Coffin Rot - Coffin Rot

A solid demo of old school, 90's sounding USDM, there's really not a whole lot to say about this four song release. It's good for what it is, but if you're not already a fan of gory, filth-encrusted death metal, it's not going to convert you. Hopefully the tracks on here will be enough to satiate the eardrums until Coffin Rot gets around to releasing a full length album.

Angerot - The Splendid Iniquity

"Swedish death metal worship" is an understatement, one could easily believe The Splendid Iniquity came from that scene 25 years ago. Alternating between mid-tempo and blistering segments, the tracks are well crafted and manage to keep the listener's attention for the entirety of the album. Between that, the outstanding musicianship, and Angerot's unrelenting heaviness, this record is necessity for every death metal collection.

MDMA - Chemical Obliteration

This is an album that will be divisive among death metal aficionados. MDMA's unorthodox sound is the cause of this diametric opposition; combining technical, but muddied guitars, iterant blast beats, and repugnant, amphibian vocals, Chemical Obliteration will induce either elation or disgust. Time, however, will be the final judge of the release's significance, undoubtedly ranking it as a hallmark of brutality.

Maleficium - Ritual Enslavement

A solid combination of contemporary brutality and old school character, Maleficium have crafted an EP that will appeal to everyone but deathcore cretins. Don't get me wrong, "Ritual Enslavement" is not a death metal pièce de résistance, but it's a solid fucking release that traverses the subgenres. Definitely something to check out.

She Ate A Scorpion - Desecration of Rerecorded Impurities

For having an idiotic name like 'She Ate A Scorpion,' the music isn't as horrible as one might expect. That's not to say the tunes on Desecration of Rerecorded Impurities are great, it's fairly unremarkable brutal death metal, but they aren't total garbage. If you're a huge slam fan, this might be worth checking out. Otherwise, probably not.

Cryptic Enslavement - Perverse Hallucinatory Descent

Attempting to balance brutality and technical ability, Perverse Hallucinatory Descent manages to come up short on both fronts. It feels like Cryptic Enslavement is stretching itself thin; they should focus on either the tech or brutal aspect, because undertaking both leaves them skilled at neither. This, combined with the generic, guttural vocals, gives the album a rather mediocre feel. There's potential here, but it doesn't manifest on this recording.

Dr. Gore - From the Deep of Rotten

From a musical perspective, From the Deep of Rotten is technically proficient and fairly brutal deathgrind, albeit lacking any nuance or innovation. But, the lyrical substance and general ambiance of the album is asinine and juvenile. The grotesque subjects of the tracks are in no way transgressive or shocking, but gory death metal clichés that have received far more innovative treatments from other bands.

Grim Fate - Emerging From The Crypt

Lumbering, putrescent death-doom, Grim Fate have forged an impressive release with Emerging From The Crypt. The four tracks have a sound reminiscent of the Finnish scene from back in the 90's, so here's the Demigod namedrop. The only, minor issue with the album was with the percussion, specifically the hi-hats; they sounded very tinny and mechanized. Other than that one thing, the album fucking crushes.

Insineratehymn - A Moment In A Vision

Naming your band after Decide 's most polarizing album is an interesting choice. Anyhow, Insineratehymn plays old school death metal, of the Swedish and Californian varieties. The album has its moments, but lacks a certain panache. The music is good, but it's not great; there is nothing there to set Insineratehymn apart from the hordes of other decent death metal bands out there. Maybe by the 2nd album their sound will have evolved into something more pronounced.