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1 week ago | 
popmatters.com | Spyros Stasis
It is always nice to see how varied the trends within a genre can be. Take death metal, for instance, where Ancient Death and Diabolizer represent two vastly different strands. The former are informed by Timeghoul’s off-kilter progressive visions, which Blood Incantation brought back to prominence with their early works. The latter find purpose in the brutal death metal scene, as it was baptized in the early 1990s.
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1 month ago | 
popmatters.com | Spyros Stasis
The strong pull of the avant-garde on extreme metal is substantial in this edition, as can be seen from the presence of two excellent specimens from I, Voidhanger. Labyrinthine Heirs and the Overmold approach this in different ways. The first is plunged into Ved Buens Ende’s dissonant lineage, while the latter combines death metal with Khanate’s wretched applications.
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2 months ago | 
popmatters.com | Spyros Stasis
Within February’s best metal albums, death metal once again reigns supreme, showing the genre’s breadth. Some firmly stand on tradition, as Grave Infestation and Phrenelith. Others ascend to the stars, aided by their incredibly technical aptitude, like Metaphobic and Retromorphosis. Some descend to the abyss, with Sepulchral Curse and Morast embracing the doom that is at hand. Vacuous instead reverse the polarity and embrace the grindcore juice.
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Feb 3, 2025 | 
popmatters.com | Spyros Stasis
Here we are, 2025 is a reality, and the albums are pouring in! So, the first installment comes in fast and furious, with several high-quality thrash releases setting the tone. Starting with the old-timers, Sacrifice dispel any rumors regarding rust and tiredness, and they sound more vibrant than many newcomers.
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Jan 28, 2025 | 
popmatters.com | Spyros Stasis
Thoughteater Sentient Ruin The mind of the elusive D.B., the sole member of Délirant, has produced many waking nightmares. The most prominent among these is Negativa, whose atmospheric black metal brew oozes with a mystical, decadent essence. On the other side of the spectrum is Hässlig, an aggressive entity that incorporates the raw essence of punk, imbuing its black metal with aggression and purpose.
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Jan 21, 2025 | 
popmatters.com | Spyros Stasis
The usually quiet December, so I will not bore you with some long-winded introduction. It still packs a punch, with especially the darker and more sinister releases standing out. So, make sure to dig in. You might find some releases you might have missed. – Spyros StasisHaving concluded their Triade etude on Charles Robert Maturin’s Melmoth, the ever prolific Aara return with a new subject in Eiger.
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Nov 27, 2024 | 
popmatters.com | Spyros Stasis
The dreaded moment of compiling the end-of-year list is upon us, and this year has been particularly challenging. It is always an intense exercise, distilling all that an entire year has to offer into 20 picks, but it also helps to put everything in perspective. Looking back, would it be an exaggeration to call this the year that technical brutal death metal reigned supreme?
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Nov 18, 2024 | 
popmatters.com | Spyros Stasis
As is the case every year, November delivers the last big offering before the quiet of December. Given that winter is approaching, it is easy to see how the darker stuff fits into this. Neon Nightmare with their Type O Negative invocation, New Skeletal Faces with their deathrock throwback, and the bizarro Goblin-influenced death metal of Bedsore all made for excellent post-Halloween listening.
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Nov 4, 2024 | 
popmatters.com | Spyros Stasis
The end of the year is approaching, and October is stacked with heavyweight works. The return of Kevin Martin under the Bug moniker is a highlight, and listening to The Machine next to Master Boot Record’s Hardwarez reveals the influence of the legendary artist on the scene today. On the fringes with noise rock, the Eugene Robinsion-fronted noise rock supergroup Buñuel makes an ecstatic return, with the sophomore record from Human Impact standing as a more than worthy companion.
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Oct 22, 2024 | 
popmatters.com | Spyros Stasis
The slowness of August is behind us, and September has gifted us with a barrage of records. From the death metal depths, Coffin Rot pay tribute to tradition, while Odious Spirit embrace the Voivod-ian tradition and Pyrrhon do… what Pyrrhon always do. On the black metal side, we have different traditions coming to the fold. Isolert relish the Hellenic scene’s melodic spirit. Varfulogi carry the defiant torch of Iceland.
