#IMMOLATION
Chestcrush – ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ Review
By Tyme
Chestcrush is what happens when you fuck around and find out. These three blackened death dealers from Edinburgh, Scotland, formed in 2020, released their independent debut album, Vthelygmia, in 2021. That’s when Chestcrush caught my ear for the first time, penning one of my favorite songs, “Different Shepherd, Same Sheep.” After swapping original vocalist Thomas Blanc for Topias Jokipii, who debuted his wares on 2022’s Apechtheia EP, Chestcrush is back with its sophomore prüno-piss and vinegar-filled platter, ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ. Translated from Greek to mean ‘soul extractor,’ ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ metaphorically describes an experience or person that is so incredibly tormenting to you that it feels like it’s pulling your very soul out through your mouth. Will I need my jaw re-aligned after listening to ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ, or is this dog just a toothless barker?
Chestcrush executes its misanthropic, anti-everything brand of nihilism by fusing blackened deathgrind with sludgy, doomy industrialism on ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ. And even with the grindier bits dialed back, ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣA sounds like a bloodied blend of Anaal Nathrakh, Immolation, and Napalm Death sprinkled with an extra vitriolic dash o’ Nails. Evangelos Vasilakos crushes chests and eardrums with an onslaught of riffs full of brutish chugs, crusty sludge, and deathly density (“Existence is Punishment”). Drummer Robin Stone (Ashen Horde) brings the mutha-fuckin’ skulls to the yard with his rib-rattling, Anaal Nathrakhian double kick work, which often serves as a tempodic counterpoint to Evan’s wall of sound bass and guitar destruction (“We Shall Be Devoured by the Offspring of Our Own Flesh”). Topping off this sundae of fuck-off-fun-day decimation are the Mikael Åkerfeldtish vocals of Jokipii, whose roars and guttural growls bring an altogether beastlier edge to ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ‘s throat work. Chestcrush will not make you feel good about yourself, nor will they have you looking hopefully into the future.
Speaking of hope, if not abandoned wholly before entering Chestcrush‘s world, it will be by the time “Every Single Word That Comes Out of Your Filthy Hole Is an Infectious Lie a Spreading Disease” invades your earholes. It is a punishing, anti-religious anthem full of chunky riffs, dissonant tremolos, Stone’s inhuman drumming, and Jokipii’s tortured growls and screams, prefaced by an ominous warning, ‘Until the last stone, from the last church, falls on the last priest.’ And as the screechy, staticky ending of “Hang Them! Torch Them!” gives way to the tolling bells of the sludgy behemoth and album closer, “As the Damned Writhe in Eternal Woe,” it is clear that Chestcrush hates us all. ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ has no high points, no zenith; it is a cavalcade of sorrow, a series of nadirs plumbing depths subterranean of Dante’s seventh circle.
From the very Hellraiser-esque cover art courtesy of Vladimir Chebakov to the forty-minute runtime, Chestcrush‘s ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ is infinitely more mature than its predecessor, Vthelygmia. I attribute this leap in maturation to two things. First, Chestcrush‘s songwriting has blossomed like a blackened rose, resulting in fully developed compositions that wend, wind, and weave within themselves, an ebb and flow of drama that casts a pall of abject hopelessness over the entire affair. Second, the addition of vocalist Topias Jokipii, whose beefier delivery and propensity to stay in his lower, more guttural register better fit Chestrcush‘s aural aesthetic. I have little in the way of criticism for ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ, but there was something that stood out, which is a brief screech of feedback that rears its head throughout the album, mainly as an exclamation point. It works when employed to create an intersong dynamic (“Every Single Word…”), but it becomes grating when tacked on the end of nearly every track, sometimes twice (“We Shall Be Devoured…”).
Chestcrush has penned a dirge celebrating the death of humanity and is the human embodiment of existential hate. You’ll not be blasting ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ poolside this summer, cracking beers and seltzers with your buddies and their wives, crisping flesh in the sun. Chestcrush is of darkness, despair, and destitution, and that is where ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ will take you. I have committed several hours to ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ in preparation for this review, and this time has left me spent, my jaw firmly wired shut, soul removed. I think I need to go and listen to some Fellowship now.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320kbps mp3
Label: Self-Released
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: April 4, 2025
#2025 #35 #AnaalNathrakh #Apr25 #BlackMetal #Chestcrush #DeathMetal #Immolation #Nails #NapalmDeath #Review #Reviews #ScottishMetal #Sludge #ΨΥΧΟΒΓΑΛΤΗΣ
Fleshspoil – The Beginning of the End Review
By Tyme
Troy, New York’s Fleshspoil, may be new to the NYC metal scene,1 but its constituent members certainly are not. Vocalist and guitarist Jeff Andrews (The Final Sleep, Armor Column) and drummer Mike Van Dyne (The Final Sleep, ex-Arsis) have joined forces with Bay Area bassist Dan Saltzman (Illucinus) to wade into the crowded waters of the blackened death metal pool with their self-released debut album, The Beginning of the End. I wondered what Fleshspoil had in store, mainly what Andrews and Van Dyne, given their pedigree, would do to set themselves apart in a genre rife with stiff competition. Would this trio assemble and make The Empire City proud with The Beginning of the End, or, as their moniker might suggest, would they just plain stink?
Fleshspoil tosses progressive atmospherics, dashes of doom, darts of dissonance, and even some metalcore peppercorns into its death metal pot. With as much elusive consistency as The Final Sleep‘s Vessels of Grief, Andrews and Van Dyne have crafted another, albeit deathlier, sonic buffet. Representing a winding path of genres, The Beginning of the End sees crushing, Immolation-esque death metal mix with atmospheric lap-steel guitar and drum interludes (“Bleed Through This Life”) and softer, near post-metal riffs merge into Bleeding Through-like metalcore replete with shimmery clean choruses before ceding direction to a dissonantly black end (“Skies Turn to Graves”). Andrews’ ten tons of riffage serve the material well, and trading his mostly clean vocal delivery ala The Final Sleep for deathlier growls, shouts, and shrieks is a point in Fleshspoil‘s favor. Saltzman’s reserved bass work, a departure from the brutal death slams of his day job, combined with Van Dyne’s expert drumming, has no problem corralling all of The Beginning of the End‘s competing directions. Fleshspoil certainly isn’t afraid to stretch the boundaries of what’s possible, and when it works, it’s good, but it doesn’t always work.
Fleshspoil is at its best when weaving the apocalypse of their death metal with dissonance, melodicism, and progressive atmospheres. These elements are alive and well in the aforementioned “Bleed Through This Life,” which also contains some chaotic solo work courtesy of Kyle Chapman (Aethereus).2 Further success lies in the disso-chords and quirky time signatures of eponymous track “Fleshspoil,” which wanders into some atmospheric guitar and bass noodling, then trundles into a Paul Westerberg alt-rock passage that could have landed on the soundtrack to Singles. All this before ending with some mid-paced death metal riffs, screamed vocals, and marching order snares. Add the growls, shrieks, and Halford-esque cleans over the majestic doom-blackened deathliness of charred and chugging riffs on “A Frail Demise,” and The Beginning of the End finds Fleshspoil fine-tuned to decimate. If it were all within these veins, things would fare better.
I’m a fan of Fleshspoil‘s willingness to experiment, but not all results hit the mark. Time is not a factor as The Beginning of the End clocks in at a trim and tidy thirty-seven minutes. Overwrought transitions and wasted time hurt Fleshspoil the most. I found the pendulum-swinging transitions of “Skies Turn to Graves” too jarring, rendering the song more a distraction than a complementary piece of the whole. Throw in the under-developed, three-plus minute “Walking Dead” and the momentum-crushing boringness of album closer “Born Into Despair,” an alt-rock snoozer that fades in on some guitar-lite strumming and bass work and sustains shimmering guitars under shouts and clean vocals before mercifully fading out again with twenty seconds of vinyl scratches and pops. With this song, Fleshspoil completely took me out of the mood set by “A Frail Demise” and had me yawning rather than reaching for the play button again.
Fleshspoil‘s debut, The Beginning of the End, represents a promising entry into the NYC metal pantheon. Andrews’, Van Dyne’s, and Saltzman’s metal credentials are unquestioned. Fleshspoil has a lot of great ideas and the ability to execute its vision, as half of The Beginning of the End suggests. Leaving its softer sides for other projects and flexing its stronger, more progressive melodic death metal muscle should see Fleshspoil do good, even great things in the future. I will be waiting and watching to see what comes next.
Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320kbps mp3
Label: Self-Released
Websites: fleshspoilofficial.bandcamp.com | instagram.com/fleshspoil
Releases Worldwide: March 28th, 2025
#25 #2025 #AmericanMetal #Arsis #BlackMetal #BleedingThrough #DeathMetal #Fleshspoil #Immolation #Mar25 #MelodicDeathMetal #Review #SelfReleases #TheBeginningOfTheEnd #TheFinalSleep
Aran Angmar – Ordo Diabolicum Review
By Alekhines Gun
The first time I gave Ordo Diabolicum, the third album from international outfit Aran Angmar, a full listen, I was in the car, ruing an upcoming 12-hour day at work. The sun beat down with mockery, telling me I should be at the beach. The skyline shimmered in radiant beauty, while the birds sang songs about how every day was a day off when you’re unemployed. Suddenly, the absolute bejeebus was scared out of me as an ambulance went screaming by, sirens blasting and throttle abused to such a melodic cacophony that I watched in atypical enthrallment as it careened between the traffic ahead and disappeared behind the second star to the right. Glancing down, I noticed the name of the song escorting the ambulance towards its destination: “Chariots of Death.” I can’t say how much that experience colored my perception of the album, but I can say is this: Aran Angmar delivered an absolute tooth-and-claw-covered beast of a record that is not to be missed.
The Ordo of Diabolicum is immediacy. Across eight tracks, Aran Angmar unleash more hooks than a fisherman’s erotica, with melodic runs, choruses, and catchiness to flay eardrums and boil blood. Eschewing the more tinny, underproduced sound of second wave in favor of a much more immediate, thicccboi Hellenic sound, every cut hits with fist-pumping flair. Using the riff game of older Uada with the vocal stylings of a much more death-inclined band, Aran Angmar offers up an album that, serious artwork aside, sounds far less inclined to the darkness and more bent towards sacrifice and courage. Moments ranging from the vaguely pirate metal crowd calling bop in “Hêlēl ben-Šaḥar”1 to the enticingly heavy carrion splattering chug fest of the title track “Ordo Diabolicum” usher listeners from one slab of glory to another, each delivered with flair and flourish.
Enhancing Ordo Diabolicum is a heavy bent towards Mediterranean and Nordic instrumentation and texture. Surprisingly, this doesn’t come off as a cheap gimmick, but instead lends the choruses and hooks their own flavor. Kickoff track “Dungeons of the Damned” rocks a clean vocal wail of a line2 which has no right to be as infectious as it is, lifting an already mighty chorus to new heights. “Aeon Ablaze” tinkers with Nile-style interludes by way of modern Mystifier ritualistic chants. “Primordial Fire” boasts a host of guest instruments3 which transitions into a bounce reminiscent of Labyrinthus Stellarum doing a folk metal cover. This commitment to diverse instrumentation beyond a mere contrivance for an easy tune pays massive dividends and keeps track after track refreshing and engaging.
All of this would be for naught if the album sounded wack. Mercifully, Aran Angmar avoid such a pitfall, with each performance on Ordo Diabolicum sounding crisp and sharp. The vocals of Lord Abagor are nasty, opting for an unusually guttural approach with a double-tracked higher shriek, channeling the swagger of Amon Amarth (particularly in closing song “Vae Victis”) with the menace of Immolation. Guitar lines from Mahees are piercing and rapturous, with clean tones erupting from hazy blasted trems. Leads are gorgeous and triumphant, with harmonized melodies in “Chariots of Fire” and a beautiful solo in “Hêlēl ben-Šaḥar” standing tall among a litany of sing-along worthy licks and highlights. Alessandro Cupi’s drums are well placed; while never doing anything out of the ordinary, they come with thunder and thunk, adding heft and weight without ever overpowering the music on display.
We’ve arrived at the concluding paragraph, and I suddenly realize I’ve yet to heap scorn on much of anything. I suppose if I squint a bit, some of the atmospheric interludes don’t need to be as long as they are. The intro to “Crown of the Gods” sounds like a bit of an anticlimax compared to the rest of the album’s attention-gathering intros. And yet, I’m not sure I truly believe such ideas. Every time I’ve spun this album I’ve been left with a big dorky grin on my face, invisible oranges clutched firmly in bent palms, utterly and inarguably smitten. Aran Angmar have unleashed an album that has been an absolute joy to listen to, and a first contender for my end-of-year list. Get in on the Ordo while you can.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Soulseller Records
Websites: facebook.com/aranangmar | Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: March 21st, 2025
#2025 #40 #AmonAmarth #AranAngmar #BlackMetal #Immolation #InternationalMetal #LabrinthusStellarum #Mar25 #Mystifier #Nile #OrdoDiabolicum #Review #Reviews #SoulsellerRecords #Uada
Quote of the day, 16 March: St. Teresa of the Andes
The Carmelite must ascend the Tabor of Carmel and be clothed with the garments of penance that will make her more like Jesus. And, as He, she wants to be transformed, to be transfigured in order to be converted into God.
The Carmelite must ascend Calvary. There she will immolate herself for souls. Love crucifies her; she dies to herself and to the world. She is buried, and her tomb is the Heart of Jesus; and from there she rises, is reborn to a new life and spiritually lives united to the whole world.
Saint Teresa of the Andes
Her Intimate Spiritual Diary, 58
Griffin, M D & Teresa of the Andes, S 2021, God, The Joy of My Life: A Biography of Saint Teresa of the Andes With the Saint’s Spiritual Diary, ICS Publications, Washington DC.
Featured image: The featured image is a detail from a stained glass window depicting the Transfiguration, located in the Church of Saint-Thurien in Plogonnec, Finistère, France. Created in the early 16th century, the window has undergone restorations in 1912 and 1956. Source details retrieved from pop.culture.gouv.fr. Image credit: Musée de Bretagne (Some rights reserved).
💜 Transformation comes through surrender. How is Christ calling you to be transfigured today?
#Calvary #Carmel #HeartOfJesus #immolation #penance #StTeresaOfTheAndes #Tabor #Transfiguration
Vokodlok – The Egregious Being Review
By Kenstrosity
Hailing from Romania and dealing in Transylvanian mythology, Vokodlok began life as a raw black metal band. Their debut, Mass Murder Genesis, represented that genre in all its sonic roughness, featuring guitar tones worthy only of magnetic tape, a bona fide trash can lid snare, and croaking rasps galore. Shortly after that debut dropped, Vokodlok called it quits until reforming in 2018 with a slightly restructured lineup. But that’s not the only thing that’s transformed since their rebirth. What alchemic concoctions lay in store for this latest incarnation of Vokodlok? Only this sponge can tell, as I dive deep into sophomore outing The Egregious Being.
What once was true blue raw black is now but a ghost. 2025 sees Vokodlok exploring a starkly different sound, sharing much more in kind with death and thrash metal, although still dusted in cold soot. In the spirit of this metamorphosis, The Egregious Being hones in on fast-paced, chunky riffs and thrashy rhythms. Vokodlok’s production shifted to reflect this updated style, warming up considerably—certainly enough to defrost the ice draping from those trem-heavy leads of olde and allow the hellish flame of death to bloom anew. Yet, much of this material retains a level of rawness that belies Vokodlok’s shapeshifting instincts, permitting listeners a window into these Romanians’ past selves and highlighting significant character development in not just their sound but also their songwriting.
This character development showcases Vokodlok’s versatility as musicians while still exhibiting a distinct voice that sets them apart from other bands in this space. Strong cuts such as “The Human,” “Death Terror,” “Bestiarium,” and “jagh ‘lw vlpoQ” explore that voice, but also apply tasteful notes of Death, Úlfúð, Eximperitus, Immolation, and Cell to ground listeners on familiar territory. Whether that influence takes the form of a swaggering lean (“jagh ‘lw vlpoQ”), a ripping classic death metal solo (“Death Terror”), riffs that straddle the fence between styles (“The Human”), or a multifaceted songwriting structure forged from the annals of black, death, and thrash metal combined (“Warzone,” “Bestiarium,” “Denizen”), The Egregious Being thrives on adapting touchstones of multiple disciplines in synchronized unity with their own creativity. More melodic cuts like “The Faces Within” further enliven the experience in its light-footed agility through more exuberant musicality, but it’s never so jubilant or expressive as to create distance between that and their darker, moodier pieces (“The Monster,” “Disdain”).
If there was one aspect of Vokodlok’s songwriting that pulls the material down, it’s their penchant for repetition and ungentle transitions. Blunt force constitutes the majority of these songs’ movements between themes, riffs, and verses. Some tracks, like “The Faces Within” and “Death Terror,” smooth these out a bit more and thereby create fluidity without compromising extremity. However, abrupt and, at times, jarring moments create an unpleasant roughness to this ride that never threaten enjoyment, but sometimes immersion (“Denizen”). Of course, this isn’t helped by the odd production, personified by a weird mix of warm, modern, and murky tones. Not altogether disruptive or bothersome, a handful of motifs across the record seem notably simplistic or overly repetitive in relation to others. While this in and of itself doesn’t warrant much concern, considering Vokodlok’s high level of quality across the board, it creates a disconnect from more intricately constructed or richly layered compositions. In those instances where a single track represents both sides of this dichotomy, any such rift between one moment and another poses the greatest threat to my enjoyment (“Disdain”).
Overall, The Egregious Being is a pleasant and quite unexpected surprise. Where I had every reason to anticipate something raw, ragged, and sloppy (on purpose), I instead received something fresh, well-developed, and mature. The Egregious Being may not be a perfect record, but it does illustrate a willingness to evolve and grow into something more unique, more substantial, and altogether more engaging. If this is just the beginning for Vokodlok, then the future is bright!
Rating: Very Good
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Self Release
Websites: vokodlok.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/VokodloK-1429971080417504
Releases Worldwide: March 14th, 2025
#2025 #35 #BlackMetal #Cell #Death #DeathMetal #Eximperitus #Immolation #Mar25 #Review #Reviews #RomanianMetal #SelfRelease #TheEgregiousBeing #ThrashMetal #Úlfúð #Vokodlok
For anyone into the "old school" #deathmetal, no collection would be complete without #Immolation, #Suffocation, and #Mortician, all from New York.
I just listened to Suffocation's most recent album, "Hymns from the Apocrypha." It is phenomenal. This is a great listen and the message emanating from the album is deep. The production is superb and all of the members pushed themselves
to the limit. These legends have been around since the beginning.
Retromorphosis – Psalmus Mortis Review
By Saunders
When Sweden’s Spawn of Possession drew curtains on their distinguished career in 2017, it spelled the end of one of modern tech death’s finest acts. Bands across the globe flooded the scene in the intervening years, saturating the market to varying degrees of success. Emerging like fresh shoots from the earth in which Spawn of Possession were laid to rest, Retromorphosis features the gold plated pedigree of former Spawn of Possession mainstays Dennis Röndum (vocals), Jonas Bryssling (guitars) and Erlend Caspersen (bass), joining forces with another former SoP member and legendary shredder Christian Muenzner (Necrophagist, Obscura, Alkaloid), and classy, octopus-limbed drummer KC Howard (ex-Decrepit Birth, Odious Mortem). Boasting a bulletproof cast of esteemed metal musicians at their disposal, Retromorphosis appear hellbent on adding their own fresh perspective on the knotty tech death formula SoP made their own throughout their influential career. Debut album Psalmus Mortis naturally comes with lofty expectations and a line-up to salivate over.
Right away, it’s difficult to completely separate Retromorphosis from the SoP legacy. Beyond the obviously strong band DNA comes the fact that Retromorphosis share many of the same musical and songwriting traits. That said, it does a disservice to purely pin them as Spawn of Possession 2.0. This new incarnation has some tricks up their collective sleeves, unleashing an intricately constructed storm of cyclonic riffs, technical wizardry, rapid-fire blasts, and complex drum patterns. Similarities aside, Psalmus Mortis contains its own mutated characteristics and is not simply a rehashing of recycled ideas. The songwriting is exciting and inspired. There’s a little more flashy pizzazz in the solo department and more pronounced use of keys and synths adds a touch of epic bombast and sinister atmosphere to otherwise meaty, twisty compositions. However, the technicality does not compromise memorable, song-based writing.
Drenched in killer atmosphere and slow-building tension, opening instrumental “Obscure Exordium” crams loads of free-flowing ideas, orchestral touches, and good old-fashioned blasting into its short timeframe. The segue into the aggressive “Vanished” is smoothly executed, shifting gears from a brooding atmosphere to rugged, speedy attacks and whirlwind tempo shifts that define the track. Best absorbed in its entirety, the eight juggernauts boast dynamic variations, remarkable fluidity, and individual character. Robust, progressive-leaning shifts of “The Tree” navigates maze-like complexities through multiple moving parts, deftly maintaining fluency and memorability. Complex, thrashy, and aggressively riffy monster jams “Aunt Christie’s Will” and “Retromorphosis” represent ripping examples of the album’s strengths, exhibited through warped harmonies, lightspeed tempos, headbangable grooves, and grippingly infectious dual axework. “Machine” plunders and steamrolls through nine minutes of chugging riffage, brooding atmospheres, whip-smart tempo shifts, and proggy transitions, making every moment count. Only a couple of tracks fall marginally short of the overall pristine standards, though it’s a consistently gripping front-to-back listen.
Whereas some tech death bands fall victim to overindulgence, resulting in the deathly elements becoming afterthoughts, Retromorphosis avoid this pitfall. Thunderous kicks, machine gunning blasts, Röndum’s impactful growls, and the malevolent, sick old school grooves erupting from the labyrinthine arrangements offer resoundingly beefy, aggressive oomph to proceedings. Freakishly skilled talents abound, the musicianship is next-level awesome. Bryssling and Muenzner are a formidable force in the tech realms, delivering a masterclass of staggering technical mindfuckery, bamboozling solos, and an array of striking harmonies, otherworldly melodies, and intricate, catchy tech death riffs. The underrated vox and spitfire growls of Röndum (ex-Visceral Bleeding) lend the album a brutal, old-school edge, while Howard and Caspersen refuse to be overshadowed. The former’s blisteringly intense performance is perfectly matched to the complexity and dynamics of the material. Casperson makes his presence felt at key moments, offering a notable melodic counterpoint and presence. The sharp, punchy sound is polished but contains ample warmth and heft, the breathable master a big plus.
Featuring the bulk of the Incurso line-up, Psalmus Mortis is something of a spiritual successor, albeit a sleeker, polished counterpart. While it can’t quite match that modern classic, it’s an immense, dizzying tech-death debut of serious fucking proportions and exemplary musical chops. Retromorphosis more than live up to the dreaded supergroup tag. carrying on and reimagining the legacy of the legendary band in which they spawned. Retromorphosis raise the bar and put the tech death scene on notice in 2025. It’s an exciting prospect to see how Retromorphosis develops and evolves from here. All that’s missing is a Chalky guest spot.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Season of Mist
Websites: retromorphosisofficial.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/retromorphosis.swe
Releases Worldwide: February 21st, 2025
Maddog
The 2012 release of Spawn of Possession’s Incurso is Sharpied into my memory. At the time, I had devoured Cabinet and dabbled in Noctambulant but was no expert. Then, a now-defunct review on Heavy Blog is Heavy awarded Incurso a perfect score, arguing that it was the greatest tech-death album ever. Flabbergasted, I gave Incurso a listen. Spawn of Possession’s swansong ratcheted up the band’s technicality while trimming the band’s “Jonas” count from three to one. New guitarist Christian Muenzner (ex-Necrophagist, ex-Obscura, every other band) decorated the album with gorgeous leads. Meanwhile, Erlend Caspersen’s hyperactive bass lines balanced wizardry with finesse followed up with the coolest bass playthrough ever (“The Evangelist”). I grew to adore Spawn of Possession, and their subsequent fizzle-out was heartbreaking. Retromorphosis’ recent inception was equally thrilling. Retromorphosis’ debut Psalmus Mortis aims to resurrect SoP’s legacy and boasts four of the five members of the Incurso line-up. My expectations started out sky-high.
BOOM, BANG boom, weedle-weedle skree, BOOM, BANG boom, weedle-weedle-weedle weedle-DOO, BOOM, WEE-bang-DLE-doo—yes, they’re back. Spawn of Possession’s signature sprawls across Psalmus Mortis, and the universe is better off for it. Guitarists Jonas Bryssling and Christian Muenzner offer neither a Viraemian noodle fest nor a monotony of has-been death metal. Rather, their hybrid approach is at once acrobatic, shamelessly melodic, and more riff-centric than Incurso. Retromorphosis’ neoclassical melodies flail and interweave, evoking Necrophagist while wielding both heft and beauty. On the other hand, Psalmus Mortis’ chunky riffs flirt with old-school death metal and even death-doom (“Obscure Exordium,” “Vanished”). Similarly, new drummer KC Howard (Odious Mortem, ex-Decrepit Birth) bludgeons his kit with both class and frenzy, guiding the music through bewildering rhythms. Dennis Röndum’s vocals take a manic Archspiresque approach without sacrificing clarity. Like Spawn of Possession, Retromorphosis uses backing synths and foreboding guitar melodies to set the scene. Landing between Noctambulant and Incurso, Psalmus Mortis’ style feels familiar but fresh.
When Psalmus Mortis delivers, it’s a thrill. The album grabs the listener with both its technical gymnastics and its MMA maneuvers. The closer “Exalted Splendour” showcases trapezing Obscura-style leads that balance grandeur and fun, while “Vanished” remains headbangable even through its spastic rhythm changes. Even when Psalmus Mortis resorts to unrestrained noodling, it uses its melodic backbone to avoid getting soggy (“Retromorphosis”). Conversely, the straightforward six-note tremolo riff that underpins “Aunt Christie’s Will” is the record’s most memorable snippet, while the midsection of “Retromorphosis” is tinged with Immolation’s Unholy Cult. Still, Psalmus Mortis’ 42 minutes aren’t consistently engaging. This is partly because of bloat, like the sleepy first half of the nine-minute “Machine.” It’s partly because of a frustratingly muted bass presence from the phenomenal Caspersen. And it’s partly just because certain riffs lack power (“Never to Awake”). Psalmus Mortis is a strong outing, but it sometimes feels more like a purely intellectual exercise than an exciting ride.
However, Incurso’s narrative quality remains Psalmus Mortis’ greatest asset. Psalmus Mortis feels like a collection of Poe stories. Retromorphosis’ smooth but dogged plot development defines “The Tree,” a tale of environmental neglect where the protagonist’s escalating missteps are accompanied by escalating musical urgency. Throughout the record, guitar melodies summon suffocating atmospheres, wrenching the mood from awe to terror and back again. Plot twists and masterful storytelling culminate in colossal climaxes, like the dramatic melody that accompanies the narrator’s revelation in “Retromorphosis.” Even as they evolve, Psalmus Mortis’ songs stay tethered to recognizable themes, like the main melody and lyrical refrain that anchor “Aunt Christie’s Will.” Psalmus Mortis’ narrative flow stands unmatched by any genre-mates other than Gorod and Spawn of Possession themselves.
Psalmus Mortis isn’t a modern classic, but it’s better than we deserve. Spawn of Possession’s take on death metal has proven to be both immortal and peerless. Retromorphosis’ debut offers an unforeseen glimpse at a style that had seemingly faded into the realm of archaeology. Dips in quality and underuse of Caspersen’s bass prowess hold it back from excellence. But Psalmus Mortis’ blend of XXXXL death metal riffs, dizzying rhythms, and blistering technicality is highly combustible. Most of all, the record’s approach to storytelling stands apart. The last decade taught me that while Spawn of Possession hits hard at first, it improves with age. Come 2030, I may regret underrating this album.
Rating: Very Good
#2025 #35 #40 #Alkaloid #Archspire #DeathMetal #DecrepitBirth #Feb25 #Gorod #Immolation #Necrophagist #Obscura #OdiousMortem #PsalmusMortis #Retromorphosis #Review #Reviews #SeasonOfMist #SeasonOfMistRecords #SpawnOfPossession #SwedishMetal #TechnicalDeathMetal #Viraemia #VisceralBleeding
I’m always bemused by these anti-Christian, death metal growlers who purport to give God the Emperor-has-no-clothes treatment, yet never fail to overlook God’s greatness weakness; namely, that He/She/It is every bit as fictional as the Emperor and just about as imaginary as the latter’s clothes.
#HigherCoward #Immolation #Metal #Song #Lyrics #Review
https://songreading.wordpress.com/2025/02/08/higher-coward/
https://www.wacoca.com/games/1037165/ INSANE MAXED GLORIOUS TIGER M4! BEST NEW GUN LAB! PUBG MOBILE #BestPubgMobilePlayer #BestPubgMobileSniper #bgmi #Celestial #FreeGames #FunnyMoments #gameplay #glorious #GunLab #highlights #immolation #IPadPro #legendary #lucky #MAX #maxed #maxing #MOBILE #MobileGames #moment #montage #mythic #pubg #PubgMobile #PubgMobilePro #pubgm #roaring #spin #UC #Ultimate #Untamed #Update #winsanity #wynnsanity #スマホゲームアプリ #無料のスマホゲームアプリ
Is it just me or is Close to a World Below the greatest Death Metal album of all time?
Easily my all time favourite.
#immolation
#deathmetal #nowplaying
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Gig Review: Cannibal Corpse / Municipal Waste / Immolation / Schizophrenia – Barrowlands, Glasgow (26th September 2024)
It's hard to believe it's been eleven years since I last saw Cannibal Corpse live, at least a full set (they played Bloodstock in
#GigReviews #CannibalCorpse #Immolation #MunicipalWaste #Schizophrenia
Want to see what happens when you throw a plush toy at #georgefisher during a #cannibalcorpse gig? Then check out this playlist, also featuring #MunicipalWaste #immolation and #schizophrenia #corpsegrinder #respecttheneck #aceventura https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LItIzasBgNI&list=PLmn2ED1LqEvAhK5bPf66uhIomk_GyFGFx
What a great evening for lovers of quality #thrashmetal and #deathmetal at #doornroosjenijmegen Family favorites #cannibalcorpse methodically bludgeoned a packed house in style, helped with #MunicipalWaste as well as the always reliable New Yorkers of #immolation and finally #schizophrenia This is going to be one we will remember for a long time. #respecttheneck #aceventura
#TheMetalDogArticleList #MetalInjection Into Everlasting Fire: The Official History Of IMMOLATION Is Coming This Fall metalinjection.net/news/into-ev... #Immolation #IntoEverlastingFire #DecibelBooks
#TheMetalDogArticleList
#MetalInjection
Into Everlasting Fire: The Official History Of IMMOLATION Is Coming This Fall
Nile – The Underworld Awaits Us All Review
By Saunders
South Carolina stalwarts Nile long ago established an everlasting legacy in the death metal realms. Following an impressive, innovative debut, Nile cranked out several undisputed modern classics in Black Seeds of Vengeance (2000), In Their Darkened Shrines (2002) and Annihilation of the Wicked (2005). Unlike some of their ageless peers, such as Immolation, Autopsy and Incantation, Nile’s later era has succumbed in part to the Law of Diminishing Returns. After 2009’s devastating Those Whom the Gods Detest, later releases have struggled to match the awe-inspiring legacy of Nile’s peak years. Their unwavering dedication to ancient Egyptian culture and storytelling, deft, pummeling mix of technical, brutally pummeling and atmospheric death has remained steadfast. And while never coming close to dropping a Illud Divinum Insanus quality turd, the allure of a new Nile album is not what it used to be. Nevertheless, my long-held respect has me optimistic for a more positive turn of fortunes.
Despite losing key member Dallas Toler-Wade, 2019’s Vile Nilotic Rites offered solid returns. Now tenth album The Underworld Awaits Us All arrives spearheaded by mastermind Karl Sanders and long-serving drummer George Kollias. Guitarist/vocalist Brian Kingsland and newcomers Dan Vadim Von (bass, vocals) and Zach Jeter (guitars, vocals) round out the line-up. The Underworld Awaits Us All carries the battered baton in tried-and-true fashion, showing no signs of radical reinvention, nor skimping on head-spinning technicality, ferocious speed and uncompromising brutality. It’s cool to hear Nile sounding so vital, even if the album fails to touch their early career classics. “Stelae of Vultures” wastes little time unleashing a relentless firestorm of trademark, skin-flaying Nile riffage, precision, chaotic percussion, and a refreshingly potent example of their multi-pronged vocal attack. The song’s interesting structural shifts, standout riffs and generous dosage of swaggering groove carries a mix of heft, ferocity and memorability.
The Underworld Awaits Us All packs intensity and solid songwriting into a taut blast of streamlined, trusty old school death. Make no mistake, this is modern Nile, so listeners expecting a return to the more chaotic, oppressive edge, supreme writing and immersive Egyptian atmospheres of past glories may be disappointed. Outrageously titled single “Chapter for Not Being Hung Upside Down on a Stake in the Underworld Made to Eat Feces by the Four Apes” blasts and hurtles ahead at maximum speed, leveraging its unforgiving attack with sleek blackened melodeath throwbacks and dicing riffs. Nile set a strong early standard as the concise, cutthroat “To Strike with Secret Fang” convincingly attests. Vocally, this is Nile’s strongest album in a long while, the varied assault more consistent and guttural. The sporadic and likely divisive usage of cleaner vocal sections and chants adds a melodic and bombastic edge to the material. Mostly they work well, embellishing otherwise savage yet memorable cuts as “Naqada II Enter the Golden Age” and “Overlords of the Black Earth,” without being a crutch. “Under the Curse of the One God” demonstrates Nile can still blast with the best of them, while ambitious highlight “The Gods of the Desert” explores moodier terrain, whipped into a hefty slab of death-doom laced goodness.
Nimble-limbed Kollias is a class drummer of the highest order, forming a blazing, technical percussive backbone, fluidly complementing the album’s smooth dynamics and hugely impactful groove sections erupting throughout the album. The triple threat axe attack supplies a meaty, catchy batch of riffs, scorched leads, and Middle Eastern motifs, the dense, lightning-fast, technical tornado given breathing room through dark melodicism and trademark atmospheric touches weaved into the predominantly frantic attack. For all the album’s solid qualities, some artful trimming would tighten the slightly bloated runtime, while the cleaner modern sound lacks some of the menacing charm and heft of their old school material.
Quibbles aside, the writing sticks the landing more often than not and The Underworld Awaits Us All mostly hits harder than recent Nile offerings. Though it cannot match the supreme powers of their earlier albums, it’s a fresh and encouraging follow-up to the progress on Vile Nilotic Rites, clearly showing Nile are not content to rest on their laurels as they enter the twilight years of a long career. Sanders’ passion and craftmanship steers the Nile machine into more accessible, bombastic waters, while offering a lean, mean streamlined update of their signature sound. In the end, some bloat and overt cleanliness fails to detract from the most fun I’ve had with a modern Nile release in a long time.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: N/A | Format Reviewed: Stream
Label: Napalm Records
Websites: nile.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/nilecatacombs
Releases Worldwide: August 23rd, 2024
#2024 #AmericanMetal #Aug24 #Autopsy #DeathMetal #Immolation #Incantation #NapalmDeath #Nile #Review #Reviews #TechnicalDeathMetal #TheUnderworldAwaitsUsAll
Man, I love Immolation so much. Fucking legends.
Almost up to my favourite Immolation and easily my most listened to Death Metal album, Close to a World Below.
#nowplaying #immolation #deathmetal
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