Maul is a five piece death metal band from Fargo, North Dakota. The band has been active since 2017. I did a review on their EP,  'Monarchy Of Mold,' which the title track appears as one of the 10 tracks on their debut full length. 

Maul is no stranger to the death metal scene; releasing a split EP with label mates Wharflurch and Thorn. They were on my radar last year, and they continued to put out limited releases with independent labels. Notably was a compilation of past releases via Frozen Screams in 2021. 

Following the band closely, you'll find a few favorites from the past on the debut album.

​Seraphic Punishment clocks in at just over 30 minutes. The music itself is death metal: a Midwestern take on Florida death metal. Also, if you are a fan of new era death metal bands, you'll appreciate what they are doing. 

FFO - Tomb Mold, Morbid Angel, & Nile

The songs are all well written, and the production on the snare alone is worth a listen. The vocal delivery is really well done and adds a certain flavor to each of the tracks. 

At the end of the day, no, they didn't reinvent the wheel. They didn't think of a new formula, but they do it with talent, with memorable riffs and heaviness.

It is an impressive debut, for sure! I hope to see it on an end of year list. I keep playing it, so maybe it’ll make mine!?

3/4 coffins 
⚰️⚰️⚰️

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Wormrot is a Grindcore band from Singapore. Since their inception in 2007, they have released four studio albums to date. The latest being called ‘Hiss.’

I’ll dive into ‘Hiss’ now…
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The album was released at the beginning of July in 2022.

First impression listening to this release: I expected the solid Grindcore tunes these dudes are known for, and I got that alright! Plus a ton more!

This band is experimenting and it all seems to work on this release. At times the guitar tone seems unconventional for Grindcore. Some of the songs tread inside a “Post” territory. 

At some points they seem to use string instruments and it’s haunting. 

Is this Post-Grindcore ?

This release contains 21 tracks in 32 minutes, and I swear, I hear something different, new, and rad every listen.

Chants, and the vocal delivery is impeccable.

Don’t get me wrong, this is a Grindcore album at it’s very core. This is a different animal though! It’s an animal that begs to be listened to. 

Last I checked, we are halfway through the year and I don’t see much on the horizon that could surpass this release. 

I have zero complaints. 

Perfect album, a GD masterpiece. 


5/5 coffins  ⚰️⚰️⚰️⚰️​⚰️