Short Releases
Sanguisugabogg-Pornographic Seizures
This Columbus-based band’s demo is a nasty little piece of pure filth. It’s only 11 minutes long but definitely packs a punch. Like many Maggot Stomp releases, it tends towards the brutal side of death metal, but I hear more Undergang than Mortician in it. Highly recommended for fans of sewage and my favorite short release of the year.
Suffering Hour-Dwell
Suffering Hour’s debut, In Passing Ascension, was one of my favorite albums the year it came out. Dwell picks up where it left off. It’s essentially blackened death, but of a swirling, chaotic type. Despite the chaos Suffering Hour do a great job of using melody and there’s a slight progginess to their work too, all wrapped up with one of my favorite guitar tones in metal.
Undeath-Demo ‘19/Sentient Autolysis
This one is actually a two-for-one special since Undeath put out two demos this year. Of the two demos, I think Sentient Autolysis is the slightly better one, but both are solid releases. Highly recommended for fans of the primitive, cavernous side of death metal.
Triumvir Foul-Urine of Abomination EP
Triumvir Foul has been one of the leading lights of cavernous death metal for a while now, with two excellent albums under their belt. Urine of Abomination is their first EP, but it does everything Celestial Bloodshed did, just in a shorter runtime. It’s ferocious, inaccessible, and a punishing, difficult listen. I wouldn’t have it any other way from these guys.
Father Befouled-Holy Rotten Blood
There are plenty of bands that worship at the unholy throne of Incantation out there, but Father Befouled has always been a better than average version of that sound. On their latest EP, Holy Rotten Blood, they expand on that worship in a more general American OSDM way. The results, as always, are impressive.
Frozen Soul-Encased in Ice
Here’s another very good demo from Maggot Stomp. This sounds surprisingly warm despite the title. Frozen Soul plays what to me essentially sounds like a mix of mid-paced Bolt Thrower rumble with doomy Incantation moments. It’s a great mix, and Frozen Soul Sanguisugabogg, and Fluids have Maggot Stomp in a really good place right now and I’m excited to hear more from this band.
Seventh Circle-Cycle of Violence
This demo is a short burst of evil atmosphere, courtesy of this Californian duo. The riffs on this are often at a doom pace, which further enhances the dark atmosphere and the demo has some truly punishing grooves. When the band picks up the pace there’s a noticeable blackened aspect and it’s all handled very skillfully.
Ripped to Shreds-Demon Scriptures
Don’t you dare think of that Futurama meme. I really enjoyed Ripped to Shreds’ debut album, Mai-Zang. It was a raw, vicious slab of Swedeath shorn of any death-n-roll influences. Demon Scriptures does much the same, but also incorporates some grind and death/doom for good measure. I don’t know which approach will have more lasting results on the next Ripped to Shreds full-length, but on this EP the band is equally adept at both.
Gravehammer-Primordial Principles l Fundamental Forces
After two demos, Germany’s Gravehammer is back with a four-song EP of primitive death/black/doom. Imagine Hellhammer and Winter with an occasional blackened outburst and you’re in the right ballpark for this kind of thing. The band also smartly incorporates those blackened moments, although the plodding doom moments are my favorite part.
Archaic Decapitator-The Apothecary
Archaic Decapitator does melodic death metal right, with dark evocative melodies, tasteful synths, and a slight technical edge. It may take a few listens because The Apothecary is by no means simple, but this EP demonstrates there’s still plenty of hope for melodic death metal.
Still can’t get enough death metal? Here’s 20 more death (and death hybrid) albums to check out:
Vastum-Orificial Purge
Abyssal-A Beacon in the Husk
Bones-Diseased
Ceremony of Silence -Outis
Coffin Rot-A Monument to the Dead
Desecresy-Towards Nebulae
Fuming Mouth-The Grand Descent
Hate Force-Hate Force
Imprecation-Damnatio ad Bestias
Lord Gore-Scalpels for Blind Surgeons
Mefitis-Emberdawn
Musmahhu-Reign of the Odious
Mystifier-Protogoni Mavri Magiki Dynasteia
Horrified-Sentinel
Nightfell-A Sanity Deranged
Novembers Doom-Nephilim Grove
Obscure Infinity-Into the Vortex of Obscurity
Ossuarium-Living Tomb
Profane Order-Slave Morality
Unaussprechlichen Kulten-Teufelsbücher
