Full disclaimer, I am not the biggest Deathcore fan or Death Metal fan. My knowledge on this music is limited compared to other sub genres of Metal. I love heavy, extreme, brutal music for the most part, but don’t often seek out Deathcore. Like many people, Lorna Shore is an exception however. I feel that Lorna Shore’s “To The Hellfire” is one of the most iconic Metal songs in two decades. This song is responsible for so many people getting in to this type of music, as evident on the comments on YouTube on the song and the Reaction videos. It’s not very often a Metal band goes viral for a good song, and Lorna Shore did this emphatically. That puts Lorna Shore in a very unique position in Extreme Metal or Deathcore to be on the world’s biggest stages. What they’ve done for the longevity of Metal is unprecedented. Between some of the most epic music we’ve ever heard and wholesome fan interactions that rival any VIP Experience, this band has a microscope put upon them by millions. This level of success has never been possible for this kind of music before Lorna Shore. I feel like there’s too many reasons to name to get into this band, even if they’re not typically your style of music. Their heartfelt, personal, uncensored, vulnerable lyrics combined with unrivaled technicality and an immersive ambience of descending into ethereal hell worlds is an experience like no other on the planet. Lorna Shore combines the lightness, the sensitivity and grandeur sounds of Classical Music with the most brutal Speed riffs and demonic sounds in a seemingly impossible feat. I don’t even know how this level of music is mixed, balanced, or played live on a regular basis. It’s like Dimmu Borgir, Death, Strapping Young Lad, and Vivaldi had a cursed offspring that bloomed into something beautiful. Whatever genre or style Lorna Shore is, it’s completely unexpected and so locked in that there’s nothing like it..
I wasn’t a fan of Pain Remains as much. Maybe I wasn’t in the right headspace to appreciate it, or maybe I just didn’t understand it. In time, I will probably come to love it when I come back around to it. My expectations for this new album were low. Heavy Music feels like it’s on a lull to me; most of it sounds like bands just going through the motions or heavy for the sake of being heavy with no purpose other than shock and brutal-ism. So the last thing I wanted was a Lorna Shore record in this point in time. I didn’t expect to like it or be able to even get through this album. “I Feel the Everblack Festering Within Me” is not even a shred of what I expected in the best way possible. I don’t review albums anymore unless it’s something innovative or thought provoking, and of course Lorna Shore achieved a spot on my blog. “I Feel the Everblack Festering Within Me” is an insane journey of sonic excellence. This album has everything I want in a Metal record, but at the highest level. The symphonic sounds are perfectly layered with the guitars from the incomparable Adam De Micco, who I think is one of the greatest guitarists of all time. The synths and orchestration is done by guitarist/bassist Andrew O’Connor and he did an impeccable job at it. The orchestration rivals any Symphonic Metal band in thirty years, and I mean that as a huge Symphonic Metal buff. I find “I Feel the Everblack Festering Within Me” to be more melodic and anthemic than any of their previous releases. Songs like Unbreakable, Glenwood, and Forevermore are gigantic songs that feel deserved of being played with a full orchestra and choir at Plovdiv or Sydney Opera House. Everywhere you think the album could go, it strafes and goes even grander. I am truly blown away by this album, which hasn’t happened this year by many releases for me. I never expected a Lorna Shore album to have a Celtic or Tolkien vibe to it. It works. The different sound to it freshens Lorna Shore’s sound in a way I didn’t expect. Listening to “I Feel the Everblack Festering Within Me” is an exhilarating and inspiring experience from beginning to end. There’s not a weak track. It is the most epic battle music. Every member is peak on this album. You will not be disappointed even as a first time listener. This is by far one of the greatest albums of the year and shockingly perfect from a band continually reinventing itself. Lorna Shore pushed every boundary, every theme, every ounce of their being with this album. Austin Archey on drums is always perfect, but this album is an unbelievable feat of Extreme Metal drumming that rivals anything else. He is a drummer for the ages. He doesn’t just blast, he utterly destroys laws of human anatomy and physics on every song. I cannot express how incredible he is. If nothing else, just listen to the drums on this record.
Overall, I do think this is Lorna Shore’s best album yet. It’s the most fully immersive and complete release I’ve heard since Ramos joined the band. Some of his demon noises get a bit repetitive and don’t really add much, but the technicality and uniqueness is surely a novelty. I think this album sets itself apart from any heavy record of the year, because it’s not just heavy for shock and awe. This level of brutality is well thought out, intentional, and meaningful. It is not for attention, it’s for art. It’s like the utter despair and pain Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy expressed in Extreme Metal form. It’s all class, no filler, and fantastic composition. If you’re a reader of this blog, you know how much I love “Wall of Sound” production style, and this album nails that completely deep and wide listening experience. The wall is an infinite abyss. It is a cacophony, and I absolutely love it. It doesn’t get any better than “I Feel the Everblack Festering Within Me” in 2025. This is a huge album of the year contender for me. No spoilers, but Forevermore might be one of my favorite songs of all time.
There is so much amazing Metal out this week, it might’ve been hard to keep up. Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered with a comprehensive list of new Metal you should probably check out.
Eluveitie is back and with a deep searing passion that needs to be heard. With first single, Aidus, I felt like I was witnessing music history. This new single is no different. It’s aggressive, punchy, multi layered, and intense!
Lorna Shore
Lorna Shore’s highly anticipated full length album is out, and it is setting the Metal community ablaze. It is immensely dark, depressing, and incredibly deep. Who knew Deathcore could be so emotional? Lorna Shore is in a league of their own, and this new record is a testament to that. Pain Remains is out today and here is the bombastic new single to celebrate it. Full review is coming soon.
Epica
Epica’s new collaboration album is a new frontier for the band, and is proving to be just as brilliant as traditional albums. This single lights it up with Symphonic Death Metallers Fleshgod Apocalypse. This song sounds as monolithic as you would expect, The blast beats are superb as well as crystal clear vocals from Simone atop a massive choir. It is a must hear track of the week.
Amaranthe
Swedish Melodic Metal/Synth Pop band Amaranthe are on a new war path this year. I don’t have a lot of details on the new record yet, but I know it’ll be quite different without the presence of the incredible growler Henrik Englund. They said they’re not working on a new album yet, but they’re in the studio? I’m immensely confused by what’s happening with Amaranthe, and unfortunately the new single doesn’t help at all. I love this band and always will, but this is one of the most disappointing singles I’ve heard in a long time. It’s worth a listen to form your own opinion, but I just didn’t feel this one at all.
Borealis
If you like sad boi music and deep soulful tones, Borealis might be what you need in your life right now. These guys came out of nowhere for me and completely shocked me. This is some of the most emotional music I’ve heard in awhile, but also with great musicianship.
Beyond The Black
German Melodic Heavy Metal band BtB are coming back after the bombastic release “Horizons”, with a toned down self titled album with a recurring theme. The new record has themes signaling influences from fandoms like Game of Thrones and Star Wars. I’m anticipating an album of epic nerdom and deeply melodious music.
Ad Infinitum
Symphonic Power Metal Swisses are coming back in 2022 with a new but familiar sound after hit record Monarchy Chapter II. They’re bringing on chapter III with more Metal, more growls, more beats, and more solos. This single took awhile for me to warm up to, because it’s more sing-song and Poppy than I expected, but I grew to love it.
What new music are you listening to? Let me know below!
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
Metal Valkyrie 