Gorguts - Colored Sands (2013)

What's up guys, I'm back again (late as usual, I know, I'm sorry ok!) with a new article for all of you. This time round something I've been looking forward to ever since it was announced, the return of technical death metal legends Gorguts, and their new album "Colored Sands".

1. Le Toit Du Monde
2. An Ocean Of Wisdom
3. Forgotten Arrows
4. Colored Sands
5. The Battle Of Chamdo
6. Enemies Of Compassion
7. Ember's Voice
8. Absconders
9. Reduced To Silence

Autopsy - The Headless Ritual (2013)

Hi everyone, I'm back again with another review. I know this album's been out a while and I should really have written about it ages ago due to it being a new album from one of my favourite bands but I've had a lot on my plate with festival season and other things. However I've finally got round to it so enjoy.

1. Slaughter At Beast House
2. Mangled Far Below
3. She Is A Funeral
4. Coffin Crawlers
5. When Hammer Meets Bone
6. Thorns & Ashes
7. Arch Cadaver
8. Flesh Turns To Dust
9. Running From The Goathead
10. The Headless Ritual

Deeds Of Flesh - Portals To Canaan (2013)

I'm back with my first review for a while, shortly after this I'll be posting my hellfest article. I know it's been a long time but I've been swamped recently, and when you're as lazy as I am you put shit off for as long as possible. But I promise I'll try to be more consistent from now on for those of you that read regularly. But anyway, onto today's review. This is for a band that I've been looking forward to reviewing every since I heard they were recording a new album last year, the mighty Deeds Of Flesh. When I heard this album was being made I found it extremely difficult to not lose my shit. "Of What's To Come (2008)" and "Reduced To Ashes (2003)" are two of my favourite tech-death albums. Ever. And as any of my friends could tell you, I'm a bonafide fucking tech-death fanatic. But anyway, to business...

1. Amidst The Ruins
2. Entranced In Decades Of Psychedelic Sleep
3. Rise Of The Virvum Juggernaut
4. Celestial Serpents
5. Caelum Hirundines Terra/The Sky Swallows The Earth
6. Xeno-Virus
7. Hollow Human Husks
8. Portals To Canaan
9. Orphans Of Sickness (Gorguts Cover)

Sounds Of The Underground: Murder Made God - Irreverence

Hello there everyone, and happy 4th of July to my American readers (if there are any). I'm back after 2 and a bit weeks hiatus, in which time I've gone crazy several times over, drunk enough to pickle myself, and absolutely fucked shit up at this year's Hellfest. In the next week or so I'll be doing a complete feature on Hellfest 2013 but for now I'm here to say that I'm back with a vengeance and to review one of my most highly anticipated death metal albums of the year, and now without further ado, here it is...

1. Throne Of Derision
2. An Ambiguous Era
3. Hollow Skulls
4. The Endless Void Of Human Hunger
5. Reaching Ground Zero
6. Aberrant Course
7. Methods Of Humanity
8. Let It In, Breathe It Out
9. One Thousand Tongues

Blood Red Throne - Blood Red Throne

So, it's been over two weeks since I last posted for you guys. In that time, I've finished Uni for year, gone on a week long slam bender, and re-designed the page among other things. Now I'm ready to get back into a semi regular routine until the week after next when I'll be leaving to fuck shit up at Hellfest in the south of France. A full article detailing the weekend of carnage will follow when I return. Until then I bring you this, the latest album by Norwegian lunatics Blood Red Throne...

1. Soulseller
2. In Hell I Roam
3. Hymn Of The Asylum
4. Primitive Killing Machine
5. Deatholation
6. Torturewhore
7. Exoneration Manifesto
8. Dødens Makt
9. March Of The Undying

Bands To Watch: Strychnia - Reanimated Monstrosity (2013)

Hello folks, I'm back again with some tasty new death metal for y'all. This time it's Dayton, New Jersey's Strychnia and their EP "Reanimated Monstrosity". Enjoy...

1. Reanimated Monstrosity (Feat. John Gallagher)
2. War Sermon
3. Killdozer
4. Cephalectomy
5. Slaughtered

Sonic Obliteration 2013: London Underworld - 4th May 2013

After being off the grid for a couple of weeks now, something I apologise to you guys profusely for, I'm back with a new live review, this time covering my jaunt to London last Saturday for 2013's Sonic Obliteration fest. On the 4th of May 2013 the Underworld played host to 9 extraordinary bands in an entire day of unparallelled death metal carnage. Despite not everything going to plan a good time was had by all and every band performed excellently.

Deicide - Norwich Waterfront - 18th March 2013

And so today I have a new article for you lovely people, a live review of Deicide's triumphant gig at Norwich's Waterfront last week, and an album review of "Terror Regime", the latest from Midwest death metal mainstays Jungle Rot to come tomorrow. Comment, request a review, any feedback or suggestions are welcome. Enjoy...

Suffocation - Pinnacle Of Bedlam (2013)

I know what most of you are thinking, this album's already been out a month, why am I just reviewing it now? The truth is, I've had a hard time A. finding the time to properly sit down and write this review, and B. I wanted to make sure I did it justice. It may be late, but I couldn't resist voicing my opinions on this highly anticipated album from one of death metal's biggest bands. And just to appeal to other big Suffocation fans like myself I will be describing the album using some of the band's own lingo (this should be interesting...).

Enjoy...

1. Cycles Of Suffering
2. Purgatorial Punishment
3. Eminent Wrath
4. As Grace Descends
5. Sullen Days
6. Pinnacle Of Bedlam
7. My Demise
8. Inversion
9. Rapture Of Revocation
10. Beginning Of Sorrow

Sound Of The Underground: Xibalba - Hasta La Muerte

So after 9 days of seclusion, essays and general insanity I come to you with a new segment I call "Sound Of The Underground". In this segment that I'll be trying to do every couple of months, I review something that will have definitely slipped under the radar for most of you out there, but at the same time something that most people would hopefully enjoy immensely.

Anyway, without further ado, my first new article...

1. No Serenity
2. Soledad
3. Laid To Rest
4. Burn
5. Sentenced
6. The Flood
7. Hasta La Muerte
8. Mala Mujer
9. Stoneheart
10. Lujuria
11. Cold

Cannabis Corpse + Ghoul - London Underworld - 9th February 2013

Hello again everyone, and welcome to my first live review of 2013. Despite this not being my first gig of the year I decided that this would be my first gig to review, due to me only knowing half the setlist for Korpiklaani, and the fact that I was too fucked at Orange Goblin to even begin to remember the song order. This was definitely the best gig of the year so far though. So let's get to business...

Bands To Watch: The Odious - Joint Ventures (2012)

So I finally got round to doing another "bands to watch" segment before the end of the year. Any of you progressive/death metal fans out there should enjoy this...

1. Nuchal Cord
2. Ancestral Perplexities
3. The Gynecic Curse
4. Combaticus
5. Minutia
6. A Sheep In Wolf's Clothing
7. Mer/ka/ba
8. Fail Science!
9. Charlie Guiteau
10. Joint Ventures
11. Houses Of Stone

Obituary: Rotting Slow In Europe - London The Garage - 5th December 2012

 Obituary were one of the first death metal bands I was ever introduced to, and after being told that they were a must see band I knew this would be the tour to see them on, a tour treating the fans to a set filled with tracks from their first three albums, three undeniable death metal classics.

Braving the train to London for the second time in 3 days (after a spectacular night at Alexisonfire on Monday, see previous review) I finally got to Highbury, the site of The Garage, found my friend and holed up in the nearest pub, the hilariously titled "The Famous Cock".

This was my first time ever attending a gig at the garage and I must say while it seemed to be a fairly cool venue, being unable to move due to the gig being sold out was not a good feeling. Plus due to the designated smoking are being outside the front door, which was a single set of double doors, while people were still coming in, meaning a queue quickly formed, locking down the entire hallway. The lack of space was fairly discomforting, but that was a small negative on an overall fantastic evening.

The Amenta (7) a band who bill themselves as industrial death metal, but in reality come off as an Australian version of Behemoth with the occasional industrial part thrown in. Nothing outstanding but a good start to the evening. Psycroptic (9) change that completely however. The Tasmanian tech-death mob are on fine form tonight and tear through their set with the intensity and ferocity of their homelands famous devil. Frontman Jason Peppiatt is on top form, but looks odd with a full head of hair.

Everything is still going strong when Macabre (7) take the stage. A band I've heard of from numerous sources but never checked out, they seem to be a fairly standard death metal affair but with a lyrical focus entirely on famous serial killers, a subject so often used in death metal it borders on cliché. However the Britney Spears style ear mic the singer uses was amusing and musically the band was fairly enjoyable.

When Obituary (10) take to the stage, all hell breaks loose. Fans are clearly ecstatic to see the band return to our shores, and hearing every member of the crowd growl along with John Tardy is absolutely brilliant. Crowd favourites in particular are "Turned Inside Out", "Chopped In Half", "The End Complete" and the ever popular "Slowly We Rot". This is a band that has never lost a step and is still on top form live after nearly 25 years. Obituary have blown me away tonight and are clearly still among death metal royalty. And long may they reign.

Obituary Setlist:

1. Stinkupuss
2. Intoxicated
3. Bloodsoaked
4. Immortal Visions
5. Gates To Hell
6. Infected
7. Cause Of Death
8. Chopped In Half
9. Turned Inside Out
10. Body Bag
11. Back To One
12. Killing Time
13. The End Complete
14. Dead Silence
15. I'm In Pain
16. Slowly We Rot

Slowly We Rot, Cause Of Death & The End Complete are all available on Roadrunner Records

Sinister - The Carnage Ending (2012)

1. Gates Of Bloodshed 1:23
2. Unheavenly Domain 3:27
3. Transylvania (City Of The Damned) 5:13
4. My Casual Enemy 5:01
5. Crown Of Thorns 5:17
6. The Carnage Ending 5:27
7. Oath Of Rebirth 4:07
8. Regarding The Imagery 3:42
9. Blood Ecstasy 4:42
10. Defamatory Content 4:34
11. The Final Destroyer 5:23
Total Time:48:09

Napalm Death - Colchester Arts Centre - 6th October 2012

Aborted - Global Flatline (2012)

1. Omega Mortis 0:59
2. Global Flatline 3:12
3. Источник Болезни (The Origin Of Disease) 3:04
4. Coronary Reconstruction 4:28
5. Fecal Forgery 2:45
6. Of Scabs & Boils 2:53
7. Vermicular, Obscene, Obese 2:51
8. Expurgation Euphoria 3:43
9. From A Tepid Whiff 3:04
10. The Kallinger Theory 3:44
11. Our Father, Who Art Of Feces 2:43
12. Grime 3:48
13. Endstille 6:29
14. Eructations Of Carnal Artistry (Bonus) 3:27
15: Nailed Through Her Cunt (Bonus) 4:12
Total Time: 51:17

While I realise that this album has been out for a long time, I knew when I started this blog that a review of this was a must, as this is one of my favourite death metal albums ever, not just of the year. This album and band will hold a special place in my heart for a long time.

Belgian death metal band Aborted have not had the most stable existence. Frontman Sven de Caluwé is the one constant the bands career and after releasing a couple of albums that while being good were questionable in parts (2005's The Archaic Abbatoir & 2008's Strychnine.213) the band were in need of a very strong record to be their saving grace.

 Aborted make up for it by having several exceptional death metal albums (Engineering The Dead, Goremageddon: The Saw & The Carnage Done, Slaughter & Apparatus: A Methodical Overture), but it is this album that makes it clear to everyone that this is an outstanding band. From start to finish this album covers nearly every base in the death metal spectrum and it does so spectacularly.




From the ominous introduction of "Omega Mortis", which conjures the atmosphere of a world on the brink of destruction via plague, alluding of course to the (Fucking cool) album artwork you see in the top corner.

"Global Flatline" with a slow chugging riff before building to breakneck speed. Vocalist Sven really shows of his skills, ranging from a guttural growl to mid-pitch shriek reminiscent of grindcore. After proclaiming the fantastic lyric "THIS IS THE END OF ALL FLESH!!!" the song slows to a crawl and introduces a marvelous melodic solo, showcasing a fantastic melodic side to an otherwise crushingly heavy song.

The next track "Источник Болезни (The Origin Of Disease)" shows the first instance of a guest vocalist on this album, not a common occurrence in death metal, but a wise move that complements Sven's vocal style. He is joined on this track by French vocalist Julien Truchan, a member of another favourite band of mine, Benighted. This song again shows a perfect mixture of speed, brutality and melody.

"Coronary Reconstruction" and "Fecal Forgery" continue in a very similar fashion, adding gruesome samples and gory lyrics to create a perfect death metal package. "Of Scabs & Boils" is a completely different beast altogether, starting off with some off kilter, almost hard rock like riffing which quickly descends once again into madness, occasionally punctuated with some slightly metalcore flavoured riffs.

"Vermicular, Obscene, Obese" features another guest vocalist, Trevor Strnad of the Black Dahlia Murder, who I respect as a vocalist but I have never been a fan of the band. However he lends his quite capable talents to this excellent song. This song features one of my favourite sections on the whole album, a breakdown that features the "woosh" pick slide sound used to great effect by Gojira (if you don't know what I mean then watch the video below).

A haunting piano piece opens "Expurgation Euphoria" before being engulfed by another heavy as fuck riff while a sample plays in the background. Alternating between a style similar to Gojira's groovy, spine-crushing heaviness and a slightly melodic death metal styled bridge riff, this song is very ominous sounding and another amazing tune.

"From A Tepid Whiff" wastes no time unlike the previous, it kicks straight in at full speed and doesn't let up.

"The Kallinger Theory" named for serial killer Joseph Kallinger, contains a killer groove present throughout and a fantastic melodic outro.

"Our Father, Who Art Of Feces", which features guest vocals from Keijo Niinimaa aka G of Finnish grindcore group Rotten Sound, is a scathing attack at religion which is hateful and aggressive until the last second.

"Grime" features Jason Netherton of Misery Index on guest vocals, and this song is easily one of my favourites, with possibly the best solo on the album.

But nothing prepares you for the beast that is "Endstille" featuring multiple solos, crushing grooves and monologues concerning the end of the world it truly instills a feeling of dread and hopelessness in the wake of the apocalypse, ending the album in magnificent style.

On the deluxe edition there are two bonus tracks, re-recordings of tracks from Aborted's first major album "Engineering The Dead". The tracks chosen are two song which are still part of the band's live set today, "Eructations Of Carnal Artistry" and one my favourites, "Nailed Through Her Cunt", which possesses the absolutely brilliant opening sample "Your suffering will be legendary, even in HELL!!!!" These tracks are no different than the originals although it is nice to hear them re-recorded with proper production.

Me with Sven from Aborted in Feb 2012

Overall I love this greatly and it will be one of my favourites for a long time. Although I have liked death metal for a long time, I have not had the opportunity to go to any death metal gigs until very recently, and it was Aborted and Decapitated who I saw for my first death metal gig. Seeing them in a cramped pub basement in London I was really able to see the energy Aborted put into their live show, and although I love Decapitated there was no doubt Aborted stole the show that evening, and my friend and I even got to meet Sven from Aborted. I then saw them again at Hellfest this year were I was shown that they can perform flawlessly to any size of crowd, whether it be 300 or 3000. Aborted have created a modern masterpiece here, and I look forward to seeing them again as soon as possible.

9.8/10

Check this out if: You like death metal of any kind, you enjoy gory as fuck lyrics mixed with brutal riffs and melodic solos, you have a sick sense of humour and love music that does too.

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For fans of: Benighted, Dying Fetus, Carcass
Global Flatline is out now on Century Media Records