Let me start by saying that the latest CD reissue of Amon's cult demos is very well done. Apart from the other releases with these demos, the current DSR version sounds slightly better, thanks to Dan Swanö, who carefully remastered them. The booklet is expanded with all the lyrics, as well as two band photos, the original demo covers (inside), four concert flyers and a cool 2-page article by Jeff Tandy (Imprecation/Trenchant). There are a few minor typos, nothing serious, but these days there is almost no edition without them, so unfortunately this has become the norm. Incidentally, these demos were first released by Roadrunner Records in 1993 under the title "Amon: Feasting the Beast" with the Deicide logo on the cover. That release included the obligatory info on both demos and even had two pretty killer band photos. Okay, back to this reissue. Amon's second demo, "Sacrificial", kicks off the CD. This unholy death metal demo was recorded and mixed by the mighty Scott Burns in December 1989 at Morrisound Recording in Tampa, Florida. It consists of six time-tested death metal classics, notably "Lunatic of God's Creation", "Sacrificial Suicide", "Crucifixation", "Carnage in the Temple of the Damned", "Dead by Dawn" and "Blaspherereion", which were re-recorded shortly after for Deicide's debut album. These songs sound absolutely fantastic and their vibe exudes pure evil energy. Then there's Amon's first demo, "Feasting the Beast", recorded in a garage in August 1987. The tracklist is as follows: "Feasting the Beast (Intro)", "Sacrificial Suicide", "Day of Darkness" and "Oblivious to Nothing". This recording is super raw, but still enjoyable, especially for die-hard fans of the band. It's also worth noting that Darkness Shall Rise Productions honored these demos by releasing them not only on CD, but also in cassette and vinyl formats. So the choice is yours, but act fast because this will sell out pretty quickly!!!

Like all Atrophy fans, I was very happy when the band announced their comeback in 2015. The line-up of the new beginning included three founding members, which was great news and gave even more meaning to the reformation. The band began performing live and the possibility of a third LP was in the air. Then in 2019, bassist James Gulotta suddenly left the band. But they continued to work on new material and released the song "Riptide" on YouTube later that year. When I heard this new song I was completely relieved because the spirit of Atrophy was there. Another bit of bad news came in 2020 when singer Brian Zimmerman left the band after the European tour was cut short due to the pandemic. Then the remaining members, along with drummer Tim Kelly, recruited a new singer and eventually changed their name to Scars of Atrophy. After a few months of inactivity, Brian announced in 2021 that he would be forming another version of the band, still using the original name Atrophy. I was really weirded out by this whole situation, but somehow I still had a lot of faith that Brian would manage to put together a third album worthy of Atrophy. And now, after 34 years of waiting, the successor to "Violent by Nature" has finally arrived. It's called "Asylum" and it has 9 songs in over 44 minutes. In addition to Brian, the following musicians took part in the recording of the new album: Mark Coglan (rhythm guitar), Nathan Montalvo (lead guitar), Josh Gibbs (bass), Jonas Schütz (drums) plus two guest musicians Kragen Lum (lead guitar on "American Dream") and Justin Stear (bass on "Distortion", "American Dream" and "Close My Eyes"). The CD opens with "Punishment for All", which is a really great song, sometimes reminiscent of Atrophy's past style, although overall it's a pretty modern approach to thrash metal, with an Annihilator-like effect in the guitar melodies. "High Anxiety" follows with a full Testament/Xentrix vibe, both musically and vocally. The riffs are quite heavy, as is the sound production, and this move makes Brian's vocals less Atrophy-like, as he is more brutal not only in this tune, but in the whole material. Don't get me wrong, I like it when the music is heavy and brutal, but unfortunately it seems that the special character of Brian's voice, which was maximally present on the previous materials, has disappeared from the "Asylum" repertoire. The third song is called "Seeds of Sorrow". This is another good track that reminds me a bit of the old Atrophy, but again with an absolutely modern feel. That being said, I found the vocal themes to be pretty cool there. This is followed by "Distortion", which reminded me of Sodom's recent style. It's a completely mid-tempo song that focuses more on rhythms and melodies. "Bleeding Out" is the fifth track on the CD. It might sound weird, but in addition to the aforementioned Testament/Sodom influences, this song reminded me a lot of what Scars of Atrophy did on their "Nations Divide" EP (2022). After that comes "American Dream", a very groovy and dynamic cut, again with a totally modern soundscape, but unfortunately missing the stylistic features of Atrophy's past. "Close My Eyes" follows, opening with an atmospheric acoustic guitar intro with Brian's rather unusual clean vocals. After the short acoustic part, the song turns into a heavyweight Testament song with proper vocal parts. Sorry to say it again, but this composition has nothing to do with Atrophy's style. Fortunately, "The Apostle" improves things somewhat, as there are very few Atrophy-like fragments in it. The album closes with "Five Minutes 'til Suicide". Another song that is too modern in style and more typical of what Sodom and Xentrix represent today. In short, no matter how you look at it, feelings about this new Atrophy album are mixed. I mean, if anyone was expecting "Asylum" to be a musical follow-up to the albums "Socialized Hate" (1988) and "Violent by Nature" (1990), then you can forget it right away. On the other hand, the new material is not bad at all, the new musicians are top class, but it has very little to do with Atrophy's legacy. And while the packaging and visuals of the "Asylum" CD booklet turned out to be excellent, the production we've all been waiting far too long for was nowhere near convincing.

Well, the wait is over, the new Brodequin album is here, the fourth in their discography, and it's sure to impress fans of brutal death metal. Since their first demo in 1999, the band has been a trademark of non-stop blasting brutality and has always remained at the forefront of the genre. The new masterpiece is titled "Harbinger of Woe" and features 10 methods of total sonic destruction. Their 32-minute record has the best and most devastating sound quality to date. This material was recorded by Jamie Bailey (bass/vocals), Mike Bailey (guitar) and Brennan Shackelford (drums). The trio performs their kind of bulldozing brutality with the greatest possible precision, while not forgetting to introduce some dark atmosphere here and there, leading the band's musical soundscape to new paths. The best example of this can be heard in the song "Of Pillars and Trees". Brodequin fans know that Jamie appreciates history in general, but he really spends a lot of time researching the so-called Middle Ages, so the new lyrics are mostly steeped in torture and execution techniques from the 500-1500 AD time frame. Accordingly, they reinforce their lyrical world with suitable graphic illustrations, for example José de Brito's painting "A Martyr of Fanaticism" was aptly used on the album cover. This digipak edition comes with an excellent 16-page booklet containing all the lyrics, individual photos of the members and a band photo. The whole packaging design is simply great. If you like brutal death metal at extremely insane speeds, this record will definitely not disappoint!!! Welcome back Brodequin!!!

There have been quite a few box sets and compilations in the past that have attempted to collect Brutality's early demos in one way or another, but this Vic Records release definitely succeeds in my opinion. The title speaks for itself, but I must also admit that they really tried to cram as much as possible into these two CDs. There are a total of 42 songs with a playing time of over 140 minutes. The development of the band can be traced from 1987, when it was still called Abomination, until 1991. Disc 1 contains 3 songs from the famous "Metamorphosis" demo recorded in 1991, its home demo version from the same year and a 14-song live show recorded on 06.11.1990. Disc 2 contains 8 songs from the cult "Dimension Demented" demo from 1990, 3 demo songs recorded between 1988-1989, two versions of the 1988 demo with 4 tracks each, plus 3 songs from the "Abomination" demo from 1987, but without the Onslaught cover. It has a 16-page booklet with extensive liner notes, some lyrics, lots of rare pictures and some concert posters. I personally find this compilation very informative, it was also interesting to hear the band's early thrash metal stuff and their evolution towards the more technical side of death metal. If you're a fan of Brutality, you need to own this compilation of demos, that's for sure!!!

While Brutality fans aren't giving up hope for a new LP, Denmark's Emanzipation Productions released a compilation CD titled "Sempiternity" in May 2022, confirming that a new record could be in the works soon. But while we wait very patiently for the new album, I will analyze the contents of this compilation CD. "Sempiternity" combines 8 songs in over 44 minutes. The first two tracks, "Orchestrated Devastation" and "Fluent in Silence", can be said to be Brutality's latest studio recordings, as these songs were recorded in June 2021. Both songs perfectly reflect Brutality's unadulterated style, but in their case, I think it can be recognized even from the first riffs and growls. These new tracks were recorded by Scott Reigel (vocals), Jay Fernandez (guitar), Jarrett Pritchard (guitar), Jeff Acres (bass/vocals) and Ron Parmer (drums). Then we have two tracks from the "Antecedent Offerings" limited edition 7" EP from 2018. Both tracks are old classics re-recorded. "Crushed" is from the debut album "Screams of Anguish" (1993) and "Artistic Butchery" is from the second album "When the Sky Turns Black" (1994). I love new adaptations of old classics, but honestly I prefer the originals. These tracks have the same line-up, except for Jarrett Pritchard, who didn't play guitar there yet, but was responsible for the production, recording and engineering of these two classics. The second half of the compilation CD features four live tracks recorded at Maryland Deathfest in May 2019. The live songs are "These Walls Shall Be Your Grave", "Cries of the Forsaken", "48 to 52" and "Cryptorium". Three songs from the debut "Screams of Anguish" and one from "Sea of Ignorance" (2016). The live atmosphere is simply fantastic, as is the sound production. It's pretty raw, but I think it's very enjoyable. This compilation CD definitely kicks ass! The 8-page booklet includes the lyrics to all the songs, a killer band photo, all the info you need about these recordings and an awesome cover artwork by Dr. Winter. A must for all Brutality fans and also available on vinyl!!!

This is another compilation CD from Brutality, released by Dutch Vic Records. As you can see, this compilation focuses on the 2003 demo material. This demo consisted of three tracks and was self-released and distributed on CD-R by the band at the time. These songs were "As Darkness Falls", "I Deny" and "Ashes and Snow". This Vic Records release expands to a total of 13 tracks, with a running time of just over 58 minutes. Honestly, the content is a bit boring even for a die-hard Brutality fan, as there are multiple versions of these three songs, including "I Deny" five times, "As Darkness Falls" and "Ashes and Snow" three times. However, if we look at these versions as phases outlining the processes of the songs, we gain an insight into the creative process, from the drum recordings to the final products. The original 2003 demo tracks were recorded with Scott Reigel (vocals), Larry Sapp (guitar/backing vocals), Demian Heftel (guitar), Jeff Acres (bass/backing vocals) and Jim Coker (drums). They sound a bit unpolished, but they reflect the true Brutality vibe, and these songs are definitely a pleasure to listen to. Accordingly, in the 8-page booklet we can see two excellent photos with this line-up. Then we have two unreleased tracks, "Valley of the Kings" and "Gates of Thorn". They were recorded as a trio: Larry Sapp (guitar/vocals/drum programming), Demian Heftel (guitar) and Jeff Acres (bass/backing vocals). A slightly different approach musically, but still great songs overall. Then there are the 8 bonus tracks showing the making and arrangement of the 2003 demo material (drums only versions, instrumental versions and versions with different vocalists). The CD booklet also includes an introduction by RVK (a.k.a. Raine von Kiszka, formerly known as Larry Sapp) and an interview related to this period of Brutality. This compilation comes with a new cover, but also includes the original. A nice addition to any Brutality fan's collection!!!

Cryptic Process, a brutal death metal duo from Valenciennes, France, was formed in 2020 by Dam (vocals) and Ugo (guitars & drum programming), who previously played in Goryptic, Heresy, Trepan'Dead and Unsu. "Human Snack" is their debut album, which represents 9 songs written and performed in the most modern possible way of brutal death metal and deathcore. Musically they do something similar to Cryptopsy, Dying Fetus, Necrophagist, Psycroptic and Spawn of Possession to name a few. Of course, Cryptic Process isn't as original or technical as any of the aforementioned, but overall they still have quite a complex repertoire. The more than 33-minute material sounds solid and balanced. Their music mixes so many things that it is almost certain that fans of modern deathcore and brutal death metal will easily find their favorite tunes or parts. It's got it all, like ultra-massive grooves, bulldozer-like slam sections, furious sweeps, hyper-fast drums, insane growls, hysterical screams, pig snorts and more. The programmed drums sound very good, but sometimes the panorama is not optimal, or simply the volume of the samples is a little louder than it should be. I know it would be pretty hard to find a human drummer to play these parts, but I do hope they find someone to play their stuff live, because this kind of music needs to be presented live. The self-released 6-panel digipak CD wasn't overdone in terms of design and layout, but it still looks killer. You can order the CD directly from the band or their partners in crime, Crypt of Dr. Gore and Drowning in Chaos Records.

Deer Creek formed in Colorado in 2002, and after a demo, a single, 2 EPs and several split releases, they've finally unleashed their debut full-length album "Menticide" in 2022. The album's 6 lengthy tracks were recorded by Paul Vismara (guitar & lead vocals), Conan Hultgren (guitar & vocals), Stephanie Hopper (bass) and Marc Brooks (drums). The quartet's music is sludge metal. Their kind of musical fusion is very atmospheric, not one where the guitars, bass and vocals are too extreme or too distorted, but the kind that relaxes the mind and brings back the 70's vibe. I especially found the clean vocals very meditative and calm. The entire sound production radiates the sounds of the past and of course presents them very organically in the more than 39 minutes of "Menticide". Most of the time, their approach is about looping riffs to put the listener in a trance. By the way, their music is so relaxing that you can listen to it for hours. There are 5 own compositions on the CD, of which I liked "A Dark, Heartless Machine" the best. The album's sixth track is called "The Working Man Is a Dead Pig" and is a sort of compilation or homage to bands like Black Sabbath that includes well-known parts of the classic "War Pigs", at least for the first two verses. In short, I can highly recommend Deer Creek's music to anyone who likes sludge, stoner or doom metal. Their second full-length album is also on the way, so keep your eyes peeled for the follow-up to "Menticide". The 6-panel digipak version features great artwork and layout by Paul Vismara, along with lyrics, a live band photo and the usual information about the recording itself. As it is, it's a perfect sludge album, so order the CD or vinyl version while you still can!!!

Damn, this new Deicide album is pretty cool! "Banished by Sin" is the 13th full-length album of the evil death metal legend, containing a total of 12 songs. The almost 39-minute material keeps the listener excited from start to finish. I particularly enjoyed the songs that somehow relate to the repertoire, dynamics, and evil atmosphere of the first two records in one way or another. The rest of the album consists of songs written in the style of recent albums, which are much more melodic and have a different energetic approach. But let me tell you, this combination turned out to be pretty killer. This is the first Deicide album in a long time that I really like, and after several listens I like what I hear even more. The sound is fantastic, ultra-polished, maybe a little too sterile, at least compared to the raw and brutal death metal energy that Deicide is known for. Glen Benton's doubled vocals are remarkable and wicked, and his bass rumbles in just the right way. The guitar tandem of Kevin Quirion and Taylor Nordberg are in great harmony and spread one hell of a guitar tone and riffage. Oh, and their guitar solos are simply fantastic to listen to. And all this is topped off by Steve Asheim's flawless drumming. This is Deicide-style death metal at its best! The 20-page booklet includes all the lyrics, along with a recent band photo and two sick artworks. My favorite songs are: "From Unknown Heights You Shall Fall", "Sever the Tongue", "Bury the Cross... with Your Christ", "Ritual Defied", "Banished by Sin" and "The Light Defeated". If you are a true death metal fan, this album should be in your collection!!!

I really dig and support the re-release of early Dementor material in various formats. Nasphyr Records began by reissuing the first two full-lengths and the second demo on vinyl in 2023 (see reviews elsewhere). This was recently followed by a special digipak CD edition featuring the debut album "The Church Dies" (1994) and the second demo "Morbid Infection" (1993). I added the word "special", because the particular digipak was designed in the shape of a 12-panel inverted cross. These twelve panels include lyrics, artwork and band photos for both materials. Although compared to the vinyl version of "Morbid Infection", the original artwork was omitted here and only the new one was used. But regardless of this small detail, this digipak really looks fantastic from a design perspective. Well, while those vinyl reissues were completely exclusive, the same cannot be said for the contents of this CD reissue, as 1000 copies were already pressed in 2016, in jewel case CD format, courtesy of Dark Symphonies. In favor of the Dark Symphonies edition, I would mention that it contained a lot more archival photos. However, if I compare the sound production of the two CDs, they are completely identical. I am not exaggerating when I say that "The Church Dies" is a cornerstone of Slovak death metal and a timeless masterpiece. The album's eight compositions combine the classic character of death metal with impulsive drum patterns, sophisticated guitar riffs and super catchy solos. It has fast, slow, brutal, melodic, technical parts and it sounds fantastic. In short, it has everything a death metal fan could want. In addition to this killer album, you also get six songs from the second demo. It's raw in terms of sound, but it shows where it all started. Thanks to Nasphyr Records for a job well done, feel free to order this awesome 59-minute digipak CD as I'm sure it will be a brilliant addition to any death metal fan's collection!!!

Even though all three Desultory demos have been available to die-hard fans in the past, in various formats and as bonuses on various re-releases, I think this DSR version is especially great as it brings all three demos together for the first time. Another great thing about this release is that these demos were newly mastered from the original DAT tapes. Then I definitely have to mention the massive 24-page CD booklet full of extremely rare archival material such as original demo tape covers, lyrics, loads of fantastic footage with band, live and studio photos, some concert posters and last but not least a very long interview with Klas Morberg. Needless to say, this is what a top quality release should look and sound like, as it really has everything a Desultory fan could need when it comes to the demo era. As is known, all three demo recordings were made by the same line-up, i.e. Klas Morberg (vocals/guitar), Stefan Pöge (guitar), Jens Almgren (bass) & Thomas Johnson (drums), at Sunlight Studios with Tomas Skogsberg. You can easily hear the transition and rapid development of the band from the thrash metal songs of "From Beyond" (1990) to the much heavier and more characteristic death metal songs of "Death Unfolds" (1991). However, personally, I think Desultory's signature sound and unique atmosphere was achieved on the third and final demo, "Visions" (1992). Now, thanks to Patrick W. Engel (Temple of Disharmony), we can enjoy these 10 demo tracks in the best possible quality. In addition to this killer jewel case CD version, true Desultory fans can purchase these demos on regular black and cream white vinyl as well as a special 3-tape box set!!!

Definitely the surprise release of the year, I mean, even if it's not a studio album, Exodus' 1989 live performance is a total blast in every possible way. The fact that this was recorded live during the band's heyday also adds to the charm. "Fabulous Disaster" came out just a few months before the live recording and is also my favorite line-up that also recorded the brilliant "Pleasures of the Flesh" album with Steve "Zetro" Souza (vocals), Rick Hunolt (guitar), Gary Holt (guitar), Rob McKillop (bass) and Tom Hunting (drums). The disc's 15 tracks were recorded live on March 8, 1989 at The London Astoria in London, England. However, all die-hards know that two songs, "And Then There Were None" and "A Lesson in Violence" previously appeared as bonus tracks on the 1989 reissue of "Bonded by Blood". Anyway, I can't stress enough how fantastic the atmosphere is on this live recording, and it also sounds pretty killer and crunchy to the delight of thrash metal fans. Then the live set itself, which combines the evergreens of the first three records, is a pure feast for all admirers of the classics of the 80s. The band was definitely on fire that night and crushed the fans at the Astoria. The energy from their performance is simply wild and relentless. Their crazy live set lasts over 77 minutes. So go ahead and enjoy 6 songs from "Fabulous Disaster" (1989) such as "The Last Act of Defiance", "Fabulous Disaster", "Corruption", "The Toxic Waltz", "Like Father, Like Son" & "Verbal Razors", 4 songs from "Pleasures of the Flesh" (1987) such as "'Til Death Do Us Part", "Chemi-Kill", "Parasite" & "Brain Dead", and 5 songs, namely "A Lesson in Violence", "Piranha", "Deliver Us to Evil", "And Then There Were None" & "Strike of the Beast", from "Bonded by Blood" (1985). Needless to say, I loved every moment of this live set, so thank you Exodus and Nuclear Blast for this kind of blast from the past. The cover, layout and overall design of the CD version is just brilliant, it fits so well. Thrashers of the universe need to get this live album or stop calling yourself a thrasher!!!