Another crunchy death metal band which doesn’t shy away from tossing some hardcore into the blend is the Texan Creeping Death. Being a huge (no seriously, huge) fan of Gatecreeper & consorts, I can’t believe they gave me the slip. Their names even look alike! Totally inexcusable. Anyway, ‘Wretched Illusions‘ is another one of those modern death metal records with the sinister sound of yore, which can be described as little else than a hulking, unstoppable mass set to destroy everything in its path.

I’ve never been one for screamo, but I never jumped on any hate bandwagon either. Being a music critic, that’s something you just can’t afford to do. What came out in the genre over ten years ago simply wasn’t for me. Then I never really crossed paths with it anymore. Until a few months ago when I discovered the Illinois trio, Frail Body. If this is how the genre’s been evolving, count me in! My, my. What a great record ‘A Brief Memoriam‘ is. If you ever wondered what true hurt sounds like, give Frail Body a shot. Don’t just dismiss it as something everyone used to see as a fashion statement to be mocked.

Holy hell, this is heavy stuff. Doom and hardcore seem to pair up really nicely whenever misanthropy is thrown into the mix. Along the lines of Black Tongue and Primitive Man, Throes too insist on spreading a bleak message of, and I quote, “intense or violent pain and struggle, especially accompanying birth, death, or great change..”. Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m sold. If you too are fascinated by the darker side of humanity, make sure you give ‘In the Hands of an Angry God‘ the ol’ spin, but hold on to your hat because it’s bound to leave more than a few marks.

This one’s been on my review list since we got the promo in March 2019, but it didn’t stick with me at the time and I found I had nothing I wanted to say about it. I spun it again a year later and damn, is this good! If powerviolence is what you need, then that is what Endorphins Lost will provide. In spite of presenting us some serious subject matter, ‘Seclusions‘ comes with a more lighthearted side as well. Yes, we should shit on the plague that is humanity, but we might just as well have a good time while doing so. Now if that isn’t a message to live by, I don’t know what is.

There’s a lot going on Storm of Sedition’s ‘Howl of Dynamite’. This is a very eclectic album on which you’ll find elements of crust, death metal, black metal and grindcore. Some may find it hard to keep up with, but it’s worth the extra effort. I love the old school feel this album has. The music sometimes throws me back ten years without being nostalgic or losing credibility. I can’t quite explain it, and that’s another reason as to why I hold it in such high regard.