Relic : "Crown of Flies"

Whatever happened to Satanic death metal? I was pondering if, in 2026, it just became labelled "blackened death metal"? This Wisconsin band certainly seems to make an argument for this theory. There is a little chaos involved that could be thought of as a "black" element, but it could also be heard as grindcore. The second song, "Filth of Rebirth' is more like 90s death metal. Lyrically, things are much more vague than Deicide. The vocals are also lower and more gurgled, less articulated than the hymns to Satan that came out of Tampa in the 90s. 

Granted, how many of those bands were sincere? Trey might have taken too much acid while reading the "Necronomicon." Even Glen Benton has said something that led me to believe he was more about giving the middle finger to God than about that infernal life. "Scavenger's Daughter' blasts by in a manner that is almost too fast to really put an ear to what is going on, but it also tells me it was nothing that hooked me in with the initial listen. These guys are brutal as hell and are comprised of members of Jungle Rot, Emblazoned, and Slam Pig. You hear more of Slam Pig and Jungle Rot, even though it only accounts for the two guitarists. 

The last song, "Iron Sacrament," is more deliberate. The vocals have more purpose , in their snarled rasp and grunts, as the guitar allows for them the space to do that in rather than just forcing the vocals to be an afterthought. I appreciate the brutality, though I could use a little more darkness and dynamics, but it's great for what it is, so I will give this one an  8.5.