Deathrune

Yonkers, New York, a bullshit town known mostly for giving the world Anthrax (the band, not the disease,) Gene Krupa, and the morbid florist himself, Will Rahmer. Not really surprising that such a place would churn out some pretty sick metal in the early '90s. Deathrune spent this fertile time cranking out decent enough demos but never managed to get anything widely released before their demise in 1995. Guitarist Mike Saez would go on to play with Incantation, just like anyone else into Death Metal in the area. Beneath the Cypress Groves is the band's second demo, and it offers up a solid half hour of solid American Death Metal. Not as crushing as the Swedes, not as adept as those rednecks down in Florida, but still packing enough putrid riffage and atmosphere to be a keeper.

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Creeps

Supuration were without a doubt France's best contribution to the ever flowing stream of global Death Metal in the early 1990's. The Creeping Unknown was the band's second EP and it is a fucking masterpiece. Sadly only two songs, but this young band crams enough strangeness and pummel into these tracks you might find yourself listening to this one several times in a row.

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Seventh Temple

Encoffination are one of the few new bands that genuinely excite me. The logo may lead you to believe that Encoffination are yet another Incantation worship band, and sure, on their first EP the influence was more than obvious, but by their second release, Ritual Ascension Beyond Flesh, the band started to expand on the formula and create something of their own. The two members of Encoffination also operate in the Death Metal ressurectionist outfits Father Befouled and Decrepitaph, both of which are excellent, but Encoffination still remains my favorite. Most of the band's catalog is still in print and should be bought immediately, however I haven't seen many copies of this astounding EP titled Seventh Temple of Laodicean Scripture floating around. It is as great an introduction to this special band as any other release. Worship and support Encoffination, they fucking deserve it.

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Into The Autumn Shade

O' forgotten classic of Death infused Doom, O' shrouded monument of 90s heavy, O' benighted pillar of sorrowful pummel.

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Bloodsoaked

Bloodsoaked may be Mexico's first Death Metal band having formed in 1989. The band's brief three year career yielded a demo, a full length, and an EP, and all are awesome relics of putrid Death Metal. 1993's Frost Image is a bit murky in the production, has a few questionable riffs, and that cover art is weak, but beneath these issues lies a decent early '90s Death Metal album.

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Funeral Obsession

Decomposed hailed from the bullshit town of Croyden in the UK. They played the sort of doom/death hybrid that was prevalent in the early '90s. After a few passable demos, Decomposed self released the standout moment of their brief career, The Funeral Obsession ep. Just two songs and ten minutes of colossal sounding bludgeon, with the occasional to-die-for dual guitar harmonies. This EP showed so much promise the never was realized in the band's first (and only) full length Hope Finally Died. What happened?

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Anguish

Finnish Death Metal, You can't get enough. I hear your cries, your weepy, miserable bedtime prayers for more disgusting, dyspeptic dirges from the land of cell phones and reindeers. Even though I despise you, I can't deny your pathetic pleas. Here is Anguish and their 1991 EP Ground Absorbs. Get bent, plebeians.

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Rites of the Black Mass

Going back to 1992 and the bullshit town of Tampa Florida with Rites of the Black Mass, the first official full length LP from Acheron, the oft overlooked veterans of no frills Satanic Death Metal. I think Acheron get a a bad rap, they sound much like the no-frills Death Metal of Nunslaughter but seem to get only a small percent of the attention. Perhaps my favorite aspect to Rites of the Black Mass is the intros that preface every song. Acheron are loyal subjects of Satan, and opt to name drop as many demons as they can within their songs. It may seem a bit like these adepts are sucking up, but I think their devotion to deviltry is just that devout. Acheron mailman Vincent Crowley was even a reverend in the Church of Satan, but has since left the fold. If you like your Death Metal simple, punchy, and slathered in good old fashion orthodox devil-worship then Acheron is for you. If you are some pious do-gooder fuckstick, back the fuck away slowly and never speak of this again.

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Grey Misery

After some really icky and mandatory demos, Finland's Disgrace sort of cleaned up their act and eked out a great, but somewhat polished (compared to the demos) album, called Grey Misery. Don't get me wrong, this album still vomits forth plenty of purulent riffs and nauseating vocalizings with a reckless Finnish fury, and stands as one of my favorite Scandi-scum pummel buddies. Anyways, this rules. Just get it.

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Apocryphon

I may be a bit biased on Apocryphon, Peter and Shelby are amazingly friendly, funny people but they probably don't want that to be known. Not to mention that Shelby does one of the best blogs on the Interweb. But I think Apocryphon's extremely aggressive demo debut stands on its own merit. Already the band show an adeptness and skill that could easily put them toe to toe with some of the giants of the genre. Apocryphon sort of meld the earlier works of Immolation with a very Dave Vincent circa Domination vocal approach. If this is the demo I shudder to think what the album will be like. Another fantastic new Death Metal band to watch for.

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Bruxers

Okay, so after losing eight years worth of files, and seriously considering ending the blog, I have decided to forge on. Things may be a bit rickety here for a while, but I want to stress that doing this doesn't get me laid, doesn't get me paid, and often is a headache. Anyways, here's Bruxers' demo. Bruxers are a fairly new band from Oakland. On their first demo they display a fondness and a skill for playing Crusty Death Metally Grindcore. You download it, you listen to it, you leave a nice comment, and when they have something out, you buy it.

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Another World

One of my favorite Death Metal demos of all time, Finland's Necropsy were such a stellar band that really never got out of the demo barn. Someone may have had the good sense to release all this rare bloody gold into one abhorrent anthology but I am not certain. I do know is that Necropsy were a skilled group of youngsters that packed a certain clinical crispness to their bludgeon. Another World contains four absolutely mandatory tracks.

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Subject

Brace yourself for some caustic grindcore from Hungary and a band who operated in the early '90s under the mundane moniker of Subject. Diaphanous Writhes of a Soul was the band's second demo and was later pressed into an EP. Subject had a steady six year run that yielded a few demos, two full-lengths, and a four-way split with fellow Hungarian heavies Set Off, Mindcrime, and Loser's Lair. Admittedly I haven't heard any other Subject material but this demo is just so fucking great I am not sure I need to.

GRIND!

Swallow, Swoum, Dissect

Dissect were yet another overlooked Dutch Death Metal band. After a couple of promising demos, Dissect signed to Cyber Music to release their debut (and what would be their only) album, Swallow Swouming Mass. For the record, there is no such word as "Swouming." Dissect were not innovators, or risk takers by any stretch of the imagination. The fare here is just no-frills, old school DM pummel, and that is exactly what makes this album a favorite for me. Swallow this.

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Bloodchilling Tales

Formed in 1986, Sorcery were one of the earliest Swedish Death Metal bands on the scene. Their demo beginnings were a bit more thrash, but by the time they eked out their stellar debut, 1991's Bloodchilling Tales, it was all about the Death Metal. Sadly, this would be Sorcery's only album. Around 1994 Sorcery split and the members went on to form two bands; In Aeternum and Fear My Solitude, neither of which were very interesting, in my opinion. Whatever, this rules.

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Amputory

This whole resurgence of retro Death Metal is more than okay by me, and Amputory are definitely a band that deserves your ears. These feral Finns recall the bludgeon of bands like Dismember and Entombed but also incorporate some Carcass like surgery and vocalizing in the three songs on this demo. Great riffs and tones, I think this is another young band to watch for.

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From the Vault

Disma's debut album Towards the Megalith is definitely the stuff of my top albums of 2011 list, and if you fancy the arcane Death Metal of old then it will probably make your list as well. In honor of this towering monument to precambrian pummel, I present their demo The Vault of Membros.

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Convocation

Cruciamentum, from England, are one of the better bands in this recent influx of new old school Death Metal. Their second demo, titled Convocation of Crawling Chaos is a fucking crusher. Definitely a band to watch for.

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Black Force Domain

Savage, unrelenting terror is what Krisiun serves up on Black Force Domain, their debut album from 1995. Krisiun were formed by three brutal brothers named Alex, Moyses, and Max in 1990. Krisiun's brand of Death Metal is particularly violent. It almost never breathes, just keeps on pummeling with both muscle and precision, almost too much at times. Not for the wimps, gawkers, or casual hobbyists, this is pure sonic violence. Even Satan would be freaked out by this one.

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In The Maze of Kadath

Kadath is a giant castle where menacing gods reside. Mortals can not enter its gates, but Catacomb, an obscure Death Metal band from Toulon France, gained entry in 1993. The result was this obscure treasure of an EP titled In The Maze of Kadath. On that cold and misty day the Old Ones reveled in murky guitars, shredding solos, and guttural vocals belching forth lyrics singing their unholy praise.

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