Mass Burial - Soul's Necrosis (2015)

   Mass Burial debuted in 2012 with "Of Carrion and Pestilence". It was a stunning album that followed the Swedish style of old school death metal. If we shoo off the thought that the death metal scene definitely suffers from Swedish death overdose in general only by bands from Sweden already (that leads to boredom), and things not getting better if similar bands keep forming in every other country with somewhat worthwhile metal scene, then this endeavor could seem promising. 
   However, Mass Burial's debut was a bit more experimenting and therefore less unified, and more diverse. Their return by "Soul's Necrosis" took the Swedish path more consistently. Excellent sound quality gave the well known "Swedish buzzsaw" sound more advantageous basics, and it was brought into highlight. The song structures also became more unified. The band had great and catchy riffs even on the previous album already, and they really did their best this time. But for the cost of less freedom if it's about experimenting and creativity, since the music had to fit into the strict rules of their preferred direction. And it turned out to be so good that it would be impossible to tell without and background information that they're not a Swedish death metal band. For those who dig the style and never can get enough of it, "Soul's Necrosis" might be a potential favorite.

Human Waste - Harvest Remnants (2015)

   "Harvest Remnants" is an excellent compilation that includes the early '90s demos of Human Waste. The band had a unique style and approach that despite had pure '90s old school death metal touch, it was more complex than usual.
   By the involvement of various other influences on some level, such as goregrind, technical and progressive elements, their music could be compared to Necrophiliac's style. Except instead of the expression of endlessly sick impression and feeling by melodies, Human Waste tried to rely on technicality and a huge pile of catchy and diverse riffs and frequent tempo and theme switches. However, some level of sick impression was reached by their different toolbar anyway. In fact their early demo period had such musical diversity that rarely could have been heard even on debut albums. Even if it was probably the result of experimenting methods, like when bands are trying to find common ground, and a chaotic pile of songs getting created. But even in this chaotic form, their music was characteristic and unified enough, proving that the band members had similar and determinate imaginations about what they wanted to do and how. It might be difficult to name any other early '90s death metals who created enjoyable and unified compositions from disharmony with such ease. Despite being unworthily underrated, Human Waste definitely had  and easily identifiable style. "Harvest Remnants" is strongly recommended for the fans of early '90s death metal musickness gems.

Amputory - Ode to Gore (2015)

   Amputory's debut and so far one and only album by style is on the crossroads of Swedish and Finnish death metal. "Ode to Gore" includes the characteristic features of  both, and this is one of the most typical directions that a Finnish death metal band could take. 
  The song structures, the riffs and the vocal style are all evidently Swedish influenced, while the well known repetitive leading melodies on the side of more diverse themes spicing it all up. Occasionally even some "Finnish gloom" (or happiness for others) shows up by the short involvement of atmospheric effects. The tempo switches are effectively applied and they strongly increasing the album's enjoyability. The role of the mentioned melodic and slightly more diverse parts are more reduced than usual, therefore if the "Swedish buzzsaw" sound would have been picked for the album, nobody could have been able to distinguish "Ode to Gore" from any other old school Swedish death metal release, cause it would completely neutralize the minor presence of Finnish features. These might seem pretty tiny and seemingly completely secondary or even unimportant differences, but these hardly discoverable or identifiable features are able to give character for a death metal album (especially if it's about old school death), and even though for first listening "Ode to Gore" might sound nothing special, since it all sounds very familiar, there are definitely more to discover in this album. For the fans of the Northern death metal scene, it's a potential favorite. 

Abscession - Grave Offerings (2015)

   Abscession had a quite stunning debut by "Grave Offerings", and what's more important: despite the band kept the characteristics of Swedish death, their music stands out from the endless line of Swedish death metal bands.
   The reasons are to find in the details. For first hearing, Abscession might not seem different from any ordinary Swedish death metal band.. "buzzsaw" sound, heavy riffs, primitive growling style. But the song compositions are more diverse, and leading melodies making their music catchier than usual. Paradoxically another analogy gave the most  remarkable exception: the Swedes strong affection for British heavy metal. While many bands prefer mixed style with strong '80s influences, for the final track of the album Abscession simply switched to epic heavy metal in the middle of the song. Nobody could see this coming, and such an unusual switch turned out to be advantageous and extraordinary. In total, "Grave Offerings" is a quite enjoyable album, and a grat example how to create diversity and to show something unusual but still very familiar and relatable the same time. How contrast could be made with the tools of balance and unified sound and reverse. This is exactly the feature that's hardly possible to describe and what requires skilled musicians to perform. The excellence behind simplicity makes this album great and a potential favorite for the fans of the genre. 

Gouge - Beyond Death (2015)

   Gouge debuted with their exclusively Autopsy influenced music in 2012 with an EP "Doomed to Death". The EP's poor sound quality proved to be advantageous for their primitive and filthy approach, and this feeling was brought further and exposed on their full-length album "Beyond Death".
   The only obvious difference between their music and Autopsy is that Gouge strongly relied on thrash beats and tempo, therefore no heavy slow downs and extended sickening themes to find. However, the dirty feeling that came from Autopsy-like themes, sound and vocal style combined with old school thrashing could be similarly effective, since primitiveness is in their focus. Compared to the debut EP, the better and noisier sound quality turned out to be more advantageous from a death metal perspective. In total "Beyond Death" sounds like a faster and wilder version of "Severed Survival". For those who haven't been the fans of slow downs in Autopsy, this album might be an absolute win. But thrash fans who are desiring something heavier, might also find their countings in "Beyond Death", not to mention those who could never get enough of Autopsy and the countless bands they've influenced or copied their style too precisely.

Sadistic Murder - Butcher of Rostov (2015)

   By seeing a reference album title and a stylized drawing of serial killer Andrei Chikatilo on a cover of a band called Sadistic Murder, there are no doubts that it's not going to be some new waved stuff.
   And indeed, Sadistic Murder was the same way self-dedicated to traditional death metal than to gory concept. Which is at least partly based on real life events, and partly on classic random brutality/gore lyrics, cause even though the album seems like dedicated to Chikatilo, not all songs are about his reign of terror. However, the reality factor gives a more serious background for the whole thing. The music is also partly old school death metal rooted, and partly brutal death influenced. The sound, the strict insensible song compositions and the main impression are responsible for the latest, but the music isn't too technical and intense for ordinary brutal death. The band kept trying to play slightly melodic riffs and to combine them with short, catchy solo themes, and this counts as old school endeavours. This catchy but brutal approach might remind to old Cannibal Corpse. The concept is clear, the album is smoothly unified and enjoyable, new wave of old school death metal at its best so to say. Strongly recommended for the fans of the genre. 

Holocaustum - In the Fields They Bled (2015)

   By their returning album, Holocaustum continued the musically diverse path of their debut with some great improvements. 
   The role of the atmospheric sound decreased, and cleaner, heavier sound took its place. This turned out to be an advantageous step, cause therefore the catchy, melodic themes gained more focus. The album's musical wealthiness is pretty impressive, it's way more diverse than an ordinary death metal album, but at the other hand the themes are enough unified and the song structures having enough evident continuity, to not switch on progressive field. If not basically heavy/power metal with growling vocal style would cover the term melodic death metal, Holocaustum's music could serve as a more accurate definition. It's melodic and didn't lose the death metal musical features, unlike most bands sorted to the melodic death subgenre. The guitar themes also having even more blackened touch than before, which are responsible for the remaining atmospheric impression. Combined with the intense drumming style, many of their compositions could fit into black metal too. This also made the band kinda exceptional, since similar theme selection isn't usual at American bands in general, and they definitely did it better than most Americans who claimed to play black metal. In total "In the Fields They Bleed" is an excellent, quite diverse and enjoyable album, could be a potential favorite for the fans of death, black/death and melodic death metal.

Gruesome - Savage Land (2015)

   Similar to Skeletal Remains, Gruesome also formed as band self-dedicated not only to recall the feeling of the early '90s death metal the most accurately, but also to imitate Death's "Spiritual Healing" era the most accurately as possible. 
   The production, the sound, and the themes are all great as they are, and the music probably wouldn't be so annoying for those who never listened to Death, but if individuality and genuineness does have any importance for the listener, the charisma of "Savage Land" would probably vanish in the moment when "Spiritual Healing" would get introduced. How does it make sense to basically recreate a classic album by the same themes only to put them together in different order and into different songs? Probably an ordinary tribute album with cover songs would make it better. Even if it's clear for everyone that they intended to tribute to the legacy of Death in their own way, or that it's just a fun made thing, where the only sign of creativity comes in the form of riffs and themes taken from other Death albums. This is something that nowadays AI could do as well, and probably in 2015 it wasn't the case, but still, it was basically a useless effort to create something valueless. But the most entertaining paradox was the positive welcome by many music critics, who used to pull down most extreme bands by marking them as nothing new, cause their stimulus-threshold could be crossed mostly by hipster music. But when they hear something that could serve as the most accurate definition of a rip-off, the antithesis of vision or imagination, they actually digging it. Or maybe was it the importance of the concept again? If it's announced and stated at the very beginning, that the concept is copying a classic band, it makes the performance more enjoyable for some than whole genre or style based influences could be?
   However, Gruesome's music is mainly recommended for hipster metal journalists/music critics and their followers, for everyone else: just keep listening to Death instead. 

Deamonolith - The Monolith Cult of Death (2024)

   By the complexity of Deamonolith's full-lenght debut, it's evident that the band members having a longer past in the metal scene, since the album just doesn't sound like the debut of newbies. 
   Their music in general could fit next to the '00s progressive brutal death bands, except they laid way more importance on unified sound and song compositions. Therefore the experimenting ambitions are limited, and progressive and other mixed influences are easily distinguishable from brutal death hammerings (usually they come by slow downs). Probably the sound went through the most widest spectrum of experiments. While the brutal death parts having a more modern, but the same time noisy, rumbling impression, the softer parts are varying from classic progressive metal themes supporting sterile sound to late '90s third wave black metal atmosphere. The clear separation of death metal and progressive parts turning the contrast between the two directions quite evident, and basically making the music easier to go into than in case of  '00s progressive brutal death bands. The whole thing also might have a more old school oriented, "respect the classics of the genre" perspective, and somehow it seems like as a necessary step to keep the most identifying style features clear. By their intensity and complex themes, bands like Dying Fetus, Vital Remains, Kataklysm and Vader could be named as their possible influences. "The Monolith Cult of Death" might become a potential favorite for the fans of the modern sound of death metal. 

Dig Me No Grave - Cosmic Cult (2014)

   Similar to Grond, Dig Me No Grave's lyrical concept also reflects their Lovecraft enthusiasm, and musically they also prefer mainly simple and basic themes, but they're more on the old school death metal field. And by implementation they also prefer great production and good sound quality.
   Compared to groove death metal, their songs are more complex and diverse of course, but on the side of the style or subgenre differences, some moderate experimental ambitions also making this complexity more evident. The band seemingly preferred various and unexpected switches not only by themes and tempo, but in forms of small surprises, like short, sometimes catchy, sometimes noisy solos. The song structures aren't unified either, cause they seemingly tried to come up with something slightly different each time. It did have an advantageous result, since their experimental endeavours getting clear pretty soon, and they never crossing through the imaginary border to turn too technical. The interesting factor comes mainly from their seemingly unusual solutions. Their main influences might have been rooted in bands whose music sounded more developed since the beginning than their fellow old school death metal coetaneous bands, like for instance Morbid Angel, Tiamat, or Paradise Lost. Even if Dig Me No Grave's musical toolbar could be still limited compared to capabilities of  the mentioned bands, their full-length debut might be quite enjoyable for the fans of old school death metal. 

Soulskinner - Crypts of Ancient Wisdom (2014)

   Soulskinner was formed and debuted in the early '00s, in an era, when death metal didn't only lacked any attention or popularity, but the genre was nearly forgotten. The band's first 2 albums included the typical features of '00s death metal bands from modern sound to strong brutal death and splatter topic orientation. By their third record "Crypts of Ancient Wisdom" the band switched to a slightly different perspective.
   The analogy with their previous works is that "Crypts of Ancient Wisdom" also followed the actual trends of the underground. Since the second album old school death metal had a Renaissance, and the band have returned with way more basic and filthy themes than usual. By tempo their songs also slowed down so much, that some are just a step away from death/doom. This album also became way more diverse, cause on the side of nearly death/doom-like slow downs and old school death hammering, melodic death features also showing up, and as the album goes on, they slowly taking the lead. If the first 2 albums reflected the actual trends of their time, the third one is like a summary of the band's early influences. The slow downs and the melodic death switch are like references to the late '90s, when bands like Paradise Lost, Sentenced, Tiamat, Moonspell or Katatonia lived their golden age. The thrashing death basics are still there, and in higher amount than at the mentioned bands, but their dominant influence left their mark behind. In total, "Crypts of Ancient Wisdom" is like a late '90s album embedded into the early '10s. Could be sorted to old school death, but it's something way more complex than how first it seems (or sounds) like. 

Gravecrusher - Morbid Black Oath (2014)

   By the previously mentioned line-up analogy, Gravecrusher had similarly sudden and unexpected appearance like Coffinborn. High quality death metal, a debut EP released by Xtreem Music, and fortunately their music also had their distinguishable character.
   If Coffinborn was more on the old school path, Gravecrusher pushed it further by focusing more on thrashing basics. If Coffinborn's debut sounded dirty and putrid, compared to that Gravecrusher sounds pretty clear. The songs are focusing on the core essence of old school death, therefore they're not only simpler, but shorter as well. Instead of oppressing heaviness, thrashing intensity and fast, noisy, short solo themes forming the main impression. Two same rooted and therefore strongly related, but still quite different perspectives and qualities. Both are quite enjoyable in their own way. This could serve as a great example how and why the importance of seemingly tiny or secondary features, such as sound, atmosphere and distortion rate became so determining since the late '00s. A different sound could mean a different world, and even if the possibilities in themes are limited and exhausted, by sound they seem limitless. Thanks to its more traditional approach, "Morbid Black Oath" is easier to go into, and could be a potential favorite for both the fans of thrash and death metal. 

Coffinborn - Beneath the Cemetery (2014)

   Coffinborn debuted with a pretty stunning EP. Considering that it's a Hungarian band playing high quality death metal and seemingly showed up from nothing by an Xtreem Music release, it doesn't seem like an everydays event. The imagination that a tiny, normally forgettable metal scene like this is about to go through a very promising metamorphosis, might serve as a reason for enthusiasm for the local fans of the genre, but the reality is a bit simpler. 
    The band is bonded to two musicians who are originally from the city of Szeged, Hungary (Lambert Lédeczy - drums, and Tibor Hanyi - guitars, vocals) and who also played in Tyrant Goatgaldrakona. One of them or both of them also played in a few other impressive death metal bands located in the same area, such as Gravecrusher, Rothadás, Cryptworm, not to mention some black metal bands (Fagyhamu, Ahriman) or bands that no information could be found about, but the analogy seems clear (Tomb Portal). Some of them will be mentioned in details in the future. Unlike in the case of side projects, Coffinborn isn't the same like the member's previous death metal band. It could be easily distinguished from Tyrant Goatgaldrakona by its more old school, thrash influenced touch. The song structures are simpler, the basic essence of the old school aspect of the genre is in focus. Thrashing intensity, short, fast solos, putrid sound and down pulling filth. Nothing extraordinarily new, but quite a novelty in its local scene, and enjoyably refreshing compared to the actual trends in the main metal scene. The only evident analogy with Tyrant Goatgaldrakona is the great quality and production that also rarely could be heard in this region.
   Old school death metal at its best, a potential favorite for the fans of the genre!

Maat - As We Create the Hope from Above (2014)

   It seems like Egyptian mythology could be considered as an alternative topic in death metal, since after Nile, Apophis, Coffin Texts; Maat also felt inspired by the whole thing. Usually this is represented only in the lyrics and the visuals, but Maat also embedded a few soft melodies with antic touch into their music. 
   "As We Create the Hope from Above" could serve as a definition for the modern sound of death metal. Old school basics, strong brutal death influence, dominant blast beats, crystal clear sound and high quality production. The main themes and the intensity are comparable to late Obscenity. For the fans of the modern aspect of the genre it definitely could be a potential favorite. No circumlocution, no attitudinizing, and the complete avoidance of death metal clichés by the seemingly unusual concept. However, the concept pick combined with the actual trend keeping ambition also puts the band into a neutral status. Nothing grotesque, gross, too insane or obscure, and of course this could be said only by compared to the past of the style. This so called "neutral" trend is originated from the mid '00s, when many technical and progressive brutal death bands started to experiment with something new (mostly unsuccessfully) and the main inspiration of Maat could be also rooted in those times. In their case it's a moderated, more tradition keeping (meant about the traditional sound of death metal), and therefore more successful form of pathfinding. Eventually this trend led to the hipsterization in extreme metal, another less fortunate phenomenon, that fortunately Maat avoided. If it's about skills, composition or quality, "As We Create the Hope from Above" is the work of professionals, intense, diverse, highly enjoyable, and by its "rule-breaking" features it might be also compatible for wider metal audiences, but by long term listening the album's sterile neutrality might leave some empty feeling behind for the old school fans of the genre. 

Desecresy - Chasmic Transcendence (2014)

   Desecresy's third return stated pretty clear (if it wasn't evident already) that if it comes to this band, disappointment is simply not an option. For the lovers of extremely down-pulling putrid death metal, Desecresy is an everlasting (dark) gem.
   In this style any renewal or the intention to come up every time with something different is simply not required. Those who are choosing this style, choosing it for a reason. And somehow it never gets old, and interestingly similar bands wouldn't be judged by their audiences with self-repeating. And it's not even usual in extreme genres either. Why is that? The answer might lie in the noisy and compromise-less approach, that at one hand could be said about every band in any branches of extreme metal. But there are several levels, even if many are not willing to recognize that, and by crossing a certain line, some rules are completely losing from their importance. The more exaggerated a band is and the more special tone they can reach meanwhile, the whole thing becomes the essential part of their character. The constant noisy heaviness that Desecresy is operating with provides both obscure depths and a thick noisy atmosphere. Their combination is able to attract the listener with the effectiveness of a black hole. And assistance of the frequently returning higher toned, simple, but catchy melodies is priceless. Basically this is a highest quality performance that's possible by the features of Finnish death metal. The contrast that lies in the music and also comes by the drastic speed ups is good enough to fill the need of diversity in this form of musical minimalism. It always feels like that every time they're opening a portal to a new world. Some dark, hopeless and decaying world it is every time of course, but with incredible depths always. A contrast that leads to another contrast. Basically the sound is the only thing that Desecresy used to experiment with. And nothing else is needed, by using the good old recipe it might be difficult to fail. Another obscure masterpiece by Desecresy!

Corpsessed - Abysmal Thresholds (2014)

   Corpsessed debuted with a pretty impressive EP "The Dagger & the Chalice" that by heaviness and obscureness could be comparable to bands like Incantation, Disma, Slugathor or Desecresy. By their first full-length album they continued this line and extended these features to abysmal depths, and not only because of its title.
    Similar to the noisiest, most brutal and most obscure Finnish death metal bands, at first their music might seem hard to go into, but by giving the chance, the darkness that's flooding from their music proves to be a force irresistible enough to easily carry the listener away. This is the force that excludes any slight possibility of hope or escape, swallows all light and annihilates everything on its way. The song compositions are more complex than at similar bands (therefore the comparison with Incantation and Disma), and very well made. The intensity on the album has also wider spectrum from old school hammering through extreme speed to middle speed assisted by rough blast beats and also death/doom-like slow downs. They tried to apply them balanced, and this made "Abysmal Thresholds" pretty eventful. The band seemed to be comfortable at any speed, and more importantly the theme/tempo switches completing each other, therefore it might be difficult to determine any as highlighted. The heavy slow downs are as effective as the skull crushing intensity, the nosy riffs are creating as dark atmosphere as the ominous melodic leads. The excellence of "Abysmal Thresholds" is as difficult to describe as the vile, yet unseen creatures lurking in the dark.

Putrid Evocation - Echoes of Death (2014)

   Putrid Evocation debuted in 2013 with rehearsal quality, but promising EP titled as "Blackness Enshroud". Their full-length album "Echoes of Death" followed the same path with slightly better sound that proved to be well fitting to their music by creating a moldy dungeon-like atmosphere.
   Their music wasn't putrid only because of the band name, therefore the atmosphere created by the poor sound quality helped to put that feeling into focus. The band preferred mainly middle speed with common slow downs and short term speed ups. This switching tendency combined with simple, slowly rolling basic themes led to Asphyx-like song compositions, and pushed the music close to the border of death/doom. In case of longer songs, this worked pretty well, and as the album goes on, by the involvement of slow melodic leads the obscure melancholy turns to a very familiar twisted feeling that might strongly remind to old Autopsy. Eventually this impression gets dominant, and like if it was some secret occult ritual, this last component completes the circle to recall a nostalgic aspect of old school death metal. The album is evolving slowly step by step, from a seemingly unimpressive start to a pretty enjoyable outcome, so it's definitely worth it to give some time. Especially for the fans of putrid old school death metal. 

Unaussprechlichen Kulten - Baphomet Pan Shub-Niggurath (2014)

   Unaussprechlichen Kulten's third full-length album was kind of a new milestone in the band's discography. They showed up as a strongly blasphemous, Lovecraft influenced death metal band relying on massive, intense brutality, and by "Baphomet Pan Shub-Niggurath" their music became more complex and diverse.
   From this album temporary slow-downs were frequently involved, that created enjoyable contrast with the intense themes. The sound quality also improved a lot and this proved to be a pretty advantageous step for the more complex song compositions. This complexity on the side of the tone of Joseph Curwen's deep growling vocal style strongly reminds to Broken Hope. Interestingly this analogy wasn't so evident at all previously. This might demonstrate well, how seemingly small changes could have quite determining effects in extreme underground music. The switch from raw brutality to greatly composed brutality didn't push their music to technical death metal fields, though it's definitely more technical than how it usually used to be. Compared to "People of the Monolith" when a a band could be heard that's probably still in some path finding state, the third album was made by an experienced band who knew exactly what they wanted and how. Ricardo Stöhwing's characteristic drumming style is also mentionable, that became an easily identifiable and indistinguishable feature of Unaussprechlichen Kulten. 
   An excellent masterpiece, strongly recommended for the fans of death metal!

Masacre - Brutal Aggre666ion (2014)

   Masacre is one of the not so many good examples for how a band could renew its style with time and to not disappoint their old fans meanwhile. Like if "Reqviem's" Masacre and the "Total Death's" Masacre (their 4th full-length album) were 2 different bands. And if we're looking at the line up changes that occured meanwhile (guitarist Juan Carlos Gómez as the only constant band member), they are.
   It might be interesting to compare Masacre's case with Massacre, if the analogy by style, band name, and cultic underground status wouldn't be enough. Both bands had lineup changes, both tried to change their style, but while Massacre tried it earlier in a drastic way led by the changing tendencies of the main scene and failed, Masacre's music changed in small steps album by album as a continuity and succeeded. More importantly they didn't try to abandon their old style, but to renew it. In 2014 Massacre came back from nothing and released a great album that was more brutal than how their early music was, but something was missing. Like if it was made by any other death metal band. A soulless mass product without any genuine features. In 2014 Masacre released a great album that was that was more brutal than how their early music was, and also sounded as a fulfillment of their musical development. Cause they haven't been gone meanwhile. That album was like if it was made by another band compared to their early period, but their music still had intense spirit. It was a different flame than in the old times (by different musicians it's understandable), but the flame was there, and it didn't just burn, it was incinerating. "Brutal Aggre666ion" isn't about trying to play something that certainly could be sold, cause there are well proven samples how to do it. It was about to enjoy being as brutal and compromise-less as the genre could offer cause that's why it was made for. An excellent record, strongly recommended for the fans of death metal!

Remains - Angels Burned (2014)

   If  someone's encounter an album design made by Mark Riddick, usually 2 things could be taken as granted: 1. it's most probably a death metal album, and 2. it's not going to disappoint. The same are correct about "Angel's Burned" by Remains.
   The band dedicated their music completely to old school death metal, and mainly to the Swedish scene. Grave and Unleashed should be mentioned in first line as their most possible influences. And it's definitely not weird from a Mexican band, since the audiences there are strongly into European bands. From the '10s the number of European metal inspired Mexican bands have increased, and even if most of them cannot offer any different or interesting perspective, they're quite good as fan-made projects, not to mention their impressive self-dedication. Also since the '10 Swedish death metal styled bands could be found literally in every country where's mentinable metal scene, if the nearly endless amount that Sweden keeps providing since the early '90s haven't been enough. If it's about themes, Remains' debut "Angel's Burned" definitely sounds like any death metal album from Sweden, except the typical "Swedish buzzsaw" sound was missing - at least on this album. But in the followings even this tiny "aesthetical issue" was avoided. 
   Strongly recommended for the fans of Swedish death metal!