Stylistically, not much has changed since Grim1. Necrosexual still play a comedic, sleazeball form of blackened punk-thrash that sounds something like a snottier version of early Celtic Frost or a PG-13 version of Shitfucker. On songs like the opener, “High Times in Hell,” the band deliver big, confident riffs over battering mid-tempo drums, all while The Necrosexual delivers his sneering roar. A few tracks also feature brief forays into genuine black metal, complete with frosty riffs underlaid by blast beats. In a move that vaguely calls to mind Devil Master, much of the album also features twinkling synth lines in the background, an effect that makes the second track, “The Brimstone Brothel,” sound like a Venom-inspired carnival ride from hell.

For all my gripes about Grim1, variety wasn’t one of them, and Road to Rubble features a similar level of diversity with a much higher level of quality. “Kiss the Knife” stands out with its catchy, sinister verses that feature the track title sung in a King Diamond-style falsetto, while the more straightforward “Lubricator” sounds like an alternate version of Morbid Tales where the dethroned emperor has become a sex slave. As the album progresses into its final third, things get more rock-esque, with the rhythms getting stompier, the leads getting more flamboyant, and the vocals getting more adventurous. “Damned Romance,” for example, is like a blackened 80s cock rock anthem that culminates with a chorus of deep crooning cleans that are impossible not to sing along with. The closer, “Hard Leather Woman,” gives off similar vibes while reminding me of Midnight with its gruff, semi-clean vocals.

If there’s any gripe I have with Road to Rubble, it’s that stacking so many slower songs in the album’s second half saps a bit of the energy generated by the quicker songs earlier in the record. By the time I’ve reached the eighth of these nine tracks, hearing another slow song like “Nocturnal Ignition” isn’t going to make me have a nocturnal emission anytime soon. Fortunately, the stellar production outweighs this quibble, with the guitars sounding full and vibrant, and the overall sound having a slightly raw edge while balancing everything well. The guitar solos are plentiful, colorful, and rocking, and the band sound like they’re enjoying the hell out of themselves over the entirety of these 35 minutes.

In revisiting Necrosexual with Road to Rubble, I initially wasn’t sure whether my taste had gotten worse or the band had gotten better. Turns out, it’s probably a little bit of the former and a whole lot of the latter. With this album, the band has maintained their penchant for variety while stepping things up in every way, with better songs, better performances, and a better production job. Beyond all that, this album just feels incredibly endearing, with a genuine, fun, and oddly timeless quality that makes Necrosexual sound like a band you want to both listen to and root for. For those who don’t mind a little humor and playfulness in their blackened thrash, I’d say this Road to Rubble is worth taking a ride down.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: PCM
Label: Black Metal Archives
Websites: necrosexual.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/grimmestofalltime
Releases Worldwide: February 27th, 2026

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With fourth album Colours of Pain, Ron has again kept himself within the blackened death sphere, this time by producing what’s essentially a modern black metal album that still contains enough variety and heavier flourishes to keep it from being trapped solely within that genre’s confines. Roughly half the songs here are similar to the opener, “Ashes,” which faintly recalls Satyricon in how it bobs forward on rocking rhythms that support Ron’s wretched, raspy growls and headnod-worthy riffs. The song is a decent tune with guitar-work that’s clear and assertive, if somewhat unremarkable. Of the other songs in this style, “Mindvirus” and the closer, “Resist,” are the best of the bunch, with snappy mid-tempo drumming and catchy, “riding to war” riffs that are sure to earn them a spot on my future jogging playlists. In much of the record’s second half, things drift more into post-black metal territory, with tracks like “Death Machine” using slightly slower passages, flashes of melody, and high-register guitars to conjure the melodrama of stuff like Woods of Desolation.

On paper, Colours of Pain seems to be a pretty diverse set of songs. Yet, somehow, it still comes across as oddly homogenous. In part, this issue may be caused by Joris’s drumming: While I enjoy the man’s beats, I wouldn’t call his performance particularly dynamic, with much of the album cruising pleasantly along at a similar tempo. As a result, many of the songs end up having a similar overall feel, even when the underlying riffing is quite different. The blame is not solely his, however. While Ron employs some decent riffs here, he never delivers anything that truly grabs you by the balls, resulting in an album that requires a decent amount of undivided attention to reveal its charms. The production has a clear and balanced sound that reminds me of Art of Propaganda signees like Harakiri for the Sky, which works for Bloodred’s style but exacerbates the album’s homogeneity a bit by coming across just a touch too loud and clean for me.

Despite these shortcomings, Colours of Pain remains an enjoyable release overall, and its highlights become increasingly apparent with repeated listens. The title track, for instance, shifts between a nice shuffling, mid-tempo riff and more traditional black metal hammering, resulting in a cool song that sounds something like a socially-conscious version of Belphegor. “Heretics” is another good cut, featuring an odd sidewinding riff and a particularly combative tremolo line. The backing operatic vocals in “Winds of Oblivion” and the climax of “Ashes” are also a nice touch, with the former track also serving as one of the album’s only true “slow” songs (making it a perfect lead-up to the boisterous closer, “Resist”).

Colours of Pain is the type of album that you can put on for any extreme metal fan, and while they may not love it, they almost certainly won’t hate it. Although initial impressions suggest an album that’s too inoffensive for its own good, repeat listens reveal a record with enough quality ideas and variety to keep it from being just extreme metal elevator music. What’s more, a perusal of Bloodred’s website shows that Ron seems quite passionate about the music he makes and the politically tinged lyrics that color these songs. In all, if you’re looking for a modern extreme metal album that goes down easy, you could do far worse.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Massacre Records
Websites: bloodred.bandcamp.com | bloodredband.com | facebook.com/bloodredofficial
Releases Worldwide: February 13th, 2026

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Despite the shift, Barbarian seem to have lost none of their belligerence. The album’s intro, aptly titled “Warning,” is a reimagining of the intro of the same name from the 1993 Ice-T album Home Invasion, and it helpfully informs listeners that they are listening to a Barbarian LP before instructing them to take out the tape if they are offended by phrases like “may the Almighty choke on all my sins.” From there, the first proper track, “Maxima Culpa,” roars in with burly and unapologetic guitars, throttling drums, and Crossburn’s gruff roars. As before, the sound is regressive, pulling lovingly from speed metal, thrash, black metal, and even bits of classic heavy metal with its brief majestic leads. While not the most memorable cut, it’s clear this unwashed bunch still have plenty of piss and vinegar to offer. The follow-up, “Sledgehammer,” further beats this home, with its big chunky riffs and pummeling proclamation of the track title helping the song live up to its blunt moniker.

Sadly, as Reek of God continues, it starts to stink in ways that perhaps it didn’t intend. It soon becomes apparent that Viperface’s shortage of standout hooks seems to have continued on this album—only here, it’s more of an issue. Viperface still succeeded in spite of that hangup because the songs were well-developed and took interesting turns, even if not everything was the most memorable. Here, however, the band have shortened their average track length to around three minutes, and rather than use that abbreviated format to write tight, catchy bangers, the group instead almost always eschew notable refrains in favor of simply tossing together an assortment of decent, aggressive riffs they seem to have had lying around the practice room. The result feels like an album of brief speed metal vignettes that largely pass by without much note. The production only amplifies this issue, as it sounds like the guitars and vocals are fighting for space in the mix, with the guitars having a blaring tone that I don’t love.

Fortunately, there’s still some good here. The last proper track, “Retrogarde Metal” (yes, it’s actually spelled like that), finally does feature a fun shout-along refrain, and closing the album with the horror-synth instrumental “Crurifragium” was a cool touch. “Freak Magnet,” a cover of the all-female rock band L7, is also a solid cut that adds a bit of punky energy late in the runtime. I also enjoy some of the classic heavy metal licks that appear on “Cancer Cross,” though such ideas generally seem to be less prevalent on this album than on previous ones. Crossburn also delivers some nice attitude in his vocals, with at least one “UGH!” and a self-referential shoutout of “Tell them what’s up, Crossburn!” before a ripping solo.

Overall, though, it’s hard not to be a little disappointed here. By doubling down on their no-fucks-given attitude, Barbarian seems to have taken an even moar primitive and less refined approach, resulting in shorter songs that have plenty of energy but not as much that sticks to the ribs. In their best prior works, the band excelled at combining mighty riffs and melodic leads into wholly engaging compositions. Only time will tell if we’ll ever see them do that again.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Dying Victims Productions
Websites: linktr.ee/barbarianmetal | facebook.com/barbarianmetal
Releases Worldwide: January 23rd, 2026

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After Tempter‘s, Gene stripped the band down to a power trio consisting of himself on vocals and guitar, Alex Blume (Ares Kingdom, ex-Blasphemic Cruelty) on bass, and Ron Parmer (Malevolent Creation, Brutality) behind the kit. This lineup appeared on 2020’s Sacraments of Descension (which was an enjoyable album that I probably underrated at the time) and 2022’s Merciless Upheaval (which was really more of a glorified EP, given that half of its eight songs were covers). Now, this same crew is back with 2025’s Malign Apotheosis, another firestorm of an album with just enough of a different approach to still feel fresh.

Of course, Perdition Temple are the sort of underground band that are never going to stray too far from their signature formula. And indeed, this album’s scalding blackened death metal approach is largely similar to what Perdition Temple have always done. The opening track, “Resurrect Damnation,” shows Gene’s trademark six-string attack leading the charge as well as we’ve ever heard it, with the song crammed full of supercharged Morbid Angel riffs, rapidly churning tremolos, lightning-speed solos, a vaguely thrashy midsection, and a quick devilish motif that just barely holds everything together.

“Quick” actually turns out to be apt description for these eight tracks as a whole. While Perdition Temple have always been fast, prior albums often incorporated notable slower moments to add some memorability and variety to the mayhem. Here, only “Kingdoms of the Bloodstained” really slows down for any decent amount of time, with its abrasive mid-tempo bridge sounding like Immolation reforged in the fires of blackened death metal. Most of these tracks instead take the approach of the follow-up song, “Purging Conflagration,” which maniacally barrels forward on violent, pounding chugs and squawking notes without ever stopping for air. The end result is perhaps the most relentless and vicious album the band have yet released.

That’s not to say there’s nothing memorable or noteworthy here. The title track, for example, strikes especially hard by incorporating its addictive, staccato main riff between bouts of sludgy Morbid Angelisms. Likewise, the closing track, “Fell Sorcery,” shows that Gene’s reunion with John Longstreth in Malefic Throne may have caused some Origin influence to bleed over into here, as the song climaxes with an explosive laser beam riff that could have easily been pulled from a tech death album. Through it all, Gene’s raspy vocals sound more biting and scornful than ever, while Ron Parmer proves once again to be the perfect fit for this project. The man wisely refrains from using constant blast beats and instead beats the hell out of his kit in a way that has surprising finesse, matching the momentum and frequently morphing nature of Gene’s riffing. Perhaps this album’s most notable trait, however, is the production, which is more raw than the band’s prior work and recalls the unpolished sound of Behemoth‘s The Apostasy. While this makes the sooty guitars feel a tad subdued, the drums more than make up for this by punching through everything with satisfying clarity.

A lot of bands tire out with age, but Perdition Temple apparently just gets dirtier and more relentless. Malign Apotheosis may not dethrone the band’s first two albums, but it’s a surefire win for fans of the band, and another reminder of how great blackened death metal can be when it’s written by one of the wildest riff-writers in the business.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Hells Headbangers Records
Websites: perditiontemple.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/perditiontemple
Releases Worldwide: November 28th, 2025

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And honestly, they kind of do. The Carnage Cast Shadows shows Shed the Skin still doing what they do best, all while sounding as inspired as a spritely young act just releasing their debut. As before, these songs largely barrel forward with a sense of belligerent glee, often carried by dexterous, melodic guitar lines that recall later Carcass. The opening title track highlights this energy right from the start, kicking open the gates with fast, pummeling drums and a quick, wriggly riff that’s sure to burrow its way into your brain. The next track, “Crook of the Sacred Skies,” keeps up the momentum with similarly swift tempos while avoiding redundancy via the harsher chords of its main riff. Through it all, Ash sounds as wild as ever, with his manic, garbled growls occasionally overlaid with higher, raspier vocals in a way that recalls Deicide.

Given Shed the Skin’s pedigree, it’s unsurprising that they know how to make an album work well, but The Carnage Cast Shadows is particularly successful due to its variety and tight track lengths. Songs like “Ice Hearted Herald” and “Henge Tomb” mix things up by slowing the tempo early, but it’s in the record’s back half where things get especially good. The opening moments of crossover thrash in “Formorian Hordes” initially make it seem like it’s going to be a repurposed Ringworm song before the track takes an awesome turn by incorporating jumpy couplets and a swirling, melodic solo that recalls modern Kreator. “Scion of Nyx” slings chunky chords at the listener and uses a dramatic pause to great effect, while the closing track, “Stolen from the Storm God,” uses a more measured main melody to end the album in fine form.

In all, there’s little to complain about. While songs like “Swarm and Talons” and “The Mind’s Vermin” don’t stand out as much as their brethren, there really isn’t a bad cut here, and the fact that many of these eleven songs are less than four minutes long means that nothing overstays its welcome. The biggest issue is the string of mid-tempo songs in the record’s first half, which subdues the energy a bit too much after the pit bull viciousness of the first two tracks. Fortunately, the production is great, with punchy drums, a beefy guitar tone, and a forceful overall sound. As always, the performances are also sizzling with inspiration, with each member sounding like they’re giving it their all and having an absolute blast while doing so. Matt and Ash deliver an endless onslaught of lively riffs and solos, Kyle delivers an aggressive drum performance, and seemingly every moment is crammed with Ash’s crazed vocals.

No one’s going to say this album is reinventing death metal, but that’s not the point of Shed the Skin. This project is about dudes who are good at death metal playing good death metal. On The Carnage Cast Shadows, they’ve succeeded by offering inspired performances, varied songs, and tight runtimes. Those who have been following Shed the Skin are sure to enjoy this as much as anything they’ve done, and in the book of Mark Z, it’s one of their best releases yet. Take the plunge and bang that fukkin head!

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Hells Headbangers Records
Websites: shed-the-skin.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/shedtheskin
Releases Worldwide: May 16th, 2025

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Lo and behold, I wasn’t quite correct. While there are certainly bestial war whiffs present here, Absolute Dominion by Fire feels more like a trve black metal album that forgoes Nordic frost in favor of the sweltering air of the Bluegrass State. The overall sound here is hot and tortured, with a raggedy guitar tone serving as the foil for short, simple riffs that feel suffocating in their bluntness and yet entrancing nonetheless. Adding to the hellish feel is the dual vocal approach, with drummer “Master of Graveyard Torment” and guitarist “Conqueror Horus” trading off garbled rasps and monstrous roars. Other than the “hot” sound, perhaps the biggest difference between this and more traditional black metal are the varied tempos. While blast beats do appear on songs like “Hellish Visions,” Pyromancer more often choose to lurch forward on mid-paced beats that feel both commanding and inexorable. Combined with the occasional ominous synthesizers, the overall approach is like the bastard child of Profanatica, Fornicus, and Mystifier.

Absolute Dominion by Fire works because it stays within its comfort zone while exploring every nook and cranny of it. In other words, the album offers plenty of variety while maintaining thematic unity and avoiding misguided experimentation. While the first proper track, “Ancient Hatred,” is probably the most typical example of Pyromancer’s sound, “Unholy Cremation” soon mixes things up with its lurching groove and hammering half-time stomp that sounds a lot like the Australian black metal band Hunters Moon.² The aforementioned “Hellish Visions” and the closer, “Volcanic Rapture,” use bouts of battering fury that evoke the war metal of Proclamation, while “Alchemical Red Death” employs a slow, anguished guitar line to drag your stupid fucking ass straight to hell. Later, the title track unleashes staccato, breakneck riffing that could pass for thrash in a different context, while “Perverse Immolation” serves as an early highlight with its searing tremolos and staggering, stompy midsection.

Though primitive black metal is rarely considered a nuanced style, Pyromancer have a keen sense of how to make it work. The largely instrumental opener “Igniting the Sacrificial Fire” sets the stage well with its brooding synths, blunt mid-tempo riffs, and wailing leads, while the interlude “Fireborn Witchery” serves as a nice respite with its crackling hellfire and looming ambiance. While the riffs may occasionally feel a little too rudimentary, the album’s 39-minute runtime keeps it from overstaying its welcome, and the fact that you get 12 tracks in that time means that no one idea lingers around too long. The raw and trebly production job is also commendable, as it helps conjure an infernal and cavernous atmosphere while keeping the riffs wholly discernible.

While Absolute Dominion by Fire may not be for everyone, this is an impressive debut for those who dabble in this kind of music. Pyromancer are clearly veterans of the scene and know how to take a style that could easily be a repetitive snorefest and turn it into one of the strongest black metal albums I’ve heard this year. The band’s use of different vocal approaches, tempos, and riffing styles keeps things engaging, and the dense atmosphere makes everything all the more captivating. If this is what hell sounds like, sign me the fukk up.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Adirondack Black Mass | Bandcamp
Website: facebook.com/pyromancerblackdeath
Releases Worldwide: May 9th, 2025

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At its core, Release the Rats is a death metal album, though Vomitizer often incorporate ideas that cause this putrid pile to ooze over stylistic borders. The ragged, chunky riffs that serve as the album’s building blocks remind me of a certain thrower of bolts, while the manic, phlegmy rasp of vocalist “PeTerror” likewise feels most firmly rooted in the death metal genre. Yet atop this foundation, you have more atypical moments, like the sharp clean picking that appears in the chorus of the opener, “A Wonderful World to Destroy,” and the verses of the second track, “Rat Religion.” Both “Rat Religion” and a later highlight, “Something Dark and Bloody Did Indeed Occur,” also venture even further from the metal of death, incorporating frostier progressions that evoke the blackened spirit of Immortal’s Sons of Northern Darkness.

Though the sound is raw and unkempt, Vomitizer’s ability to craft direct and memorable songs causes them to be successful regardless of exactly what style they’re playing. “The Church of Rats” slows things to a more shambling pace early in the runtime, yet the switchup feels entirely welcome at that point in the album, and the song’s big, dominant chords ultimately make for a solid tune. Later, “The Reek of Death” again slows things down but takes a sludgier approach in doing so, sounding like what would probably happen if Bolt Thrower drank Eyehategod’s bath water. Perhaps the oddest switchup comes in “Indulge into Chaos,” which features gruff, semi-clean vocals that sound something like Crowbar. Through it all, the band have a snotty, anything-goes attitude that’s hard not to find at least somewhat endearing.

Though nothing here is bad, the album is hampered a bit by a lack of consistency. After opening with three of its strongest songs, the record immediately gives us some of its weakest. Compared to the opening cuts, “Pestilence (the Sickness)” is much shorter and feels like it could have used more time in the incubator. “Rattus Rittualis” is also a misstep. The two-minute song is essentially an extended buildup, making it sound more like an album intro that was accidentally placed as the fourth track. Later, “Raw Meat” barrels forward with lots of energy but little impact. Through it all, the production gets the job done, with an unpolished sound that presents everything clearly without doing anything special. Fortunately, the closer, “Wicked Supremacy,” ends things in a strong fashion, with its groaning tremolos and catchy chugs coming the closest to evoking the trve glory of Bolt Thrower.

Ultimately, Release the Rats sounds like one of those fun little records that you randomly discover years after its release and are happy you did so, even if it doesn’t quite rise to the level of “hidden gem.” I appreciate the album’s memorability, diversity, and quality riffs, but the occasionally undercooked compositions hold it back a bit. Nonetheless, even if Vomitizer seem more obsessed with rodents than retching up last night’s dinner, they’re still more than worthy of the “vomit” name, and those looking for an eclectic and enjoyable batch of extreme metal tunes could find far worse ways to spend 34 minutes.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 128 kbps mp3
Label: Undercover Records
Websites: Facebook | instagram.com/vomitizerofficial
Releases Worldwide: April 25th, 2025

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One thing is clear: Helljjin Combat is quite a bit different than its predecessor. The change in approach is apparent right from the opener, “Fear Not the Tormentor,” which begins with an extended instrumental opening that uses technical riffing and lively bass guitar in a way that almost sounds like Voivod. The tech-thrash vibe continues throughout the songs’s eight-and-a-half minute runtime, with dexterous fretwork trading off with quick, chunky chords and twirling tremolos, all anchored by a refrain that consists of a staccato shout of the track title. While it’s not the primitive death-thrash I was looking for, it’s a fine song in its own right.

Unfortunately, the rest of the album isn’t quite as successful in executing the band’s new style. It soon becomes apparent that many of these eight tracks spend less time delivering sharp hooks and memorable riffs and more time simply lurching forward on mid-paced pseudo-grooves that only occasionally get the head bobbing. Sometimes, interesting ideas will crop up, like when “Religious Insanity Denies Slavery” evokes old Metallica with a dusty, cleanly-picked midsection that builds into Old West-style lead guitars. Yet moments like this only make it more apparent how so much of the surrounding material fails to stand out. It doesn’t help that none of these songs are under five minutes, and it’s also unfortunate how many of them open with similar-sounding semi-technical riffs that make me contemplate hitting the stop button well before the album’s 49 minutes are over. Malte’s vocals also sound throatier and less raspy than on Sumerian Promises, which is fitting for the band’s new approach but still isn’t the most welcome change.

Fortunately, there’s some stuff to enjoy here. The two pre-release songs, “Dakhma Curse” and “Five Blades,” probably won’t make anyone’s Song ‘O the Year List, but at least their nimble riffing and quicker rhythms offer the album a nice shot of energy. “The Southern Temple” serves as a decent closer with the more powerful riffing in its second half, and the band’s instrumental prowess is more impressive than ever (especially Ekaitz’s adept riffing and solos). Ekaitz recorded the album in his own studio in the Basque Country, and the result is fantastic. The sound is clear and powerful, with the guitars roaring confidently and the bass guitar maintaining an active and distinct presence below the riffing. And while the atmosphere isn’t as strong as the debut, there’s still a whiff of ancient evil here that I find most welcome.

Yet ultimately, Helljjin Combat is the epitome of a Mixed bag. While the production and the instrumental performances are great, the songwriting is less compelling. With a few sharper hooks, tighter track lengths, and a couple of faster songs, Helljjin Combat could have easily been better than Sumerian Promises. As it is, I can’t help but be a bit disappointed that not only did Sijjin choose to move away from death metal and into a more technical thrash metal sound, but also that they didn’t do the best job executing this new style. While there are a couple of decent songs and some impressive things here, I don’t see Helljjin Combat as an album I’ll be returning to often.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Sepulchral Voice Records
Websites: sijjin.bandcamp.com | Facebook | instagram.com/sijjin_official
Releases Worldwide: April 25th, 2025

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A lot of death metal released today can be readily defined by which old school band it mainly sounds like (usually Incantation, Autopsy, or Entombed/Dismember). In the case of Something Is Rotten, that band is Monstrosity. Like those Floridians, this album offers death metal that almost no fan of the genre would take issue with. The tempos are fast, but not too fast. The vocals are gurgly, but not stupidly so. The production is balanced and polished, but not to the point that it makes things feel sterile. And the riffs? They’re fine, too.

Initially, the approach works. “Fear of Dying” opens the record like a big greasy fist to the face, with meaty chugging riffs that give way to groaning tremolos before a nice melodic lick bursts in partway through. The Monstrosity comparison is especially apt with this track, but even those looking for a more measured version of Cannibal Corpse are likely to find enjoyment here (and elsewhere, for that matter). “Destiny of Evil” quickly mixes things up with blast beats, gyrating tremolos, a winding solo, and even some raspier vocals, while “Demons in Your Mind” works well enough by using a peppy, mid-paced beat to propel a tightly wound, pig-fart verse riff.

Sadly, it soon becomes apparent that “Demons” seems to have served as the template for most of the six tracks that follow. Other than its cleanly picked opening, “Reviving” sounds far too similar to “Demons,” and it took me a couple of listens to realize that the pause between “Reviving” and “Inside Death” was a transition between songs and not a false ending to the former track. Later songs like “Divine Virtue” and “Believing Again” also have a similar feel to “Demons” but are somehow even less compelling, causing the album’s 32-minute runtime to drag more than it should. Ironically, “The Disappointment” is actually one of the strongest cuts in the album’s second half, with a cruising, groovy swagger that its neighboring tracks lack. The instrumental closer “The Evil Cause” is another standout, as its crunchy and confident main riff at least offers something different. As another plus, the solos of lead guitarist Ancor Ramírez (Holycide) are fantastic throughout, with a rich sense of melody and a glorious feel that’s often lacking in death metal leads.

Overall, Something Is Rotten is a perfectly competent death metal record. It falls short, however, by not being anything else. Other than a few good songs and some great guitar solos, everything here is serviceable but not particularly notable, which is especially disappointing given how many standout ideas could be found on the two prior albums. Ultimately, it’s not bad, it’s not great, but at least it offers a nice break from masturbating to the thought of the next COVID variant wiping out me and the eight billion other naked apes that have infested this planet like a black mold. Sometimes, that’s all we can ask for.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: v0 mp3
Label: Xtreem Music | Bandcamp
Websites: unboundedterror.com | facebook.com/unboundedterror
Releases Worldwide: April 1st, 2025

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FUKK NO! Rather, Demon Steel is one of those rare late-career albums that shows an extreme band maturing into something more complex, interesting, and catchy, all while still remaining vicious enough to satisfy those poser-crushers in our midst. The basic sound here largely remains the same: frantic and rushing guitars combined with fast and pummeling drums, tossed together with snarled vocals and a sense of epic fury. The soaring melodies that often appeared in the choruses of Iron Will remain; yet here, the addition of a second guitarist has allowed Urn to craft compositions that are more intricate than ever. Early highlight “Are You Friends With Your Demons” proves that it needs neither a question mark nor a decent title to succeed, commanding attention with the layered guitars of its chorus and the supreme melody that appears after that refrain’s second and third iteration.

And fortunately, plenty of the other nine tracks are just as strong. “Heir of Tyrants,” “Burning Blood’s Curse,” and “Ruthless Paranoia” offer perhaps the best example of Urn’s heightened maturity, as each song combines fierce riffing worthy of Aura Noir with sugary lead guitars that could have appeared on a Children of Bodom album. Turning the throttle further into overdrive, “Iron Star” and “Turbulence of Misanthropy” charge forward on bouts of galloping, heavy-as-fuck riffs that sound like Iron Maiden dipped in molten steel, with the latter even offering some melodic black metal moments that recall Dissection. Even the album’s introduction, “Retribution of the Dead,” is a winner, creating an effective buildup with immense chords, pounding drums, and snarls of “Rise!”

Overall, there’s little to complain about here. In addition to delivering plenty of swirling solos, returning guitarist “Axeleratörr” works alongside new axeman “Pestilent Slaughter” to absolutely stuff these 44 minutes with great ideas, resulting in a record that probably contains more unique leads and riffs than the band’s first two albums combined. Sulphur once again sounds venomous and commanding, though perhaps a bit more croaky and aged than before. That doesn’t stop him from pushing himself, however, by embellishing songs like “Wings of Inferno” and “Heir of Tyrants” with powerful clean wails that make things feel extra mighty. The only real downside is that, with every track trying to be a big epic fist-raiser, things get a tad tiresome eventually. The closer, “Predator of Spiritforms,” feels a bit overshadowed by its predecessors, and while the mid-paced stomp of “Wings of Inferno” offers a bit of late-album variety, I’d still love to have just one straight-ahead rager in the second half. Fortunately, the production is great, with a clear, balanced, and powerful sound that emphasizes the crystalline leads while giving the riffs plenty of bite.

It’s been exciting to watch Urn grow from a pretty basic black/thrash band to one of the few older groups left in the style still producing worthwhile music. While I’ll always love the hammering and explosive sound of their early stuff, Demon Steel shows the band crafting songs that are more exciting, memorable, and well-written than anything they’ve done before. The result is a truly fantastic release that’s sure to please everyone from diehard Desaster fans to casual blogreaders just looking for some good fukkin music to distract themselves from all the bullshit out there today. Push play, crank that volume, and BANG YOUR FUKKIN HEADS!

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Osmose Productions | Bandcamp
Websites: facebook.com/urnofficial | instagram.com/urnmetal
Releases Worldwide: March 28th, 2025

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