Tales From The Underground
Tales From The Underground
Artist: Paranoiac Country: USA Label: Self-Released Formats: Demo Tape Year: 2022 From Los Angeles, USA comes this relatively new band, Paranoiac. A Thrash Metal band that last summer self-released their 3-track demo tape ‘Morbid Psycho’. In less than 10 minutes,…
Artist: Phlegmesis Country: USA Label: Self-Released Formats: Digital Demo Year: 2023 Second demo for this one-man Death Metal act that has little to do with sophisticated soundscapes or technical wizardry. Instead, Phlegmesis goes deep into the most rancid sewers of…
Artist: VergewaltigerCountry: USALabel: Self-releasedFormats: Digital demoYear: 2023 Although the band had a demo, a one-track single and a split EP before, the music of Vergewaltiger never reached my ears before. Due to a recommendation I stumbled upon them and the…
Artist: DegravedCountry: USALabel: Gurgling GoreFormats: Cassette EP / CD EPYear: 2023 Degraved’s demo from last year, ‘Exhumed Remnants’ was reviewed on these VM-Underground pages and was concluded to be a “not a bad little demo” to which my colleague added…
Artist: Lividity Country: USA Label: Grinder Cirujano Records / Sindrome Productions Formats: Cassette EP / CD EP Year: 2022 ‘Rejoice In Morbidity’ was Lividity’s first EP, originally released on cassette tape back in 1996 on the short-lived Immortal Records (which,…
Artist: Nethingness Country: USA Label: Everlasting Spew Records Formats: LP / Cassette Tape / CD Year: 2023 In the review for Nothingness’ first self-released album, ‘The Hollow Gaze Of Death’, from 2019, my colleague was already positive about this USA…
Artist: Tyrant’s MightCountry: USALabel: Self-releasedFormats: Demo tapeYear: 2023 This Dallas, Texas, USA based Black/Speed Metal trio recently finished the recordings of their first demo/EP, ‘Recrudescence Of Diabolism’, which was eventually released at the very start of February of 2023. It…
Artist: WormfaceCountry: USALabel: Self-releasedFormats: Digital demoYear: 2023 What does a reviewer have to add when pretty much all the grass has already been cut from under his feet by the band themselves? With a band name like this and a…
Artist: Lunatic Devote Country: Greece Label: Self-Released Formats: Digital Demo Year: 2023 This Chicago, Illinois, USA based Death Metal outfit Lunatic Devote is presenting its first digital demo in the form of ‘Demonstration Of Lunatic Rituals’. Though it is very…
Artist: Grave Alter Country: USA Label: Self-Released Formats: Digital Demo Year: 2023 What would fit better to a lovely Valentine’s Day then a piece of rotten and depraved Death Metal? Well? Yeah, I figured… Nothing! On the menu today is…
Artist: Sepulchromancy Country: Argentina Label: Self-Released Formats: Digital Demo Year: 2023 This anonymous Death/Thrash Metal band (or project) has recently released its very first offering, a five-track demo, or EP, if you will, with a total playing time of just…
Artist: UønsketCountry: USALabel: Jems LabelFormats: Cassette EP / CD EPYear: 2022 Depending on which picture you see of Richard Fuller, the young man behind Uønsket, he is adorned in a dark cape, wearing warpaint and spikes (sometimes of impressive size)…
Artist: AbnutivumCountry: USALabel: Self-ReleasedFormats: Digital demoYear: 2023 The illustrious duo that is known as Abnutivum has seemingly resurrected out of a 10 year hibernation. Their first and only offering was a 2013 released demo/EP on cassette tape, called ‘Master’s Morbid…
Artist: Depraver / VrenthCountry: USALabel: Seed Of DoomFormats: Split LPYear: 2022 This split release between two Californian Death Metal acts, Depraver and Vrenth, was originally released in 2021 on both cassette tape (Nero One Records) and CD (Cavernous Records) and…
Artist: DehiscenceCountry: USALabel: Chaos Records / Pale Magus Productions / Seed of DoomFormats: Cassette EP / CD EPYear: 2023 Dehiscence is a new band comprised of musicians who prefer to be left anonymous, but, if certain sources are to be…
Artist: Hulder Country: USA Label: Self-Released Formats: Cassette Year: 2022 Over the past two or three years the name of Hulder became a much revered band in the Black Metal scene. The one-woman band gained some quick ‘fame’ and went…
Artist: ConjurethCountry: USALabel: Memento Mori Records / Rotted Life RecordsFormats: Cassette tape / CDYear: 2023 With this new full-length album the San Diego, Californaia, USA based Death Metal band Conjureth now have been able to deliver two EP’s and two…
Artist: ConjurethCountry: USALabel: Fucking Kill RecordsFormats: LPYear: 2022 Although this compilation of both of Conjureth’s demos was already released at the very beginning of 2021, it saw its first repressing during the summer of 2022. And, rightfully so, because with…
Artist: Diabolique Nocturne MagickaCountry: USALabel: Self-ReleasedFormats: Demo tapeYear: 2022 One-man Black Metal band Diabolique Nocturne Magicka is run by the anonymous figure of Graf Kaalveg S. A. Starnesii, who self-released his project’s first offering, the ‘Aufklärung’ EP on a nice…
Artist: Static Abyss Country: USA Label: Filth Junkies Records / Peaceville Records Formats: LP / Cassette Tape / CD Year: 2022 Autopsy has always been a band that spawned many a side-project, of which The Ravenous and Abscess might be…
Artist: Skeletal Earth Country: USA Label: VIC Records Formats: CD Year: 2022 The Madison, Alabama, USA based Death/Thrash Metal band were not quite top of their league back in the early 90’s. They were best known in their own local…
Artist: Skeletal Earth Country: USA Label: VIC Records Formats: 7″ EP Year: 2022 Together with the reissue of the band’s two full-length albums, VIC Records also reissued Skeletal Earth’s 7” EP from 1993. The rather corny title, ‘Dreighphuck’, is quite…
Artist: Skeletal Earth Country: USA Label: VIC Records Formats: LP / CD Year: 2022 In 1994 Skeletal Earth returned once again with a full-length album, which turned out to be their last one as they threw in the towel shortly…
Artist: Nihil Invocation Country: USA Label: Nuclear War Now! Productions Formats: LP / Cassette tape Year: 2022 Although the cassette tape version of Nihil Invocation’s fourth album was already released about a year earlier, the vinyl edition only appeared a…
Artist: AbradedCountry: USALabel: Aggressively Uninterested Formats: Cassette tape / CDYear: 2023 American Death Metal/Grindcore combo Abraded returns with a new full-length album, after their eponymous debut from 2021. A debut that to me was a very welcome and refreshing listen,…
Artist: VargrikeCountry: Hungary / USALabel: Self-releasedFormats: DigitalYear: 2022 Not long after the release of their debut EP, the American/Hungarian duo of Vargrike commenced work on their first full-length album. What exactly determines the line between an EP and full-length is…
Artist: VargrikeCountry: Hungary / USALabel: Self-releasedFormats: CD EPYear: 2021 How the international Black Metal duo came together is unknown, but in today’s day and age it allowed the union of the San Diego, USA based Velsingard and the Budapest, Hungary…
Artist: Morbikon Country: USA Label: Tankcrimes Records Formats: LP / CD Year: 2022 That music in general and metal more specifically is something that can bring together the most unlikely people. There are so many great examples of implausible collaborations,…
Artist: Fleshrot Country: USA Label: Desert Wastelands Productions / Me Saco Un Ojo Formats: LP / Cassette tape / CD Year: 2022 After the band’s eponymous 2020 demo, the Texas Death Metal band Fleshrot returns for their debut album. Those…
Artist: Harvest Gulgaltha Country: USA Label: Godz Ov War Productions Formats: Cassette tape / CD Year: 2022 The anonymous American trio that is Harvest Gulgaltha returns with their sophomore effort, five years after their debut. The enigmatic Black/Death Metal combo…
Artist: ToxikCountry: USALabel: Back On BlackFormats: LP / CDYear: 2023 My personal story is actually like so many here in The Netherlands. As a young enthusiast, I became hooked on metal in the late 1990’s, but at the time when Spotify…
Artist: AutopsyCountry: USALabel: Peaceville RecordsFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2022 Introducing Autopsy to a VM-Underground reader is like explaining Star Wars to a sci-fi enthusiast. Useless, then, so we won’t do that. There is, however, no denying of…
Artist: AutophagyCountry: USALabel: Necrolatry Records / Pulverised RecordsFormats: LP / Cassette tape / CDYear: 2023 In 2018 the American Death Metal band Autophagy delivered a nice demo that our chief editor Ricardo here at VM-Underground described as a good blend…
Artist: Carnal RuinCountry: USALabel: Redefining Darkness RecordsFormats: LP / CDYear: 2022 The nowadays Death Metal scene is getting gradually more bland and actually starts to feel a little jaded. The trends of today tend to flatten out the entire scene, with one part dealing with…
Artist: Thornspawn / MaledictvsCountry: USA / MexicoLabel: Inhuman Assault Productions / Werewolf RecordsFormats: Split cassette tape / Split CDYear: 2021 A split between Thornspawn and Maledictvs is actually a split featuring two sides of the creative duo of Blackthorn (drums, guitars)…
Artist: Manticore Country: USA Label: Hells Headbangers Records Formats: Cassette Tape / CD Year: 2022 One of Hells Headbangers earliest releases was Manticore’s debut album, ‘Bowels Of The Holy Anoint Us In Evil’. Together with a few other of those…
Artist: Thorn / Body Asphyxiation ScienceCountry: USA / United KingdomLabel: Gurgling GoreFormats: Split cassette tapeYear: 2022 Gurgling Gore, with their 50th release, brings you a short playing split tape between Thorn and Body Asphyxiation Science, that kicks right off after a…
Artist: Fleshgrind Country: USA Label: Burning Dogma Records / Corpse Gristle Records Formats: LP / Cassette Tape Year: 2022 After the release of the demos compilation CD and cassette tape, both Burning Dogma Records and Corpse Gristle Records teamed up…
Artist: Fleshgrind Country: USA Label: Burning Dogma Records / Corpse Gristle Records Formats: Cassette Tape / CD Year: 2021 Before Fleshgrind became an established name in the Death Metal/Grindcore scene, the band released two demo tapes, ‘Holy Pedophile’ (1993) and…
Artist: OcculsedCountry: USALabel: Everlasting Spew RecordsFormats: CDYear: 2022 Following the band’s simply amazing debut album, ‘Crepitation Of Phlegethon’, their label, Everlasting Spew Records from Italy, now brings you the bands two previously recorded demo tapes on one CD. And as…
Artist: Nihil Invocation / Irae Country: USA / Portugal Label: Self-Released Formats: Digital Year: 2023 ‘Evil Storm Of Haunting Recollections’ is a collaboration of two individuals who have drilled down the Black Metal genre to its very primal essentials. Both…
Artist: Obituary Country: USA Label: Relapse Records Formats: LP / Cassette Tape / CD Year: 2022 Though a new Obituary record is commonly regarded as a moment of joy to all Old School Death Metal aficionados, I kind of lost…
Artist: Hellfire Deathcult Country: USA Label: Helter Skelter Productions Formats: LP / CD Year: 2022 My VM-Underground colleague already commented quite aptly on these American’s debut album that the music of Hellfire Deathcult would appeal to fans of Teitanblood, Adversarial…
Artist: Haunter Country: USA Label: Profound Lore Records Formats: LP / Cassette tape / CD Year: 2022 Though Haunter has been around for about a decade now, they have remained under my radar up to this last album, ‘Discarnate Ails’.…
Artist: Severance Country: USA Label: Xtreem Music Formats: 10″ EP / Year: 2021 Xtreem Music offers another dive into the deepest underground Death Metal of the early 90’s with the reissue of Severance’s ‘Afterbirth Of Infamy’ demo from 1991. It…
Artist: Forgotten SwordCountry: USALabel: Elderblood ProductionsFormats: Digital DemoYear: 2022 Forgotten Sword is a Dungeon Synth artist from Russia, having released quite a number of releases in that style since 2020. But the ties between Dungeon Synth and Black Metal are…
Artist: Obituary Country: USA Label: Relapse Records Formats: LP / Cassette Tape / CD Year: 2022 Anyone who has ever seen an Obituary live show will agree that these veterans of American Death Metal sure know how to put on…
Artist: Obituary Country: USA Label: Relapse Records Formats: LP / Cassette Tape / CD Year: 2022 Like the simultaneously released ‘Slowly We Rot – Live & Rotting’ live record, this ‘Cause Of Death – Live Infection’ is also a recorded…
Artist: Vital RemainsCountry: USALabel: Xtreem MusicFormats: 10″ EPYear: 2021 One of the most underrated American Death Metal bands might be Vital Remains. Sure, they have a loyal fan base, but I’ve always felt that the band never reached their full…
Artist: Nunslaughter / Fluids Country: USA Label: Hells Headbangers Records Formats: Split 7″ EP / Split Tape EP Year: 2022 A split 7″ EP/cassette tape between two bands to who the concept of sharing a release is not exactly strange:…