalitarian"), the death of real journalism ("True to the Blind"), mental illness concerns ("Soul Sick Nation"), and so much more. It makes their music feel relevant. But, never once do they sacrifice brutality. On the contrary, this fucker can stand next to any release currently in the genre.

Abysmal Dawn's Phylogensis  is technical, brutal, and with flourishes of the melodic. They combine with smart lyrics delivered brutally by signer / guitarist Charles Elliot. The summation of these parts results in a release that is as exciting as I have heard, so far, this year. I really knew little of this band before hearing this record, but it has made made me a fan of theirs. It is without a shadow of a doubt one of the best death metal records of 2020.

4.5 out of 5

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Necrowretch- The Ones From Hell (Album Review)

Musicians: Necrowretch
Album Title: The Ones From Hell
Genre/ Subgenre: Blackened Death Metal
Label: Season of Mist
Release Date: February 14, 2020

The Ones from Hell is the latest offering from Necrowretch. Hailing from France, this blackened death metal band are back and are as evil and unrelenting as ever. And, make no bones about it, this album plays like a brutal fire storm unleashed from the depths of hell, itself.

In many ways this is both a continuation as well an expansion from the sound of their last album, Satanic Slavery. While, maintaining the same unstoppable speed, they also add melody and atmosphere further enhancing their satanic soundscape.

Opening with chainsaw riffing and brutal blast-beats, "Luciferian Sovranty", becomes a thundering and pummeling Satan loving track. The title track has this cool opening riff that has a real Dissection like quality to it. This is furthered even more once the hellish vocals kick in. It is here that the song really and truly shines as an excellent mix of the evil and style of black metal with the savageness of death metal. "Codex Obscuritas" shows what the band can accomplish when they slow things down. And, unholy fuck is it ever a lot! Darkly atmospheric and wholly evil, it sounds feels like fetid winds from hell, itself! It might be the absolute best track on here.

With an expanded use of atmosphere and their usual brand of evil speed, The Ones from Hell are a real showcase for Necrowretch. It's a darkly evil and blisteringly heavy excursion into Satan's realm. This is the band's finest and most varied work yet, and fans who like their music brutal and demon spawned need to take heed!

4 out of 5

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Nocturnal Graves- Titan (Album Review)

Musician: Nocturnal Graves
Album Title: Titan
Genre/ Subgenre: Blackened Thrash Metal/ Death Metal 
Label: Season of Mist
Release Date: May 18, 2018

Titan is the first new, third overall in their discography, album from Australian blackened thrash metal act Nocturnal Graves. The band which consists of current and former members of Destroyer 666 and Denouncement Pyr. The album is a furious and bile spewing demonic monster of a release. One, that quickly makes up for lost time and decimates all that stand in its way.

There is a seething anger and hatred that dominates this satanic slab of viciousness. Razor fast and driving the music, mixes elements of trash, death, and, of course, black metal, and gives us an album that definitely stands out in the underground. 

The second track "Roar of the Wild" roars right into existence with shredding and slicing guitars that sound like Slayer taken to the blackest of extremes. From there it drives forward with speed, blast beats, and a pummeling attack. "Eccdysis, Shedding Weak Flesh" beats the listener with a slow and pounding, dark atmospheric feel that is evil, foreboding, and unquestionably heavy. The middle part where it slows down completely, with a rumbling undercurrent is guaranteed to chill the listener to the bone. The dark and anger filled "And Hell Followed Them" erupts as if from the very depths of hell, itself. Signer/ bass player J. opens the song with some of the most inhuman and demonic vocals you are likely to hear. "Bow Before None" has a South of Heaven meets early Darkthrone feel and sound to it, that is ferocious and utterly merciless and amounts to my favorite track on the album. The title song closes off the album with an almost doom metal like opening that builds into a locomotive like chugging and then sonic pummeling, that sears and slashes the flesh right off your bones, as the hate filled blast beats threaten to bring hell on earth.

Titan is an evil and heavy sounding attack on the senses. Haunting and blistering it does a killer job of mixing elements from various types of extreme metal. The result proudly shows off their influences while, making their own distinct sound. If anything the album serves as reminder of just how underrated Nocturnal Graves is and how it is time for the metal community (at least those into the more extreme side) need to stand up and take notice. Here is hoping that more will take notice of them and take this majestic and searing trip into the inferno.

4 out of 5

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Necrowretch- Satanic Slavery (Album Review)

Musicians: Necrowretch
Album Title: Satanic Slavery
Genre/ Subgenre: Blackened Death Metal
Label: Season of Mist
Release date: April 14, 2017

Necrowretch is a brutal and fast as fuck blackened death metal band that hails from France, and Satanic Slavery is their third full length album. The music displayed on it is brutal, furiously fast, and Satanic.

By combining elements of an old school sound with newer influences, Necrowretch has a distinct yet still reconizable sound. The riffs feel like they are coming from the deepest and most infernal of places and the brutal blast beats are unstoppable in their ferocity. The screeching/ screaming vocals of Vlad, who also plays the guitar, deliver blasphemy filled and unholy lyrics.

The first track, ''Sprawl of Sin'', starts off the album with a creepy intro of haunting sounds and an evil sounding voice. Then it explodes into all out bashing fury. The title brutally kicks ass from the get go, the lighting fast music only slowing down for the righteously evil chorus. ''Evil Names'' has a slow, crunching start that adds a sense of doom to the evil proceedings, then it begins to pick up speed at a galloping and ultimately unrelenting pace. ''Curse of Blasphemy'' has a great mixture of chainsaw-like riffs with a almost non-stop barrage of blast beats, this is caped off by Vlad's vocals which are truly demonic in nature. The combined results make up what might just be the best track on the album. The final track is ''Verses from the Depths'' features blast beats that will make you feel like a demon straight out of hell came out and decided to beat your fucking face in.

Necrowretch's Satanic Slavery is an unrelenting and hellish attack. Uncompromising speed highlight the excellent musicianship that is display. In all, it encompasses death metal at it's most brutally evil.

4 out of 5

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Nightbringer- Terra Demnata (Album Review)

Musicians: Nightbringer
Album Title: Terra Demnata
Genre/ Subgenre: Black Metal
Label: Season of Mist
Release date: April 14, 2017

Hailing from Green Mountain Falls, Colorado, Nightbringer is proof of the great black metal that is coming from out here in the States. Their latest album Terra Demnata is blast of full speed, brutal, and chilling music that is truly evil and goddamn atmospheric.

This is some of the fastest and heaviest black metal to come out, and not just from the good, old US of A, this year. The album opens up with the blistering ''As Wolves Amongst Ruins'', which is an all lightning fast and atmospheric attack. ''Misrule'' has a chilling opening that goes into a brutal assault of blast beats and a cold feeling that is classic black metal. I love the underlying riff that adds a classic horror movie vibe to it. Speaking of horror movies, the haunting and quiet opening of ''Of the Key and Crossed Bones'' leads into a song that is slow, evil, and pummeling. Perhaps, my favorite track on the album is the brutal and lightning fast ''Let Silence be His Scared Name''. It begins with bone chiling keyboards and, then, wastes no time into going into full blast beat mode, only to slow down again and become some of the scariest shit you are likely to hear all month!

The musicianship from the band is solid, in particular when it comes to the savagely fast drumming of Menthor. The screeching vocals, from three members Naas Alcamet (guitars), Ophis (guitars), and ar Ra'd al Iblis, are inhuman. In fact, the whole album sounds like it came from the depths of hell, itself. Although, this is a hell with excellent production values, thanks to the band working with Dave (Cobalt, Cehalic Carnage, Cattle Decaptation, Archspire) Otero, again.

Terra Demnata is already a strong contender for most haunting and chilling release of the year. Fast, brutal, and pummeling, as well as cold and distant, this is some truly evil sounding music. Black metal fans take head, this demonic motherfucker is for you!

3.5 out of 5

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Grave Desecrator- Dust to Lust (Album Review)

Musician: Grave Desecrator
Album Title: Dust to Lust
Genre/ Subgenre: Death/ Black metal
Label: Season of Mist
Release Date: July 1, 2016

This Brazilian four piece delivers death/ black metal at a breakneck pace in their fourth release Dust To Lust. It's a non-stop assault from the beginning to the end with the savage veracity of piranha ripping apart flesh in the Amazonian waters.

After the beautifully surrean but foreboding instrumental that is the aptly named "Intro (Dust To Lust)" the album slides the doom crunching of "Temple Of Abominations", which then suddenly goes into a machine fire of blasting music. "Funeral Mist" begins with a thunderous sound that builds and builds into a rolling a pummeling attack. "A Witching Whore" has some dark and menacing riffs that thunders on forward and feels like it would be perfect for the soundtrack of what would surely by an evil and decidedly exploitative supernatural horror flick. The band is clearly not above mixing sex with horror and the Satanic as evident by this song or "Mephisttophallus In Occultopussy" (which might just win coolest/ most ridiculous song title of the year!). "One More Soul" truly puts the speed in full throttle. And, the best is saved for last as the album closer "Perpetual Oath" has a wonderfully slow and creepy intro that is just plain fucking awesome. Then the blast beats come in and it just erupts!

The music is just fast as fuck as buzz-saw guitars with soaring leads are accompanied by blast beats galore. The production has that low-fi feeling that old school black metal fans will like, while still retaining a good, clear sound.

Dust To Lust is a solid album that evokes band like Emperor and Mayhem crossbred with Deicide and Morbid Angel. In all it is a full speed assault of extreme music that serves as a further reminder of all the great metal music coming from Brazil.


3.5 out of 5

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