Swamp Witch - Gnosis

Swamp Witch are a band that intrigues me simply for the fact that they're one of the few bands ballsy enough to mix stoner doom with death metal (an idea that I've toyed around with for a long-ass time). These dudes pull it off perfectly. The ethereal guitar leads weave in and out of each other like phased-out electric eels writhing stoned in a big pile. The band can switch from the up-tempo to savagely heavy in the matter of a few measures. 'Gnosis' is short and to the point, spanning only three songs, Swamp Witch don't waste any time packing the riffs into each and every track. Get torched, turn this up and sink into endless couch lock as some of the most brain-rattling riffs thunder through your ear-pussy. SWAMP WEED For Fans of: Cough, Fistula, Incantation, Acid Witch

Wrathprayer - The Sun of Moloch: The Sublimation of Sulphur's Essence Which Spawned Death and Life

It's been a bit since I've used this blog but since so many of my readers still come back here (even when I don't post for months on end) I gotta throw you a bone. Wrathprayer's blend of bestial blackened death comes in the style of the Australian death metal scene with hints of bands like Teitanblood and Witchchrist. The reverb-soaked production adds a cavernous depth to their music. The atmosphere throughout the record is seamless and well composed, as for the music, the riffs are primitive and chaotic. This record is a must-have for fans of truly blasphemous music. BVRN For Fans of: Portal, Diocletian, Teitanblood, Profanatica, Vomitor

Nihilist - Demo Collection

Nihilist were one of those bands that took the principle aesthetics of death metal to their extremes. They played the lowest, nastiest, swampiest doom-laden death metal tat ever crawled its way out of Scandinavia. Plodding drums back gruesome guitars that often lumber with a slow, purposeful canter. The monstrous vocals are on a completely different level than what most bands were doing and quite frankly are still way better than what most bands are trying to accomplish with this sound to this day. Nihilist later became the famed band Entombed so if for some reason you haven't already heard this that should be reason enough to give this a spin.

Tracks 1-3: 'Premature Autopsy' Demo '88
Tracks 4-6: 'Only Shreds Remain' Demo '88
Tracks 7-8: 'Drowned' Demo '89
Track 9: 'The Head Not Found' Session '89
Tracks 10-11: 'The Drowned' Session '89
Tracks 12-14: Entombed's 'But Life Goes On' Demo '89

UGH!

Hedorah - Detroit

Crushing Sludge/Doom/Death from Detroit

Grave Miasma - Exalted Emanation

Grave Miasma deliver sickening death metal in the vein of acts like Incantation and Immolation. Sluggish rhythms slam their way through your head while the ghastly guitar tone rips your mind apart. Grave Miasma pull of the 'so-fast-it's-slow' mechanic really well and the tempo juxtapositions create a warp of pure death metal gravity; bone-crunchingly heavy. If you like show-no-mercy death metal Grave Miasma is for you. Pure darkness en musica.

GUUUUUH!

For Fans Of: Incantation, Funebrarum, Cruciamentum, Disma, Dead Congregation

Coffins - Ancient Torture

This awesome compilation features all of Coffins' rarer tracks from various splits and other limited releases. A must have for fans of this crushing Japanese Death/Doom band.

Disc 1

Disc 2

Azarath - Blasphemers Maledictions

What is it about Poland that helps bands produce such great blackened death metal? There has to be something in their water. Azarath's new album blends Bathory-esque black metal with death metal from all over the map. This album is FAST but not to the point where it becomes incomprehensible. The pacing of the drums is met perfectly by the machine gunning guitars and commanding leads. Though don't worry this isn't some blast fest, the drummer does well enough to bring the more rhythmic elements of death metal percussion in to make some really great Immolation-esque stops and starts. This album deserves your time.

THE RIPPIN' AND THE TEARIN'

For Fans Of: Waitain, Immolation, Bathory, Deathspell Omega, Vader, Behemoth, Nightbringer

The Dead Youth - Writhing

Crushing death metal riffs played at sluggish speeds. The Dead Youth's music is a mixture of extremes encompassing everything that was on the extreme metal map at the time (well, except black metal). When they do break from their prehistoric pacing they do so without warning and break into blisteringly fast runs of shredding death.


I'm not doing this album any justice so you should just CHECK IT OUT!

For Fans Of Winter, Carcass, Doomed, Autopsy

Cruciamentum/Vasaeleth - Eroding Chaos Unto Ascendant Flesh

This split is easily one of the best to hit this year. Cruciamentum's side is 2 billion metric tons of ancient death metal destruction. With vocals remniscient of Rottrevore and Pillard-era Incantation you know this shit has gotta be the real deal. With creeping riffs that drone with a death-like patience coupled with gorgeous death, Cruciamentum bring their A-game on this split. The Vasaeleth side is pretty good but kind of a let down after the sonic ass kicking that Cruciamentum deliver. The riffs are all there and the songwriting is okay but it feels like they're going through the motions. I can still bang my head to it but their vibe is more bite than birth if you catch my drift.

UNLEASH

I highly encourage you to pick this up if you like it. Not only is it inexpensive but the beautifully done packaging is a great addition to any collection and the sweeeeet purple/black splatter vinyl is definitely an added bonus. Jump on it while it's still out there.

Doomed - Doomed to Death, Damned in Hell

Doomed bring it all to the table with some quality death/doom. Sauntering rhythms lead you across a menagerie of serpentine riffs that ebb and flow like a river of burning tar. I can't give this shit a higher honer. Did I mention that it's comprised of members of Autopsy, Funeral, Death and Abscess? Yeah, the pedigree should speak for itself. Chris fuckin' Reifert.


For Fans Of: Bolt Thrower, Deceased, Autopsy, Cianide, Incantation, Mammoth Grinder and Rottrevore

HAIL!

Diocletian Live at Rites of Darkness II

Great live recording of Diocletian from Rites of Darkness II on December 11th 2010. The recording was made by Vorfeed .


Download it in MP3 or FLAC

Morta Skuld - Dying Remains

Morta Skuld always seem to be one of those bands that people overlook when it comes to 90's death metal. Their sound isn't occult in nature or really all that 'brutal' but they do play a highly potent blend of death metal that definitely makes them stand out from the crowd. Their ability to craft unique and engaging riffs is second to none. Did I mention the sick guitar tone on this album? Basically, if you can imagine a shovel digging into graveyard dirt you have a good idea what they sound like. Grab it. Listen to it and buy their new comp on Relapase entitled 'Through The Eyes of Death' to get your hands on some of their crucial demo material for the first time in almost 20 years!

FACE SHREDDING DEATH

Crucifier - Stronger Than Passing Time

Crucifier wields a multi-faceted weapon; one that hits hard with faceripping riffs and at times, traditional melodies that cut through the chaos to ring out in triumph. The blend of black metal and death metal on this record is damn near a perfect mixture. Great songwriting keeps everything moving forward while the record stretches out to embrace other influences such as doom and more down-to-earth thrash. This album manages to do very well to encompass all the niches in the extreme metal family tree without forcing it.

UTTER BLACKNESS

Disma - Towards The Megalith

No colorful bullshit for this release. Savage death metal shat forth from the primordial depths.

For Fans of: Incantation, Rottrevore and Imprecation

ONLY DEATH IS REAL

Blaspherian - Infernal Warriors of Death

Blaspherian manage to distill all the awesome aspects of classic death metal and blend them together without falling into the pitfall of sounding like a worship band. Their main influence definitely seems to be Incantation at first glance but as the record unfurls more of their roots begin to show. Devastatingly gruesome riffage and top notch drumming bring the album to the front of the pack for this year. For you production elitists out there you'll be pleased to know that there's no overproduction here but at the same time the album is by no means underproduced. You can hear every instrument working independently if you give it an attentive listen but if you're just throwing it on everything still maintains that brutal wall-of-sound vibe of older records.

I SHIT UPON THE SON OF GOD

For Fans Of: Incantation, Immolation, Diocletian, Dead Congregation, Rottrevore

MORE DEATH IN YOUR METAL

Grotesque Infestation is a fantastic blog that gathers together early 90's death metal records and old horror movies (like bangers akin to From Beyond) like no other place I've seen. If you like old school and brutal this is the place for you.

Nominon - Monumentomb

Fuzz drenched guitars churning through decaying bodies like massive rusted meat-grinders, tight-as-fuck drums jackhammering their way through your skull and ghoulish growls calling out from behind this sonic fortress of death and destruction. There's no better way to describe Nominon's 'Monumentomb'. If you're looking for a little bit of everything in your death metal then this definitely it. You have the cleanliness of newer productions mixed with old-school atmospheric charm, Morbid Angel-worshipping riffage with the occasional nod to Demigod and Incantation. It's not primal and it's not filthy but god damn is it good fucking death.

This for all of you SCREAMING FOR DEATH

For Fans Of: Morbid Angel, Demigod, Revolting and Interment

Impetuous Ritual - Relentless Execution of Ceremonial Excrescence

Have you ever wished to taste the forbidden knowledge that lies outside of existence? Have you ever wanted to drift weightlessly through hellish holes of blackness and screaming sine waves? Impetuous Ritual offers you all of that and more. Relentless Execution of Ceremonial Excrescence molds the deafening roar of the likes of Portal with the blasphemous cantrips of Incantation, Disembowelment and Immolation. The arcane atmosphere dissolves into pure chaos as the guitars create a cacophonous din of pure otherworldly animosity. There is no other emotion here, there is only terror. The wild fjords of space give way to blasting drums and horrific vocals that conjure nameless things from the walls of eldritch sound slithering forth from your speakers. Pure evil.

BOW DOWN

For Fans Of: Portal, Profanatica, Incantation, Encoffination, Ulcerate and Gigan

Coffins/Cianide Split

What can I say about these bands that hasn't already been said on here before? Coffins are nasty as fuck and Cianide are probably damn near perfect. Cianide's side of this split is absolutely fucking flawless. The doom-as-fuck fuzz bass that opens up their side is just a precursor to the full on death doom blitzkrieg that will slither its way out of your speakers. Coffins' side is pretty good but not what I would expect from one of their full-lengths.

DEATH THE BRUTAL WAY

Cianide - The Dying Truth

Riffs that crawl and crush like a fucking tank, massive production, perfect drum tone and some of the most savage and throat-rattling vocals around. These are all things that can be used to describe Cianide's sound on 'The Dying Truth' but I'd like to file it all down to one word: Gargantuan. This record is pretty much everything that I have ever wanted from an old school death doom band. It has it all! Punishingly slow guitars, ritualistic beats and the right mix of raw production and crisp atmospherics. The opener alone lends this album its legendary status; as it should be. That's not to say that the rest of the album isn't as awesome, it's quite the contrary actually. From the very first note to the ghastliness of the ending notes this album stands head and shoulders above its contemporaries.

CRUSH, KILL, DESTROY

For Fans of: Bolt Thrower, Rottrevore, Incantation, Father Befouled, Derketa