Abnormal Thought Patterns premiere a djent-y epic from aptly titled forthcoming third album Altered States of Consciousness

Lucifer I offers eight very good reasons why we gave occult super-duo Lucifer their very first national magazine cover; second track “Purple Pyramid” just may be the best.

Untouchable. That’s Hate Eternal since 1999’s Conquering the Throne effort. It’s now 2015 and the Erik Rutan-led death metal powerhouse show zero signs that time is our most maligned enemy. In fact, Hate Eternal are more blistering now than they were when George W. Bush was leading the charge of a large-scale (and largely unjust) war in the Iraq. OK, so times don’t change too much, regardless of who is in charge. But Hate Eternal, regardless of release or year of release, continue to be relevant, vital, and crucial to all things extreme.

“Torn Asunder” marches forward with an authority that belies this three-year-old outfit’s age.

The late Robert Hazard had a stellar pop music career, even if he never became a household name. Perhaps his best known accomplishment was writing  Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.”  But Hazard had a melancholy side, best evidenced by his 1982 song “Escalator Of Life.” The song — for all intents a dark wave tune despite modest chart success — was a critique of 80s consumerism. The New Jersey metal duo Stygian Depths recently reimagined the song.

Tomorrow on Relapse, you’re going to do the right thing and pick up the reunited-and-it-feels-so-fucking-brutal Skinless‘s first new album in nine years, but today, preview the entirety of Only the Ruthless Remain right here on the Deciblog. 

Tribulation have psych rock elements, their drummer has a psych rock band. Coincidence?

The Plague Within
A dark and darkening journey
dB Rating: 9/10

Brooklyn-based doomsters Fin’Amor, which translated to ‘courtly love’, were formed in 2008 to bring down the world and make its citizens perpetually glum. That is to say: No Fun. No Smiles. No Happy. No Sunrises. Along with Fin’Amor’s doom bringing they’re also taking in goth, progressive music, and death metal. Essentially, fans of My Dying Bride, Draconian, and Swallow the Sun are in for a true (and rare) American treat.

Screaming Banshee hail from Rome, home of Fleshgod Apocalypse and Hour of Penance, and they ply an admirable racket that draws from all kinds of deathly styles from melodic and technical to old-school and raw.