DEAD METAL

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 slow groovy sections and more fast and furious moments. 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. Picking up an early pressing is definitely recommended, by the way - as is often the case, the modern remasters are less pleasing on the ears. Speaking of which, 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. Along with the three albums that followed, this material is definitely 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. Purulence Gushing From The Coffin by Stenched

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 .