DEATHGOAT - Dragged into Realms Below review

 

DEATHGOAT - Dragged into Realms Below

Xtreem Music

OSDM is on display here by this Finnish five piece act. I'll just say they love Sweden's DISMEMBER and frankly who doesn't? This is the band's second full length. I was looking forward to this because years ago I heard their debut Regurgitated into Existence from 2021. That came out on the Finnish label Black Soul Productions as a download. 

Granted the early Finnish DM scene copied the Sweden DM style / sound with a few exceptions. I listen to this now in 2025 and think well DISMEMBER don't sound this good anymore. So yeah this rules in so many ways. The opener "Alkulima" is boring but don't let that dissuade you. "Pestilent Retribution", "Congregation of Disease" and "Dying to Be Dead" will kick your fuckin ass!

And that goes forth to the rest of this album. DEATHGOAT nail all of the cool points. You've got the crunchy Boss pedal guitar sound. Great riffs throughout backed by a rhythm section on speed. Out from the sky dive bomb soloing and the vocals are by a brutal sounding Neanderthal. This is a nine song head fuck with the opener being the only low point. Yeah this album fucking rules!

https://shop.xtreemmusic.com/english.main.index.php

LISTEN HERE:

https://xtreemmusic.bandcamp.com/album/dragged-into-realms-below

COFFINBORN - Cadaveric Retribution review

 

COFFINBORN - Cadaveric Retribution

Xtreem Music

Ya know I don't care how old I get, I'm 60 now by the way. But I'll always love old school death metal whether it's the original masters or some new school talent. It's just the fuckin killer sound which makes me go nuts and I crank the volume up. I'm sure these Hungarians feel the same way. This is their debut album and from what I've read about em they've got extreme metal history.

Originally COFFINBORN started out in 2013. A year later they released their debut EP Beneath the Cemetery which came out on this label. And then they disappeared into a flux of other bands. MORBID CARNAGE is one of note. But finally these guys regrouped to put this album together. 

Musically this is like GRAVE meets MORTICIAN and INCANTATION in a back alley in Budapest for a rumble. Yeah this is pure death metal performed in the old ways. I mean we're talking about thick, heavy handed riffs that shake your foundation. Add to that fuckin dive bombing solos, cavernous vocals, amazing drum work, etc. 

COFFINBORN pretty much take what was great decades ago and make it all sound fresh today. Old School Death Metal will never fall out of fan appreciation when you have musicians like this keeping it alive. Cadaveric Retribution is obviously one of my favorite releases for 2023. I got stuck listening to it for a few weeks now.

http://shop.xtreemmusic.com/english.main.index.php

LISTEN HERE:

https://coffinborn.bandcamp.com/album/cadaveric-retribution

SENTIENT HORROR - Rites of Gore review

 

SENTIENT HORROR - Rites of Gore

Redefining Darkness Records

I was gonna make some New Jersey jokes to start things off since this band is from the Garden state as I once was. But the music is too good to fuck around with. This is the third full length by this four piece death metal act. I got into em years ago with their debut full length Ungodly Forms from 2016. Their second one, Morbid Realms, from 2019 was damm good. But this new one I think is their best.

SENTIENT HORROR are full on 90's style old school death metal. And on Rites of Gore this band displays DM perfection. Musically there's a touch of early Swede DM with an aggressive Polish DM punch to the head. Yeah I know they're from Jersey and there's no NYDM influence. But hey that's the way us Jersey people are, fuck New York. 

Right from the opening you've got great riffs via HM2 Boss pedal and in that diabolical style. It's just fierce sounding. The vocals are the same way, fierce low end caustic. The guitar solos are dive bombing slices that could cut solid steel. And of course the rhythm section just bludgeons along to a sick grin delight. 

I don't care what year it is. This is the way death metal is supposed to be played. Ten cuts on this opus of hate and the final song is an ENTOMBED cover "Supposed to Rot". Yeah I think that's appropriate. By my third listen this album just shot to my favorite DM album of 2022. 

http://www.redefiningdarkness.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://sentienthorror.bandcamp.com/album/rites-of-gore

INTOLERANCE - Dark Paths of Humanity review

 

INTOLERANCE - Dark Paths of Humanity

Godz Ov War Productions

Whatever you do, don't tell this four piece act that it's 2022. This is the debut full length by the Spanish death metal band, INTOLERANCE. One listen and you'll be thinking it's 1990. Now to me that's fine. If a modern band can create a cool sounding album that reminds me of something classic from decades ago, I'll take it.

Like I said earlier this is the band's debut and yeah it's amazing as far as OSDM goes. Sound-wise this is dark and heavy as it should be. There's a good mix of slow plodding numbers and mid-paced cuts. The latter style gets your blood pumping as well as makes for sick facial expressions. It's the kind of stuff which makes ya wanna run out and punch a douche-bag. Please note that 12 years ago I would've said hipster but they're not around anymore to punch.

Dark Paths of Humanity is eight songs worth of filth ridden dungeon recorded riffs. There's some dive bomb leads thrown in once in a while as well as tranquil runs. The rhythm section works well especially the dynamic drum work. The vocals vary from bestial to harsh screams. So all in all it's a perfect release as far as recreating that Euro death doom sound from decades ago.

http://godzovwar.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/dark-paths-of-humanity

ABYSSUS - Death Revival review

 

ABYSSUS - Death Revival 

Transcending Obscurity Records

This Greek band loves OBITUARY so much they practically borrowed their logo. More on that later, but hey here we are in an age where musical influences are not bound by borders. Case in point, back in 2020 two favorite releases of mine were total old school Swedish blackened death metal. But one band was from Canada and the other was from the state of Washington. So there you go, extreme metal know no borders.

Now when I read the promo info on this Greek death metal act I wasn't too hip to the idea. I'm a big time OBITUARY fan but I'll admit that their past ten years have not been exciting for me. Then I gave this release a listen and I was like "whoa this is cool". Now as far as the whole OBITUARY influence goes well this band's vocalist comes off like John Tandy on a bender. Now it's not a bad thing so with that said everything else is fantastic.

Death Revival is exactly what you get on here. The album starts off with some fast riff action. We're talking some good adrenaline pumping cuts like "Metal Of Death" and "The Ten Commandments" with a touch of thrash and groove. It's not till the fourth cut, "The Beast Within", where the band slows down a bit for some pure headbanging mania. There's a touch from home ala traditional Greek fiddle(?) playing on the intro of "Genocide" which is another death thrash type of number. 

I could on about the songs but seriously in my not so humble opinion Death Revival is a flawless album. The band takes an influence from the past, adds a few tweaks and ends up making it all their own. Even the final cut, "When Wolves Are Out To Hunt" comes off as an amazing ASPHYX style death doom cut but with a modern jolt of energy. Yeah this is a great fuckin album. 

https://tometal.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://abyssusgreece.bandcamp.com/album/death-revival-death-metal

MELTING EYES - My Final Resting Place EP review

 

MELTING EYES - My Final Resting Place EP

Self Released

For those of you who are regular readers of this blog (and frankly who isn't) then you know my affinity towards Dutch death metal. My heritage is Dutch on my father's side and even though his ancestors came to America quite a long, long time ago. I still hold true to that part of me. 

So when death metal came around and I started hearing all of these cool bands from the Netherlands back in the day (aka: ASPHYX, PESTILENCE and many others but of course one of my favorites is PROSTITUTE DISFIGUREMENT.) Well I'm always on the lookout for new bands that fit into the whole Dutch extreme metal aesthetic. 

This new band here, MELTING EYES, fit in perfectly with this their debut EP. But first off the four members of this band are not youngsters. They're all scene vets. One of their guitarists was in a DM act from years ago that I know about called WARMASTER. Musically MELTING EYES are your basic OSDM sounding act. But what's cool about this EP is how fresh it all sounds. 

First off you've got some brutal filth ridden vocals which are definitely up front in the mix. The six cuts on here are in that 4 to 5 minute range except for one. So the band has room to allow an expanse to their range which includes some doomish elements. The songs have a decent guitar crunch as well as some choice leads. In the end you want more so hey I'll be looking forward to a full length.

Listen & Buy Here:

https://meltingeyes.bandcamp.com/

MORBUS GRAVE - Abomination demo review

MORBUS GRAVE - Abomination demo

Redefining Darkness Records




Meanwhile in Italy we have a five piece act who love some late 80's Swedish death metal. Add to that some evil incarnate keyboards on their last cut and a weird opening sound bite. The three songs by this Italian DM act are straight up OSDM. It all makes me feel like it's 2008 again. Yeah that's when the whole revival of the old ways of death metal came back to smiles from old fucks like myself.


MORBUS GRAVE deliver musically with some low end hatred and an acid tongued vocalist. No name dropping on my part but they do sound exactly like a Swede band from the late 80s who only put out one demo. Love the BACH like keyboard ending on "The Horror".


https://redefiningdarknessrecords.bandcamp.com/album/morbus-grave-abomination

SKELETAL REMAINS - Devouring Mortality review

SKELETAL REMAINS - Devouring Mortality

Dark Descent Records




So this originally came out in April but I have it now. Oh well right? Unfortunately I looked at some opinions of this, the California band's third full length, prior to getting it. Obviously some people forget that a decade ago old school death metal made a comeback and was widely accepted by fans. The key word is "fans" because it was small labels who were promoting that old school death metal revival.


Fast forward a decade and now it's just an accepted genre style. If you don't like it then oh well go listen to prog rock. As for me when I listen to Devouring Mortality I'm imagining being at a show with ASPHYX, OBITUARY and DEATH on the bill. Now obviously that ain't gonna happen today but if one band can combine all of that greatness in one package I'll take it.


As I had written earlier this is SKELETAL REMAINS third full length. They started out in California in 2011. Their first full length, Beyond the Flesh, came out in 2012. I didn't get into em until their second album, Condemned to Misery, was released in 2015. So while this release blasts through my speakers I won't deny that these guys from Whittier wear their influences loud and proud on their sleeves or vests. In fact after a few listens I could add to the three I've already listed.


The bottom line here is whether or not it fuckin rules. As far as I'm concerned hell yes it does. You've got these caustic vocals which are a mixture of John Tardy and Martin Van Drunen. By the way they're two of the greatest DM vocalists of all time. Next you can toss in heavy, angry as well as filthy riffs. That's their bread and butter. Finally there's the Chuck Schuldiner style face peeling lead work. That sets the candles afire on this DM cake.


Now if you have a problem with all of that then you either hate death metal. Or you're a pissed off hipster who just blew a few hundred bucks on your credit card for classic death metal reissued vinyl on Ebay when you could've picked this one up for $12 plus postage. Then again you could be some loser who was at a show and saw SKELETAL REMAINS kick fuckin ass while your friend's tech/jazz/death metal act bored the crowd enough that they all went outside for a smoke while you stood there like the loser you are. Alright you're a dedicated loser. But hey this album rules so go fuck yourselves you fuckin jaded haters.


http://www.darkdescentrecords.com/

https://darkdescentrecords.bandcamp.com/album/devouring-mortality

https://www.facebook.com/SkeletalRemainsDeathMetal