​It’s a Friday: one of the last of 2022… I was at work and finally made it to lunch. My best friend sends me a link to a split release featuring two of the biggest stand out bands of last year. 

I, fortunately, was able to obtain a copy of the cassette, and let me tell you, this cassette rules!

​Russia’s Gosudar sends side A into an array of sinister riffs and blasts beats. However, the band still managed to keep the tempo low & slow.

Side B is met with some bias: I have to admit. Shortly after the announcement of this preorder, Malignant Altar announced their demise. 

What did they leave us with? They left us with a Side B portion of a rack of ribs. This side of the split is not short of riffs. The riffs are slow and heavy exactly what you’d expect from the Texas group. Something about this band emotes a great sense of hopelessness and misery. It’s great!

I would recommend this release to any metal head. It has something for everyone, and I give it 4 Caskets.

⚰️⚰️⚰️⚰️


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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 
⚰️⚰️⚰️

​

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…
​
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  ⚰️⚰️⚰️⚰️​⚰️

The sole operator band ZOUS (Taylor Young) spits out 20 minutes of very good death metal.

The mastermind of ZOUS has been in some heavy hitting bands; Twitching Tongues and Nails notably. He is the guitarist/vocalist for Twitching Tongues and played drums on most Nails releases from ‘10-‘19.  

This is a really palatable release to me. Everything sounds great and the songs are memorable. When I say memorable, they’re fun to listen to! 

​The riffs get stuck in your head. The drumming is also phenomenal. No surprise there, but the talent definitely helps this release. 

The EP itself has the perfect production to it. I have zero complaints in that department. This was recorded at TY’s studio and mastered by Audiosiege.


This release is really accessible. The Vinyl  & CD were released by Closed Casket Activities,  and the Cassette Tape by Maggot Stomp. 

This is on most streaming platforms and is worth a listen. 

I’m ignoring some notable guest musicians, but what’s the fun in not checking it out!!??


4/5  Coffins 

 ⚰️⚰️⚰️⚰️

​Penny Coffin is a Scottish/Greek 4-piece death-doom band. 

The cassette released via Dry Cough Records is a great way to introduce themselves to the metal world. 

This cassette, to my understanding, is a compilation of earlier work in 2021 on Side A, and new material on side B. 

The release is called 
ΤΕΦΡΑ / ΣΚΕΛΕΤΙΚΟ ΣΚΟΤΑΔΙ 

Side A is really captivating with seamless progressions throughout the three songs.

​To put it bluntly, the first two songs on side A have a ton of intensity, while the last song on side A is more of a doom or sludge song. The best way I can describe it is a zombie sliming its way towards eternal life on Earth.

Side B is my favorite. The new material is more in your face and the riffs are incredibly memorable. Side B had sort of a doom center piece sandwiched  between  some brilliant rippers of death metal. 

Overall the riffs are smart, the leads are atmospheric, the vocals sound torturous. 

​I really recommend this band if you like your death doom with more meat on the bone.

This release is highly recommended, and I’m sure it would not disappoint the most jaded of metal heads.

4/5 Coffins ⚰️⚰️⚰️⚰️