Saunders

Red Asphalt stands up to scrutiny as another high-quality modern platter to add to Exhumed’s ever-impressive repertoire.

In Verses marks a nuanced, introspective step in Karnivool’s evolution, rewarding patience, while retaining the signature hallmarks, intelligent songwriting, and hooky accessibility curated over the past couple of decades.

Barren Path’s violent attack, colorful chemistry, and precision, technical musicianship leave displaced jaws on the floor with the sheer intensity and locked-in tightness. Grieving is top-tier grind to batter the senses and soothe the mind.

Injecting new blood into a familiar formula, New Gods, New Masters opens another shifting chapter for Revocation, though avoids spinning wheels.

The Bestiary marks an ambitious, solid, if flawed follow-up. Significant production concerns and the aforementioned pacing issues, bloat, and an uneven backend detract from an album that reaffirms Castle Rat as a talented band with old school values and a vision to diversify their formula with intriguing results.

A few kinks aside, Die Close is a hugely enjoyable album that’s well worth a listen and should cement Blood Vulture as an exciting new voice in the doomsphere.

Grinding Mechanism of Torment may lose some of the wild, unhinged edges of the debut. However, the album compensates through its addictive riffcraft and diverse, though still plenty brutal display of deathgrind lunacy, expanding their songwriting scope and marking a grisly, bone-crunching, and righteously infectious return.

Flaws aside, This Consequence marks a solid, if unremarkable addition to the Killswitch Engage catalog.

Despite the odd lull in its energy or excess in its composition, it’s a bold and triumphant album, with gripping writing and performances. Absolute Elsewhere is a bright, exciting return to form.

Sanshi keeps the consistent trend going, though takes it up a notch and showcases the Ripped to Shreds juggernaut operating in peak form.

Beyond the Reach of the Sun exhibits trademark songwriting characteristics and fresh ideas, whipped into an ambitious prog opus, carrying familiar traits from its predecessors, while forging its own path.

Moon Healer clearly outlays Job for a Cowboy’s impressive songwriting skillset, excellent musicianship and commitment to progressive death, marking a triumphant return from the reinvented one-time whipping boys.

Hymns from the Apocrypha is an absolute blast that should appease old and newer devotees alike, hopefully signaling a later career creative burst.

Chaos Horrific won’t change any minds for those previously unmoved by Cannibal Corpse’s signature brand of no-frills American death, but long-time listeners should find much to enjoy here, despite its lack of wow factor or surprises.

Ontological Mysterium is unmistakably Horrendous in sound and vision, yet it bravely pushes boundaries and tinkers with the parameters of their formula, while remaining cohesive and memorable.