Because Demiurgon is relatively brutal, quasi-technical, and Italian, comparisons to Hour of Penance, Hideous Divinity, and Unbirth may be tempting. That distinct sharp riff groove is there, no doubt. It’s an undeniable characteristic and highlight of Demiurgon’s sound. It is as firm a feature as any present on Miasmatic Deathless Chamber. But what distinguishes Demiurgon from its brethren is an adherence to a beat that at times resembles something closer to Vader or mid-period Decapitated. Make no mistake—Demiurgon revels in a decidedly more brutal direction than those two, in the whole. Yet there’s something in the groove here that is markedly different from their Italian brutal death metal peers. And if this isn’t obvious, that distinction makes Miasmatic Deathless Chamber a more interesting listen than I was initially expecting.

Demiurgon wastes no time in opening with, “Worldwide Grave,” a statement song that delivers on that sharp riff meets Vader-esque groove aesthetic. There are tempo changes, melody, and—underlying all that—a deceptively orchestrated brutality that operates as the engine of Demiurgon’s sound: always moving things forward.

Miasmatic Deathless Chamber is ultimately the breath of fresh air I didn’t know I needed. This year has been an objectively exceptional year for brutal death metal, particularly of the no brakes and more experimental variety. The way Miasmatic Deathless Chamber fuses the sharpness of more typical BDM with the kind of death/thrash groove of mid-period Decapitated makes it a welcome departure from that scene.

The post Demiurgon – Miasmatic Deathless Chamber Review appeared first on Last Rites.

Nonetheless, it’s an exciting time to be a death metal fan. While plenty of worship bands are out there for your consumption, other bands use the genre’s founders as a foundation to build upon and take bits and pieces from to throw at the proverbial wall of death. Thus, if you’re a fan of death metal smorgasbords, I present Exhibit A: the debut full-length album from Engulf, The Dying Planet Weeps.

Immediately, Microutsicos sets the tone with “Withered Suns Collapse,” backed by plenty of technicality and brutality, almost a mixture of something you might find on early Gorguts and Ulcerate records. Regarding the vocal style, you’ll discover it to be dirtier and more annunciated than the consistently weightier tones of a modern Stare Into Death and Be Still or Shrines of Paralysis-era Paul Kelland. It’s essentially more akin to primitive Chuck Schuldiner, for lack of a more obscure comparison. Microutsicos does, at times, dig beneath the soil for those core-of-the-earth-deep howls. He also does a splendid job of teetering on the edge of complete and utter chaos. However, oddly, the song seamlessly molds together in a perfectly cohesive way. For example, I admire the drum arrangements on “Withered Suns Collapse.” The exchange between mid-paced beats and flurries of blasts are assembled quite calculatedly as they build up to breakneck fills between roaring vocal lines. While strong here on the intro track, it’s a trend Microutsicos leans heavily into for the remainder of the album.

There’s also an atmospheric influence, most notably on “Ominous Grandeur” and “Lunar Scourge,” sparked by some reverb, dissonance, and bellowing, guttural vocals. On “Ominous Grandeur,” specifically, Microutsico’s songwriting prowess shows as the song has a captivating, groovy thickness to it, along with some memorable tempo shifts, that will have you smashing the “replay” button with the weight of ten thousand suns.

If you’re drooling for Morbid Angel, Nihility-era Decapitated, or something with some chunk to it, then “Bellows from the Aether,” “The Nefarious Hive,” or “Plagued Oblivion” might be right up your alley. And as you’ll discover, Gorguts lies within the DNA of each album chapter. So, of course, you’ll find that again here, too. There are also some dashes of early Hate Eternal along this Murderer’s Row of tracks. Undoubtedly—and rightfully—inspired by Luc Lemay and Erik Rutan, Microutsicos has a knack for constructing catchy, memorable riffs you can sink your teeth into.

The album rounds out with “Earthbore” and the title track, “The Dying Planet Weeps.” “Earthbore” is a slow burn at first and the longest track on the album, but it holds its rightful place as the launchpad for the finale. As a composer, Microutsicos understands the significance of the gradual build before the coup de grace. The song’s second half is beautiful, with swirling shredding and a cosmic solo before bleeding into the album’s final offering, a chest-pounding instrumental that circles back around to similar atmospheric tones heard at the start of the record.

Holistically, Microutsicos is on the verge of something special with Engulf, and The Dying Planet Weeps is the foundation. If you’re a death metal fan, you won’t have to dig too deep to find something that clicks with you. Plenty of easter eggs and intricacies are buried beneath the sounds Microutsicos creates, but his abilities are very much surface-level. It’ll be an audibly heavy and very enjoyable 36 minutes of your life. I’m no Sylvia Brown, but if I were you, I’d keep an eye on this project moving forward so you can gatekeep it a few years from now.

The post Engulf – The Dying Planet Weeps Review appeared first on Last Rites.

Nonetheless, I have been preparing for this for many years. I’ve spent countless hours watching Star Wars, Star Trek, Starship Troopers, Stargate, and every other “star” movie for consumption. 

But before I dive back into the essential matters, I do want to thank you for giving all of us at Last Rites time out of your days and your attention throughout 2023. I know I’m new, but there’s an incredible community here, and I’m so glad you’ve all welcomed me with open arms. The least I can do is offer you a few lame pieces of advice I’ve learned over the years that I hope you can take with you into 2024. So, from one dorky music fan to another, here are my—probably cliché—words of wisdom:

1. Do not compare yourself or your life to the ones you see on social media. Remember, the lives people portray online just aren’t real. No one gloats about the negative aspects of their life. And remember, life is a journey, not a race.
2. Reach out to that friend or family member you’ve thought about reconnecting with but just need to make the time. You’ll be glad you did.
3. Be patient. I struggled with patience for many years, but as the adage says, it’s a virtue. I spent so many years wishing time would speed up, but now I realize I was doing myself a disservice. As hard as it may seem, it’s essential to stop and find the beauty in life.

Anyway, as for the alien invasion, whenever that may come to fruition, be on the hunt for my pirate radio station, where many songs from the following albums will surely be spun. To paraphrase the most incredible viral video of all time—the Leroy Jenkins World of Warcraft clip from the 2000s—time’s up, let’s do this: BESTTTTT OF 2023!!!!

THE NIGHT BEFORE THE FINAL BATTLE (20-11)

Once our intergalactic nemeses enter our atmosphere, it’s game on. But this playlist for my pirate radio show is strictly for the night before the final battle. Conduct a light workout, throw back a few pints, and take it easy. Tomorrow awaits.

20. VHS – Quest for the Mighty Riff

Campy horror movies, fantasy, and death metal go hand-in-hand. With numerous horror-themed records on their resume, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada-based outfit VHS vanished into the realm of sword and sorcery on their 2023 full-length album, Quest for the Mighty Riff. Swords, wizards, dragons–they’re all in there. VHS is a death metal band with the spirit of a power metal group, and immersing myself in this record was some of the most fun I had listening to music last year. Not to mention, alongside Wise Blood Records, they released one of the coolest cassettes I’ve ever seen with a shameless nostalgic nod to the Super Nintendo.

• Bandcamp

19. Mork – Dypet

The thing I love most about Thomas Eriksen’s work in Mork is his ability to capture the spirit of traditional, primitive black metal but his fearlessness in terms of not letting the compositions and cliché rules of the genre confine him to a point where the listening experience becomes too repetitive. Today, it’s clear his goal is to let the listener lose themselves in the atmosphere rather than remaining trve to the genre, and he did just that with Dypet. He also demoed this album in Norway’s mountains, fjords, and forests. As a result, the essence of nature is more palpable on this one compared to previous records, and I honestly feel like this is his best work since Isebakke. Nonetheless, Dypet is another excellent release from the mighty project hailing from Halden, Norway. 

• Bandcamp

18. AARA – Triade III: Nyx

The mysterious Swiss atmospheric black metal band AARA creates art within art. Triade III: Nyx is the third and final part of their interpretation of the 19th-century novel Melmoth the Wanderer. The albums are built on eerie, high-pitched screams, menacing riffs, electrifying drum performances, and masterful songwriting. The Triade trilogy is powerful in creating tension and perfectly tells the tale of its main character, first with Triade I: Eos, then with Triade II: Hemera, and now with Triade III: Nyx. The band creates a cinematic experience and understands how to draw you in with a true ebb and flow of emotion. While Triade III: Nyx may be the best of the three, the Triade trilogy is a journey worth embarking on.

• Bandcamp

17. Fabricant – Drudge to the Thicket

I understand tech death isn’t for everyone, but Drudge to the Thicket is a remarkable debut that plumb the depths of technical death metal but will keep you enthralled from start to finish. Fabricant’s ability to seamlessly blend chaos and structure and exceptional musicianship elevate this album to a standout position. It’s an intense, dark, and mesmerizing journey that leaves an indelible mark, with riffs that will continue to echo in your ears long after the final note dissipates.

• Bandcamp

16. Weald & Woe – For the Good of the Realm

Remember that moment in Gladiator when Maximus runs his hands through a wheat field, signaling the end of his battle-ridden life? Those images were conjured up once I dove into Weald & Woe’s For the Good of the Realm. Much like their castle metal purveyors in Obsequiae before them, Weald & Woe release sounds meant for medieval battles. This record has some beautiful melodies and the vocals howl in the distance like a warrior taking their final breath. I was captivated by the production and songwriting on this one. It still feels fresh with each listen, and that, my friends, is the sign of an excellent record.

• Bandcamp

15. Starer – Wind, Breeze, or Breath

The solo project of Kentucky black metal connoisseur Josh Hines, Starer’s Wind, Breeze, or Breath is a symphonic atmospheric black metal record that teeters on the edge of the natural and dream worlds. Hines does a phenomenal job of creating a holistic listening experience. Each song coincides with the moments leading up to falling into and returning from a slumber—drifting, crossing, shaping, witnessing, vanishing, emerging, and returning. Filled with primitive ’90s black metal vocals, haunting melodies, and perfected pacing, Wind, Breeze, or Breath is truly a spectacle in modern black metal songwriting. It’s a record that deserves and demands your attention.

• Bandcamp

14. Tomb Mold – The Enduring Spirit

The Enduring Spirit represents Tomb Mold embarking upon a new, distinct cosmic journey that weaves together the intricate threads of the progressive and jazz-infused metal spectrum. Yet, this departure from the familiar does not obscure the essence they are renowned for. Beneath the surface, the unmistakable presence of old-school death metal lingers, but it does so with a gaze set firmly toward the future. There was a lot of hype around this album—even with it being a surprise drop—but rightfully so. Up to the point of The Enduring Spirit, Tomb Mold always delivered. So, it wasn’t a surprise to hear them provide another phenomenal release.

• Last Rites Review

• Bandcamp

13. Alghol – Night Eternal

Created in the dark woods of Portland, Maine, Alghol’s Night Eternal is a black metal record meant to be listened to while throwing back a few pints in a haunted tiki bar. Based on the concept of the Demon Star, Alghol’s sole member, Pete Rodway, created an album that blurs the lines between raw and clean. In the follow-up to his debut full-length, The Osseous Key, Rodway continues the concepts built on that record and takes you on a mad journey filled with groovy riffs, hypnotic synths, and a punishing rhythm section. At its core, Night Eternal is a love letter to ’90s and early 2000s black metal. Oh, and it’s a blast reading along with the lyrics to this one. So, if you’re a nerd like me and love concept records, throw this one up on your “must-check-out-immediately” list. And free advice: crank “Out From the Jungle” up to max volume when you make it to that track.

• Bandcamp

12. Woe – Legacies of Frailty

Allow me to be serious for a moment. While Chris Grigg’s previous Woe releases displayed strength, Legacies of Frailty surpasses them all. On Legacies of Frailty, technically speaking, Grigg’s multi-instrumental talents allowed him to construct songs that forced us to feel something. In a world where music often serves as mere entertainment, Legacies of Frailty is a profound departure—a contemplative and unapologetic exploration of humanity. Through every haunting riff, every passionate vocal delivery, and every moment of introspection, Woe’s latest release compels us to confront the abyss within ourselves and the world—or lack thereof—we leave behind.

• Last Rites Review

• Bandcamp

11. Fleshvessel – Yearning: Promethean Fates Sealed

It’s true; a lot is going on here. But the folks in Fleshvessel figured out how to make this thing work. Made up of some classically-trained musicians, Fleshvessel’s latest opus is the perfect record for someone—like myself—with ADHD. Weirdly, I think even those who don’t consider themselves fans of the avant-garde could appreciate this one. Again, there are plenty of layers to peel back here, yet it all feels unified. On paper, with so many instruments and unique moments, it would have been easy for things to come across as a bit pretentious, but Fleshvessel was somehow able to steer far from that. Instead, it’s a cohesive work meant for a holistic listening experience. How could you not love an extreme metal album with violas, harps, flutes, ocarinas, and a juicy fretless bass?

• Last Rites Review

• Bandcamp

THE FATE OF HUMANITY IS AT STAKE (10-1)

This playlist is for the day of battle; humanity lives or dies. I’ll be stuck at my undisclosed location, blasting tunes via radio signals to help us win the War of the Worlds. Sorry, I won’t be there in the flesh (bone spurs), but I will be in spirit. Good luck.

10. AUTOPSY – ASHES, ORGANS, BLOOD AND CRYPTS

Dude, c’mon. It’s Autopsy. In all seriousness—and I understand I may not be the best person to speak on this due to my extreme Autopsy bias—it’s hard for me to be let down by these fine death metal masters. I will say, however, that just a year outside of Morbidity Triumphant, which I loved, they topped that record with this skull-splitting doomy return. How much was reinvigorated by Grammy-nominated producer and bass extraordinaire Greg Wilkinson’s presence on the last two releases? Well, it seems like quite a bit. And the old guard of Chris Reifert, Danny Coralles, and Eric Cutler is as strong as ever. I’ll see you on my next top 20 list, Autopsy. Your friend in gore, Josh.

• Last Rites Review

• Bandcamp

9. DØDHEIMSGARD – BLACK MEDIUM CURRENT

Somehow, I knew from the moment I finished listening to this album for the first time it would be on my year-end list. I admire the weird, OK? At one point, I thought it might take the top spot, and for good reason. While that changed, it’s still a phenomenal work, and I wouldn’t fault anyone for making it the toast of their 2023. I spoke with the band’s frontman and mad genius, Vicotnik, earlier this year, and we took a deep dive into the album. Sonically, this record has a spiritual element that expands past our mortal existence. That’s such a dorky way of putting it, but something here feels spiritual in lightness and darkness. The haunting keys, the transitions between black metal and classical music moments, the vocal performances and cadences, and the rhythm section’s weight create a full plate that may take a few spins to digest fully. But in the end, it’s a lovely meal recipe mixed with ingredients from the darkest corners of life and death.

• Last Rites Review

• Bandcamp

8. CH’AHOM – KNOTS OF ABHORRENCE

I nearly grind my teeth to dust each time I spin this album. On top of some killer lead playing and bone-crushing riffs, this blackened death metal album throws in some hypnotic, tribal, almost psychedelic sounds that simply work perfectly. Based out of Essen, Germany, Ch’ahom has its finger on the pulse of something special. Perhaps akin to a bad trip, the vocals breathe down your neck like evil DMT machine elves. Again, riff-wise, you’ll have plenty to work with here and sink your teeth into before you ground them to their roots backed by some breakneck drum patterns that’ll eventually sever your brain from the spine. Do yourself a favor and give this a spin if it flew off your radar this year.

• Bandcamp

7. VALDRIN – THRONE OF THE LUNAR SOUL

Paraphrasing from my review: Valdrin is old school, but not just in a sonic melodic death/black metal sense; it’s old school in that so much thought is put into its themes and storylines and how those work with the atmosphere of the music. That said, Throne of the Lunar Soul isn’t just an album; it’s an extreme metal voyage topped with symphonic and dungeon synth-y moments that add yet another layer to the ambiance of the story of the main protagonist, Valdrin Ausadjur. Valdrin’s heroic work goes beyond the usual genre constraints, creating a piece of art that hits deep. It brings fresh air to a scene often stuck in the same sound. The tracks are lengthy, but the quality is so high that time slips away without notice.

• Last Rites Review

• Bandcamp

6. AFTERBIRTH – IN BUT NOT OF

At this point, you’ve probably, ad nauseam, heard us here at Last Rites rambling about the monstrous album from Afterbirth, In But Not Of, but it’s for good reason. From start to finish, it’s such an innovative piece of art that is like a rotten, grotesque onion that once you peel back the vast quantity of vomit-inducing layers, you’re still wondering what you just encountered. On the surface level, it’s a phenomenal, brutal death metal effort, but once you dig into the intricacies, you’re met with moments of post-rock and music for the cosmos (shout out to Carl Sagan). It’s one of the catchiest death metal records I’ve heard recently. And on that same note, it’s one of the best damn death metal records I’ve listened to in the last few years.

• Last Rites Review

• Bandcamp

5. MOONLIGHT SORCERY – HORNED LORD OF THE THORNED CASTLE

Here’s another record I considered throwing at the No. 1 spot, and again, I wouldn’t fault anyone for doing so. As a few of my colleagues have said, this is a black metal album mixed with power metal epicness. The guitar work is phenomenal, the drums pack the punch of 3,000 Mike Tysons, the symphonic black metal approach is top-notch, and I honestly feel like diving back into my Runescape days when I hear the record (I still need that 99 magic cape). That’s enough for me to throw it in the top five. I should also mention that Moonlight Sorcery has yet to disappoint me. Their previous EPs were outstanding, so I expected nothing less from this effort, but it exceeded even my highest expectations. Horns up to Horned Lord of the Thorned Castle, and horns down to the Texas Longhorns during this year’s College Football Playoffs.

• Last Rites Review

• Bandcamp

4. SACRED OUTCRY – TOWERS OF GOLD

It would be a shame not to throw Towers of Gold on your year-end list. First and foremost, as your resident proponents of power metal in the vast seas of extreme underground music publications, take our advice when we say this is a must-listen. Towers of Gold plunges so deeply into the world of fantasy with soaring guitars and arguably the most robust vocal performance on any record in 2023 that you’ll walk away and immediately start counting down the minutes until you can dive in again. I’ll make this one short and sweet because the Captain himself did a phenomenal job tackling this in his review, so check that link out below and begin embarking on your quest for the Towers of Gold.

• Last Rites Review

• Bandcamp

3. MAJESTIES – VAST REACHES UNCLAIMED

In the mid-1990s, Gothenburg, Sweden, was pivotal to the shift within the death metal genre. With bands like At the Gates and In Flames, a section of the death metal scene moved in a more melodic direction. Nearly 30 years later, Minneapolis, Minnesota-based group Majesties reinvigorated the melodic death metal scene with a record that’s much more than simply nostalgic. Featuring members of Obsequiae and Inexorum, Carl Skildum (guitar), Matthew Kirkwold (bass), and Tanner Anderson (guitar/vocals/drums) created a modern-day classic with impeccable songwriting and production. What’s also cool about this record is that Skildum was able to use some riffs from tapes dating back to the mid-late ’90s, so to say they captured the spirit of that era would be an understatement. But, collectively, the band shines on Vast Reaches Unclaimed. Also, I was in the top 0.05% of Majesties listeners on Spotify in 2023. Someone send me a crown or at least a test pressing. In all seriousness, my love for Vast Reaches Unclaimed will stand the test of time.

• Last Rites Review

• Bandcamp

2. THE MOSAIC WINDOW – PLIGHT OF ACCEPTANCE

The Mosaic Window is a relatively new project from the mind of Andrew Steven Brown. Brown has let it be known that the idea for The Mosaic Window came together after the unexpected death of his father and grandmother during the pandemic. Yes, Plight of Acceptance is a melodic black/death metal album, but it also allows Brown to bleed his traumas and emotions. There is a sense of mourning he’s able to create that, for me, was unmatched in 2023. The raw emotion is so palpable that the metaphorical haunting and horrors discussed on the album seem existent, but maybe that’s because they do, in fact, exist. Plight of Acceptance is filled with incredible guitar work and song construction, and again, there’s a particular spectral atmosphere to this record. And still, to this day, I have trouble explaining it and doing it justice. But for me, a few things are at least for sure: with each melancholic riff and scream into nothingness, Brown created a eulogy for those lost and one of the year’s most vital records.

• Bandcamp

1. KRIGSGRAV – FIRES IN THE FALL

Krigsgrav’s Fires in the Fall is simply masterful. Undoubtedly, it’s their best work in their nearly 20-year existence. At this point, the “this is the album we always wanted to make” anecdote is as overused as any. However, every so often, a band says that and then drops an album that makes the skeptic in me eat my words like holiday dinner leftovers. Fires in the Fall culminates in 10,000-plus hours put into a craft. Influenced by bands like Dissection, the melodies here are as addicting as they are hypnotizing. And much like legendary ’90s Norwegian black metal juggernauts, Krigsgrav also has an intangible knack for creating an evocative atmosphere on Fires in the Fall. Akin to the mesmerizing pacing of death/doom purveyors Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride, Krigsgrav understands when to let us breathe before pulling us back in with breathtaking flurries of sound. While Krigsgrav wears their influences on their sleeves, they still have created something that stands on its own. Fires in the Fall is a special album I’ll look back on years from now, still marveling.

Sing a song of seasons! 

Something bright in all!

 Flowers in the summer,

 Fires in the fall!

– Robert Louis Stevenson

• Last Rites Review

• Bandcamp

TWO MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT (EPs, DEMOS AND SPLITS)

Considering the very real possibility that we’ll lose the war against the much more advanced extraterrestrial foes, here are five short and sweet EPs and splits I’ll throw out on the airwaves as we wait for the metaphorical clock to strike midnight, signifying our doomsday.

5. Dream Unending & Worm – Starpath

OK, this one may not be short, but it is sweet. More than 44 minutes of death/doom and black metal by two of the biggest up-and-coming names in the underground should be enough of a selling point for anyone to check this out if they haven’t already. There’s a noticeable split here between the real and surreal. On the Dream Unending side, there’s more of a reality-based presence in not just the subject matter, but the overall melancholic atmosphere sparked by the songwriting of Derrick Vella and Justin DeTore. With Worm, there’s a paranormal, more so vampiric presence conjured up by the enigmatic funeral doom master, Phantom Slaughter, and the uber talented Phil Tougas. Nonetheless, both sides consist of some phenomenal musicianship and kickass tunes.

• Bandcamp

4. AVOWD – AVOWD Vol. 1

This is what night terrors are made of. AVOWD released some straight up dissonant, chaotic and addicting Chicago-based black metal in early 2023. Musically-speaking it’s pure aggression and evil, as you’d expect (or hope) to hear from a black metal project. These dudes do it right.

• Bandcamp

3. Reign A.D. & The Oracle – The Mountain Peaks of Prophecy

Reign A.D. and The Oracle created something special with this unique take on a split record. With The Oracle kicking off the release with a few dark electronic tracks, Reign A.D.’s black metal side still feels like a continuation of those soundscapes and atmospheres. The split also has a cinematic quality to it, loosely based on the prophecies from The Bible’s Old Testament and Book of Revelations. It dropped late in 2023, but still made its way onto my year-end list. It’s that good.

• Bandcamp

2. Fluisteraars – De Kronieken van het Verdwenen Kasteel – I – Harslo & De Kronieken Van Het Verdwenen Kasteel – II – Nergena

The first two releases of this soon-to-be three-part series … uh … yeah. I’m still in awe. There’s quite a bit of weirdness going on here, but I love it. These two releases display the genius that is Fluisteraars. They’ve really nailed down this whole atmospheric black metal thing, huh? However, I think it goes deeper than that; there’s something borderline spiritual about these two that, once you’re really neck deep into the music, you find yourself on a totally different plane of existence. There’s some cool alt-rock moments here for your consumption, too. Overall, stellar releases from our friends from the Netherlands.

• Bandcamp

1. Lunar Chamber – Shambhallic Vibrations

The debut EP from Lunar Chamber was nothing short of spectacular, but what else would you expect? I mean, the band comprises members of Tómarúm. You know, the band that released one of the best black metal albums of the last few years, Ash in Realms of Stone Icons? Here, they take on a progressive death metal approach to their sound with some tasty fretless bass lines, gorgeous riffage, technical lead-playing, and of course, some deep, hollowed vocals that sound like my sleep paralysis demon. Ironically, it’s a pretty enlightening album, lyrics-wise. But whatever is in store for Lunar Chamber in 2024, whether it’s a full-length album or another EP, I’m waiting with baited breath.

• Bandcamp

THE GREAT BEYOND

Before I sign off the pirate radio airwaves one last time and enter into the great beyond, I’ll thank you for listening to me ramble on about the music I love. But for now, I’d like to thank you for taking the time to read this horrifically long rundown. Here’s to 2024, and hoping the ETs allow us to live just a little longer, or at least until we get that new King Diamond album.

The post Best Of 2023: Josh Heath – The Spirit Of Extraterrestrial Radio appeared first on Last Rites.

• The cover art is an oddball floating brain that’s immediately as arresting as it is perplexing.
• The definition of the album title as it pertains to art is a creation that is too complicated in design or construction, which is basically telegraphing precisely what their mission statement is right off the bat.
• You could play this album at 10% speed and it will still take you 100 listens to gather what the hell is going on in a single song.
• Eventually, you’ll find yourself scrolling the tracklist only to discover there’s a song titled “Dolphin.”

Did you read that? It’s titled “Dolphin.” It will make you feel like a person who was just asked how another person could be dropped on their own head.

Fuck it, let’s start the song discussion portion of this review off with “Dolphin.” Should you skip straight to this track, you will be greeted with the auditory equivalent of hooking up a car battery to your nipples and gluing an endlessly pulsing set of electrodes to your temples. The guitars noodle and tap in such a frenzy that they’re almost vibrating up and down across the song. They dance like the song’s aquatic mammal namesake, doing aerial acrobatics amongst a hail of drumming gunfire. Does that make sense? Of course, it doesn’t; none of this does, and it’s all the better for it. The song also ends with one of the most br00000tal beatdowns of the entire record.

While the album produces more noodles than an Italian grandma who serves an 18-course meal anytime someone says they could use a snack, Overwrought is truly a showcase of Longstreth’s drumming prowess. He plays every type of blast beat that’s ever been heard of and some that may not exist yet. Shut up; it could be true. He leverages about ten different kinds of blast beats in “Culinary Cadaveric Art” alone, and I swear there’s a brief part in “Anencephalic Birth” where he plays one blast beat inside of another one. I don’t know how that’s possible. Maybe it’s not possible. I think this album broke me. Please send help.

Of particular note is that he manages to make the cymbals as vital to the songs as the barrage of snare and kick work. For example, look to the absolutely kickass moment where the cymbals are galloping while the rest of the drum parts are in full assault mode, and the guitars are firing off repeated shredding notes late in the runtime of “Abducted for Research.” There’s a nuance and flow to the madness of the drums throughout this album that is truly exceptional.

The title track was surely chosen for its on-the-nose implications stated above, but it also happens to be the most fiery track on the album. It’s difficult to say precisely how, but it’s just that extra bit more of an energetic and violent brand of tech-death compared to the songs before it. It feels like the band recorded everything else and then completely lost control of their bodies and loosed every ounce of insanity they had left. Neurectomy then had the giant stone cajones to end the album with “Crimson Tsunami,” which makes everything Brain Drill ever did feel like it was written by a tortoise. I know the tortoise beat the hare in a race, but could it beat a dolphin in one? FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY, WHY HAVE YOU NOT SENT HELP?!

For a good portion of folks reading this, we are heading into the holiday season. This time of year means putting up with more obnoxious people who are suffering finance-induced delirium in public spaces; trying to prepare oneself for the inanity of either the banalest or violently inappropriate conversations that always crop up with that one idiot of a relative we all have; and trying to avoid a heart attack brought on by the stress of balancing time off from work and getting shit done. Quite frankly, many of us could use a little help shutting our brains off just a bit more as we move into the year’s final weeks. Why not let Overwrought prod you with a little short-circuit for your own good?

The post Neurectomy – Overwrought Review appeared first on Last Rites.

Metal is at an interesting nexus at the moment. When else in time could four lads born after The Sound Of Perseverance, a quartet of slightly more seasoned musicians from South America, and a pair of dudes from Texas that released a demo in ’96 be in the running for some of the finest death metal of the year? Not to mention a band of multifaceted musicians that can return to the well when inspiration ambushes to keep things fresh and exciting. When else would you get bands that laid down essential precursors to the genre returning to their classic material, not just to get out of a contract or for a cynical payday, but doing it with what feels like a rekindled spark for the passion to play this music in the first place?

Unfortunately, Afterbirth were devoured by a gigantic wormhole, vanishing from the planet Earth for a few hundred thousand years before re-emerging from the galactic goo roughly two decades in terrestrial time from their inception. Naturally, they got right back into action, releasing a four song demo in 2014 that roughly sketched out the idea of what the band had become (would become? Wormholes wreck havoc on grammar). In a much more tragic turn events, the band that had somehow managed to hold together its entire original lineup through a twenty year gap with such renewed vigor and creativity tragically lost their vocalist two years later. Duncan’s rich, gurgling contribution to the genre notwithstanding, his typewriter-on-wet-paper annunciation through some of the most fluidly pleasing guttural vocals that harkened back to the demo days were an integral and defining aspect of the band’s sound.

Afterbirth live at Saint Vitus.
Photo: Christopher J. Harrington

It doesn’t take an astrophysicist to figure out that a comic book readin’, death metal obsessed kid in Long Island like Will Smith had probably been jamming out to a tape of Psychopathic Embryotomy back in the day, and given the reverberation his vocal chords would later put forth in the similarly transhumanist dystopia of Artificial Brain, he was a natural fit for vocal duties when Afterbirth at long last released their debut album, The Time Traveler’s Dilemma in 2017. By now, their sound had evolved to something far more… alien. Using technical playing and progressive structures as tools, Afterbirth showcased an ability to carve fascinating–and oddly pleasing–melodies from the brutality with oddly warm, captivating but coldly inhuman tones as they traversed the cosmos, armed with the gravity hammer of Smith’s vocals to keep things anchored in the brutality even when the music is playing hopscotch through dazzling quasars.

The follow-up album, Four Dimensional Flesh, tightened the songwriting while pushing their sound even further into alien star systems. The spaced-out progressive edge felt fully blossomed but also instantly memorable–playing it back after the first time there were these instant bullet points that already felt familiar. “Catchy” isn’t the right word, and neither would I describe the experience as “having hooks,” but the music essentially covered the job of both in its own inverted way.

Their latest work, the aptly titled In But Not Of, loosens the concise songwriting a bit and lets the band explore even further, opening them up to drift a bit deeper into the oxygenless void. Testing the limits of the lifeline to the mothership, the album feels more untethered, as though floating through the cosmos of the band’s imagination. Their greatest skill–the ability to sneakily but profoundly mix elements of space rock and post-rock into their riffing style while retaining every ounce of sheer heaviness they professed back in the promising demo era remains a touchpoint for their sound. Even the album’s title feels like a statement of self-realization, or perhaps intent: Afterbirth may be lumped into brutal death metal, but they don’t feel at all confined or restrained by it. In, but not of.

For recording, the band returned to work with Four Dimensional Flesh engineer and all around studio whiz Colin Marsten. I can’t speak on it with any impunity, but judging from the final product I have to imagine the audio gremlin had an absolute blast coloring, placing, and painting with the array of sounds Afterbirth brought to the table with In But Not Off. There’s a lot of love put into the production (including a dedicated vinyl master) to make it an immersive experience. The kicks punch deep and low, more felt than heard. The bass has its own vacuum in which to play, allowing both the percussive and melodic elements of bassist David Case’s musicianship to shine. The guitar sound morphs from crunchy, violent asteroid showers in the mid space to glimmering nebulae and shimmering star clusters, and the light use of keys on “Hovering Human Head Drones” glows like irradiated belts of space dust on the fringes of the astral body of the music. All of this swirls around the light-crushing black hole of Will Smith’s growling voice, slowing and inhumanly sucking it all into the maw like some sort of unfeeling celestial being: a dark, solar system-devouring Kirby.

The most straightforward track on the album is still a pretty bizarre one. “Vomit On Humanity” continues the band’s tradition of working one track from their 2014 demo into their current work (or is the current work built around the one track? Space-time is wild, man), with “Maggots In Her Smile” on The Time Traveler’s Dilemma and “Spiritually Transmitted Disease” getting an updated treatment on Four Dimensional Flesh. “Vomit” is a thrashy number, like early Cannibal Corpse getting shoved into an airlock and jettisoned into the orbit of some zombie-infested moon. The riffs may be thrashy, but the song almost inverts thrash tropes, teasing hammer-smashed breaks and suddenly shifting the mood to send the listener on a whiplashing ride around the undead asteroid that found its way into orbit.

It’s impressive how a band can use brutal death as an anchor and make a song like “Autoerotic Amputation” feel like a Sonic The Hedgehog boss battle on Mecha World at the start and morph it into the stargazing alternative rock of Hum–the latter being an element that pops up extremely organically across Afterbirth’s albums. “[Hum] are probably as intertwined/hardwired into my guitar writing DNA as Suffocation is,” explains guitarist Cody Drasser upon a brief inquiry about the matter. Intertwined is correct–none of the cross-genre workings feel in any way forced, flowing naturally into the music as the songs take form. Bits and pieces pop up more prominently from time to time, but songs like “Autoerotic Amputation,” the instrumental title track “In But Not Of,” and especially the bridge of album highlight “Angels Feast On Flys” (its impact punctuated with the choice of drum patterns by percussionist Keith Harris) really bring the introverted space rock influence into focus. “Hovering Human Head Drones,” in a stark contrast to the reworked “Vomit On Humanity,” feels like its expanding the universe of Afterbirth. Perhaps it’s the far-out keyboard work of Martsen or Drassar’s soulful, drifting guitarwork, but the band’s ability to translate something human in the depths of something as cold as space makes their work radiate even more. It’s lonely up here, Major Tom–it’s frightening, it’s violent, it’s inhuman and beyond our understanding, but goddamn if it isn’t beautiful to witness.

While I was instantly impressed with In But Not Of, it took a few more spins and a more focused listen to fully appreciate than my experience with Four Dimensional Flesh. Their latest work feels like the band are challenging both themselves and their listeners–they’ve found a sound but don’t feel like the sort of band that can sit too still or stay too comfortable. Forever in, but not of. There are all manner of smaller surprises tucked in, lurking behind the gas giants of the songs themselves, just begging to be discovered by the keen ear. For a new listener, I’d still recommend Four Dimensional Flesh as a starting point for its balance, to understand the world Afterbirth is playing in–if only so the experience can tee their brain up so In But Not Off can knock it into the ionosphere with a sick, wet thwack.

The post Afterbirth – In But Not Of Review appeared first on Last Rites.

More like blackened cerebral RIFFS, amirite?

Now that we got that idiocy out of the way, I’d like to talk about Key & Peele, the delightful sketch comedy show created by the wild minds of Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele. First, rewatching older sketches like this one has made it painfully clear that Peele had been telegraphing his horror obsessions long before he started directing. Second, my wife only had a passing familiarity with their work and had never seen some of their most popular bits. That was my time to encourage the consumption of a gummy (you know the ones) and start cycling through the hits. A particular favorite of hers has one very specific moment that is constantly overtaking my vision while I listen to Dead and Dripping:

Don’t get it twisted; while all of that sounds very upbeat, there’s nothing pleasant about listening to Dead and Dripping’s third album Blackened Cerebral Rifts. In fact, I’d say this particular batch of technical death metal is all too ready to blast up on some terries. One of the most immediate strengths of this album is its production. The sound achieved is crisp without being clean, meaning you can hear every instrument clearly and layered to each one’s benefit without the songs feeling sterilized. Despite the cacophony being created, the sounds are not overwhelming or detract from the songcraft at hand. It’s reminiscent of something like None So Vile, where it’s raucous and raw but decipherable thanks to a deft hand at production thanks to Daniele, yet again.

The gurgling vocals and dense, complicated music will likely lead most people to think of Demilich as the most obvious comparison. That match is further cemented by the perfectly ridiculous death-metal word-salad song titles like “Kaleidoscopic Visions of Porous Obsidian Eternities.” What the hell is that? I don’t know, and you don’t either, you liar! It sure does sound awesome, though.

The nearly eight-minute “Infinitely Plummeting into Violet Portals of Delusion” may be the most emblematic track on the album because, despite its length, the song engagingly plays with tempos while balancing steadily shifting patterns against repeated passages just enough to keep you locked in and have your head swirling. While the early few minutes swing through an angular maze of riffs and staccato batterings of snare abuse, the song starts to consistently slow to a doomy crawl in the middle as if Daneile is starting to fall apart from attempting to play the first half. When it picks back up, most of the rest of the song has a killer repeated guitar part with a biting, pinched riff that has undeniable swagger. While asking someone to engage in 45 minutes of this kind of music is a tall order, Daniele throws you a bone occasionally with a great hook, tempo reprieve or even a little soft lilipad of an interlude right in the middle of the album.

Other elements help with this reprieve as well, such as the bopping bass passage in “Meticulously Unraveling the Serpentine Consciousness” or the lead provided by Toni Thomas (Carnal Tomb) in the album opener “Tragic Ascent of Absurdity’s Pale Moon.” It would be great to have leads like that sprinkled throughout the album a bit more often, as it provides a real flare of fiery smoothness amongst the mostly jagged riffs.

You needn’t be a herpetologist to enjoy this swamp of technical goodness. Make yourself a nice grasshopper, post up on a log in the woods and let Blackened Cerebral Rifts rain a veritable swarm of delicious death metal treats all over your moist little head.

The post Dead and Dripping – Blackened Cerebral Rifts Review appeared first on Last Rites.

To listen to and fully enjoy Analepsy requires a state of mind matching the above. The band’s wares are most effective when you’ve turned off your brain and you can be subsumed under its triumphant ignorance. And quite frankly, if you don’t do it yourself, this 37-minute butt seizure (I assume that’s what the band’s name means) will short-circuit all your thinky thoughts into monosyllabic drooling anyway. It’s best to switch the ol’ noggin off of your volition in this humble dumbdumb’s opinion.

Sorry, my brain is no work good from all the spins of sophomore album Quiescence.

Is this rawer than sewage with the lowest of unintelligible gurgles and trash cans pinging through your eardrums? Nay, ye cretin.

Is it flailing tonk-tonk technicality beset by the most beat-your-meat of beatdowns like a Defeated Sanity? Sorry, my little gutter fiend, but no.

Oooh, oooh is it a well-polished mid-tempo battering that sounds like an alien invasion? Why, yes, you sentient enema, it is! The general production is more in line with Krighsu than anything by Devourment. But if Krighsu is a horde of xenomorphs in the ceiling rapidly assaulting you and overwhelming your senses, Quiescence is more like the queen alien slowly but relentlessly lumbering after you and pissed the fuck off.

Get the picture yet? (How many questions is this stupid fucking guy going to put in one review?)

Hit play and don’t you dare sass me again!

“Locus of Dawning” opens with thundering rhythms and slick guitar runs before locking into a beast of a grooving chug. Just before the 2-minute mark, there’s a killer little solo followed by a stuttering bridge that perfectly segues into some gnarly chugging permitting ignorance to once again reign supreme. As the song winds down, it just gets slower and lower to pound the listener into the dirt. And that’s really the approach throughout the entirety of Quiescence. “Accretion Collision” ventures into some more technical waters and “Converse Condition” ramps up the speed a bit more, but ultimately Analepsy is about injecting a cocksure swagger into their grooves, rhythms, and riffs that are impossible not to make a loving stank face to. It’s also a great deal of fun to see them add in some strong but not overly flashy leads to help break up the beatings with a little drama and power.

Additionally, it seems like a safe assumption that the band really loves the classic movie Deliverance considering how much they like to make the guitars and vocals squeal like a pig. I can’t comment on whether they like doing that while lost in the woods in their tighty whities, but I guess you could ask. (Look at that, I managed to bring up a question without actually asking one.)

Acolytes of brutality will likely be thrilled to see Wilson Ng (Facelift Deformation), Angel Ochoa (Disgorge, Abominable Putridity) and Ricky Myers (Disgorge, SUFFO-FUCKING-CATION) as guests on the record. Ultimately, their contributions are a great nod to the scene but chances are pretty good that many listeners aren’t even going to notice the presence of these merchants of demonic emanations if they’re not looking at the credits. Distinguishing between extra-guttural gutturals and more piggly pig-squeals can be a tall order after all.

Closing out with the instrumental title track is a bit of an odd choice. Interlude tracks can be a real gamble but in a style that tends to be a little more one-dimensional, throwing this one into the middle would’ve been a welcome break and refresher. Instead, it closes on an anti-climactic note that feels like the band is trying to audition for the next Halo soundtrack. “Edge of Chaos” before it has a great build-up and structure that feels like a more natural closer.

Ultimately, that’s a minor quibble as this album constantly makes the head bang whether you want it to or not. So, I only have one question left for you:

WHY HAVEN’T YOU BOUGHT THIS, YET?!?!?!?!?

The post Analepsy – Quiescence Review appeared first on Last Rites.

Part of what really helps Stillbirth separate from the pack is that they clearly do not take themselves very seriously. Please scroll back up and look at the album art that features a shark eating a man in a tidal wave, a rusty “VW” van running over zombies on a beach, a lady smoking a J with her yabbos hanging out the window and, most importantly, a goddamn terminator surfing on a crocodile way in the back. Also, this is their band photo from last year:

They’re wearing matching swim trunks, which, of course, they also sell. The brutal slam market that aims to be the grimmest, most violent and viscerally repulsive is all good, but any band that has an aura of hint-hint nudge-nudge say-no-more humor is going to grab this writer’s interest just a bit more. This German six-pack of party beasts has been slinging their brutal brews for two decades, so plenty of people must agree at this point.

Strain of Gods picks up right where Revive the Throne left off last year and that’s particularly true for three of the six tracks. It takes a grand total of 20 seconds for the first bass-bomb-backed slam to punch your ears on “Ultimum Exitium” and it closes with a bevy of alligator gurgles and pig squeals. “Surfers Paradise” pairs biting staccato patterns that’ll make you want to bark against a slower drawn-out riff that will prompt you to bang your head straight through your desk at work if you aren’t careful. Opening with pure speed in the form of some wily tremolos over relentless drumming, “Skinned by the Sun” also offers a borderline bellow-along stretch that I would surely partake in if I had any idea what was being said.

The other three songs boiling in the sun on this death beach offer little glimmers of Stillbirth stretching their sound and breaking out of the formula. “Double Fire Double Fun” opens with some didgeridoo reminiscent of Cryptopsy’s “Screams Go Unheard” before kicking into gear with a rather ominous guitar line. It still manages to open up to an isolated mid-paced riff coupled with a random sample before going full-tilt slam though, so the standard Unique Leader experience is still in play. “You Can’t Kill Us” bops into your ears with an infectious little bass line before unleashing an absolutely rollicking guitar lead, which immediately stands out against the backdrop of brutality. But brutal leads are supposed to be atonal, screeching, jagged piles of note barf aren’t they? Stillbirth says pish and also posh to you! That song also features a repeated vocal refrain that I’m pretty sure is roaring, “let’s get drunk” and I can certainly get on board with that.

The title track closer, however, pulls the most unexpected move of all. It starts with a rapid-fire batch of snare rolls and progresses to a moment of kicks firing off more beats than an AK-47 can shoot bullets, but then things get…pretty? All of a sudden the guitars get clean and the background is awash in the sounds of oceans and birds as if you were just transported to a luau. Yet again, they throw in a brief little jamming lead on the clean guitar. That relaxing prettiness lasts just long enough for you to forget what you’re listening to when all of a sudden Lukas Swiaczny comes gurgling in and Stillbirth batters you back to reality one last time.

If you’ve never listened to Stillbirth before, I actually think going back to last year’s Revive the Throne is the place to start. But, if you should be someone that prefers smaller sample sizes and a little more playfulness in your brutality, then Strain of Gods won’t steer you wrong.

The post Stillbirth – Strain Of Gods Review appeared first on Last Rites.