Kruelty : "Profane Usurpation"

These guys are now a three-piece and seem to be getting things done well enough on their new ep, which stays true to the merging of death metal with hard-core to create a dense dark slamming take on this combination of styles. "I preferred 2020's " A Dying Truth" over their last full length, and things seem to look back in that direction, as their guitarist taking over the growls, gets things to a simpler more brutal time, without just devolving into another death metal band, which seemed like the direction they were heading on the last album. Rather than relying on breakdowns, they go after you by chugging into aggressive riffing. 

A little more of the death metal side bleeds through on the title track. This less relenting style is still powerful, but I preferred the subtle songwriting on the first song. There are still deliberate chugs that kick your face in. "Bloodless Mankind" also descends into death metal more that finds things coming closer to picking up where they left off on the last album, Since this is an ep they know they can't afford any filler, so it still works as a song, it just depends on if you want them to be another death metal band or not. 

Some of my criticism is going to come from a place of what makes this band stand out. There are already many death metal bands going there, and you are not going to out-brutalize any of them. "No Fear of Judgement" must mean they do not care if they sound like another death metal band even if this is not playing to their strengths to the extent we have already heard them explore, though they do remember to add groove and give it some hook. It's not easy to bounce back like this after a line-up change so all things considered they represent themselves well. I 'll give this album a 9 as it feels darker than the last. 

 

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Kruelty : "Untopia"

 It's time for things to get heavy in the best way possible, is what I thought going into this album. It seemed like a safe bet as . Japan's death metal/ hard core hybrid is back. They started things with   all the groove with them that made their previous album such a hit here last time. While I might not be crazy about the snare sound this time, everything else works on the first couple songs seems to work  well enough to distract me from it. It is only when they charge at you full speed ahead that this is noticeable. Both death metal and hard core owe a great deal to thrash and on "Harder than Before" this lineage is noticed most. The vocals stay more firmly on the side of death metal this time around. 

When "Burn the System" stomps to life, it seems like it is an extension of the previous song. I think the more death metal direction this album seems to have taken, also comes with the price of creating more of uniform sound that can allow it's momentum, to make these songs start to sound the same. "Reincarceration" slows to wallow in it's death metal filth, but it fails to open up the pit with the same grind their last album did. It is not until the end of the song that a break down style riff emerges, but double bass accenting it enough to keep things clearly on the more metal side of the equation. By the time the record winds to "Maze of Suffering" I am beginning to feel a little disappointed as this is becoming just another death metal album. 

"Manufactured Insanity" does find a few head stomping riffs emerge that owe more to their hard core side, but at this point it is beginning to feel like too little too late as this album is not as dark or heavy as the one before it. The death track is more death metal that just sounds like everyone else , and offers little of the beat down they dished out last time. I will round this down to an 8, which is still better than most bands, but falls short of what they delivered on the album before. That said if you are a fan of death metal this is still worth your time.  

the Top 10 Death Metal Albums of 2020

Given the state of 2020 we need death metal more than ever. Death is something to be celebrated not feared and these albums help provide a sound track for that celebration. I do not like death metal that is too technical or only heavy so these bands all went above and beyond. Ok now that that is out of the way , much like in years past sort through the genre lists before making the overall top ten of the year list. I know many of you are ready for 2020 to be over with. Hate to break it to you but nothing is getting better next year. As far as 2020 goes there is only a couple new bands on this list. 

 The fact these artists made it on the list speaks to how great these albums are, so it's not a slight that the number 8 album is above the 9th album, there is something that just gives it an edge that makes me want to listen to it more. After all we can try to look cool and pick the hippest bands for a list, but at the end of the day what makes an album the best is that it makes you want more, you look forward to listening to it again. Sure you can bitch and complain about your favorite band not being on the list. However I listen to five new albums a day so yes I heard your favorite album and was not impressed. No I do not care what you think about it .I do hope you can find your next favorite on this list and have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out audio on these guys. Anyways here are the top death metal albums of 2020

 10- Marche Funebre -"Einderlicht"

Overall everything that goes down in the first song is what I want from metal. It's heavy but catchy and melodic. They do not over due the guitar harmonies as many European death metal bands do. It more like a more ballsy version of Amorphis.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/10/marche-funebre-einderlicht.html 

9- Pyrrhon - "Abscess Time" 

The guys took the term progressive death metal in a new direction and progressed into a death metal version of the Jesus Lizard.  Plenty of crazed angular ugliness to wipe your face in. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/08/pyrrhon-abscess-time.html

 

8-Goat Necropsy- "Bloody and Fresh" 

The more death grind gore side of the genre is not normally something I am into but these guys, gave the blood shed more charm through their ear for riffage.  

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/05/goat-necropsy-bloody-and-fresh.html

 

7-Phobetor- "When Life Falls Silent" 

I like how they use dissonance and keep their melodies ugly. Yes there is also some degree of black metal influence particularly when it comes to the darker side of their ugly sound , but they are not blackened death metal. Branded as just extreme metal, I find most of this he this is used they are just a death metal band, and that is the case here. They have a more organic sound than many of the more modern death metal bands doing similar

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/06/death-is-june-phobetor-when-life-falls.html

6- Abysmal Dawn _ "Phylogenesis" 

While on paper this might not come across as something I would be into. These guys prove a point.. It doesn't matter how heavy or technical you are, you can still give a shit and write good songs. These songs are what wins me over against all odds. Yes the labyrinth of riffs might be a lot when they first hit you with it, but they prove to be catchy. 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/06/death-is-june-abysmal-dawn-phylogenesis.html

5-White Stones - "Kuarahy" 

Do you miss the days when Opeth was death metal ? Well so does their bass player . So much so he started another band to recapture that sound. 

  https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/06/death-is-june-white-stones-kuarahy.html

4-Temple of the Void - "the World That Was" 

 Tired of the death doom band wagon every one was jumping on so I dis regarded this one when it showed up in my in-box. I regret doing that as holy shit this album is good. It is dark as fuck and darkness is what I listen for. At times they pull influence from bands like Alice in Chains and Ride as much as they were Morbid Angel, so how can you  not check it out.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/03/temple-of-void-world-that-was.html

3- Kruelty"- "Dying Truth" 

I do not always do brutal death metal. But when I do I like for it to sound like Kruelty. With some hard core influence to it. 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/06/death-is-june-kruelty-dying-truth.html

2- Umbra Vitae-Shadow of Life" 

Jacob from Converge loves Entombed. He also likes other classic death metal. He created a band to pay tribute to this and it is as awesome or perhaps even more so than we could have hoped for. It was a tough call between this and the number one album , but the scope of what the top spot does beat this out. 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/05/umbra-vitae-shadow-of-life.html

 

1-Pulchra Morte - " Ex Rosa Ceremonia"

This is the first time an artist has taken the top spot two years in a row. This speaks to how awesome these guys are. Even with a change of sound and new line up they still manage to earn this all on their own . It is not because I am a fan as I am an even bigger fan of Converge, but here we are tis album speaks for itself.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/10/pulchra-morte-ex-rosa-ceremonia.html

Death is June - Kruelty : "A Dying Truth"

I was going to cover Xibalba , but I am glad I did not because these guys from Japan do what they do better. Yep Japan you heard that right. Things are getting Brutal in Japan in the best way possible. I am not buying that slower death metal makes you death doom as these guys bring hard core into the mix and this shit is great. If you are going to be angry and aggressive then do it ins a way that punches you in the fucking face. Too many bands play mean, but do not pack the power to knock you senseless like these guys do . There is no way to not bang your head to the second song. With each song the pace slowly begins to pick up. The chug they churn out by the time you get to "Anicent Words" has some locomotion behind it. They are not hitting you with a ton of double bass, which is where the hairs are being split between death metal and hardcore. Not saying there is none, it is just done differently.

The break downs slap you in the fucking face. They slow back down to a more Obituary pace in places on " Nothing More" . I love the grooves, the more punk parts , namely the stiff snare patterns I am not as big of a fan. They remain punishing on " Vengeance". It stomps ahead with some of punk recklessness in spots. The weight behind the chug of "Darkside" is hard to deny. The vocals are the only thing that begins to get a little stale as accept for one part so far they have been growled in the smae gutural manner. I mean even for death metal I expect marginally more dynamics. "CKS' is where things begin to work off the same throbbing pulse. Not a deal dreaker , but I could use a little more dynamics.

This album is really well produced. This helps the guitar fully realize their potential for violence. The drums are the only part that could use more love. I am not a fan of the snare sound, not as mad as Metallica snare. It is the punk blast beats that turn me off . I will give this album a 9. It is a much more solid release than what I expected. Out on Profound Lore.