All reviews below are written and executed by Drako
In Their Sleep – Infinite Genesis (EP)
One of the best EP’s of the year so far!
Alright, so, this is my first review entry of this round of four reviews for you all and I will be typing up the rest later tonight. Anyways, first on my list is this Death/Deathcore EP that was made by In Their Sleep and these guys formed in the US sharing members from Georgia and Arizona; this short offering is named “Infinite Genesis” and this features the likes of a sci-fi style synth that duels with drawn out riffs in the intro track and there’s voices then in it over killer riffs and breakdowns and some of these voices sounds eerie too. Then we’re into the second track and this has pummeling drum work with groovy low tuned riffs that they then turn into breakdowns, there’s a couple of pinch harmonics added for further nastiness and heaviness; they then put in chaotic tremolos that are in short bursts. There’s a couple of eerie harmonies added in now and again to add atmosphere and some of these riffs sounds really chunky too.
This is FFO: Acrania, Infant Annihilator and add hints of Devourment in there too.
My favourite track on this crushing EP is titled “REDSHIFT” as it has diminished sections, sick drawn out riffs that crush and in this one, they add in pick scrapes to make it sound heavier and punchy. These go on for quite a while too and there’s these absolutely fast ride cymbal hits that the drums don’t let up on and they don’t overuse the use of breakdowns either, as they only put them where they’re needed. They put in a few bouncy harmonies to get your head banging and this track ends with rain and thunder. There’s definitely quite a lot of thrashy energy on this one all over it, so that they don’t lose or sacrifice intensity and they put in a few palm-muted harmonies in addition to the others and they add in technical nods, such as tapped harmonies and whammy bar accents. The soundbites return with more voices and the last track on this crushing EP has clean guitar passages, with awesome harmonies and some are even sweeped; it has more tapping sections and the vocals in here are comprised of deep growls, low guttural burps and high screams. The synths make a return with a brief violin-like sound for a few seconds that was a little random to be fair; the harmonies are sometimes isolated as well, and these are quite beautiful in tone and this awesome short offering ends with the sci-fi synths from the beginning. If you love Death Metal/Deathcore that’s heavy and has elements of atmosphere, then absolutely check this out.
Rating: 8.25/10
Bandcamp // Facebook // Instagram
Ascended Master – Crepuscular Gloom
Solid Melodic Blackened Death/Thrash that is focused on Lovecraft!
On my list next, is this Blackened Death/Thrash act that’s based in Ohio, US and these dudes formed in 2019. They have released their debut full length, and this band is named Ascended Master and this debut offering from them is called “Crepuscular Gloom” and this album features the likes of an intro track that has dark and eerie ambient synths that builds and transitions to the next track. Then, this goes into melodic and thrashy tremolo riffs and harmonic sections, then the grooves kick in which are fast and abrasive, then, this transitions into melodic harmonies and this debut has tremolos galore; they put in other harmonies that aren’t tremolos and these are eerie sounding. This has killer palm-muted chugs and power chord sections that are blended together that are designed to get you to headbang and there’s some drawn out doomy riffs in-between the faster sections and you will get to hear some Death influence on this at times too; there’s bouncy grooves happening and harmonies as well and there’s some killer chuggy breakdowns going on that will get you to bang your head.
This is FFO: Death, Sorceröt and there’s elements from the likes of Grave Miasma as well.
There are slower sections though too, which these are on the title track and on this, you can hear the deep dissonant tone of the bass until some slower harmonic sections come in until they head straight back into the thrashy intensity. They take a couple of rests before putting in blackened icy chord progressions and harmonies, next, they do add grooves to these icy and grim chord progressions too; there’s whammy bar accents put into this on occasion and the drumming is relentless and spot on, as David never slows things down in intensity when it isn’t needed. Some of the harmonies sound pretty and kinda pleasant at a point, then, they palm mute a couple of tremolos and add more grooves in the form of quick-fire harmonies and trills; the solos in here are shreddy, melodic with a couple of whammy bar accents thrown in and there’s a couple of slower, atmospheric ones too. My favourite track on this killer debut is titled “Separation of Earth and Magick”, and this has diminished riffs with grooves in-between them, bouncy harmonies and riffs, as well as shreddy ones too; there’s fast tremolos, palm-muted riffs that are groovy and chuggy. If you’re into thrashy blackened death that takes inspiration from Death at times and my man, Cody Knarr’s vocals reminds me of Trevor Strnad of TBDM (RIP) anyways, if you love Blackened Death, then definitely don’t sleep on this!
Rating: 8.25/10
Bandcamp // Facebook // Instagram
Februus – Construction of Conflict
Doomy and abstract Prog Death!
I have a press release on my list next here and it’s from this Progressive Death Metal outfit that’s named Februus and they’re about to release their sophomore full length album that drops on the 4th of September. These guys formed in Scandinavia, in Sweden and this upcoming full length is comprised of groovy riffs right from the get-go and there’s harmonies thrown in-between these and alternate picked power chords. These keep going, until they dial the speed up to eleven, as there’s short bursts of abrasive and aggressive tremolos and pummeling blast beats that are done by Andreas, as this is his one man project and the guitar tone of this project is almost Death/Doom in style; the grooves come back in and these are designed to get you banging your head and he throws in pinch harmonics for more heaviness too. This then cuts to ominous dissonant harmonies that sound a little bit beautiful a tad also and some eerie Sci-fi style synths come in shortly before he dives back into the thrashy and chaotic riffing. You have a few bouncy harmonies too for a time and there’s quite a few whammy bar accents put in; next, there’s these clicking instruments that fade in for a short time before the thrashy tremolos and pulverizing quick blast beats return.
This is FFO: VoidCeremony, Anata and there’s bits of Timeghoul also.
There are these beautiful clean guitar passages in the intro of the third track and Andreas adds a lot of thrashy riffs here and there too. You have a couple of chuggy harmonies going on and the bass can be heard at a few points as well, there’s pinched harmonics added in a couple of these harmonies for effect; my favourite track on this upcoming proggy death album is called “The First Limb Is Cut” as it has groovy harmonies with pick slides in-between them and has definite Blood Red Throne’s 6:7 in it at the start there’s drawn out riffs on this too that he lets ring out and there’s this weird sliding guitar effect under the harmonies. The solos on this are few and far between, but there’s diminished shredding, whammy bar dive bombs and a few atmospheric ones are in here also. This has a pretty interlude track as well halfway through that’s the same as the clean guitars and pretty sounding harmonies from earlier; next, the vocals on this are pretty much a really low gurgled growl with a few cleans thrown in on track 5. If you’re into Blood Incantation and similar bands, then when this drops in September, definitely keep your eyes peeled for this dropping!
Rating: 8.4/10
Bandcamp // Facebook // Instagram
Creeping Flesh – God’s Acres Rife With Flesh Adorned
Absolutely cutting, unmerciful buzzsaw!
For the time being until tomorrow morning, this is my final review for the time being and the last on my list is a well-known new wave of OSDM that is once again Swedish. This is the Death Metal outfit called Creeping Flesh with their brand new offering that’s titled “God’s Acres Rife with Flesh Adorned” this is the band’s third full length overall and these guys formed in the year of 2013 and this album has an acoustic intro track that gets more pretty towards the end and the electric guitars are over the top of it in the background and then, this goes into thrashy buzzsaw riffs, tremolos and killer drum work that repeats for a time, then palm-muted grooves come in with power chords that are alternate picked alongside them and some of this is absolutely crushing as it has plenty of thrashy sections and when they let the buzzsaw breathe slightly, I love when they let it ring out. There’s slower bouncy riffs that goes on in track three ‘Upon The Altar of Peace’ this then transitions to doomy buzzsaw riffs and in-between, they put in haunting sounding harmonies for atmosphere and they then add in a few slower tremolos for a time; there’s some sound effects of waves crashing before some harmonies kick in and then slow palm-muted chugs are in under the harmonies.
This is FFO: Revolting, Tramalizer and definitely some Entombed.
The bass can be heard at a point under the mix and when they isolate the guitar tone, for me, it’s pure bliss as I’m a buzzsaw slut; this then goes into palm-muted groove and chugs on the next track, and it has an explosion in terms of soundbites. This track is a relentless groovy banger, next, they put in a few pinched harmonics for atmosphere and heaviness; there’s even a few breakdowns and there’s guns firing sound effects as well as squealing whammy bar accents. My favourite song on this absolutely crushing full length is named “The Horrors That Befell Them” as it has more chunky grooves and palm-muted riffing, d-beat madness that’s kinda thrashy too and this track then gets slower and builds up to an awesome chuggy breakdown at the end and the solos in this full length are shreddy with a few tapping sections, whammy bar accents and dive bombs. The vocals done by Filip are guttural and wet and he does some brutal death style vocals on occasion and next, there’s some more soundbites of war and the next track after the interlude is quite pretty in sound and is a doomy styled track that’s melodic. All in all, if you love OSDM with thrashy and doomy sections, then look no further!