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Necrogod is the perfect expression of atavistic death metal brutality spearheaded by none other than Rogga Johansson (Paganizer, Revolting, Eye of Purgatory) who has teamed up with the revered The Master Butcher (Morbid Stench, Insepulto) to make this feat possible. It's a product of careful deliberation and years of experience, with Rogga Johansson laying down the heaviest music of possibly his entire career and The Master Butcher just taking things to another level with his barrage of unearthly roars. This is the culmination of death metal mastery, a groovy, pummelling record that imbibes the best elements of Swedish and American death metal  scenes to create a truly fearsome record without parallel. What's surprising is that despite the face-blasting aggression and unbridled vocal delivery, the music is well-rounded with thought-out structures, tempo changes, build-ups, solos and even traces of sick melodies. Clearly a marked deviation from the usual Rogga Johansson fare that one is acquainted with, this is some next level old school brutality that will knock you flat and will have you crawling back for more.  

For fans of - Undeath, Grave, Paganizer, Cannibal Corpse, Broken Hope, Baphomet, Of Feather and Bone, Malignant Altar

Cutterred Flesh have evolved to play what’s beginning to resemble a progressive form of brutal death metal. Without reducing the wholesome girth, they are able to pull off amazing feats that will stop the listener in his tracks and have him mentally slot them in a higher category than what he had originally pegged them at. While not as slick as some of their contemporaries skittishly moving about with hardly any impact, Cutterred Flesh’s music carries real weight and boasts of similar diversity if not more and is littered with unpredictable parts. Each of the songs on their sixth full length have a special thing going on and close listens only reveal the intricate structuring and even traces of emotive facets. It’s rare to come across a brutal death metal album that scratches the bludgeoning heaviness itch and also leaves a lasting impact that’s not purely external. Cutterred Flesh have clearly mastered their craft at this stage and come up with an album that is unfathomably heavy yet versatile and engaging which easily stands out from the one-dimensional ones languishing in the narrow confines of the brutal death metal realm.

For fans of: Benighted, Aborted, Cattle Decapitation, Monument of Misanthropy, Devourment, Enragement

Members of Acausal Intrusion and Dwelling Below conspire amongst themselves to create dissonant/technical death metal that pushes the limits of reality. With music being this intricate, strangely intuitive and visceral, it blurs the point where the magnification of their music ends and the imagination takes over. It's a dark, murky, nightmarish dive into a realm where trajectories from multiple dimensions manifest to intersect and overlap before dissipating, taking different temporal forms. Nothing is permanent in their world; the tunes change every few seconds and so does everything around them - the implications are in real-time and catastrophically mind-melting. It's a downward spiral of your consciousness where the out-of-control thoughts overwhelm and overpower, and take you on a one-way trip to incessant hallucinations and inevitable madness. Innumerable riffs are piled on top of one another first frantically, then slowly to allow for them to be properly seared into memory so that they can haunt you in turns for the rest of your life. Hierarchies have, on only their debut, created a truly frightening album not merely outwardly but one that is also psychologically scarring for the listener, and endlessly fascinating all the same.

Jonathan comments: The working title for this song was “90's movie soundtrack” and somehow I still think that says a lot about the atmosphere of the track. The instrumentation features a classic singer-songwriter setup, blending a blues and rock-infused vocal-style with a vintage electric piano. Midway through the track, drums and bass inspired by oldschool hip hop beats, a choir and a screeching organ join in, adding layers of depth and rhythm to the otherwise minimalistic approach. While some things seem to be so durable and unwavering that it will last forever, even the most steadfast things could end sooner than expected and without warning. The pain many of us feel at some point in our lives—experiencing the finality of existence through loss and instability—can be disheartening, sometimes even robbing us of confidence and hope. Nothing escapes the transience of all things and the relentless flow of the river of time. “Riverflame” is the little flame inside our chest that ever burns with the fervor of inspiration through the tides of time and space, nurtured by the very same realization that everything will end all too soon. Yet, rather than drawing a somber conclusion, the fire urges you to release your soul—dance, express yourself, and live fully while you still can, alive and full of dreams. May we all find peace with the impermanence of all things.

The grisly 3rd full-length by this Finnish band. Formed in Turku in 2007, Concrete Icon unleashed their debut EP, "Where the Horns Reign", in 2012, quicky followed by their debut full-length, "Perennial Anguish", the year after. After going through numerous lineup changes and taking a short break, the band returned stronger and more determined than ever in 2019, with the release of their widely acclaimed sophomore full-length, "Rancid Harmony", which definitely turned them into a band to keep track of and a force to be reckoned with by diehard deathsters in the underground scene all over the world. Fast forward to late 2021, the band released an EP on tape format, titled "Rebirth", that featured two brand new songs, as some sort of appetizer before diving into the writing process of their third full-length. A few months later, a compilation named "Reign of Anguish MMXXII", featuring remixed versions of both their debut EP and their debut full-length, was released. Not long after, another major change occurred, as half of the band quit in the middle of rehearsals for the third full-length. Replacements were promptly found and the band returned to live action in 2023, finally entering the studio to record their long overdue third full-length later on. Concrete Icon blend the viciousness of classic U.S. Death Metal with the melancholic gloom of their European counterparts, combining leads drenched in despondency and suffering with a more angular and punishing riff barrage, resulting in an atrocious entity that´s as quintessential as old school Death Metal can get, while exuding a personality that´s their very own. For those in need of references, think a neck-breaking mix of Morbid Angel, Paradise Lost, Deicide, Amorphis, Monstrosity, Sentenced, Immolation...

The genesis of “Benediction” can be traced to Hungary. Or more precisely, an encounter with a photography book, weathered by time, depicting rituals of the Christian faith: masses, moments of devotion to the saints, and prayers. These black-and-white photographs – which capture moments of selfless abandonment, ascetic discipline, and obedience – were veritably vibrating with the malefica inherent to Christianity. A markedly sinister presence of old crones, usually considered beacons of benevolence, appeared to make reality crack and reveal the latent image behind Catholic faith and ritual. The album’s title, naturally, should be read ambiguously. 

The full album De Tyfus De Teerling by Dutch Necro-rockers Grafjammer!