DEAD METAL

23rd JANUARY Megadeth ( US, thrash metal ) - Megadeth ( BLKIIBLK ) 13th FEBRUARY Worm  ( US, black/doom metal ) -  Necropalace ( Century Media ) 13th MARCH Monstrosity ( US, death metal ) - Screams From Below The Surface ( Metal Blade ) 10th APRIL Immolation ( US, death metal ) - Descent ( Nuclear Blast )

19th January - Perishing ( Costa Rica, death-doom ) - Lutum ( Morbid Chapel/Caligari ) 30th May - Vader ( Poland, death metal ) - Humanihility   ( Nuclear Blast ) 22nd August - Innumerable Forms ( US, death-doom ) - Pain Effulgence ( Profound Lore ) 17th October - Evoken  ( US, funeral death-doom ) - Mendacium ( Profound Lore )

A previous post about this band can be found here . Eternal Darkness formed in 1990 and split up in 1995. This is not only their first release in 33 years, but also their first ever official full-length. The early material is death-doom at its finest, and this offering actually manages to stand to-to-toe with it. ...which isn't to say that it simply revisits the old hallowed ground, much as it does maintain all of the standards you would hope for in both songwriting and production terms - it is essentially how you might optimistically hope they would sound now. A crying shame that these guys have split up again since the recording, but incredible to have it nonetheless. This album will captivate you, and then crush you. Seriously powerful stuff. The self-titled 'debut' is out this Friday on Pulverised.

Previous posts about these thrash metal legends can be found here . Sodom's output in recent years has been outstanding - 2016's Decision Day was great, as were the EPs that followed and 2020's Genesis XIX. Will The Arsonist measure up? Only one track has been shared so far, so time will tell. But, the press release makes clear that the band went the extra mile on the production front, which (along with the cool cover) does bode well. You can listen to "Trigger Discipline" below, and pre-order the album  here .

For previous posts about Old Tower, see  here . Hailing from Holland, the dungeon synth/dark ambient artist is as prolific as he is talented. This latest five track/twenty-five minute offering comes with the following blurb: These songs were commissioned for Dark Ages Workshop/Grimdark Compendium for their series of miniature painting tutorial videos for the game Trench Crusade. The music was made to enrich the lore and atmosphere of the Trench Pilgrims, one of the game's factions. The Trench Pilgrims isn't the first OT release we would recommend to someone that is unfamiliar with the back catalogue, but if you're a fan it certainly won't disappoint. You can stream it below, and download it for free  here .

The first Rothadás album was high on our 2021 top ten list , and the demo before it was also great. This new full-length is out on 21st March, with Me Saco Un Ojo delivering the vinyl release and Pulverised handling the CD. Google Translate tells us that the (Hungarian) title translates to "Thorn Garden... The Eternal Sense Of Temptation... Nightmare Bell"; and that "Rothadás" means "Rot". ...which is appropriately uncheerful, given that these guys are a death-doom band. We can't wait for this one, anyway. Pre-orders go up tomorrow, and you can listen to a teaser track below. Töviskert... a kísértés örök érzete... lidércharang by Rothadás

Můra's first EP made our 2021 top ten . Does this new offering stack up? It sure does. Out this coming Monday, on Doomentia/Caligari, Needle Cathedral is more of that righteous death-doom (with some black metal elements). There is a healthy balance between the slow groovy sections and the faster parts. Three tracks, twenty-one minutes ...and a thoroughly enjoyable listen from start to finish. You can hear the title track below, and pre-order a vinyl/cassette/digital copy  here . This Prague band is definitely one to watch, they show a lot of promise. Fingers crossed for a full-length in the not-too-distant future.

Game Over,  Nuclear Assault 's debut album, was originally released in 1986. ...but it was first released on CD in 1987, along with The Plague (a mini-album that had come out earlier in the year); and the two offerings have been packaged together ever since. This band is something of an acquired taste, owing to the high-pitched vocals; but you will (probably) come to appreciate them if you persevere. The production on this early material is also a little challenging (particularly if you pick up a remastered reissue), but (along with the three outstanding full-lengths that followed) it is still essential listening.

This Mexican one man band is well worth a listen. Stenched arrived on the scene in 2023 with an excellent demo ( Gorging On Mephitic Rot ), which featured six songs (if you include the two bonus tracks). Earlier this year a similarly-excellent Headsplit compilation contribution ( Disemboweled ) surfaced. ...and the debut full-length is about to drop. Being delivered to us by Me Saco Un Ojo,  Purulence Gushing From The Coffin is more of the same putrescent goodness. Eight tracks of unpolished caveman death metal, it is an extremely consistent and enjoyable listen. Moreish stuff for sure.

The title translates to "Behind The Doors Of A Transcendent Arcana". It (and all of the songs) are in French owing to Sedimentum being Canadian. Brought to us by Me Saco Un Ojo/Dark Descent, this three-tracker is the band's doomiest effort to date. Some clear Incantation influence, hints of Evoken in places, and a few twists all of their own. The EP, clocking in at 21 minutes, is one of 2024’s finest releases. You can stream it below, and purchase a copy here .

Old Tower has been featured a number of times  previously . This Dutch dungeon synth/dark ambient artist never disappoints. Described as "a conceptual release" rather than an album, Portrait Of A Medieval Presence does lean more towards the ambient side of things. Eight tracks/thirty minutes of eerie soundscape, which comes with the following synopsis: heretics unjustly burned at the stake, the masses laughing at their despair, a new inquisition is on the rise... the cancer of civilization is circular, not linear. patterns repeat, the same portrait is painted every time. the canvas is dark, rotten, full of mold and stench. the painting a semblance of pain, knowledge and hate. we are the new dark age. You can preview it below, and purchase it here . Portrait Of A Medieval Presence by Old Tower

Hailing from Atlanta, Father Befouled have been active since 2006 and have an extensive back catalogue. Brought to us by Everlasting Spew, this new instalment is a little hard to review. The three main tracks are outstanding - circa 16.5 minutes of premium death-doom. These guys are often compared to  Incantation , which is fair but certainly no bad thing, and on this release they represent the most enjoyable side of that style and do so extremely well. Next we have a cover of  Morbid Angel 's Pain Divine, which is perfectly decent but doesn't fit all that well with the preceding material. Digital customers then also get a cover of Vulgar Necrolatry by Abhorrence, which probably fits better with core EP but has a very different production to the rest of the package. Essentially - we would recommend buying the three original tracks on  Bandcamp  and burning yourself a CD, assuming that you are a fan of consistency at least. On that basis, Immaculate Pain can is o...

This is not your typical Swedish death metal. Moondark only ever recorded one demo, but it is excellent. “Demo #1” a.k.a. “The Shadowpath” was originally released in 1993. Seven tracks of doomy, dark material with low growls and a rotten production. Could be filed next to the likes of Eternal Darkness , Sororicide , Accidental Suicide … You can listen to it below, and hunt down a copy here .

Banished By Sin is album number thirteen from these death metal legends. It has been six years since Deicide 's last effort, and has felt like longer thanks to this one having been teased for so long - it was announced seven months ago, and we only got to hear the first single (which can be found at the bottom of this post) on Christmas Day. It will finally be released on 26th April, brought to us by new label Reigning Phoenix Music. The last couple of albums were excellent, so hopes are very high going into this one.

This is the sound of Las Vegas, apparently. Goatlord formed in 1985 and recorded a few demos, followed by only one album. There are two different versions of that album, however - the original 1991 Turbo Music mix, and the 1992 JL America mix. This write-up is based on the latter; or more specifically, the 2007 Nuclear War Now reissue of the latter (which you can listen to below, along with a couple of bonus tracks that have featured on some editions of that reissue). Reflections Of The Solstice is blackened death-doom greatness. Occult atmospherics, psychedelic flavours... sloppy and primitive, in an entirely charming way, while also being utterly commanding. It's a pretty unique offering, but you could make comparisons with Drawing Down The Moon by Beherit , Gloomlord by Worm , the  Hearse  full-length... It is certainly an offering that doesn't get nearly enough credit. Reflections of the Solstice by Goatlord

Uncontrollable Malformity   is the first release from this Finnish band. Originally put out (on cassette and vinyl) in January 2023, by Rotted Life, it has taken a full year for the CD to materialise. The five tracks here are well-produced, while maintaining an appropriate level of filth. Memorable riffs, captivating leads, and a lot of early Corpsegrinder-era Cannibal Corpse-style groove. A thoroughly impressive effort from these youngsters, death metal of the highest order. We are very much looking forward to their debut album.

Benediction  ( UK ) -  The Grand Leveller  ( Nuclear Blast, 1991 ): Seance  ( Sweden ) –  Fornever Laid To Rest  ( Black Mark, 1992 ): Deteriorate  ( US ) –  Rotting In Hell  ( JL America, 1993 ): Funebrarum  ( US ) –  Beneath The Columns Of Abandoned Gods  ( Necroharmonic, 2001 ):

The Black is a Swedish band that formed in 1991. It wasn't until 1994 that their one-and-only album was released. It's raw and aggressive stuff, but is also very atmospheric ...and creepy. There are selling points aplenty here, but the keyboards are a particular highlight. It's hard to see why this one doesn't get more attention and praise. The Priest Of Satan  can be streamed in full below.

01  Hell's Coronation  ‎–  Transgression Of A Necromantical Darkness  (Godz Ov War) 02  Static Abyss - Aborted From Reality  (Peaceville) 03  Incantation  -  Unholy Deification  (Relapse) 04  Autopsy  -  Ashes, Organs, Blood And Crypts  (Peaceville) 05  Metallica  -  72 Seasons  (Blackened) 06  Worm  -  Starpath  (20 Buck Spin) 07  Old Tower  -  Draconic Synthesis  (Hospital) 08  Blood Incantation  -  Luminescent Bridge  (Century Media) 09  None  -  Inevitable  (Hypnotic Dirge) 10  Obituary  -  Dying Of Everything  (Relapse) *edit*  Malformed - Uncontrollable Malformity should have made this list

This Marlyand band formed in 1990, and recorded a series of demos and a full-length over the course of the decade. The album, pictured above, was  The Seven Deadly Sins  (Last World, 1994). ...which was re-released in 2007 alongside seven tracks from 1995-96, under the title of  Vomiting The Trinity , but the remastering job on that CD unfortunately leaves much to be desired. As you will hear below, this is primitive, borderline-brutal material; but it is also quite groovy. To be filed next to Baphomet , Carnal Dissection  and early Cannibal Corpse .