Death Metal

[morguelord]

Some really good picks there. Frankly, I'm super burnt out on new "old school" death metal recently, so I can't say I'm excited about a lot of those, but there are definitely some choice cuts, specifically Cardiac Arrest (great guys, I think I've seen them live more than any other band that I've seen), Galvanizer, Ataraxy, Hooded Menace, Revolting, and maybe a few more. A few of the rest I haven't heard, it's difficult as fuck to keep up with new wave OSDM stuff, what with new ones popping up every thirty seconds, and my being burnt out doesn't help, it just makes them all look and sound the same to me, but I know a lot of that is my own mindset. Seems to me that too many of these new "old school" bands don't really have a clue what "OLD SCHOOL" means, they just drench the vocals in a fuckton of reverb, give it a muddy guitar tone, and do a half-ass blast beat, then claim it's about atmosphere, but totally forgetting riffs. Meh, I know a lot of that's just me being overly-cynical and picky.

Honestly, there's not a lot I'm too thrilled about for this year, I haven't been keeping track of what is coming out. I tend to focus more on the BDM side of the spectrum lately, but with the majority of that being weak, plastic shit with fake drums or boring-ass dumbshit slam, it's kinda hard for me to get really excited about anything that is going to be released in the future.

 

[CiG]

As I was typing that out I knew the use of "old school" was going to be a source of complaint or comment.

I completely get where you're coming from though. Personally I don't think many of those selections are a part of the new wave of OSDM, at least not purposely. It's much more a product of my limited vocabulary than any of these bands being empty trendies.

However, Revolting and Ectoplasma could fall into that category of riff-lite new wave of OSDM, I'll admit that. But that top 3 I am legitimately psyched as fuck for, new killer death/thrash (Rapture) seems to be few and far between these days.

Speaking of new BDM, have you heard of/checked out the upcoming Human Barbecue album?

 

[morguelord]

Oh don't get me wrong at all man, there's no other way to classify it other than OSDM, I'm not trying to jump on you for that hahaha! I just think a lot of these bands (not necessarily even ones that you mentioned, just as a whole) have lost their way and forgotten what old school death metal really was, instead choosing to jump on shitty trends and regurgitate the same crap over and over.

There's still a lot of great bands that sound like the 90s, Calcemia, Skeletal Remains, Engulfed, Father Befouled, Cadaveric Incubator, Ekpyrosis, Tomb Mold, Contaminated, Ruin, Cemetery Urn, Disma, Cut Up, Encoffinized, dozens, if not hundreds, more. Hell, I'm looking into a passport to go to Killtown Deathfest this year, which focuses primarily on newer old-school-sounding bands, so surely I'm not too disillusioned (yet). I just get tired of trends. I want riffs and heaviness, not bland tripe created for some weak semblance of "atmosphere".

Nah, never bothered to listen to it. Seen it around, didn't look like my thing at all. I'm so fucking sick to goddamn death of slam that I want to go back in time and Sarah Connor the fuck out of all the parents of the members of Abominable Putridity and Cephalotripsy (even though I love both those bands), hopefully stemming the tide of obscenely bland, 896th wave slam trash that's flooding the brutal death scene right now. I've never actually checked out the band, the name and art always just kinda screamed "slam" to me. I looked it up, it's Mats from Kraanium, Dragging Entrails, and about 16 other slamming brutal death bands, with Jason from Putrefied J, another band I don't care for. I like Mats, I think he's a cool guy and I enjoy some of his bands when I do happen to be in a mood for some low-brow, Neanderthalic thuggery, but at this point, all his shit is just kinda played out. He plays the same rudimentary style in almost a dozen bands, so at some point, enough is enough. Also, gross, fake drums. From description, members, and aesthetic alone, I can tell you right now there's a 99% chance I'll hate that. Honestly I blatantly ignore 99% of bands that label themselves as "slam" started post-2010.

 

[CiG]

I probably should've looked deeper into Human Barbecue before asking; this sucks. I'd just seen it around in a lot of people's 2018 lists so I assumed it was at least halfway decent.

Oh don't get me wrong at all man, there's no other way to classify it other than OSDM, I'm not trying to jump on you for that hahaha! I just think a lot of these bands (not necessarily even ones that you mentioned, just as a whole) have lost their way and forgotten what old school death metal really was, instead choosing to jump on shitty trends and regurgitate the same crap over and over.

Agreed. Especially the Autopsy worship stuff needs to fuck off already. Autopsy are one of my all time favourites in the genre (though apparently controversially I'm more of a Acts of the Unspeakable and Shitfun guy lmao) but there are just way too many bands copying them (or "worshiping" them) and these bands especially become a problem when they take elements from a band but don't do anything interesting with them. Obliteration and Reptilian imo did something interesting with Autopsy worship but they're few and far between.

Personally I wish there were more bands like Mordeth, who have that cold, alien, detached vibe without being edgy and 2deep4u and turning death metal into a noodly boring formula.

 

[Dazed and Brutal]

Genocide Pact - Order of Torment
(Basically if Incantation and Immolation went to war with each other. Maybe some Skinless too)

Hooded Menace - Ossuarium Silhouettes Unhallowed
(We all know them, nothing needs to be said. Sounds killer so far!)

I'm a little tired of the death/doom revival trend over the last two years, but I'd recommend Druid Lord's Grotesque Offerings if you still have the stomach for the style.

Extremely thorough and helpful list either way!

 

[CiG]

I'm a little tired of the death/doom revival trend over the last two years, but I'd recommend Druid Lord's Grotesque Offerings if you still have the stomach for the style.

Extremely thorough and helpful list either way!

Thanks man. The death metal of last year really re-energized my love for death metal so I've been keeping an especially thorough eye on the genre this year.

I completely forgot about Druid Lord though! Nice one man, I'm actually not tired of death/doom right now because I gave it a bunch of years of downtime as I was burned out on the style around the time Coffins' The Fleshland which disappointed the fuck out of me, a shame after 2012 gave us Derkéta's album which blew me away.

 

[morguelord]

Most people's lists for the year of any year can suck the fattest part of my asshole, especially when it comes to brutal death metal, unless it's someone who's tastes I know hold some kind of credence. Most people will suck the diseased, mucus-dripping phallus of whatever weak, plastic slam bullshit Slam Worldwide posts, so I don't give a shit what anyone says when it comes to top BDM releases of the past few years, or at least not most sites you tend to see around. This fucking gay slam train needs to die.

I agree with you about Autopsy, and I'll raise you one: STOP PRETENDING TO BE INCANTATION. You're not good at it!!!!!!!!!!! You don't even write riffs, you just crank up the reverb and wear robes and pretend to be heralding some "revival" of death metal, but you're not, you're just ruining a good thing for everyone else. Same thing for Swedeath. It's been done to fucking death, quit it. I heard a band from Germany the other day called Sore that literally played ONE weak, bland punk riff for an entire 4 minute song and called it death metal. Fuck you, roll your tour bus down the Grand Canyon, faggot.

Bands need to realize that the 90s weren't made up of like 4 bands. Entombed, Dismember, Autopsy, and Incantation were not the only fucking bands. I'm glad there's bands like Blood Incantation, Nucleus, Chthe'ilist at least TRYING something new by going after the eerie Finnish sound, or taking some inspiration from Timeghoul and writing songs that are like musical fucking books. How about some Cryptopsy worship? Maybe some bands that really fucking LOVE Monstrosity's Millennium? Anything but the same bland shit that's been raped to death for the past decade or so. And just for the record, I like clone bands, even ones of Incantation or Entombed, but it just feels like 90% of bands playing those styles are just tired, trend jumpers, literally the exact same thing that's happening to brutal death metal with slam right now. Meh, maybe I've just heard too much.

 

[no country for old wainds]

Chthe'ilist

TRYING something new

not an example i would use lol, agree with your general point though

 

[CiG]

Most people's lists for the year of any year can suck the fattest part of my asshole, especially when it comes to brutal death metal, unless it's someone who's tastes I know hold some kind of credence. Most people will suck the diseased, mucus-dripping phallus of whatever weak, plastic slam bullshit Slam Worldwide posts, so I don't give a shit what anyone says when it comes to top BDM releases of the past few years, or at least not most sites you tend to see around. This fucking gay slam train needs to die.

Tell us how you really feel man.

I agree with you about Autopsy, and I'll raise you one: STOP PRETENDING TO BE INCANTATION. You're not good at it!!!!!!!!!!! You don't even write riffs, you just crank up the reverb and wear robes and pretend to be heralding some "revival" of death metal, but you're not, you're just ruining a good thing for everyone else. Same thing for Swedeath. It's been done to fucking death, quit it. I heard a band from Germany the other day called Sore that literally played ONE weak, bland punk riff for an entire 4 minute song and called it death metal. Fuck you, roll your tour bus down the Grand Canyon, faggot.

On this question of rifflessness setting in within death metal (I've noticed it too) what did you think of Swallowed's Lunarterial full length? I remember being really psyched to get it and blast it after their demos and EP were so ugly and killer and then when I put it on it was almost like drone metal dressed up as death metal or something.

How about some Cryptopsy worship? Maybe some bands that really fucking LOVE Monstrosity's Millennium? Anything but the same bland shit that's been raped to death for the past decade or so.

A band that tries to revive the sounds of the first two Cryptopsy albums would be fucking cool.

I'd love to hear some bands that hark back to the first 2 Disharmonic Orchestra albums or even Crypt of Kerberos.

 

[morguelord]

In reference to Chthe'ilist, I know they aren't trying anything necessarily *new* by the strict definition of the word, but they seem to draw influences from sources that aren't completely typical.

I remember liking Swallowed, but I don't believe I've ever heard anything from the full length to be quite honest. From your description, it sounds like more or less what I'm talking about.

 

[CiG]

I have a strong feeling it would make you puke (and not in the good way lol).

 

[morguelord]

I'm over talking about things I don't like, it's a waste of energy, even though I could conceivably rant all day about the injustices in death metal today hahaha. Here, here's some cool tunes that I've been showing some friends lately, let's talk about that shit.

Some cool Russian tech death from 93, interesting stuff.



Blistering UK dm from the 90s.



Very riffy French death metal, bordering on brutal death, from 2000.



BIZARRE Colorado DM...nothing more I can really say.



I'm a huge fan of Centurian and Nox, so when I found out two guys that had played on Liber Zar Zax had had another band, I got excited. Not quite as fast, but a lot of super tasty riffs on this 97 demo, which sounds worlds better than the sadly terribly-produced full length.

 

[no country for old wainds]

we need to recruit a morguelord for each genre thread on GMD

 

[morguelord]

I'll take that as a compliment! Hahaha

 

[EspaDa]

There used to be this @KafkaX guy who had immense knowledge about grindcore and stoner. A pity he's no longer in here.

 

[Sirjack]

 

[Sirjack]

 

[Sirjack]

 

[morguelord]

Not sure if you guys are familiar with Dysphoria from Northern Indiana, but they're pretty sick. They released this one demo, Day of Atonement back in 1993 and it's pretty sick. Featuring Jimmy from Jungle Rot, Dead for Days, Fleshgrind, and a ton others on bass.



They recently reformed and are playing shows around Chicago (which is great for me because that's where I go to probably 80% or more of the shows I see) and signed to Pathologically Explicit Records, saying they're gonna release an album finally. I got all excited and everything, but then they posted a photo of the new logo....and it's terrible. The old logo is sick, filthy shit that screams "fetid, dank OSDM" and the new one seems to quietly mewl "boring modern overproduced DM that sounds nothing like we did a quarter of a century ago" and that SUCKS!!! I always try to give the benefit of the doubt, but I know my way around enough to know what bands are usually going to sound like based on logo or art or whatever. I'll still give it a chance, but goddamn dude, old logos are sick, stop trying to fit your band into a little box.

 

[Sirjack]

wicked death/thrash band