Tales From The Underground
Tales From The Underground
Artist: WitchfukkerCountry: The NetherlandsLabel: Destruktion RecordsFormats: Demo TapeYear: 2022 With a band name like Witchfukker, nothing less than extremely non-subtle music will do. And the Dutch duo do not disappoint. Reeking of a primitive scent of Extreme Metal that walks…
Artist: Protrusion Country: USA Label: Unholy Domain Records / Sevared Records / A Sangre Fría Records Formats: Demo Tape / Demo CD Year: 2023 Although Protrusion is a new band at the front, three of its four members have a…
Artist: Tempest Country: Mexico Label: Self-Released Formats: Digital EP Year: 2023 Under the moniker Tempest, this trio, admittedly with modest experience in extreme metal, puts out a thoroughly enjoyable first EP. ‘Unending Torment’, a self-released 4-tracker with a total length…
Artist: Triclavian Country: Canada Label: Serpents Head Reprisal Formats: Cassette EP Year: 2023 While this trio from Canada may be a somewhat arcane entity, with all three members appearing only by their initials, the fact that this demo (or EP,…
One of the most interesting Death Metal albums of recent years was Occulsed’s debut album, released in 2021 by Everlasting Spew Records. It may be a new band, but with only a few demos on their record before the release…
Last year, Italy’s Thulsa Doom released their debut album, ‘A Fate Worse Than Death’ via Invictus Productions. The album is a breath of fresh air in a musical landscape in which Death Metal is becoming more and more similar, in…
Somewhere in the late 90’s I got some 7” EPs from a much older friend who liked this young kid that was me, devouring just everything that sounded remotely heavy. Amongst those 7” EPs was one of Malediction, ‘Mould Of…
If you are looking for complete objective reporting, in this case, you better look elsewhere. For me, music in general and metal in particular is not only an art form that is the vital lifeline in my existence, it is…
Over the last few years, Canada’s Grave Infestation have established themselves as a more than interesting band in the current Death Metal landscape. Last year the debut album saw the light of day as well as a compilation album featuring…
Artist: Avulsed Country: Spain Label: Xtreem Music Formats: 10″ EP / CD EP Year: 2023 One of Spain’s longest running bands is back with this new two-track EP, which is actually the first new material since the 2017 released split…
Artist: Undergang / Spectral VoiceCountry: Denmark / USALabel: Extremely Rotten ProductionsFormats: Split LPYear: 2023 A revival of old school Death Metal had been festering in the underground for some years resulting in some essential new wave classics such as ‘Breed…
Artist: Gravavgrav / Bastard Grave Country: Japan / Sweden Label: Behind The Mountain Formats: Split 7″ EP Year: 2023 As a fan of the split 7″ EP format for its (often) musical variety and the 7″ EP in general, it…
Artist: Casket Fesh Country: USA Label: Self-Released Formats: Digital Demo Year: 2023 Whether there will ever be a shortage of gory and zombie-inspired Death Metal is of course only questionable, but if it is up to Casket Flesh that moment…
Artist: Stenched Country: Mexico Label: Self-Released Formats: Digital Demo Year: 2023 There was a time when all muddy Death Metal would be gobbled up like sweet pie by me, around the transition from the 00’s to the 10’s, all over…
From Europe’s Death Metal capital, Copenhagen, there continues to be a never-ending stream of bands that keeps impressing time and again. Okay, most bands do seem to support the same club of musicians all the time, but that should not…
Artist: Dismorfia Country: Peru Label: Gurgling Gore Formats: Cassette EP Year: 2023 Barbarity from Peru, that’s not exactly new of course. It may not be the purveyor of extreme metal from South American countries, but the country has certainly made…
Artist: Nights Horn Country: France Label: Self-Released Formats: Demo tape Year: 2023 Of course, it is nonsensical to write an essay on Dissection’s far-reaching influence on today’s extreme metal scene. Almost weekly, we are treated to bands that (sometimes more…
Artist: Ritual Hammer Country: USA Label: Self-Released Formats: Digital Demo Year: 2023 There is little background information to give you any guidance before you turn on ‘Demo 2023’ by Ritual Hammer. But this demo, so far only available as a…
Artist: Weregoat Country: USA Label: Iron Bonehead Productions Formats: 7″ EP Year: 2023 Ahh, Weregoat. The ever-cheerful trio that has been ostentatiously hitting the road since the late 00s is making themselves heard again. Although their previous (and only) full-length…
Artist: Miscreance Country: Italy Label: Season Of Mist Formats: LP / CD Year: 2023 Although I came across the debut of this Italian Miscreance last summer, I did not get around to giving it a few words at the time.…
Artist: Worm Altar Country: USA Label: Gurgling Gore Formats: Cassette EP Year: 2023 Last year, one-man formation Worm Altar already delivered a very attractive piece of Doom/Death Metal with a self-titled demo. Although that particular genre has been troubled by…
Artist: Imperishable Country: Sweden Label: Hammerheart Records Formats: LP / CD Year: 2023 When I stumbled upon Imperishable’s ‘Deathspawn’ demo I was really very much intrigued by the fact that it had been able to get under my radar for…
Artist: Cattle Decapitation Country: Terrasite Label: Metal Blade Records Formats: LP / CD Year: 2023 Apart from maybe the very first outings (of which some were reissues on 2018’s ‘Medium Rarities’ compilation), Cattle Decapitation were never much of your regular…
Artist: Vomitory Country: Sweden Label: Metal Blade Records Formats: LP / CD Year: 2023 Vomitory is such a band that is hard to dislike if you are into extreme metal in general or Death Metal in particular. Although it might…
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Australia-based Denouncement Pyre, a band that I feel does not always get the credit it does deserve based on its music. Last year, the band released their fourth album with ‘Forever Burning’ through…
When I first heard Diabolical Messiah’s debut album, I didn’t hesitate for long and picked up the vinyl edition, released via Blood Harvest. ‘Satan Tottendemon Victory!!!’ was yet another proof that there had to be something very deadly in the…
Last year’s ‘Ascetic Reflection’ was one of the best forward thinking Death Metal releases that reached my ears in a long time. The compelling intricacies, creative dynamics and overall mind-boggling musical wizardy made the album slip into my Top-15 of…
Artist: Impetuous RitualCountry: AustraliaLabel: Profound Lore RecordsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2023 It was 2009’s ‘Relentless Execution Of Ceremonial Excrescence’, initially released by Profound Lore Records on CD and later in 2011 on vinyl by Blood Harvest, that put Australia’s Impetuous…
Artist: Sněť / Grave InfestationCountry: Czechia / CanadaLabel: Me Saco Un OjoFormats: Split 7″ EPYear: 2023 Two of the current scene’s most revered underground Death Metal bands are sharing this piece of black wax of 7 inches in diameter, released by Me Saco Un Ojo.…
When Imprecation announce a new album, you can unquestionably count on the fact that we will be dealing with another monumental piece of Blackened Death Metal. And, yes, with ‘In Nomine Diaboli’, the Texas veterans once again fulfil all expectations.…
Artist: Galvanizer / MorbificCountry: FinlandLabel: Iron CorpseFormats: Split cassette tapeYear: 2023 To add some lustre to their joint tour, these Finnish bands are releasing a split tape where, in a pretty pink and yellow cover, they want to show off…
Artist: EnforcedCountry: USALabel: Century MediaFormats: LP / CDYear: 2023 Although the blending of Thrash Metal and Hardcore is not exactly something new, and in the 80’s, through bands like D.R.I. and Suicidal Tendencies, it was a breath of fresh air…
For a long time, the Death Metal genre seems to have been a fairly static affair. Apart from a few exceptions in the form of bands like Atheist, Cryptopsy and, of course, Death, most of it has been mostly of…
Artist: VoidCeremonyCountry: USALabel: 20 Buck SpinFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2023 VoidCeremony has been featured here before and each time I was left amazed. The music always delivered an outstanding experience, a wild and extravagant sort Death Metal…
Artist: Carpet BombCountry: USALabel: Self-ReleasedFormats: DigitalYear: 2023 Apart from two previously released online singles, ‘Awaken Terror’ is the debut from this Phoenix, Arizona, USA-based Thrash Metal trio. The band doesn’t mince words, with a cover like this one, you pretty…
One of the longest running Greek Black/Death Metal bands is definitely Embrace Of Thorns, not only have they been there for a quarter of a century now, they are also one of the best bands from Greece – and, quite…
Artist: Katy ScaryCountry: USALabel: Self-ReleasedFormats: Digital EPYear: 2023 Two demos and this latest EP is the solo output of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA based Katy Scary. With her other band, Klaymore, she has been active in the Heavy Metal/Power Metal spectrum,…
Artist: Dying RemainsCountry: CanadaLabel: Maggot StompFormats: Cassette EPYear: 2023 Although I couldn’t relate much to the positive vibe that was created around Detherous, the Canadian Death/Thrash Metal band, and found their album quite a bit of an underwhelming affair, everything…
Artist: Mithridatum Country: Italy / USA Label: Willowtip Records Formats: LP / Cassette Tape / CD Year: 2023 Mithridatum is a new band, founded last year, of a trio with their origin in both the USA as well as Italy,…
Artist: Morbid DestroyerCountry: USALabel: Nihil Verum Nisi Mors ProductionsFormats: Demo tapeYear: 2023 Morbid Destroyer, a band with a more than appropriate name, releases its first demo with ‘Accursed Summoning’ – not counting the short digital promo from 2022. But despite…
Artist: Savage NecromancyCountry: USALabel: 20 Buck SpinFormats: 12″, Cassette Tape, CDYear: 2022 Originally released in 2021 on CD and in two versions on cassette tape, all three by different labels, the album was also picked up by the much larger…
Artist: EstenosisCountry: SpainLabel: Escafismo RecordsFormats: Demo tapeYear: 2023 ‘Orgía Necrofílica’ is Estenosis’ third demo and just like the two preceding tapes, this one has quite an impressive tracklist of no less than 18 tracks. Tracks that are brimming with some…
Artist: Plague BearerCountry: USALabel: Nameless Grave RecordsFormats: LP, CDYear: 2023 Plague Bearer is a band that was formed all the way back to 1992 and released two demos in the first half of the 90’s. Then, in 1994, the band…
Artist: AnarkhonCountry: BrazilLabel: Debemur Morti ProductionsFormats: LP, CDYear: 2023 Although the band has never been much of a standard gory styled Death Metal band, the Brazilians of Anarkhon have come quite a long way. The band was already founded back…
Artist: Cursed ExcruciationCountry: BrazilLabel: Angel of Cemetery Records / Iron Bonehead Productions / Unpure RecordsFormats: Demo tapeYear: 2023 After two demos tapes, released in 2021, Cursed Excruciation’s sole member, Trance Of The Undead, started forging his ancient steel into something…
Artist: Reeking Aura Country: USA Label: Profound Lore Records Formats: LP / CD Year: 2022 After their self-released 2020 EP ‘Beneath The Canopy Of Compost’, it was to be expected that New York-based Death Metal band Reeking Aura would come…
Artist: EctospireCountry: USALabel: Transylvanian RecordingsFormats: Demo tapeYear: 2023 Apart from a previously online released song that also appears on this demo cassette, with ‘Formless Horrors’ we are dealing with the first feat of this Death Metal band from Tulsa, Oklahoma,…
Artist: Denial Of DeathCountry: GermanyLabel: Self-ReleasedFormats: DigitalYear: 2023 The Brazilian born and in Germany residing Glauber “Haereticus” Ataide formed Denial Of Death in 2021 as a solo-project with the ‘Unholy Trinity’ as his first feat. And although it remains a…
Artist: DistrüsterCountry: PolandLabel: Ossuary RecordsFormats: CD, Cassette tapeYear: 2022 ‘Sic Semper Tyrannis’ is the debut album for Polish Distrüster, a band that was founded in 2021 by James Stewart (Decapitated and ex-Vader among many others) and two others to mix…
Artist: Rotpit Country: Germany / Sweden Label: War Anthem Records Formats: LP / CD Year: 2023 After a demo tape and single-track promo, of which a review can be found elsewhere on our VM-Underground pages, the trio that is Rotpit…