3/30/2022
Read Time: 7 min 59 sec
Insane Death Metal bands in 2022
After Lorna Shore dropped To The Hellfire in 2021, the world was finally exposed to absolutely brutal Death Metal, finally finding out the talent in this genre is unbelievable. The virtuosos in this genre parallel the speed Classical music began showing when Verdi started making violinists cry in the 1800s. Yngwie Malmsteen might’ve brought that speed to Neoclassical Metal, but Metal brought the quintessential aspect of true brutal speed;: The Blast Beat. I love any band that effortlessly integrates that level of controlled speed in a song. Whether it was Black Sabbath, Emerson Lake and Palmer, Asocial, or Napalm Death, Blast Beats have become integral in showing speed and intensity in the infinite depths of the genre. My first introduction to the Blast Beat was on Fear Factory’s 1995 album Demanufacture. They made this technique mainstream without being necessarily Death Metal.
Raymond Herrera played that first Blast Beat on Demanufacture, and I think it shook people even more than Lorna Shore has. Critics and Metalheads accused Herrara of using a drum machine for the bass drums because the speed was so precise and blistering. Upon accusation, many critics attended live shows in LA and were shocked by the speed of the entire band. Herrara said the speed came from using two bass drum pedals. The preciseness came from his use of a click track to play through the entire record. Maybe this is just the first popularly known blast beat or the first professionally recorded one, but it’s my favorite of the decade.
You can watch some of the footage from the Demanufacture tour here as proof: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7DgFV8eoYI
Now that we know where the speed came from, let’s list the bands that not only have speed but insane intensity and brutality. Of course, you can be a genre elitist dick wad and argue that the bands below are Deathcore and not “trve kvlt” Death, but if you’re looking for four dudes in Scandinavia beating their instruments to absolute submission while recorded on a Sanyo voice recorder, this site isn’t for you anyway.
Carnifex
Carnifex has been around since 2005 and has released some of the greatest Death Metal Records of the century. The Diseased and the Poisoned was the San Diego band’s first release to Victory Records, and it gained quick success. The US has always had a pension for Death Metal, but Carnifex brought a new wave of it from their Myspace days, gaining a cult following. They mix Hardcore, Death Metal, and Progressive fluidly in with gory and brutal themes as you would expect from any band in the genre. The vocals may not range or vary too much, but the little nuances in pitch and multitracking are quality. The breakdowns are fluidly mixed in, not looking for dramatics or massive bass drops, but absolutely sonically pummel you. They also have sick “:thrashy” and shreddy arpeggio guitar solos which differ from the typical rhythmic-based guitar riffing. If you crave that classic sound like Dark Funeral, Mayhem, and Immortal, but want an updated sound with dueling solos and drop tuning, this band might interest you. Slow Death is a perfect record to delve into the depths of to discover Carnifex’s multitude of layers and is personally one of my favorite records of the genre. However, this band simply doesn’t have a bad record and avoids algorithmic writing and cheesy themes.
Essential Tracks: Die Without Hope, Slit Wrist Savior, Seven Souls, Dark Heart Ceremony
https://www.nuclearblast.com/eu/carnifex
Signs of the Swarm
Pittsburgh, PA is one of the last places I would expect an animalistic Deathcore band to come from, but in 2014 Signs of the Swarm was born out of the Steel City. This is a band that makes you go “What the fuck am I listening to?” These guys are one of the most brutal and hair-raising bands I have ever heard. If you want Slamming Deathcore with gutturals that plummet lower than tectonic vibrations, these guys deliver. Breakdowns with pig squeals? Check. Brutally honest lyrics without horror or gore themes? Check. Blast beats with insane speed and well-tuned bass heads? Check. Signs of the Swarm have perfected every aspect I love about Deathcore, but added a crazy vocal range. David Simonich is simply maniacally brilliant in his delivery of gutturals, to screams, to harmonic squeals out of this world. The craziest sounds come out of this guy’s neck. It’s between animal-like and demonic aliens from a dark cold planet creating possessed clones. It is gloriously addictive and thought-provoking music. It’s shockingly good, much like Lorna Shore, but even more depressive and nihilistic. It’s amazing what these guys have achieved so far, and I really hope they continue despite so many lineup changes.
Essential Tracks: Nightcrawler, Cesspool of Ignorance, Cowards Deathbed
https://www.facebook.com/signsoftheswarm
Worm Shepherd
The mix of Doom and Death Metal is not a new innovation in music. We’ve had bands like Paradise Lost, Draconian, Candlemass, and Celtic Frost for three decades. They’re some of the most successful bands in the American market for Metal and worldwide as well. It’s a mix I enjoy occasionally. But as with all music I always say, “This needs blast beats”. Worm Shepherd is a band that was shared with me on Twitter upon asking what everyone’s favorite Death Metal band is. And, I was truly shocked that this band was the first response I received. These guys from Massachusetts have truly set themselves apart in this saturated genre. Their music is an assault on the senses, hard to process at first listen, and definitely not a band for rookies. They pummel with desperation and frantic beats. It captures you as you break down what is happening, and hooks you with pure dirge emotion. Worm Shepherd is one of the heaviest bands I have ever heard without being derivative or repetitive. These are some of the lowest sustained growls I have ever heard, maybe the lowest. They might be the most cvlt band on the list, but still have a modern refined touch that all generations can appreciate.
Essential Tracks: Ov Sword and Nail, The River Ov Knives, Ritual Hymns
https://uniqueleaderrecords.bandcamp.com/album/ritual-hymns
https://wormshepherd.bigcartel.com/
Archspire
Full disclosure: I am a huge fan of Dean Lamb and his wife on their Youtube series “4 Levels of Death Metal”. I watch it religiously and they are the most realistic and hilarious Metal Youtubers. So, when I found out Dean played in Archspire, I was immensely excited because he is a sensational guitarist always trying to innovate and improve. Hailing from Vancouver Canada, the five-piece Technical Death Metal juggernauts have recently gained a huge cult following. They’ve become Youtube sensations with their latest track Golden Mouth of Ruin which combines Tech Death with Numetal squeals and rapping gutturals. This band has staggeringly fast, catchy, and grooving rhythmic tracks. They are hands down my favorite Tech Death band. Drummer Spencer Prowett really leads this band with his exquisite drumming. He is one of the most flawless live drummers I have ever heard playing blasts at breakneck speeds of 250 BPM. Spencer’s snare hits are unbelievably fast, playing quadruplets with one hand like it’s just another day at the office. They are a complete aural assault and it’s hard to stop listening once you start, because you have no idea where each track is headed next. Dean Lamb and Tobi Morelli are two of the most underrated guitarists in Metal and deserve much more credit. They are innovators of the genre, at least if not all of music. With neoclassic perfection, these two shred harmoniously unlike anything else in Death Metal. Archspire is my number one most recommended band on this list, even if just shock value alone.
Essential Tracks: Drone Corpse Ruin, Rapid Elemental Dissolve, Bleed the Future
https://archspire.bandcamp.com/album/bleed-the-future
https://www.indiemerch.com/archspire
Carnation
One of my favorite Death bands has to be young Belgian bruisers, Carnation. Jens De Vos, mastermind of Off The Cross and videographer for Epica, exposed me to this excellent band. 2020 album Where Death Lies was my first listen, and it is a satanic indulgence for the ages. It’s dripping with speed and gutturals and good old hardcore breakdowns. Simon Durson delivers compelling gutturals and screams, ranging three octaves of absolute endurance. The sure stamina of his voice is shocking. He is unreal in every track with such a unique take on Death vocals. There are so many influences in each track, it’s impossible to get bored. While the drums and vocals are typically shocking, Carnation’s guitar work is equally mind-bending. It’s the most melodic playing in the genre but still keeps within the heavy themes. It’s melodic, yet absolutely aggressive and dark. Carnation also has gore and horror themes, if that is in your sweet spot. They’re a band who have immense chemistry and fit in a pocket together so well, which is an aspect I never look for in Death Metal. I truly think this is attributed to great bassist Yarne Haylen. Bassists are being phased out in Metal, but let’s hope Yarne makes a case for hiring one and keeping a tight rhythm section.
Essential Tracks: Sepulcher of Alteration, Plaguebreeder, Napalm Ascension
https://carnation.bandcamp.com/
Aborted
Yet another abhorrent Belgium Death Metal band; Aborted, has been tearing up the gore scene for over a decade now. I was blessed enough to see its two founding members live, guitarist Mendel and vocalist Sven. It was my very first exposure to Death Metal in 2012 when System Divide opened for Epica. Since that decadent evening, my hunger for Death Metal has grown every year. System has since disbanded, but Aborted has only gained success. Maniacult released in 2021 received 90% ratings from over forty different review sites. When I crave blue-collar gory and angry Death Metal, I always go back to Aborted. This band is utterly relentless from start to finish on every track. They are mechanical, almost robotic, but in a good way. Each song drives with every note and beats in perfect synchronicity. Death Metal is a cornucopia of virtuosity, and Aborted is in the upper echelon. While legend Mendel Bij de Leij is no longer in the band since 2019, the band is still active and hitting harder than ever. I personally will always prefer their material with Mendel, but that may be for nostalgic indulgence.
Essential Tracks; Dead Wreckoning, Divine Impediment, Termination Redux
Septicflesh
I know most of everyone in the Death Metal scene has heard of Greek heretics Septicflesh, but I couldn’t resist mentioning them. While the band has Melodic and Symphonic overtones, they’re still one of the heaviest bands I’ve ever heard. Codex Omega, released in 2017, is one of my all-time favorite records in any genre. Their capturing of Dante’s Divine Comedy Inferno is exquisite. It’s a trip straight to the horrific images in Aligheri’s head. There is something bone-chilling about Spiros’ voice that enthralls me. It’s the sure steadiness in his depth of gutturals. He doesn’t deviate or drop out from a deep slow guttural that sounds like it comes from the depths of the Inferno. Mind you, he can also spit out fast raspy vocals right to the blast of Internet sensation drummer, Krimh. Drummer Kerim Lechner has lent blasts to Tech Death band Decapitated, Thorns of Ivy, a fill-in for Behemoth, and put in an application to join Slipknot with a brilliant cover of People=Shit and Eyeless. I have a pure passion for Symphonic Death Metal and I find these guys to be criminally underrated. While you might be looking for something more blast beat and riffy, don’t overlook the shockingly good Septicflesh.
Essential Tracks: Dante’s Inferno, Portrait of a Headless Man, Neuromancer
https://septicflesh.bandcamp.com/
Honorable Mentions
These are bands that didn’t quite make the list for me, and I wanted to keep it short and bittersweet. Here are ridiculously heavy and unintelligible bands if you just can’t get enough of demon sounds in blazingly fast Metal.
Abhorid- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhQHkpO3GC8
Extermination Dismemberment- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpprZ4OsLR8
Waking the Cadaver- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USqJY-FTQeE
Oakenform- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJQ5TDquIn4
Rings of Saturn- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dmu3zjmkJZ0
Metal Valkyrie 