Frozen Soul : " No Place of Warmth"

Frozen Soul's new album starts off with a bigger, and marginally darker though things are mixed in a manner that does not convey the cavernous cold of the last album, but you can't fault them for growing, and they are not making the same album twice, which is more than you can say for most. Oddly Gerad Way from My Chemical Romance guest on this song. However, he is not bringing whiny emo vocals, but a more black metal rasp. So it's not that invasive of what they normally do. This album has several guest spots on it. The second song features Rob Flynn from Machine Head, who contributes his bark to this more deliberate stomp. It's a big, powerful guitar sound that works well.

"Absolute Zero" is a minute of big chug that speeds up into a blast of sorts. "Dreadnought" finds Devin from Sanguisugabogg joining them. There is a mean bass tone for this song, and it grinds into things with a more Bolt Thrower-like feel. The melodic guitar solos bring this out more. An impressive flow of double bass drives "Chaos Will Reign," which is also the first song with the kind of thrashing groove that empowered "Glacial Domination." This is the band at their most effective, commanding headbanging. 

They step on the gas for "Eyes of Despair". But know how to temper the need for speed with grooving riffage. "Ethereal Dreams" makes me think of early Unleashed. The bulk of the album up until that point has been more deliberately paced, and they still manage to retain balance in a more Slayer-like fashion here. The songwriting here is some of the album's most dynamic. "Skinned by the Wind" is really a solid minute of mean riff, but it works for what it is. "Deathweaver" allows for more build-up. It also has one of the most melodic guitar lines on the album, but digging into the pummelling. "Frost Forged' finds the chug still moving your guts in the best way possible/ 

There is more of an Entombed to the rumble of the last song. The double bass speeds the song up, but they find their groove, and pretty quickly, the epitome of not letting your momentum take your feet out from under you. I will go ahead and round this up to a 10, as I think it will grow on me, and their fanbase will get another dose of the heavy slabs of sound that have been refined by staying on the road. This album drops on May 8th on Century Media. 

pst166

the Top 10 Metal Albums of 2025

It is a longstanding tradition here for metal to get its seperate list, apart from the overall top 20 albums list that includes metal as well as other genres, like rock, pop, and Electronic music. The bulk of this list consists of the albums that took the top spots in the 8 sub-genres of metal that got their own top 10 lists for the year, as well as two albums that took the number two spot of their genre, but are such stellar releases that they deserve to be mentioned alongside these albums. I have done quite a few of these sorts of lists for other blogs, but I feel that by the time I get around to doing this list, it is the most refined and the other lsits were really working drafts to get to this point. They are ranked in accordance to how much I listened to them, as that is the most important curve they should be graded by, how much they lure you back for repeat listens. Here are the top 10 Metal Albums of 2025

10-Vacuous-"In His Blood" 

Death Metal 

The sophomore album from the UK death metal band finds VACUOUS carving out its own sonic niche that sets it apart from the pack, while not leaning too heavily on its influences. For death metal bands, this can be challenging as there are staples to the genre's sound like the guttural vocals and thundering double bass that are expected; it's up to the band as to how they want to use those building blocks, and many get stuck on the sound rather than writing the songs. These guys fucked with the sound by making interesting production choices, then built an almost Incantation-like ambiance, but it's spacious where most death metal hits you with a denser crunch. In doing this, they freed themselves up to decorate this sound with eerie melodies. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/01/vacuous-in-his-blood.html

9-Internal Bleeding- "Settle All Scores." 

Death Core

For this band to have been around since the 90s, they are inspired and were ahead of their time.  Kids now call this Slam, but it's really just hardcore-influenced death metal. It's fair to say these guys are also big fans of Cannibal Corpse. After all, Cannibal Corpse, formed in Buffalo, three years before these guys. This is the first album to feature Sacrafical Slaughter vocalist Steve Worley, who sports a very commanding grunt and gurgle. His lyrics are growled in such a manner that, despite their brutality, you can still make them out. They shift into more traditonal metal riffs that provide enough dynamics to make most metal heads happy. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/09/internal-bleeding-settle-all-scores.html

8-NITE-"Cult of the Serpent Sun" 

Blackened Thrash 

The third album from this San Francisco metal band. They walk a line between black metal and traditional metal. I can hear where Tribulation might have occupied a similar sonic space at one time if they had not turned into a goth band. The snarled vocals  give them more of a black metal sound, as you could have someone with their foot on the monitor yodeling and it would sound like a different ballgame. You can draw comparisons to bands like Angel Witch in this regard. Almost playing the kind of deliberate galloping thrash that evolved from bands like Saxon.

 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/01/nite-cult-of-serpent-sun.html

7-Blut Aus Nord - "Ethereal Horizons." 

Black Metal 

The French Black Metal band's 16th album shows Blut Aus Nord never makes the same album twice, and they are embracing every side of the genre here while cloaking them all in their signature atmosphere. It is like listening to a smoke machine envelop a band rather than just seeing it on stage. Atmospheric black metal is being pushed in new directions, while the pained moaning of the clean vocals cuts through the thickness of sound, bringing' Mercyful Fate's earliest incarnations of black metal to mind. There is the needed cauldron of blast beats and tremolo-picked guitars needed to identify their blackened intent, but not sounding like everyone else in the process

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/10/blut-aus-nord-ethereal-horizons.html

6-Callous Daoboys - "I Don't Want to See You In Heaven."

 Progressive Metal 

You are thrown into their bizarre progressive take on metalcore. While the screamed vocals are more dominant, Carson Pace's voice continues to grow. His poppy-sung vocals carry the need hooks to contrast the chaos. If there is any justice in the universe, these guys should be at least as big as Knocked Loose, just on the merits of songwriting.

  

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/05/the-callous-daoboy-i-dont-want-to-see.html

5--Author & Punisher - "Nocturnal Birding' 

Industrial 

This is the first album that finds guitarist Doug Sabolick joining as a bandmate, which contributes to the more rock feel to things. Every song has a bird theme. There is a more overt industrial crunch to the amazing stomp this album carries. Megan from Couch Slut, lends her voice to the ruckus erupting, with more detailed layers of melody luring you into one of the year's best industrial songs. The addition of guitar offers a big step forward, even if it moves them marginally closer to the conventions of industrial rock. The genre itself allows and fosters experimentation, creating an almost anything-goes attitude. This song and the previous song have been the noisiest so far, with this texture being most effective here.  

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/09/author-punisher-nocturnal-birding.html

4--Rwake -"The Return of the Magik." 

Sludge 

The Arkansas-based band is back after 13 years. A more melodic expanse of sound brings elements of Southern rock to the forefront of the opening track as guitar solos cascade around it. Brittany Fugate's scathing vocals provide a counterpoint to the lower, ominous vocal tones of Chris Terry. They bring a menacing thunder with metallic riffing, as well as contrast it with really tasteful guitar work. They ripped the hardest when it came to sludge this year. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/02/rwake-return-of-magik.html

3--Sanguisugabogg -"Hideous Divinity." 

Death Metal 

 This is an album I have been looking forward to, so expectations were high. Halfway into the first song, I heard the needed tweaks I wanted from these guys in terms of production have been made, and it is rocking fucking hard. There is more attention to detail in songwriting as riffs have purpose and are not just shifting into the next heaviest chug possible. Songwriting is storytelling, telling, and the message is coming through with a more mature and perfected vision. Devin still does what he does, though his phrasing is refined and more articulate without sacrificing brutality. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/09/sanguisugabogg-hideous-divntiy.html

2- Coroner - "Dissonance Theory."

Thrash 

The band's first album in 32 years. Things are different in many ways, though they do not sound like they are in their 60s. Weirdly, Marquis Marky is not behind the kit, leaving Ron Royce and Tommy Baron as the only original members who feel more pronounced as a trio. Their new drummer, Diego, certainly pulls it all off. This is not them trying to recapture their 80s sound. Nor should they. A big difference lies in how forward Royce's vocals are in the mix, as he used to sit back in the guitars more, certainly having grown more confident in what he does.  You can hear how they influence bands like Meshuggah. This album grew on me with each listen, and it's clear they are more vital now than ever. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/09/coroner-dissonance-theory.html

1-Hangman's Chair- "Saddiction" 

Doom

The modern kings of gloom bring a sonic pounding counterbalanced by the trademark passion of the vocals, and things ebb down into a more depressive introspection as the rollercoaster of the album's dynamic sets in motion. Some interesting production choices in this often reverb-heavy recording are best appreciated when played loudly through headphones. It's a band whose songwriting continues to exceed expectations and put them at the top of the heap, not just when it comes to doom or metal, but all artists making music today. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/02/hangmans-chair-saddiction.html

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The Top 20 Albums of 2025 (Part Two 10-1)

 

Last year, I expanded what was once the Top 10 Albums of the Year to the Top 20. The Top 10  was limiting, considering there are now 20 best-of-genre lists.  a Top 10 often left off ten albums that captured the top spot for their respective genres.  So we are continuing the countdown here in this second part to the top 10 albums. These are the albums I listened to most. When you take into consideration the fact that I listened to over 900 albums this year, it's impressive for these albums to have endured the influx of new music that hit my inbox every morning and made me want to hear them again and again. Yes, this is the culmination of all the other lists done up to this point for other blogs and was refined down to this master list of all genres.; So here ya go...

10-HAIM- "I quit" 

The Haim sisters came back after five years, which in pop music is an eternity, given how attention spans and trends cycle out. In being generous and taking things like touring into consideration, we can say they had 3 years to follow "Women in Music pt 3" which was a career-defining album, that elevated the band's status. This time the focus was on playing their instruments and busting out guitar solos rather than pop hooks, but they packed a few of those as well. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/06/haim-i-quit.html

 

9-Patriarchy -"Manual for Dying." 

The steamiest batch of bumping grinders since the golden years of Lords of Acid, certainly, is enough to give this duo the number one spot. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/08/patriarchy-forcefully-rearranged.html

8-Sanguisugabogg -"Hideous Divinity." 

 This is an album I have been looking forward to, so expectations were high. Halfway into the first song, I  heard the needed tweaks I wanted from these guys in terms of production have been made, and it is rocking fucking hard. There is more attention to detail in songwriting as riffs have purpose and are not just shifting into the next heaviest chug possible. Songwriting is storytelling, telling, and the message is coming through with a more mature and perfected vision. Devin still does what he does, though his phrasing is refined and more articulate without sacrificing brutality. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/09/sanguisugabogg-hideous-divntiy.html

7- Coroner - "Dissonance Theory."

The band's first album in 32 years. Things are different in many ways, though they do not sound like they are in their 60s. Weirdly, Marquis Marky is not behind the kit, leaving Ron Royce and Tommy Baron as the only original members who feel more pronounced as a trio. Their new drummer, Diego, certainly pulls it all off. This is not them trying to recapture their 80s sound. Nor should they. A big difference lies in how forward Royce's vocals are in the mix, as he used to sit back in the guitars more, certainly having grown more confident in what he does.  You can hear how they influence bands like Meshuggah. This album grew on me with each listen, and it's clear they are more vital now than ever. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/09/coroner-dissonance-theory.html

 

6-Heartworms - "Glutton For Punishment."

Why is this album taking the top spot, you ask?  There are organic qualities blended with a chamber-pop sound that brings Dresden Dolls to mind in equal doses as Rasputina .. Helmed by Jojo Orme, this project is mroe organic and capable of rocking out than your average darkwave band, with songs like "Jacked' falling on the more post-punk side of the equation. The guitars are capable of delivering the needed jagged tension. The album spends a great deal of time juggling the more electronic elements against a jangle of guitar that leans left of center into a moodier indie rock. 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/10/gothtober-heartworms-glutton-for.html

 

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5-Freeze the Fall - "The Red Garden." 

Big radio rock that hits with an infectious bite. Their anthemic choruses are balanced by the brooding atmosphere that is dark enough to keep me interested, despite the more hopeful mood they build. This young Canadian trio is great songwriters who sometimes find their overall sound following a 90s formula, which proves highly effective as it puts them in the number one spot, beating out veteran acts, so the future clearly holds big things for them. If you have not heard this album yet, do yourself a favor and give it a listen.    

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/05/freeze-fall-red-garden.html

 

4-Taylor Swift- "the Life of a Showgirl" 

At the end of the day, she can whip out songs that sit effortlessly next to the other classics in her discography with no effort. Even Tay Tay dialing it in is better than what most can do with two dozen producers and co-writers. This album grew on me, and makes it clear she is the dominant force in not just pop music, but songwriting. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/10/taylor-swift-life-of-showgirl.html

 

3-Hangman's Chair- "Saddiction" 

The modern kings of gloom bring a sonic pounding counterbalanced by the trademark passion of the vocals, and things ebb down into a more depressive introspection as the rollercoaster of the album's dynamic sets in motion. Some interesting production choices in this often reverb-heavy recording are best appreciated when played loudly through headphones. It's a band whose songwriting continues to exceed expectations and put them at the top of the heap, not just when it comes to doom or metal, but all artists making music today. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/02/hangmans-chair-saddiction.html

 

2-Spiritbox- "Tsunami Sea." 

It's the band's pop lean that helps separate them from their peers, as Courtney is better at vocal hooks than the singer for Jinger or Infected Rain, who work in similar sonic circles. She has continued to grow as a singer to further distance herself from her peers. Even with the pop hooks in play, the dynamics pack a heavy enough punch to have the metallic impact to take the top spot here. Their drummer has really stepped up on this album as he fills the spaces with interesting playing that they build off of. At the end of the day, it's the top-tier songwriting that wins out.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/03/spiritbox-tsunami-sea.html

1-Ethel Cain-  "Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You."

Not only the best shoegaze/post-rock album of the year,  the best album of the year. I don't think she set out to make a shoegaze album, which is what makes it so effective; the ethereal atmosphere just organically came about thanks to the hypnotic drones that also incorporate pop and country music into the mix. Unlike Wednesday, who takes a jarring turn between the two genres, on this album, you can't tell where one ends and the other begins as they are woven with such sonic beauty. As stated, these albums are ranked according to how much I actually listened to them, and I listened to this album more than any other this year.  

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/08/ethel-cain-willoughby-tucker-ill-always.html

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The Top 10 Death Metal Albums of 2025

There is no shortage of inspiration for death metal these days, as death is all around us. Perhaps that is why there has been such a huge outpouring of quality death metal this year. These albums celebrate annihilation in all of its forms.   These albums captured what death metal should be with very little compromise. After I sort through the top 10 albums of all the respective genres, I use those lists to compile the top 10 albums of 2025. The very fact that these bands 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, and you look forward to listening to it again. Perhaps you can find your next favorite on this list, and I have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out the audio on these guys. Anyway, here are the top 10 Death Metal albums of 2025.

10-Disembodiment- "Spiral Crypts." 

In the depths of the more brutal and gore-grind leaning bowels of death metal, writhe this monster. The vocals are gurgled up from the sewers running down to hell. This is the band's first full-length. They are great at setting the mood. The mix is somewhat lo-fi, but the point gets across, and it gives these guys their charm. They are heavy as fuck but still care about writing songs. 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/06/death-is-june-disembodiment-spiral.html

9-Behemoth-"the Shit Ov God"

like Behemoth, but they are inconsistent. Their last album was great, but the two before that got a great deal of critical praise but were not worth the hype. I think they peaked with "Evangelion". Though they are getting back to an older, more epic death metal sound with this album, so perhaps this course corrects with a payoff. I think they are better as a death metal band, and the larger-than-life sound does not work for black metal, as they are often not atmospheric enough. I appreciate the more melodic notions that haunt this album. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/04/behemoth-shit-ov-god.html

 

8-Graceless- "Icons of Ruin."

The fourth album by this melodic death metal band from the Netherlands captures the groove and hooky songwriting that brought death to the mainstream in the 90s. There is a darker undercurrent running through the mood that seems to be steeped in making anthems that are at least against religion. Are they Satanic? Well, in that sense, but I am always hesitant to consider a band Satanic unless they come out and claim their infernal allegiance, as most of the time it's just obligatory heavy metal nonsense. These guys ride to victory with Bolt Thrower-level riffage, mixed with death doom. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/07/graceless-icons-of-ruin.html

7-Ossuary-Abbhorrent Worship"

The debut full-length from this band, featuring members of Jex Thoth. Funny enough, drummer Nick Johnson also plays drums for Zola Jesus. The overall sound is dark and gritty, with some sonic depth and a very stark atmosphere to this more Incantation-like school of death metal.  The ghastly approach to the snarl of the vocals is effective, though it is buried further back in the mix on the second song. I like the fact that they are purposeful in what they do and not just hitting you with a blur of double bass. To some, it might seem more like death doom. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/06/death-is-june-ossuary-abhorrent-worship.html

 

6-Decrepisy - "Deific Mourning."

 Crawling up from the cavernous depths where death metal plunges into a more depressive depth to meet in the melancholic tombs of doom, this Portland-based band oozes up with their follow-up to their 2021 debut. Featuring members of Negative Prayer, Vastum, and Coffin Rot, they manage to manifest an inner darkness into sonic form physically by using their instruments as the conduit through which they are expressed. This enables the atmosphere to manifest from the music as a natural progression of where the sound should go, rather than neatly checking off the boxes of required genre tropes. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/02/decrepisy-deific-mourning.html

5-Tombs- "Feral Darkness." 

 Mike Hill's sonic travels into darkness find this band continuing to embrace further into darkness. There are fewer black metal moments, making the music carry more of a death metal aggression.  Each album is a little different take on the bleak sounds they use, an aggressive barrage of powerful chug to convey. His vocal approach is less of a growl and more deliberate articulation of disdain. I would say at times this album feels like it has more in common with "Domination" era Morbid Angel than it does Mayhem or Darkthrone. The double bass-powered drums adding to the ominous momentum.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/09/tombs-feral-darkness.html

4-Floating-"Hesitating Lights." 

This band brings an interesting blend of sounds that I am always looking for. Given the fact that bands like In Solitude come from Sweden, a death metal band that blends post-punk into their sound, it is not a huge surprise. They go from a Siouxsie and the Banshees-like riff to throwing in a blast beat, and the growled vocals are layered over the guitars, splitting the difference between the two sounds. At times, this is a little chaotic, but it flows well more often than not. This is not to say they are not averse to bringing in some brooding, angular sounds

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/04/floating-hesitating-lights.html

 

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3-Blindfolded and Led into the Woods-"The Hardest Thing About Being God Is That No One Believes Me."

This band from New Zealand took the 8th spot in our 2021  Top 10 Death Metal albums list. Now Blindfolded and Led to the Woods is taking their experimental sense of sonics further by releasing their first concept album that explores obsession. The technical ability of the band is put on display as they use many of death metal's brutal trappings to attack your ears, but have an eerie sense of atmosphere that balances this out. The vocals are roared in a commanding manner that finds the lyrics more articulated, even when dropping into more of a growl. There are a few different vocal colors on this song, all of them aggressive. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/09/blindfolded-and-led-to-woods-hardest.html

2-Vacuous-"In His Blood" 

The sophomore album from the UK death metal band finds VACUOUS carving out its own sonic niche that sets it apart from the pack, while not leaning too heavily on its influences. For death metal bands, this can be challenging as there are staples to the genre's sound like the guttural vocals and thundering double bass that are expected; it's up to the band as to how they want to use those building blocks, and many get stuck on the sound rather than writing the songs. These guys fucked with the sound by making interesting production choices, then built an almost Incantation-like ambiance, but it's spacious where most death metal hits you with a denser crunch. In doing this, they freed themselves up to decorate this sound with eerie melodies. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/01/vacuous-in-his-blood.html

1-Sanguisugabogg -"Hideous Divinity." 

 This is an album I have been looking forward to, so expectations were high. Halfway into the first song, I  heard the needed tweaks I wanted from these guys in terms of production have been made, and it is rocking fucking hard. There is more attention to detail in songwriting as riffs have purpose and are not just shifting into the next heaviest chug possible. Songwriting is storytelling, telling, and the message is coming through with a more mature and perfected vision. Devin still does what he does, though his phrasing is refined and more articulate without sacrificing brutality. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/09/sanguisugabogg-hideous-divntiy.html

Thanks for reading. Please "like" and share on social media to give music a voice 

https://www.facebook.com/abysmalhymns

Check out our Podcast here ... https://www.youtube.com/@abysmalhymns666

pst603

September's Top 10 Albums

It's time for September's top 10 albums. Staying abreast of the month's highlights may help casual readers catch up on what they missed and explore these artists. I am not writing brief summaries of them; I am simply linking to the reviews. Inclusion here does not mean that these albums have been released this month, but it is a list of new or upcoming albums I have enjoyed the most. I have albums in my inbox that are not coming out til 2026, so I am normally way ahead of the curve in this regard. They are ranked in order of what I have listened to the most. This month, there is only a marginal variety for some reason. I was just listening to heavy shit, with a little industrial, death rock, and noise rock wedged in with death metal albums, which seemed the dominant force this month. So if you are feeling pissed or anxious, maybe you will find your new favorite among them. Here are the Top 10 albums of September. 

10-theYoung Gods- "Appear Disappear" 

Industrial / Experimental 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/09/the-young-gods-appear-disappear.html

 8-Today is the day-"Never Give In" 

Noise Rock

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/09/today-is-day-never-give-in.html

7-Blindfolded and Led to the Woods -The Hardest Thing About Being God is that No One Believes Me"

Death Metal 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/09/tombs-feral-darkness.html

6-Evoken- "Mendacium" 

Funeral Doom

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/09/evoken-mendacium.html

5-Alter de Fey- "Under a Waxing Moon" 

Death Rock 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/09/altar-de-fey-under-waxing-moon.html

4-Internal Bleeding-"Settle All Scores" 

Death Metal 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/09/internal-bleeding-settle-all-scores.html

3-Coroner -"Dissonance Theory" 

Progressive Thrash 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/09/coroner-dissonance-theory.html

2-Sanguissugabogg- "Hideous Divinity" 

Death Metal 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/09/sanguisugabogg-hideous-divntiy.html

1-Author & Punisher - "Nocturnal Birding" 

Industrial 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/09/author-punisher-nocturnal-birding.html

pst473

Sanguisugabogg : "Hideous Divntiy"

 This is an album I have been looking forward to, so expectations were high. Halfway into the first song, I can hear where the needed tweaks I wanted from these guys in terms of production have been made, and it is rocking fucking hard. There is more attention to detail in songwriting as riffs have purpose and are not just shifting into the next heaviest chug possible. Songwriting is storytelling,  and the message is coming through with a more mature and perfected vision. Devin still does what he does, though his phrasing is refined and more articulate without sacrificing brutality. 

On "Felony Abuse of a Corpse," they provide some unexpected grooves. The thing that is really winning me over so far is that it is not just crushingly heavy but a fun listen.  "The Ritual of Autophagia" is a little more straightforward, driven by impressive drumming and a steady chug that finds them the successors to Cannibal Corpse's throne. This song features a guest vocal by Todd Jones from Nails , who summons a higher snarl he has not used since "Abandon All Life": The title track alternates between dense grooves and blast beats, which come in spurts as Devin unleashes the more gore-grind-like gurgles and pig squeal that their fan base grew up on. You can debate if those labels still apply to the band, but it has always fallen under the death metal anyway. 

"Abhorrent Contraception" is the first single that came from this album, and it felt like they were taking things into a more classic death metal direction then. There are a few riffs that carry what might be described as having a breakdown feel. "Repulsive Demise' might be the album's most interesting moments as it works off a darker tension, rather than the kind of steamrolling riffs you associate with the genre. Despite its simplistic nature, the industrial drone it carries might be one of the most unique metal songs of the year. "Erotic Beheading" is a brutal blasting that looks back at where they came from and finds it tightened into where they are now. 

"Sanctified Defilement" was the first song I had to stop and listen to a few times beofe it clicked with me. Even though there is more blasting than what is offered on most songs, it is still balanced out with more deliberate riffage. 'Semi Automatic Facial Reconstruction" works off a syncopated dissonance that is different for them. Travis Ryan from Cattle Decapitation brings some higher-pitched screams to the occasion.  The almost eight-minute "Paid in Flesh' throbs with a tremendous groove, and finds Cody Davidson working overtime behind the kit. I normally do not give death metal drummers tons of praise, as it is in the job requirement that you have to be a monster to play death metal. Dylan Walker from Full of Hell lends his tormented anguish to the song. "To Build a Mountain" is more deliberate and sonically crushing. I will give this a 10; it exceeds expectations and shows they are one of the best new death metal bands worthy of carrying the genre forward. 

Thanks for reading, give a listen to the song below, and  please "like" and share on social media to give music a voice 

https://www.facebook.com/abysmalhymns

Check out our Podcast here ... https://www.youtube.com/@abysmalhymns666

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Scorching Tomb : "Ossuary"

 

It's a strong year for Canada. This band continues the country's new tradition of musical exportation. Fans of death metal who are regular readers here will attest to the fact that I am picky when it comes to the genre. Just having a crushing guitar tone and brutal riffs is not enough for me. I need groove and dynamics. These guys bring it in a way some might think of as old school. But what you are really saying when you say old school is a time when bands cared about writing songs more than just unlocking a sound. These guys are obsessed with speed and cramming in as many solos as they can, so they let the riffs simmer for a bit. 

Devin Swank guests on the second song, but his growl is mixed in a way that you can hear it, but it does not stand out, so we will jsut wait for his band to drop their album. The growls used by this band are employed like Frozen Soul, where they are very intentional and punch with purpose rather than being an obligatory afterthought. Perhaps not as articulated as Frozen Soul, as the lyrics do not pop out, unless I am looking at the song titles, I could not tell you what these songs are about. The chug themselves into a more expected fury for "Diminished to Ashes" that finds the drummer using less restraint and unleashing a hammering on your ears. In this way, they sometimes bring Deicide to mind. 

"Sanctum of Bones" grinds into your head with more purpose even when the pace builds to a thrashing assault. The fact that the bass sits further up in the mix helps the overall sound, giving a heavier, denser feel. "Sentenced to Rot' finds a balance of intensity with hooky purpose, once they lock into the refrain. It took a couple of listens to really click with me. The tempo picks up more for "Feel the Blade."  It's effective, but at this point in the album, they could stand to paint the songs with some different sonic colors, as the guitar tones are all starting to race together thanks to the rapid drummer.  But on "Bloodlust Sacrifice," they do not relent in any regard until locking into a moshy groove midway in. 

The last song also finds itself at the intersection of thrash and death metal, using the same sharp guitar tone to keep up their impressive chuggathon. Sonically, everything is painted in the same aggressive shade of red, but they do not go for a full frontal assault and use nuance to craft their riffs. They wisely place their punches for maximum impact and show they care about writing songs. I will give this album a 9 and see how it grows on me. Fans of hooky death metal should take note when this album drops on October 24th on Time to Kill Records. 

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BLUDGEONED BY DEFORMITY: " Epoch Of Immorality"

Helmed by the lead gurgler of Sanguissuggabogg, this is one of the most brutal death metal slabs you are going to hear in some time, well, until his day job puts something out.  Less gore, grind grooving than the Suggabogg, they do stomp down on things pretty hard. I went into this expecting to be hit by something more blasting and perhaps more technical than, well, you know who I am going to be referring to for the rest of the review, so there is no point in my trying to say their rather long name in other ways. 

The deliberate crunch of these songs is infectious. Pig Destroyer Drummer Adam Jarvis finds a more lo-fi pattern in his drum tone that reminds me of the first Lamb of God album's sound. Normally, I am just giving my first impressions when I review an album, but this time it took a couple of listens. Swank's voice is not as low and gurgling as what we have normally heard; in fact, sometimes there is more of a commanding hardcore bark to it. I like how they use samples to create some atmosphere at the end of the opening track. 

"Immorality" is more straightforward in its bludgeoning, but not devoid of headbanging groove. There is more blasting force propelling the chugs of "Intestional Suspension." This is where they show you they push the bonus to songwriting to create something brutal without just being a wall of distortion. "False Deliverance" finds the guitars grinding with a more Entombed-like density. He goes into some higher screams on this one as well. The last song has a more deliberate grind of guitar, before the flurry of double bass speeds things along. Almost makes me think of early Sepultura. I will give this album a 9, it's one of the most solid albums song wise that manages to be this heavy I 've heard since the last Nails This comes out June 6th on Iron Fortress Records. . 

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the Top 10 Extreme Metal Albums of 2023

Extreme metal encompasses many sub-genres, all of which shun mainstream aspirations with their commitment to intensity, but that is not to say that these albums are the heaviest ever, as all of the albums listed in our Top 10 Extreme Metal Albums of 2023 list are very song-oriented, some even have melody, perhaps this year even more so than the past. The bands here did not fit neatly into other genre lists, because they blended other harsh genres, such as black metal or hardcore into these warped versions of grindcore or screamo.  They are all very dark and lash out with their own forms of sonic fury, but they are the albums that proved best at it.  After I sort through the top 10 albums of all the respective genres, I use those lists to compile the top 10 albums of the year. 2023. The very fact these bands 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. Perhaps you can find your next favorite on this list; and have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out the audio on these guys. Anyway here are the top 10 Extreme Metal albums of 2023.

10-Melancholia - 'Book of Ruination" 

There is something about this raw crusty attack combined with a memorably melodic hook to its savage riff that My ears find compelling. The drummer is really serious. There is a jazz-like manner in which he turns some of his percussive phrasing around. The organic nature of the recording sounds like they are jamming in their rehearsal space you stumbled in on their creative moment. The punchy attack is relentless, but they are hitting you with worthwhile riffing. This album is a  testament to the quality stuff Brutal Panda is putting out these days. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/11/melancholia-book-of-ruination.html

9-Bandit- 'Siege of Self" 

Philly grinders are perfecting this brand of death grind. The guitars are the most death metal in their approach. The vocals are screamed in a manner of many extreme sub-genres of metal. The guitar solo on the title track seems to be more intent on just causing chaos.They rage while still writing catchy riffs. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/12/bandit-siege-of-self.html

8-Rana- "Richtfeuer" 

This German band hits a sweet place of sonic darkness. They carry a crusty pulse before they throw themselves into a malicious black metal blast. The more hard-core stomp this evolves into owes a debt to their crustier side. feel that represents how well they wove these sounds together. I can understand why some might think of this as black gaze, but there is a great deal more going on here. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/12/rana-richtfeuer.html

 

7-the Sept-  "MMXXIII" 

This Irish band is a late entry into this year's metal race, but a weird and wonderful one. They balance out a death metal lace grind-core with some raw and unsettling atmosphere. The vocals are uttered in a low growl or a rabid snarl. The grindcore side of their songwriting equation keeps things very economical and makes every chug count.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/12/the-sept-mmxxiii.html

6-Year of the Knife - "No Love Lost" 

 Madison Watkins proves she can cut it as the vocalist. Her abrasive scream gets the proper emotion across.  With a guest vocal spot from  Devin Swank of  Sanguisugabugg, Year of the Knife shows they are not as death metal as Devin's band but prove that Metal Core does not have to conjure images of the last days when Myspace ruled the Earth. , Despite being possessed by hate that is singular in focus, the energy and execution pull it through

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/09/year-of-knife-no-love-lost.html

 

5-Left to Suffer -"Feral" 

This metalcore band is not just jumping on the White Chapel bandwagon. They took things in a darker direction and seem to have just as much in common with the bands in the nu-metal revival. Sure "Artificial Anatomy" is geared toward the Tik Tok generation with its spastic electronic glitching. The commonplace phenomenon that occurs with bands who deal in the extremes of heavy, no matter their sub-genre, is they hit you with something that is sonically stunning in its immense sound. This earned a great deal of repeat listens.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/05/left-to-suffer-feral.html

4-Portrayal of Guilt -"Devil Music" 

At first, you might be fooled into thinking this is a more straightforward metal album, at least until you get to the atmosphere and dissonance that you might have come to love from these guys. They do however open up the album with some solid grooves. There are fewer moments of black metal menace or grindcore explosions, but it still works. There is an abundance of chaos, as the drummer attacks the riffs. The second half of this album is the first half reconstructed for a chamber orchestra. Bizarre indeed, but they are boldly going where the devil wants them.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/04/portrayal-of-guilt-devil-music.html

3-Sanguisugabogg : "Homicidal Ecstasy" 

At the core when you strip away the gore fixation that might seek to label them as gore-grind these guys are a death metal band. Their biggest influence is Cannibal Corpse, which can be heard in the drumming and the low muffled gutturals. How they set themselves apart from just being another spawn of Cannibal Corpse is their fetish for grooves. Does this have more of a hard-core feel? At times but it doesn't diminish the fact they are a death metal band.These guys learned you can be heavy as a hundred fucks and still write good songs

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/01/sanguisugabogg-homicidal-ecstasy.html

2-Fuming Mouth -"Last Day of Sun" 

This album of crusty death metal-infused anger grew on me with each listen. They lean into more of hard-core's punk side with the drumming putting them in the sonic zip code of bands like Ringworm  I appreciate the lyrical sentiments, and the overall oppressive mood, that still leaves room for melody shows they care about songwriting, but do not have to compromise to do so. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/11/fuming-mouth-last-day-of-sun.html

1-Dreamwell -"In My Saddest Dreams, I Am Beside You" 

This is not the heaviest band on the list, but they are the most extreme metal band whose songs beg for you to listen to them more than the other bands on this list. They shift from black gaze to more melodic forms of hardcore and harsher expressions of metal. Their singer is a pivotal force in what enables these transformations. Sometimes hard-core shouted vocals bring the abrasion crashing against the transcendence, which is littered oddly with blast beats. It is not the first time I have heard screamo blended with black metal, but this is done in an angular fashion that is more unique.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2023/12/dreamwell-in-my-saddest-dreams-i-am.html

Year of the Knife : "No Love Lost"

Year of the Knife has raised the bar pretty high for themselves with an opening song ripping it as hard as "Sometimes" does. It proves that Madison Watkins can cut it as their vocalist. She has an abrasive scream that gets the proper emotion across.  The second song features a guest vocal by Devin Swank of  Sanguisugabugg. They are not as death metal as Devin's band but prove that Metal Core does not have to conjure images of the last days when Myspace ruled the Earth. "Mourning the Living" does this louder for the people in the back of the memo on the first two songs in regards to this. 

This however does not mean that all songs are equally inspired.  "Alice" does not raise the question I have to most bands who hit you with this kind of heavy, regarding their ability as songwriters once your ears stop ringing enough for you to pay attention. It is more of a matter regarding the level of intensity that never seems to ebb.  What happened at this point during my first pass through the album, is my ears began to be numbed out by the feral gnashing of teeth that were coming at  them. The brief spastic burst of grindcore that crams Full of Hell's Dylan Walker into, conveys the kind of temper tantrum that style of music is known for. I am more impressed by the hammering groove that "Your Control" unleashes, as it gives you more to bang your head to.

Kurt Ballou has really dialed their guitar sound in. It gives the riffs to "Heaven Denied" a sharper edge. Though Madison's vocals are beginning to feel a little uniform in the single-minded nature they paint the songs in the coat of rageful red. Yet they do not relent in the sonic beatings they lash out with. They go into the last song with a more deliberate menace which speeds up in time for the vocal. The gang vocals injected into the song give more of a hardcore feel. This is also a moment where it feels like the drummer's moment to shine. I will give this album a 9 and see how it grows on me, despite being possessed by hate that is singular in focus, the energy and execution pull it through. 

Sanguisugabogg : "Homicidal Ecstasy"

 At the core when you strip away the gore fixation that might seek to label them as gore-grind these guys are a death metal band. Their biggest influence is Cannibal Corpse, which can be heard in the drumming and the low muffled gutturals. How they set themselves apart from just being another spawn of Cannibal Corpse is their fetish for grooves. Does this have more of a hard-core feel? At times but it doesn't diminish the fact they are a death metal band. Normally when it comes to something this dense and heavy, my concern would be can they write songs. The first two songs give them a big thumbs up in this department, but can they maintain my interest or is this going to feel tiresome midway into the album and lose my interest?  I guess we are going to find out. 

They are on Century Media now so perhaps that inspired them to get serious about what they are doing. "Pissed" might not have the same drive to the groove that induced head banging, but it works as a song. Their front man has gone on record saying lyrically this album is less about gore and more about the psychology behind fetishes. But with a song called "Testicular Rot" I find this hard to believe, and maybe that statement only pertains to some of the songs. His grunts are not the easiest to decipher. Some of the blast beats are a little stiff on this song, and I could see myself getting bored with them and perhaps even annoyed if it was a reoccurring theme, "Hungry for Your Insides" finds the grooves coming back, however at only a one and a half, their grind core tendencies come through and they do not have as much time to develop this. I do however appreciate it more than how they step on the gas with "Skin Cushion" which finds the riffs feeling a little more rushed. The greater production value gives even this kind of assault more textures.  

"A Lesson in Savagery" finds them conform more closely to the modern standards of death metal. The chugged guitar is intense, and the drums are more nuanced as the double bass runs you over. It does give into some of their more grind core tendencies, though at four and a half minutes they give themselves room to grow. While this is normally no my preferred genre it does go to show that if something is done well enough it can win me over. Even the pig squealing does not get under my skin like it normally does. Despite the very clanky old school Cannibal Corpse snare sound the drummer continues to be the one who really steps up his game for this album. This makes moments that might seem lackluster with someone else on the throne work for this album. The bass making itself known at several points here is also a key selling point.  

Things feel darker and more oppressive going into "Mortal Admonishment." The groove of the verse is more typical in terms of what we expect from the more brutal strains of death metal. The breakdown feel of the riffs on this song is pretty cool.  "Proclamation of the Frail" finds a burst of speed thrown into a pretty powerful and otherwise impressive chug. While the vocals have stayed at the same monotone gurgle, they ride the grooves in a very purposeful way that keeps me from getting bored with them. The last song has one of the album's most infectious riffs going on to prove that these guys learned you can be heavy as a hundred fucks and still write good songs. I will give this album a 9.