Mutagenic Host - The Diseased Machine

Labels: Dry Cough Records/Gurgling Gore/Memento Mori/Self-Released

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 03 Jan 2025

Tracklist:

1. Neurological Necrosis

2. Genestealer

3. The Twisted Helix

4. Artificial Harvest of the Obscene

5. Organometallic Assimilation

6. DIRECTIVE:: [kill_on_sight]

7. Incomprehensible Methods of Slaughter

8. S.W.A.R.M (Systematic War Against Restless Machines)

9. Promethean Dusk

10. Rivers Of Grief

As the world was stumbling bleary-eyed into 2025, London death metallers Mutagenic Host unleashed their debut full-length The Diseased Machine. It arrived almost two years on from their first recording The Genotoxic Demo, which was released via Dry Cough Records. Dry Cough worked alongside Gurgling Gore to release this album on both tape and vinyl, while Memento Mori Records committed it to CD and Mutagenic Host self-released it digitally. Little did they know at the time just how crazy the world would get!

Being one of the newest additions to the UK death metal ranks, Mutagenic Host have garnered quite a lot of excitement with their approach to the genre. ‘Neurological Necrosis’ shows why with it’s heavy percussion/bass, core-laden riffs and blood curdling deep bellows. ‘Genestealer’ doffs it’s hat to slam with it’s riffs but fear not, this song is still firmly rooted in the old-school death metal camp. Who says that bands can’t do both, right?

The sinister guitar melodies and tempos that open ‘The Twisted Helix’ soon give way to reveal a careening, thrash-like verse. Soon after, the instrumentation slows back down for the chorus once again, dragging the vocals down too before a brilliant solo seamlessly seeps into the song’s latter half. Ultimately, what’s offered here is extreme song-writing and musical delivery at it’s best. ‘Artificial Harvest of the Obscene’ delivers a number filled with metallic dissonance and perfect momentum. Coupled with another great lead-guitar solo and extra atmospherics (mainly due to ambient sounds and samples), Mutagenic Host lay their marker down early.

‘Organometallic Assimilation’ marks the near-midway point in the album and it’s where the superior drum production comes to the fore. Honestly, it boosts the song over and above what has come before it (to my ears anyway), not that the song’s other components don’t of course. It just hits differently because of the percussion. As is the norm now, interludes are a popular way of building anticipation and atmosphere, and ‘DIRECTIVE:: [kill_on_sight]’ is one of the better examples I’ve heard for a long time.

If this write-up seems slightly disjointed it’s because I racked up 13 hours in my day job on Tuesday, followed by normal 8 hour shifts yesterday and today. I know that’s not a lot in the grand scheme of things but it’s enough to leave me feeling a bit wiped out (especially with a new work I.T. toy to keep my brain stimulated). Maybe it’s slightly ironic that the next song is called ‘Incomprehensible Methods of Slaughter’ then. The glorious intro led by both bass and percussion leads to a doom/death-inspired monolith. Okay, it’s more OSDM than doom/death but it still hits the same.

The drumming throughout The Diseased Machine sounds massive, but it sounds even more so on ’S.W.A.R.M (Systematic War Against Restless Machines)’. Said drumming also makes the rest of the band rise up to the same level too. For a song so late on in the album to still sound so focused and intense is a joy (if that’s the right word!). Penultimate song ‘Promethean Dusk’ draws from the slam influence again, even if subtly. Mutagenic Host do a great job of settling the slam down alongside both traditional and brutal death metal. 

Closing with the album’s longest song ‘Rivers of Grief’, Mutagenic Host inject sampled-screams and haunting ambient/sci-fi sounds into an intro that heralds a full-bodied, instrumental-led death metal track. It’s actually quite a treat to hear their instruments coming to front as they do and as the volume fades, so does the adrenaline. The spacey, ethereal outro is comforting but it doesn’t hide the fact that the record is over.

From demo to debut album, it feels like the step change for Mutagenic Host has been massive. The recording work done by Boulty at Stuck on a Name Studio in Nottingham and Charlie Wilson at Monolith Studios in London (both great independent recording studios), coupled with the mixing and mastering from Ben Jones (who also worked on their demo), really elevated this release. Ash, Jack, Sami, Dan and George have nailed it here and hopefully there’s much more to come.

You can stream The Diseased Machine and purchase it digitally, as well as on tape and CD from Mutagenic Host below:-

Mutagenic Host - https://www.facebook.com/MutagenicHost

You can also buy physical copies from the labels below:-

Dry Cough Records - https://www.drycoughrecords.com/category/dry-cough-releases

Gurgling Gore - https://www.gurglinggore.com/category/our-releases

Memento Mori - http://www.memento-mori.es/store_search.php?text_search=Mutagenic+Host&genre=0&search_home=store_death

Dry Cough Records - https://www.facebook.com/DryCoughRecords

Memento Mori - https://www.facebook.com/memento.mori.label

Coffin Mulch - Spectral Intercession

Labels: At War With False Noise/Darker Than Darkness Records/Dry Cough Records/Gurgling Gore/Memento Mori

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 30 Jun 2023

Tracklist:

1. Spectral Intercession

2. Into The Blood

3. Mental Suicide

4. In The Grip Of Death

5. Fall Og Gaia

6. Gateway To The Unseen

7. Infernal Mass

8. Eternal Enslavement

When a death metal band comes along featuring members/ex-members of bands from outside of the genre, there's reason to be intrigued and excited. Gathering musicians from doom/sludge bands Age Of Taurus (previously reviewed here), Backstabber, Forever Machine, as well noisecore act Seppuku and Tetsuo (whom I don't know much about), you'd be forgiven for not knowing what to expect. Spectral Intercession was released in mid-2023 and is the band's first full-length, following a demo, an EP and two singles since their formation in 2018. They landed on my radar thanks to Dry Cough Records, who released the album on tape.

The weirdness starts straight off the bat thanks to the intro of opener ‘Spectral Intercession’, which after bizarre screams and noise descends into a whirlwind of old-school death metal of the thicc riff variety. Not overly fast tempo-wise and with a solid low-end, it grabs your attention with ease. Coffin Mulch carry the momentum of their album opener forward with ‘Into The Blood’, which doesn’t break for breath until the mid-way point when it flips from driving up-tempo death metal to sluggish doom/death. It’s absolutely glorious and the screeching guitar mini-solo towards the end caps the listening experience off perfectly.

Being a huge fan of doom/sludge and powerviolence, I like those low riffs that shake everything right to the core. The sort of riffs that open up ‘Mental Suicide’ then! They set the scene for what’s to come, even if that is unexpectedly blasting. The percussion is much more prominent here, providing not just a backdrop but a lead for the rest of CM to follow. ’In The Grip Of Death’ closes out the first half of the album with some truly epic OSDM that refuses to hang around. It’s over very quickly but there’s still plenty of musicianship throughout it’s sub two-minute playing time. 

The second half of Spectral Intercession rolls around with ‘Fall Of Gaia’ and it couldn’t be better. A constant barrage of top-tier UK death metal is all that’s required and Coffin Mulch deliver in spades. The buffeting intensity of ‘Gateway To The Unseen’ and the occasional use of vocal reverb (if I’m hearing things correctly) give this song a much more crusty feel, though it is subtle. Obviously, I get that how we hear and interpret music is subjective (I’ve said it enough times here before already), so you definitely should decide for yourselves. 

Penultimate song ‘Infernal Mass’ gives off complete doom/sludge vibes early on before Coffin Mulch once again launch into hyperspace, without the need for a drum machine(!), while allowing the lead guitar to shine once more amongst the chaos is perfect this late on in the album. Closer ‘Eternal Enslavement’ is the lengthiest song by some margin on Spectral Intercession and it’s everything you hoped it would be. Stark spoken-word samples, slow/low riffs, upbeat percussion and those now customary harsh vocals come together to offer an even greater old-school feel.

As the current “new wave” of UK old-school death metal grows it’s tentacles, Coffin Mulch stand out in the darkness. Expertly performed throughout, this album is both visually and musically up there with the very best in the genre right now.

You can stream and purchase Spectral Intercession digitally, as well as on limited edition vinyl from Coffin Mulch below:-

Coffin Mulch - https://www.facebook.com/coffinmulch

Physical copies can also be purchased on tape from Dry Cough Records below:-

Dry Cough Records - https://www.drycoughrecords.com/product/coffin-mulch-spectral-intercession-cassette-dc73

At War With False Noise - https://awwfn.bandcamp.com

Darker Than Darkness Records - https://www.facebook.com/profile

Dry Cough Records - https://www.facebook.com/DryCoughRecords

Gurgling Gore - https://www.gurglinggore.com/

Memento Mori - https://www.facebook.com/memento.mori.label

Vile Apparition - Depravity Ordained + Atrocious Captivity Demo

Labels: Blood Harvest Records/Memento Mori Records

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Tape/Digital

Release Date: 21 Jan 2019

Tracklist:

1. Mauled And Nameless

2. Depravity Ordained

3. Dissect To Enucleate

4. Aeon Of Impalement

5. The Cursed Path

6. Malevolent Aphanatasia

7. Repulsive Desire

8. The Gate

9. Window Of The Grotesque

Such is the pace of releases this year, it's proving hard to catch up. So much so that I'm still working my way through stuff that came out in January (amongst my seemingly random review schedule). "Depravity Ordained" is the debut album from Australian death metal quartet Vile Apparition. It was released in January via Blood Harvest Records (vinyl, tape, digital) and Memento Mori Records (CD). Vile Apparition initially formed as a duo in 2017 and self-released the "Atrocious Captivity" demo, which also received a tape release via Transylvanian Tapes. Their line-up later doubled in size in time for a split cd release with Polish death metal duo Incinerator via Polish Putrid Cult. This piece will also feature a review of the "Atrocious Captivity" demo as it was included in the digital press pack I received.

Vile Apparition’s death metal is slamming, fast and disgusting. Mauled And Nameless is a blasting and grim old-school worshipping beast with deep growls. The riffs sit deeper in the mix as the drumming takes a tighter grip; however, there’s room in the recording for a ripping solo. This was pure and unadulterated brutal death metal without the pig squeals. The title-track is meaty with a wall of guitar-riffs beefing up the sound. Its formula is obvious fairly early on yet there’s technicality seeping from its pores. When Vile Apparition dials back the tempo, like in the latter half of Depravity Ordained, they venture into doom/death territory and its actually kinda nice (in a grim way). 

To deliver such ferocity and intensity so early on shows the intent that Vile Apparition has and Dissect To Enucleate is no exception. It all adds to an urgency that’s unmatched and with a production/mastering job that keeps everything true to the genres early proponents, everything is kept from being raw and muddy. They hit peak death metal on Aeon Of Impalement, with its slow and brooding doom/death feel and another ripping solo. There’s still plenty of fast but it seems more focused to me. A the mid-point of the album there’s a hauntingly ambient instrumental song in the form The Cursed Path, which breaks up the brutality  and fills you with an unnerving feeling.

After that instrumental, things get back to full speed on Malevolent Aphanatasia, which encompasses pretty much everything that makes Vile Apparition’s music so good. It’s nothing you haven’t heard before if you’re a death metal fan but as far as debuts go, it’s right up there. The final trio of songs beginning with Repulsive Desire are absolutely raging. Repulsive Desire itself is full of constant Tom abuse and vocals that scream “how low can you go”. The lack of time to catch your breath between it and The Gate proves that Vile Apparition mean business and take their death metal more than seriously. It’s much of the same but The Gate just stabilises the quality of the album.

Despite what I said above, the album’s final track Window Of The Grotesque is brimming with atmosphere within its opening bars. That atmosphere is retained as Vile Apparition stomps through one last doom/death filled number. It rounds out an album filled with disturbing bleakness and genuinely heavy death metal. There will be a lot of keen listeners in the underground who have already discovered “Depravity Ordained” but if you haven’t yet, you should change that.

Stream "Depravity Ordained" and grab it digitally and on LP/CD from Vile Apparition below:-

Tape copies are now sold out via Vile Apparition, but you can get the album on all physical formats from Blood Harvest Records and Memento Mori Records.

Blood Harvest Records - https://www.facebook.com/Blood-Harvest-Records

Memento Mori Records - https://www.facebook.com/memento.mori.label/

Labels: Self-Released/Transylvanian Tapes

Formats: Digital/Tape

Release Date: 31 Jul 2017

Tracklist:

1. The Abyssal Plain

2. Anatomized Remnants

3. Atrocious Captivity

4. Featureless Deity

As mentioned above, Vile Apparition's 2017 demo "Atrocious Captivity" was bundled in with the promo I received, so I've decided to write a separate review of it and include it here. It's often fun starting with a band's most recent release and working backwards. This demo was written and recorded back when the band was a duo, so it'll be interesting to hear how their sound progressed to what it is now. As far as I can tell from scanning various places, tape versions of this are long sold out from both Vile Apparition and Transylvanian Tapes.

“Atrocious Captivity” begins with The Abyssal Plain, which is a ghostly and pretty terrifying intro that leads directly into Anatomized Remnants. Obviously here the sound is slightly raw but that actually works better for the music in my opinion. I know it’s boring when people continually say “I like their demo best”, but it’s mostly correct in this case. The recording seems to be less constrained than that of “Depravity Ordained” and while the ever-so-slightly cleaner sound of the latter makes sense, this demo just sounds more brutal to my ears.

The demo’s title-track is as barbaric as you’d expect and it’s far from accessible (not that any of Vile Apparition’s material could be considered accessible). You can certainly see where they got their writing chops from here and it was obvious even from this demo that their technicality was something else. In fact a lot of what appears musically on “Depravity Ordained” owes much to this demo and the doom/death that’s present there first rears its ugly head on Featureless Deity. It’s not slow by any means but the influence and atmosphere is clearly present throughout.

Overall, having listened to both releases, there’s no negatives here. If you’re new to the band, start with “Depravity Ordained” and work your way backwards. Vile Apparition will no doubt be a band that will continually improve and tweak their sound as they progress through their career. Quality death metal from the other side of the globe.

(Alternative Transylvanian Tapes Cover Art)

You can grab "Atrocious Captivity" as a name-your-price download below:-

Transylvanian Tapes - https://www.facebook.com/TransylvanianTapes/

Vile Apparition - https://www.facebook.com/vileapparition/

Ravenous Death - Chapters Of An Evil Transition

Labels: Memento Mori

Formats: CD

Release Date: 05 Feb 2019

Tracklist:

1. Prelude To Evilness

2. Doomed To Exist

3. Harvesting Hate

4. Evil Dementia (The Voices Of The Nobodies)

5. Awakening Of The Damned

6. Cursed Origin

7. Initiation Ritual

8. The Sinister Being

9. Massacre Cult

10. Soul Consumes By The Occult

A death metal band from Mexico, with a name taken from a Vomitory song! That's exactly what you get from Ravenous Death. They've been spewing out blasphemic death metal since 2016 and this is their debut full-length, which follows their 2017 EP "Ominous Deathcult". "Chapters Of An Evil Transition" was released digitally and on cd via Memento More earlier this month. Something tells me this is going to be rad!

At this point you’re nearly over the hump, so why not being your descent into the weekend with some ripping death. Ravenous Death promises a lot but if you’re anything like me, you never quite know what you’re going to get with death metal anymore. Thankfully, this is old-school worshipping in the best from as the menacing riffs and growls of Prelude To Evilness pull you in. There’s definitely a nod towards the usual suspects but there’s also some Mexican heat too! Doomed To Exist is the first full assault from the band and it’s fast raw drumming is immersed within sludgy, atmospheric bass/guitar work and low growls. It’s technical but not overpoweringly so, which means it’s a pleasing listen.

The sound here never quite crosses over into death-thrash or black-thrash territory, but it does threaten to on Harvesting Hate. It certainly has that underground nastiness to it. I suppose Incantation might be a good comparison (if I was to pick one) or maybe even Morbosidad possibly. A healthy slab of lead work leads you onto Evil Dementia (The Voices Of The Nobodies), which is equally as horrid, especially thanks to some Slayer-esque riffs and rasping screeches. It’s at this point that it feels like Ravenous Death are really starting to grow in confidence on the recording. 

Things get even gloomier on Awakening Of The Damned, as Ravenous Death settles into their stride and really goes for it instrumentally. This is the best song on the album yet and it shows a new side to them with twin-melodies and greater layers of sonic savagery. Their tempo seems to get faster again at this point too with Cursed Origin continuing that trend. It’s just straight-up raging. There’s a different approach to atmosphere during Initiation Ritual, which is both experimental and oddly festering at the same time. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still fast but there’s also a whiff of pungent doom/death in the air, though it is subtle. 

That doom/death aura takes more of a hold during The Sinister Being, with it’s opening mix of deep and trebly guitar. Again, the drumming seems to play at double time compered the guitars but that’s what gives it an edge and one that’s sits really well. The vocals are back to their deep glowing beat and there’s no escape. Penultimate song Massacre Cult underlines why this record is so enjoyable by being unpretentious and fun (if death metal could be considered so). It also shows off the variation levels that sit within RD’s music, which is more obvious if you sit and really take it in as a whole. In what seems like the blink of an eye, you’re head-banging to the bars of final song Soul Consumes By The Occult. 

This is a cracking death metal record by a band that’s really still finding their feet. Ravenous Death rules and are certainly going to be putting Mexican extreme metal on the map this year! Lend them your ears. 

If you're in Mexico you can buy "Chapters Of An Evil Transition" on cd and digitally below:-

If you're anywhere else in the world head to Memento Mori - http://www.memento-mori.es/store.php.

Ravenous Death - https://www.facebook.com/RavenousDeathOfficial/

Memento Mori - https://www.facebook.com/memento.mori.label/