Revel in Flesh - Death Kult Legions

Artist: Revel in Flesh
Release Title: Death Kult Legions
Year: 2014
Label: Cyclone Empire
Genre: Swedish Death Metal
Tracklisting:
1. In the Name of the Flesh
2. When Glory Turns to Ruin
3. Black Oath Impurity
4. Graveyard Procession
5. Death Kult Legions
6. Frozen Majesty
7. Hurt Locker
8. Cryptcrawler
9. As Souls Descend
10. Levitation
11. Necropolis (Manilla Road cover)

Continuing to honor their heroes, German death metallers Revel in Flesh have stayed remarkably consistent as they dwell in the realms of the Swedish scene for which they pay homage not only in their sound but from their namesake being a classic Grave track. Now almost two years of in-depth songwriting and production process has brought forth their third full-length effort released December 5, 2014 on new label Cyclone Empire.

There’s little overall surprise here, this one is straightforward and unyielding Swedish-styled death metal which goes for the traditional elements featured here quite frequently. This one goes for that typical swirling-style buzzsaw riffing patterns that were born in the early-90s Stockholm scene and manage to feature the same energy and infectious bursts of aggression that are featured prominently throughout here that give this one a touch of the strong melodies woven nicely into the main rhythms. While these are quite impressive, there’s a more prominent mid-tempo aspect here that simply features those elements played more with a chugging mid-tempo rhythm pattern that makes this one far more prevalent in keeping the effort plodding along rather than dropping it in favor of the blistering speed. Though it still conjures up the effortlessly melodic rhythms and epic arrangements that have always been featured here with this one sounding quite massive, the fact that there are just too many of the same plodding tempos does way this one down somewhat as there’s just not as much of a change within the album to really generate much more beyond the obvious enthusiasm playing this kind of material. Also, due to the overt and obvious influence taken here from the very beginning, this one isn’t all that original and doesn’t really go for the most creative riffing patterns or stylish arrangements here as it tends to be way too similar-sounding to numerous other old-school death metal bands that actually come from Sweden which has that same general approach and attack as shown here, and it can lose it’s identity quite easily. Otherwise, this one is still a somewhat solid and enjoyable effort.

Though it really does seem like numerous other efforts in this very scene which can cause this to become quite voiceless at times, there’s a palpable sense of enthusiasm playing these same rhythms throughout here that makes this one a solid choice for any Swedeath or old-school death metal aficionados, though those looking for more original bands should heed caution.

Score: 81/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
http://cycloneempire.bandcamp.com/album/death-kult-legions

Angelus Apatrida - Hidden Evolution

Artist: Angelus Apatrida
Release Title: Hidden Evolution
Year: 2015
Label: Century Media Records
Genre: Retro Thrash Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Immortal
2. First World of Terror
3. Architects
4. Tug of War
5. Serpents on Parade
6. Wanderers Forever
7. End Man
8. Speed of Light
9. I Owe You Nothing
10. Hidden Evolution

Having broken through the international market, Spanish thrashers Angelus Apatrida have gathered a formidable live reputation on the back of countless touring in their home state and abroad which has honed their razor-sharp thrash to a fine whole. After a three-year gap between releases, the consistent and long-running group prepares its fifth full-length release January 15, 2015 on Century Media Records.

As has been the case for their previous albums, this here is a ripping and furious blast of revival thrash that brings about a rather enjoyable attack throughout here. The fact that this is based on frantic swirling thrash patterns filled with plenty of furious rhythms and a strong adherence to the arrangements of the old-school scene that readily makes for a rather explosive effort here ranging from the blistering full-throttle tempos to the more relaxed and laid-back tempos. This approach is greatly enhanced by the band’s penchant for strong melodic leads woven throughout the main riff-work as well as the dexterous soloing and gives this a rather dynamic balance to counter the strong crunch of their traditional thrashing at the forefront of the bands’ attack. Given that the ravenous thrashing here makes up the majority of the album, those varied approaches are at the forefront of the album’s relentless and intense charge that gets featured strongly here at times, and that makes the melodic interjections all the more impressive and dynamic. Still, it’s the bands’ fiery charge here that makes the most impact even with these melodies sprinkled throughout here, and work incredibly well in giving this a wholly vicious and ravenous attack that gives this one so much to really like. That said, there is a lot to really like here with the album being a bit bloated with tracks a bit too long for their own good, especially in the second half with several epics that could’ve been trimmed down some and not really lost a lot of their impact at all. This, though, is really all that bothers it.

Despite having some minor issues here at keeping the rhythms as confined as they could be, this is still a ripping and thoroughly enjoyable surge of modern revival thrash that manages to work more often than not and makes for a rather appealing effort for those who satiate over the revival scene or simply thrash in general.

Score: 91/100

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http://www.cmdistro.com/item/35598

Death Angel - The Evil Divide

Artist: Death Angel
Release Title: The Evil Divide
Year: 2016
Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Genre: Old-School Thrash Metal
Tracklisting:
1. The Moth
2. Cause for Alarm
3. Lost
4. Father of Lies
5. Hell to Pay
6. It Can't Be This
7. Hatred United/United Hate
8. Breakaway
9. The Electric Cell
10. Let the Pieces Fall

Three decades into their celebrated career, Bay Area thrash legends Death Angel remain as hungry as ever with an uncompromising urgency and unpredictability which has defined the group almost from the start of their illustrious career. With the reunion-era line-up continuing to sound as tight as possible and a maturity found in their years together, the quintet’s eighth full-length album was released May 27, 2016 on Nuclear Blast Records.

With the band firing on all cylinders in regards to their revival phase, there’s a deep, flowing hard-edged old-school attack prevalent on this one that takes their signature sound to great heights. Featuring their signature swirling speed metal patterns in ferocious tempos laying down plenty of hard-charging and dexterous rhythms that showcase plenty of fiery lead riff-work, tight patterns and furious rhythms that carry their frantic energy and relentless surging riff-work that make for a wholly impressive series of up-tempo work. Alongside these thrashers are efforts which drop that intensity for a more majestic, mid-tempo sprawling series of rhythms that go for a more atmospheric, melodic mood with a plodding energy and more pronounced melodic vocals than their more furious work, offering a strong and wholly dynamic variety that’s immensely appealing here. That charging, dynamic atmosphere here creates a truly ripping old-school feel as well with its multi-faceted tracks that range from the melodic epic intro that turns into the ripping thrasher to the melodic and straightforward mid-tempo breather which carries a strong old-school feel throughout here. This is certainly a case where the band is comfortable with this approach as there’s plenty of familiar moments within this one that brings to mind their past works with this approach, but for the most part it’s more of the same enjoyable elements that have always been part of their attack which makes this such a fun album.

Despite a big reliance on continuing to offer up more of the same here that doesn’t really bring along much variety or innovation, it’s a rather moot point on the album as there’s just such a vibrant, energetic old-school feel to this one throughout here that it’s one of the top albums of the year in the genre and is of extreme interest to old-school thrashers or thrash fanatics in general.

Score: 96/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:

http://www.nuclearblast.de/en/label/music/band/discography/details/4257294.71004.the-evil-divide.html

Malevolent Creation - Dead Man's Path

Artist: Malevolent Creation
Release Title: Dead Man's Path
Year: 2015
Label: Century Media Records
Genre: Old-School Death Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Dead Man's Path
2. Soul Razer
3. Imperium (Kill Force Rising)
4. Corporate Weaponry
5. Blood of the Fallen
6. Resistance Is Victory
7. 12th Prophecy
8. Extinction Personified
9. Fragmental Sanity
10. Face Your Fear

With a legacy back to the genre’s inception, Floridian death metal legends Malevolent Creation have endured harder and longer than most with one of the strongest collection of albums in the scene that truly continues on here. Graced with returning drummer Justin DiPinto and a charged focus in the five-year gap between releases, the groups’ celebrated twelfth full-length album is released October 2, 2015 on new label Century Media.

As is to be expected here, this one is a crushingly heavy and dynamic old-school style death metal album straight from the swamps of Florida, giving this a mostly stereotypical sound and approach. The album has the rabid, fervent near-thrash riffing that manages to evoke plenty of technically-proficient rhythms and ferocious charging patterns that are given plenty of room to breathe within the tight patterns. This old-school approach is quite prominent as the band dives through rabid thrash rhythms at frantic tempos, and is merged with a tight backbone of sprawling tempos to offset the aggression with deep, churning riff-work and relentless drumming. This is the essential part of the band’s core sound where it's a strong overall mixture between the rabid thrashing with some crushingly heavy yet slowed down rhythms that give their riffing plenty of room to breathe and yet still remain a vital part of their charge as it all wraps itself within that identifiable tone in the music featuring the agonized swampy patterns of the genre’s creators. With such a strong, even mixture between these styles and generating quite an enjoyable attack by alternating these tempos so well in the running order that the album tends to swarm through its paces with seeming ease, it’s quite an effective blast that offers up very little to dislike overall here except in one minor area that continually showcases itself in the music. This one is so strongly and effectively evocative of their sound that it’s really hard to tell the tracks apart at times as they loose themselves within that familiar blur of swampy riffing and technical thrashing that’s been a part of their work from the beginning, and it can cause this to drop off at times. Still, it barely registers at all and doesn’t impact it much.

By getting this overall stylistic and fervent approach to the forefront in yet another utterly strong and dominating release, there’s so little to dislike here which mainly comes from being too similar to their past works that it still remains a top choice for any fervent fan of their past catalog, old-school death aficionados or those looking for more of the same from these legends.

Score: 96/100

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http://www.cmdistro.com/item/36958

Abysmal Dawn - Obsolescence

Artist: Abysmal Dawn
Release Title: Obsolescence
Year: 2014
Label: Relapse Records
Genre: Death Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Human Obsolescence
2. Perfecting Slavery
3. Inanimate
4. Devouring the Essence of God
5. One Percent Incomplete
6. Loathed in Life/Praised in Death
7. By My Demons
8. Laborem Morte Liberat Te
9. The Inevitable Return to Darkness
10. Night's Blood (Dissection cover)

Growing stronger with every release, California death metal machine Abysmal Dawn has quickly become one of the more prominent names in the modern death metal scene with their stunning mixture of old-school rhythms with more modern technicality. Being the only release by the band as a four-piece with second guitarist Andy Nelson leaving the group afterwards as well as drummer Scott Fuller decamping as well, the group’s fourth full-length effort was released October 24, 2014 on Relapse Records.

As with the majority of the modern death metal groups, the focus here is mainly on the album’s unrelenting riff-work being present first and foremost. This one really tends to go for the deep churning riff-work and charging groove rhythms commonplace in the modern scene, all given a fine technical bent that makes the tracks seem far more devastating with dexterous drumming and swirling grinding patterns cropping into the riff-work as well. This makes for a solid intensity to the album that meshes quite nicely with the other sections here where the focus is on the more old-school rhythms as the charge shifts through simplistic mid-tempo tones with sweeping riffs, dynamic drumming and blazing melodic breaks that leave this one with plenty of variety and dynamic shifts between the tracks where it goes nicely between the frantic technicality elsewhere. This does start to wear thin here as the album does come off with more of a sense of familiarity as it goes along here with this one tending to feel rather much like most other bands of the style tend to do as it goes for the kind of familiar burst of grinding brutality and technicality before switching over into a more melodic passage and really makes this struggle to retain the attention as it goes along into the second half as you’ve already heard the bands’ tricks by that point. There’s very little variety with this one that really sticks out here as it’s without fail an either/or style release, and that makes for a finely performed if overall-bland offering. Still, it’s good at what it does which makes it somewhat listenable if not a stand-out effort.

Though there’s plenty of moments where this one comes off as more one-note than it really should as the lack of real variety does wear thin here, this is still a decent enough effort when it really gets going that there’s a lot to like here for most fans of modern death metal to really enjoy and get the most out of this one.

Score: 78/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
https://abysmaldawn.bandcamp.com/

Bodyfarm - Battle Breed

Artist: Bodyfarm
Release Title: Battle Breed
Year: 2015
Label: Cyclone Empire
Genre: Retro Death Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Hell March (Intro)
2. The Dark Age
3. Saxon Victory
4. Dawn of Defeat
5. The Last Crusade
6. Prince of Wallachia
7. Storming Revolution
8. Firing Squad
9. Wolfpack
10. Death by Fire
11. Slaves of War

Gaining in experience and confidence with each release, Netherlands-based death metallers Bodyfarm are quickly rising up the ranks in terms of the old-school revivalist scene as they continue to grow and dominate with each new release. With a minor lineup shuffle that sees Alex Seegers settle into the bassist role after several other musicians rotated in-and-out of the role, the group’s third release was released November 6, 2015 on Cyclone Empire.

Like most of their brethren from the Dutch scene, this here is mostly classic-sounding US death metal with a touch of European style rhythms, as there’s the bands’ penchant for staying firmly in the mid-tempo realm while offering plenty of tortured, agonized riffing. Despite the tortured riff-work, this still manages to offer up the classic frantic thrash-style rhythms in their riff-patterns that offer up a dynamic gallop that’s quite impactful, generating the kind of generous tempo changes and variations here with the album split nicely between these mid-tempo patterns and the faster more frantic variations. Though it tends to really stay within these two styles as the dominant forces on the album, it’s quite enjoyable enough here while gloriously aping the old-school scene with the tight, swirling tremolo and chugging riffing patterns on display that take the classic American sound to it’s fullest while the melodic sensibilities added here to slow the music to a nice pummeling sprawl and let the rhythms breathe is a dynamic, imposing feat here. It’s overall style and approach here for this is given quite a healthy march through the old-school patterns, and is made all the better by the fact that it’s not a one-trick album where it’s top tracks are up-front and the filler presented in the back-half as there’s a strong amount of quality throughout here with raging tracks spread throughout here and furthers the appeal of this one immensely. Naturally, with that amount of old-school influence here comes the album’s one main downfall in it’s rather obvious and overt aping of the classic death metal sound that really isn’t all that new or offers up much else different from dozens of different bands out there beyond the bands’ obvious talent at portraying this style which goes a very long way towards giving this one it’s high marks. While that doesn’t hurt it all that much, it’s lack of real difference in exploring much else here is all that really harms it as the rest of the material is that enjoyable.

Though the lack of really doing much new innovation with their chosen genre being the one lone downfall on the album with plenty of other more impactful and enjoyable positives, there’s plenty to like here and this ends up a worthwhile pick for revivalist death metal fanatics and a solid choice for old-school aficionados that can appreciate what the new-school bring to the table.

Score: 93/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
http://www.bodyfarm.bigcartel.com/

Destroying Divinity - Hollow Dominion

Artist: Destroying Divinity
Release Title: Hollow Dominion
Year: 2014
Label: Lavadome Productions
Genre: Retro Death Metal
Tracklisting:
1. The Eternity Guardians
2. Burning Divine Domination
3. Scent of Death
4. Empire of Emptiness
5. Suffering Redemption
6. Defleshed Skeleton
7. Sinful Omens
8. Inner Slavery

Undoubtedly at the top of their game, Czech death metallers Destroying Divinity has cemented their stance at the top of the revivalist death metal movement years ago, and have now slain all in their wake with yet another demolishing effort. With only a four-year gap between releases to keep the creativity flowing, this crushing and devastating fourth full-length effort was released September 30, 2014 on Lavadome Productions.

Following up their devastating last release, this one manages to carry on a lot of the same formulas that made that release so special and devastating by featuring the kind of technically challenging and complex riff-work within a framework that adds a degree of atmospherics into the proceedings. There’s plenty of ravenous thrashing mixed with technically-charged rhythms that all compliment the type of fiery patterns favored by the group, where it features a wide assortment of riffing to feature that amount of ferocious work here. While this here manages to give this a quite dominant display, there’s also hints of melody featured that carries a rather impressive buffer between these charging rhythms as the band’s ability to charge forward at blistering fashions yet also manage to accompany a slight deviation or variance that actually works quite nicely in support of the more dominant challenging riff-work and blasting drum-work. That carries itself across the album to such an extent that its dynamics allow it to feature enough here which combines that amount of old-school flavor with a more modernized approach to really gel so well here that its appeal is spread out even further by being able to allow for all these different elements into an equally coherent and devastating whole. While it might be a little same-sounding as it goes along, there’s little about this one to dislike.

There’s so much to really get behind with this one that it really furthers and cements their status at the top of the pyramid here when it comes to the revivalist death metal scene that the few minute flaws are so unimportant in the grand scheme of things that this deserves as much appeal as possible with all many of death metal fans required to check this one out.

Score: 96/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
https://destroyingdivinity.bandcamp.com/

Abhorrent Deformity - Entity of Malevolence

Artist: Abhorrent Deformity
Release Title: Entity of Malevolence
Year: 2015
Label: Comatose Music
Genre; Brutal Death Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Crown of Worms
2. Manifested Filth
3. Skeleton Carver
4. Buried Beneath Human Remains
5. Stench of the Decomposed
6. Boundless Suffering
7. Entity of Malevolence
8. Enshrined in Putrid Decay
9. Baptized in Embalming Fluid
10. Casket Maker

Founded in 2013, North Carolina brutal death metallers Abhorrent Deformity have quickly taken the scene by storm with an impressive onslaught of shows and rehearsals that turned out their first demo in less than a year of existence. Now finally ready to unleash their full-length debut, the effort is released October 30, 2015 on Comatose Music.

Taking their cues from the modern brutal death metal scene, the group decides to take on the usual series of utterly pummeling patterns and tight, frenzied riff-work for their attack. This allows for a series of blast-heavy rhythms and sludgy, dirty riff-work that range between those lightning-fast raging riffing to the more sprawling, stuttering paces that really round out the kind of scattered, frantic rhythms that are simply devastating in their approach. Other approaches here, from the series of rather hammering drum-work and simply blinding series of frantic patterns in the riffing that just produces a blur of discordant, sonic noise that really fuels the album’s brutality quite handily. That part of the album, though, really brings about it’s problem areas as this series of frenzied, utterly blistering rhythm patterns and boundless drumming really just doesn’t offer up all that much of a singular approach, taking it on so many varied tangents and highly disjointed arrangements that there’s little about these sections that really speaks to any coherent vision. They’re more content to simply fire away vicious and blistering patterns without little coherent thought behind them, and they come off bland and not all that impressive in the long run. Though it can somewhat be forgiven being a debut effort, there’s still the effect running throughout here.

Though it has some problems in the rather bland and overall directionless march of its brutality-laced rhythms, this is still somewhat less of an issue than expected due to being a debut and without a whole lot of other issues being present it manages to offer up enough that its appeal is strictly more for the less-discriminating brutal death metal savants.

Score: 73/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
http://www.comatosemusic.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=21_22&products_id=5622

Decimation (Turk) - Reign of Ungodly Creation

Artist: Decimation (Turk)
Release Title: Reign of Ungodly Creation
Year: 2014
Label: Comatose Music
Genre: Brutal/Technical Death Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Noncelestical Orisons Cataclised in the Passage of Ninib
2. Supreme Wisdom of Blasphemy in Reign of Ungodly Creation
3. Mystic Transformation in Encrypted Scrolls of a Grievous Sermon
4. Aberrant Ablution by Filthy Excrements of a Grotesque Crassamentum
5. Psalm Carnage in the Ghoulish Chapel of Gehenna
6. Ghoulish Requiem for a Macabre Dæmonarch
7. Prophetic Despise Under the Pendulum of a Sacrilegious Throne
8. Devilish Domain Vortex in the Gloom of Wicked Ziggurat
9. Veracity in Relics

Certainly taking their time between releases, Turkish brutal/technical death metal legends Decimation have continued to hone their skills in between releases with the now four-year gap between efforts resulting in a minor lineup shuffle along the way. Pruning vocalist Egemun Seyhan so guitarist/bassist Erkin Öztürk can now take over vocal duties in the power trio, the group’s third full-length is released December 9, 2014 on Comatose Music.

Like the majority of groups in this genre, there’s a strong reliance here on employing a tight, swirling series of riff-work with plenty of utterly frenzied and dynamic rhythms here, which are played at rather frantic speeds to the point of being blistering battering rams. The complexity of the riffing and bludgeoning rhythms featured here is where this generates the technical formation of their material, featuring enough challenging patterns that there’s plenty to enjoy for the sheer whirlwind of their playing ability alone while generating the kind of tightly-wound, blasting segments to offer an onslaught of brutality. That more brutal-accented part of their sound drives the music moreso than their technicality as this one really whips up that kind frenzied charge here as the dominant aspect of the music oftentimes at the expense of the rest of the track which seems to be the album’s main failing here. This is more concerned with hammering out brutal sections of the arrangements that it really doesn’t do much at all with the rest of the music here and turns it all into a blinding blur of squealing guitars and blasting drumming that is exceptionally competent in its approach yet doesn’t generate the kind of enthusiasm for itself that it really needed to stand out in the scene. This one really could’ve been given a little more change-up in the riffing approach here to at times distinguish what the actual rhythm at play here is really attempting as it’s mostly buried under the sea of blindingly-fast technical riff-work. On the whole, though, it’s the only real issue to be had here.

Though the album somewhat struggles with its identity as there’s little on display here beyond the lightning-fast and competently-played material, that in itself might be enough to make this appeal quite heavily to fans of the brutal or technical realms of death metal or fans looking for more music from that area of the world, while others should heed caution with this release.

Score: 78/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
http://www.comatosemusic.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=21_26&products_id=5023

Blood Red Throne - Union of Flesh and Machine

Artist: Blood Red Throne
Release Title: Union of Flesh and Machine
Year: 2016
Label: Candlelight Records
Genre: Old-School Death Metal
Tracklisting:
1. Revocation of Humankind
2. Proselyte Virus
3. Patriotic Hatred
4. Homicidal Ecstasy
5. Martyrized
6. Union of Flesh and Machine
7. Legacy of Greed
8. Exposed Mutation
9. Primal Recoil
10. Leather Rebel (Judas Priest cover)
11. Mary Whispers of Death (re-recorded version)

One of the genre’s leaders, Norwegian death metal machine Blood Red Throne has fine-tuned their attack into as devastating and dynamic a group found in the scene today. Now rejoined by original drummer Freddy Bolsø to the group’s ranks, their vicious eighth full-length effort from the group is released July 25, 2016 on new label Candlelight Records.

Still going strong throughout their career, this effort here quickly shows why they’re at the top of the genre with the way in which this one goes about its attack. The bands’ patented, deep churning riff-work with a strong technical bent are at top-form here, switching expertly from a blasting groove into the mid-tempo crunch patterns and even utterly frenetic paces that just utterly rip through ferocious blasts of swirling patterns offering plenty of full-speed tempos to the proceedings. Each of these sections, from the groove-filled chug to the tight, technical crunchy patterns manage to work out a balance and variance to the album that’s quite distinctive where it’s able to tap into the violent intensity that’s been a trademark of their core sound while also easing up enough so that the impact is still forceful while remaining a heavy, churning beast of an album. Even more impressive is the fact that these varying rhythms and arrangements still manage to capture their trademark biting professionalism, as there’s a dynamism to the tracks being able to switch expertly to these styles while managing to contain enough of a technical undercurrent to appeal to the old-school crowd while whipping up the more ferocious and thumping intensity found in the more modern school of sound as the heavy, deep-seated thumping in the album is quite infectious and really works out very well here. The album does have one minor nit-pick of a flaw here in that the mid-section of the album tends to run through some pretty repetitious patterns and seems to feature some overly-familiar rhythms with the tracks yet that’s all it really is as this was yet another utterly strong effort.

With yet another strong and dynamic display of their patented attack and the most minor of nit-picky style of flaws to be found here that might not even be a flaw to some, there’s so much to really love about this one that it’s quite an impressive release for fans of the bands’ style or old-school death metal fans in general, while most straightforward death metal fans will appreciate it as well.

Score: 96/100

Does it sound good? Order it from here:
https://shop.napalmrecords.com/blood-red-throne-union-of-flesh-and-machine-cd.html