RECOMMENDED

Töxik Death – Sepulchral Demons [Norway, Thrash / Death / Punk] (2020)

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Self Released | 8-22-20

The tags for this record are black / thrash / death / punk and to what percentage is anyone’s guess. Töxik Death care little for being balanced or even correct as the band’s second full length does more for their thesis of destruction than any previous release. Reviewing a band with a larger history is unique on this site as most bands are new or have a few releases before the one being reviewed. Töxik Death is approaching nearly 20 years of being formed and Sepulchral Demons feels like a fiery debut that is setting the stage for a whole career of madness. Sepulchral Demons sharpness the band’s focus from their earlier work and presents a future of old school heavy underground metal worship in a sound that doesn’t feel costumed rather galvanized by the the decades old quest for disorder. Come on and come all for the festival of the ruined.

Veriluola – Demo [Finland, Black] (2020)

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Self Released | 8-28-20

Yes. Yes. Yes. The stars align and we are given a rough black metal record from a band that has yet to have a Metal Archives page or a second supporter on Bandcamp. These are the moments where I feel I have found something that will be of interest to a lot of people and I am excited to see its journey. Veriluola is a Finnish black metal act which worships the noisy and chaotic beginnings of its genre with a demo that is spilling with attitude and atmosphere with a demo that sounds like Possessed, Celtic Frost, and Venom all are locked inside of a closet and told to punch their way out. I will be the first to admit the band has a lot of things to work out of their sound as Demo feels like a scouting mission to survey the terrain of first wave worship. I have a strong feeling they will find their way and set up a new town on the edge of the frontier between life and death.

Evaporated Sores – Ulcerous Dimensions [US, Death / Noise] (2020)

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Sentient Ruin | 9-3-20

If I was going to guess where this act originates, It would be “different places” as the two members from the few bands listed on the Bandcamp profile hail from Mississippi as well as Oregon. We are going to assume Evaporated Sores is a digital project though I could be wrong as the sound is cohesive enough to be recorded live and by cohesive I mean a focused tornado of ruin. Ulcerous Dimensions is the debut (?) release from Evaporated Sores with vinyl and tape coming from Sentient Ruin. One may notice the noise tag in the headline with this release not being truly apart of the harsh noise genre but its sound is drenched enough in caustic chaos that it was worth noting. Evaporated Sores is a mystery in many things mostly for their existence and their ultimate plans on what they plan on doing here as their wake leaves scorched earth.

Sulfure – Neurotisme [Canada, Black] (2020)

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Self Released | 8-15-20

I am excited beyond belief for this demo. Not only is it blistering black metal from Canada but it is also the debut demo from a elf released entity. These are all things which this site strives to showcase and Neurotisme could be the embodiment of this mission as it gallops on spectral horses to trample its listeners. Rather than let a sound run itsway through 3 or four tracks, Sulfure continues to confound its listeners with multiple tracks of snaking black metal that slithers its way through a dynamic landscapes of rot and ruin. This is a release that will live in memory if for nothing else than it is sure to haunt its listeners.

Ascended Master – What Was .​.​. And What Shall Be Again [US, Death /Thrash] (2020)

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Self Released | 8-14-20

Fuck yes. Even though it took me a few seconds to decide where to jump, once falling inside this record became an absolute joy. Ascended Master is an Ohio based death/thrash act that worships at the altar of the old masters while making a blistering demo that is nothing short of fun and excitement. It might be odd to describe a death/thrash demo like that but for as fierce as What Was .​.​. And What Shall Be Again is, at the core of its existence, a desire to astound the listener with riffs and musical prowess. Ascended Master is up for this task with 25 minutes of a raucous party in the underworld that is here to shred and slash their way through listeners.

Flesh Megalith – Flesh Megalith [Australia, Death / Doom] (2020)

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Self Released | 8-6-14

Tags: metal, cavernousdeathmetal, doommetal, Australia. I feel everyone can remember a tie when cavern death was rampant and both good and generic releases were flooding bandcamp with labels devoting their roster to bands and albums with slimy sounding names. Flesh Megalith could have been apart of that wave and perhaps if it would have been releases in the mid 00’s, it would be glanced over. Luckily we are in 2020 and the sound of subterranean gloom can be appreciated. Flesh Megalith is here to remind us what the sound of glacial doom can sound like and give veryone a chance 100 years to dig our own graves. Flesh Megalith is the solo side project of the solo raw black metal act Burier. It is these two bands that wecan start tomap themindofits creator and abovr and below ground seem to be haunted with creatures of pure darkness and demise.

Telluric Effluvium – Dissolution of the Threefold Self [US, Funeral Doom] (2020)

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Self Released | 10-3-20

I could probably count the number of funeral doom records reviewed on this site in the entirely of its existence. To be short, funeral doom is not a popular style despite its robust history as an extreme metal genre. This is for various reasons but mainly one might struggle to find an audience that is into lengthy tracks combined with a dismal atmosphere. This hurdle however does not stop the genre and with the success of bands like Bell Witch, Funeral doom remains a niche but fertile genre to sow the seeds of despair. Dissolution of the Threefold Self is the debut full length from Denver based Telluric Effluvium. Over the course of three lengthy tracks, the band manages to weave a tapestry of gloomy dirges and condenses funeral doom’s most memorable aspects into a record that is only 30 minutes long. This might seem unorthodox for a genre that is famous for its glacial running time but Dissolution of the Threefold Self works in its expedited state and manages to be effective at a quicker pace. All hail eternal mourning.

Thermokarst – Demo [Canada, Black] (2020)

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FOOD FOR DOGS PRODUCTIONS | 8-3-20

Reverence is a power toxin when making music. Having a goal or style one wants to recreate and call their home is an easy direction for bands as it gives them a goal. Thermokarst is dedicated to the sound of second wave black metal even dedicating their opening track to a familiar phrase. But this is where expectations end as aside from treading familiar ground, Thermokarst debut demo goes beyond the call of worship and offers something much more fierce and caustic. Three tracks of blistering black metal that is balanced and unhinged is excatly what most people desire. Thermokarst offers abandon in darkness and though the band breathes raw smoke, they seem fully competent on what they are doing and how to handle axes.

Celestial Sanctuary – Mass Extinction [UK, Death] (2020)

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Redefining Darkness | 8-28-20

Right now I am going to be talking to the three of you that recognize that this demo was released late year year and is thus not apart of 2020. I know and you know but for the rest of us that missed this short slab of looming riff worship. Aside from having one of the best names in recent memory, Celestial Sanctuary nails the related tags of kneeling at the altar of Benediction and Cancer with a short demo of horror and laid back decay. This demo is seeing another round of promotion on Redefining Darkness with a chance to get their out of print tape that was limited to 25 copies.

Question – Reflections of the Void [Mexico, Death] (2020)

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Chaos Records | 7-31-20

Bright psychedelic covers be dammed, this is some decent stuff. Question was a surprise a few years ago with the release of their 2018 self titled EP. The twisting death metal sound which sounded like non euclidean staircases was a surprise and part and parcel for Caligari Records. Reflections of the Void brings back this band I almost forgot about with full mind bending horror that uses riffs and grooves as instruments of destruction with a sound that is commanding much like the festooned album cover.