For anyone who watches All Elite Wrestling the words "Texas Death" conjure up images of a bleeding cowboy choking another man to death in a hangman's noose made with a chain. It's one of the many visuals that have become synonymous with that match type over the years. Tribal Gaze offer up a different kind of "Texas Death" but one that's no less violent and bloodsoaked.
Recently signed to Nuclear Blast this nihilistic, Texas death metal is cuts to the bone with it's savage rawness, the precision riffs piercing your ears, like a pile of thumbtacks that's just been landed on. There's an old school assault here, much like Gatecreeper or tour mates Frozen Soul, Tribal Gaze languish in the filthy OSDM sound of tape trading, but run it though an all modern rig so it's packs a sonic punch.
Bludgeoning from the off, Smiling From Their Chariots is just over two minutes brutality leading into the world ending Beyond Recognition, where pacing is key to packing that sonic punch. The idea of annihilation and the beauty in nature and existence is overwhelming, here it's a collection of songs that speaks of apocalyptic themes matching them with mechanised destruction.
If you like your death metal nasty then Inveighing Brilliance could be your new favourite record. 8/10
Internal Bleeding - Settle All Scores (Maggot Stomp) [Mark Young]
Internal Bleeding bring a very busy week to a close. Obvious intention was to get this across to the boss ahead of the release day, and for falling short I must offer my sincere apologies. With both feet firmly planted within the Death Metal arena, it makes no bones about what it is and what they are.
Recently signed to Nuclear Blast this nihilistic, Texas death metal is cuts to the bone with it's savage rawness, the precision riffs piercing your ears, like a pile of thumbtacks that's just been landed on. There's an old school assault here, much like Gatecreeper or tour mates Frozen Soul, Tribal Gaze languish in the filthy OSDM sound of tape trading, but run it though an all modern rig so it's packs a sonic punch.
Bludgeoning from the off, Smiling From Their Chariots is just over two minutes brutality leading into the world ending Beyond Recognition, where pacing is key to packing that sonic punch. The idea of annihilation and the beauty in nature and existence is overwhelming, here it's a collection of songs that speaks of apocalyptic themes matching them with mechanised destruction.
If you like your death metal nasty then Inveighing Brilliance could be your new favourite record. 8/10
Internal Bleeding - Settle All Scores (Maggot Stomp) [Mark Young]
Internal Bleeding bring a very busy week to a close. Obvious intention was to get this across to the boss ahead of the release day, and for falling short I must offer my sincere apologies. With both feet firmly planted within the Death Metal arena, it makes no bones about what it is and what they are.
And I love them for it.
Plying their trade for over 30 years, this is an 8 track, 29-minute example of what good Death Metal sounds like. You can safely safe there is no soft moments, no ballads, abrupt changes of style just straight up brutality from Intangible Pact to Deliberate Desecration. Intangible Pact starts and they batter you with one of the thickest sounds committed to tape. It just rumbles along, providing an incredible groove that will be impossible not to move to if you hear it out in the wild.
Everything about it is spot on – drums just lock in and pound, guitars that are super chunky and lay waste and then throw in the severe vocals and you have what is basically prime metal. It doesn’t pretend to be new or improved, its just authentic and unforgiving. Just after one song, I knew that I was going to love this, they would have to do something absolutely mental for me to change my mind, and lucky for me they just kept on churning those crackers out.
Settle All Scores is next and is a masterclass in holding you attention whilst they move, changing tempos to suit but never missing that groove. They know how to do it and do it without wasting any time. Its one of the most overused statements about having no fat to it, but they don’t.
Each track just detonates and goes straight for you, be it the lumbering-into-blast territory contained within Prophet Of Deceit (ft Sherwood Webber) or the super-large opening of Crown Of Insignificance they just stay true to themselves. In every case, these are going to smash it live, because they know how to write super effective and efficient metal. Its easy to imagine the audience going nuts to these songs but don’t worry they can also bring some deft touches to play. Nestled within Empire Of Terror and its crushing overture there is some wicked guitar lines that expand on the constantly moving riffs.
With Deliberate Desecration, they bring what is probably the sum distillation of the ideas presented here into one place. It has that dense chunk which is a given and allows their groove to come in, but they don’t stay in that one mode. They do lighten it up but not in a way that changes how the song lands. It adds a level of melody to it but without being out of place. As per the preceding tracks, it is super tight, and I would love to see them do this live because it would be punishing.
And that is that all done. If you hold this up against ‘modern death metal’ with its technical leanings and cookie cutter production you could argue about it sounding old at. But it would be a stupid argument and you would lose. It is extreme metal, done by those who know how to do it and do it well. It’s a belting album that has come in and should remind you that you don’t need a million different notes fighting for air, its efficient and direct, and sometimes that is just what you want. 8/10
Hæresis - Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum (Vendetta Records) [Sasa]
Hæresis, a band that combines ethereal Melodies and brutal vocals together. The band have released a 4-track album that comes up to 41 minutes called Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum which means if you want peace prepare for war in Latin. We have the amazing vocals of Christin Graunke, Daniel and Itay on guitars, Len on bass and Schütte on drums.
The album starts of with the song echoes of ashes which is just under 12 minutes long, after a minute and 30 seconds of an enticing slow sound we get hit with a scream and some insane drumming, the song is very atmospheric but also post melodic black metal, not something you’d usually find.
I love how the songs combine a slow instrumental that transitions into amazing heavy vocals by Christin, her vocal range is extremely impressive, and the bands team work in creating such a unique blend is mind blowing. The way the songs make you feel like you want to head bang but also pretend to be a fairy in a forest. With only 4 lengthy songs this album is diverse and unique and is a genuine piece of work.
My favourite song would be Eradicating Taciturnity, it is just both beautiful and harsh vocals, the transition from slow to fast to slow again and how at times the heavier vocals would overlap the clean and smooth vocals. It is just so well put together
The album cover itself represents the album quite well the mixture of tranquillity and anger. 8/10
Ültra Raptör – Fossilized (Fighter Records) [Spike]
Stepping into Fossilized, Ültra Raptör roar back with purpose. This is speed/heavy metal raised on classic riffs, feral attitude, and a love for roaring solos. Their second full-length feels like a tournament of sound, fast, flashy, with a touch of primordial grandeur.
The album kicks off with Fossilized, a title track that lives up to its name. The guitars slash in with serrated energy, the drums boom like engines, and the vocals bark with conviction. There’s no tip-toeing in, this is a beast being awakened, claws and all. Spinosaurus follows and charges with groove-laden mayhem, pairing tight riffing with melody in a way that feels both nostalgic and freshly dangerous. Then comes Hard ’N Fast, a track that lives in the speed metal lineage: razor riffs, neck-breaking leads, and a chorus you’d be proud to sing at full volume in any metal hall.
Living for the Riff honours the riff in all its glory. It’s one of those tracks that feels like a statement: every power, every ounce of energy, thrown into making the guitar the hero. Bitter Leaf adds texture, slower in parts, more swagger in others, a tasty deviation that lets the listener breathe before being plunged back into intensity. X-Celerator (Feel The Power) is roller-coaster time: blistering parts interspersed with soaring leads, the kind of song that grabs you by the throat and pulls you forward.
In the later tracks Pterö-Ranger, Down The Drain there are moments of sheer speed and moments where melody slices through the chaos like light through storm clouds. Le Voyageur d’Oort offers a brief instrumental passage that shows the band can resonate not just through aggression but atmosphere, a small respite that makes what follows hit harder. The closer Face The Challenge finishes strong, an anthem of defiant energy, pulling together many threads of the record into a final surge.
What makes Fossilized stand out is the balance. Ültra Raptör don’t just play fast; they shape the songs so the speed hits with impact, the leads soar, and the choruses linger. Production has grip, the riffs cut through, solos sparkle, drums crack, everything feels sharp without over-saturation. And Phil T. Lung’s vocals: rough-edged where they need to be, melodic when the melody demands, never hiding behind effects.
This is the kind of speed/heavy metal record that doesn’t re-invent the wheel but it hammers it so solidly that you want to ride it full speed. It’s metal that leans into its influences, wears them proudly, but keeps its own claws showing. For fans of classic Judas Priest, Exciter, Savatage, and power metal with teeth, Fossilized delivers. 8/10
With Deliberate Desecration, they bring what is probably the sum distillation of the ideas presented here into one place. It has that dense chunk which is a given and allows their groove to come in, but they don’t stay in that one mode. They do lighten it up but not in a way that changes how the song lands. It adds a level of melody to it but without being out of place. As per the preceding tracks, it is super tight, and I would love to see them do this live because it would be punishing.
And that is that all done. If you hold this up against ‘modern death metal’ with its technical leanings and cookie cutter production you could argue about it sounding old at. But it would be a stupid argument and you would lose. It is extreme metal, done by those who know how to do it and do it well. It’s a belting album that has come in and should remind you that you don’t need a million different notes fighting for air, its efficient and direct, and sometimes that is just what you want. 8/10
Hæresis - Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum (Vendetta Records) [Sasa]
Hæresis, a band that combines ethereal Melodies and brutal vocals together. The band have released a 4-track album that comes up to 41 minutes called Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum which means if you want peace prepare for war in Latin. We have the amazing vocals of Christin Graunke, Daniel and Itay on guitars, Len on bass and Schütte on drums.
The album starts of with the song echoes of ashes which is just under 12 minutes long, after a minute and 30 seconds of an enticing slow sound we get hit with a scream and some insane drumming, the song is very atmospheric but also post melodic black metal, not something you’d usually find.
I love how the songs combine a slow instrumental that transitions into amazing heavy vocals by Christin, her vocal range is extremely impressive, and the bands team work in creating such a unique blend is mind blowing. The way the songs make you feel like you want to head bang but also pretend to be a fairy in a forest. With only 4 lengthy songs this album is diverse and unique and is a genuine piece of work.
My favourite song would be Eradicating Taciturnity, it is just both beautiful and harsh vocals, the transition from slow to fast to slow again and how at times the heavier vocals would overlap the clean and smooth vocals. It is just so well put together
The album cover itself represents the album quite well the mixture of tranquillity and anger. 8/10
Ültra Raptör – Fossilized (Fighter Records) [Spike]
Stepping into Fossilized, Ültra Raptör roar back with purpose. This is speed/heavy metal raised on classic riffs, feral attitude, and a love for roaring solos. Their second full-length feels like a tournament of sound, fast, flashy, with a touch of primordial grandeur.
The album kicks off with Fossilized, a title track that lives up to its name. The guitars slash in with serrated energy, the drums boom like engines, and the vocals bark with conviction. There’s no tip-toeing in, this is a beast being awakened, claws and all. Spinosaurus follows and charges with groove-laden mayhem, pairing tight riffing with melody in a way that feels both nostalgic and freshly dangerous. Then comes Hard ’N Fast, a track that lives in the speed metal lineage: razor riffs, neck-breaking leads, and a chorus you’d be proud to sing at full volume in any metal hall.
Living for the Riff honours the riff in all its glory. It’s one of those tracks that feels like a statement: every power, every ounce of energy, thrown into making the guitar the hero. Bitter Leaf adds texture, slower in parts, more swagger in others, a tasty deviation that lets the listener breathe before being plunged back into intensity. X-Celerator (Feel The Power) is roller-coaster time: blistering parts interspersed with soaring leads, the kind of song that grabs you by the throat and pulls you forward.
In the later tracks Pterö-Ranger, Down The Drain there are moments of sheer speed and moments where melody slices through the chaos like light through storm clouds. Le Voyageur d’Oort offers a brief instrumental passage that shows the band can resonate not just through aggression but atmosphere, a small respite that makes what follows hit harder. The closer Face The Challenge finishes strong, an anthem of defiant energy, pulling together many threads of the record into a final surge.
What makes Fossilized stand out is the balance. Ültra Raptör don’t just play fast; they shape the songs so the speed hits with impact, the leads soar, and the choruses linger. Production has grip, the riffs cut through, solos sparkle, drums crack, everything feels sharp without over-saturation. And Phil T. Lung’s vocals: rough-edged where they need to be, melodic when the melody demands, never hiding behind effects.
This is the kind of speed/heavy metal record that doesn’t re-invent the wheel but it hammers it so solidly that you want to ride it full speed. It’s metal that leans into its influences, wears them proudly, but keeps its own claws showing. For fans of classic Judas Priest, Exciter, Savatage, and power metal with teeth, Fossilized delivers. 8/10
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