By Oscar Ramirez (bass)
To me these albums take me back to when I was in my high school days. Walking home with my headphones in, people looking at me weird because I’m trying to mimic the brutal vocals, just overall crushing in-your-face music. I got the privilege to see most of these bands, except for Deeds of Flesh or Severed Savior. But one day it’ll happen, I hope. Well here’s my 5 Unsung Death Metal Albums.
5. Arkaik – Reflections Within Dissonance
These guys are fairly new but they will teach you a thing or two about technicality. These guys blew me away from the first time I saw them at California Metal Fest. I remember my friend Diego telling me about these dudes and I finally got a chance to see them and was just amazed at how good they were. I got their demo with a couple songs that were soon-to-be-released on their album Reflections Within Dissonance and I would play that demo till it melted in my stereo. I feel these guys are gonna do it big as their writing style is very unique but they still keep it brutal. Definitely one track, “Paradigm”, will put you on your seat man. The heaviness of this song it just too much. I honestly wish I could be as good as these guys.
4. Severed Savior – Brutality is Law
Another classic of mine. Can’t say enough of how bad-ass this album is. I wish they were still around because this a must-see band. Severed Savior has some of the sickest and most interesting music I have ever listened to. A track that stood out the most for me was “Bloody Prolapse” with its breaks that are so tough and brutal. It makes you wanna turn it up and blow your speakers. The beginning of their album kills with their song “One by One.” The perfect opening song to melt your face off.
3. Disgorge – She Lay Gutted
I could talk about this record for hours. This, to me, was the definition of brutal death metal. When I was a kid, this was the first brutal death metal band I ever listened to. I was off to a good start. This record means a lot to me, I remember putting “Revelations XVIII” on repeat over and over because I couldn’t get over how brutal and technical this is, it makes you want to kick something and just go nuts. Every time they would be in town, I would try to make it because the live show was just a totally different thing. The energy and the craziest guitar shredding, I’ve never seen anything like it.
2. Deeds of Flesh – Crown of Souls
One band that’s crushing to the bone! The technical songwriting with punishing vocals — this stuff is gnarly! This killed me the first time I ever heard it because I couldn’t understand how people can write such crazy, mind-blowing music. My guitar player Kevin asked me to put on his headphones and told me to hear this vocal part in “Medical Murder”; it sounds like he’s saying, “oh smoke a bowl”. Ever since, this record has been my favorite.
1. Condemned – Desecrate the Vile
First time I ever listened to this I was blown outta my mind. The riffs are so heavy and brutal, the perfect definition of brutal death metal. The vocals are so guttural and putrid; man one of my favorite till this day. Tracks like “Fixation on Suffering” and “Descending into Extinction” just sum up perfectly the San Diego brutal death metal.
** Pathology’s new album, Awaken To The Suffering, is available now. Get a copy it HERE.
