Grotesque Impalement - Gutted

A combination of the album's substandard sound quality and Grotesque Impalement's pedestrian brand of brutal death metal make Gutted a rather mediocre release. Even genre zealots will be hard pressed to find something redeeming on this EP.

Decayed Existence - Eulogy

Somewhat of a divergence from the normal musical repertoire here, Decayed Existence play mid-tempo death metal with some tech, thrash, and melodic undertones. There are some questionable synths that pop up during the melodic segments, which is probably a deal breaker for some, but otherwise it was fairly solid. If you're nostalgic for that 90's USDM sound from California, Eulogy will be much appreciated.

In Pain - Summoning The Dead

While fans of old school death metal will enjoy Summoning The Dead, it probably won't do anything for those on the fence about the genre. Not that the EP is in anyway subpar or generic sounding, just that it's a good release, but not a great one. In Pain may not be metal virtuosos, but they are adequate at laying down some aggressive, 90's style death metal.

I Am Destruction - Violence Devours

About the only audience Violence Devours will appeal to is slam fanatics. There's some competent percussion and decent vocals on the release, but I Am Destruction's critical issues are weak guitars and uninspired musical composition. It's not terrible, just mundane sounding brutal death metal.  If you're a devotee of the genre, it's worth checking out, otherwise...

Tardus Mortem - Nun Of The Pyre

Plodding, grimy old school death metal, the tracks on Nun Of The Pyre show potential, but also that this is a band still in the process of crafting their own sound and trying to play as a cohesive unit. While this EP is just OK, it was still decent enough to pique an interest in the full length album that Tardus Mortem is currently working on.  

Melting Rot - Irreversible Surgical Failure

Seven tracks of mince goregrind that all clocks in at 11 minutes, Irreversible Surgical Failure is the perfect length EP. Just long enough to give the listener a solid dose of Melting Rot's putrid sound, but short enough to leave them wanting more. With the band offering the EP as a free download from their bandcamp page, there's no excuse not to snag this release.

Cryptic Brood/Minenfeld - Inevitable Death

Boasting that the tunes on here sound like "Autopsy meets Bolt Thrower" sets some unrealistic expectations and unattainable standards. It's a decent split EP of slow-paced, old school death metal, but that's all it is. This good, but not great. Of the two, Minenfeld is the more memorable. It's not that Cryptic Brood sounds bad, rather that their tracks don't amalgamate into anything significant. It just feels like this release could have been something better.

Galvanizer - Sanguine Vigil

Combining late 80's deathgrind and early 90's Scandinavian death metal, Galvanizer have crafted an impressive debut full length with Sanguine Vigil. Throughout the entirety of the 11 tracks on the album there's not a moment where the intensity or brutality dwindles, it's 30 minutes of constant headbanging carnage. As if that wasn't enough, the album's cover art was done by Turkka G. Rantanen, who you'll remember from Demilich‘s album covers.

Macabre Demise - 11

Proficient, but sterile and derivative, the three tracks on this EP leave something to be desired. If Cannibal Corpse had a grindcore band's drum machine, that would be a decent approximation to Macabre Demise's sound. It's heavy and musically adroit, but lacks a certain quintessence. At the very least it's worth a listen; who knows, perhaps you will enjoy it it.

Angel Splitter - Void of Devouring Luminescence

Don't believe the "blackened deathcore" tag that frequently gets attached to Angel Splitter. Yes, there are some noticeable black metal and deathcore undertones, but the essence of this band is savage death metal. Some genre purists might still be turned-off due to the black and core aspects, but it's their loss. Void of Devouring Luminescence is a well balanced serving of brutality, technical expertise, and multifarious influences that is a steal at $2 for this 5 song EP.

Slithering Decay - Demo 2018

Right away you'll notice two things when listening to this demo; the influence of early 90's Swedish death metal and that there are some consummate musicians behind Slithering Decay. This isn't some 2nd rate Dismember or Grave knockoff, but a band that's capable of crafting their own sound while paying homage to the acts that influenced them. For a demo that clocks in at under 15 minutes with just four songs, it left a solid impression. This is definitely a band to keep tabs on for when a full length is released.