Ye verily. ‘Tis time for another edition of Death’s Door. Holy cow is it a juicy one.
If you consider your viscera splattered all over the wall to be “juicy”…
August was a wild month for death metal. The middle of the year tends to be a bit of a historical doldrums for most metal releases, but delightfully that has not been the case for most metal spheres, and especially so with death metal. This month’s Death’s Door entry features some of my favorite records of the entire year, and I can confidently state that this particular lineup will cleave your skull in twain if you give these records their due. So what are you waiting for? Get crackin’.
Death metal, baby. Forever.
–JA
Cream of the Crop
Nile – The Underworld Awaits Us All
At this point, what do we want from a Nile album? The band are not only tried and true veterans, they are also entirely genre defining and unique. Everyone knows the Nile sound because that sound has permeated through the entire metal scene, far beyond “just” death metal, to forever change the face of it. So, what do we want from a Nile album? Probably that it be well made, to the level of excellency the band are known for, but that otherwise it simply delivers what we’ve grown used to from the band. We’re not looking, necessarily, for flash and passion from a band that’s been doing what they do for so long. But Nile doesn’t care about what we want or expect; for them, there is only one reason to make an album and that’s if you fucking mean it.
The Underworld Awaits Us All can go toe to toe with many of the albums in the swirling, sort of skronky death metal scene and dish out as much as it gets. From the iconic “Stelae of Vultures”, reeking of the classic Nile approach to both riff and groove, through the absolutely vicious and grind-y “Overlords of the Black Earth”, and all the way to epic, flamboyant closer “Lament for the Destruction of Time”, Nile have not come to play. Every note and blastbeat is lain down with expert care and attention, constructing an album that feels much shorter than the almost fifty-five minutes of its actual run time. There is very little fat on this release, made by masters of the craft whose passion for the style still shines through every second.
By the way, the aforementioned closure track is one of my all time favorite Nile tracks; its roiling, creeping, doom-like central riff is a pleasure to behold and its solos and screeches channel its namesake in extremely interesting ways. It is simply the cherry on top of an accomplished, satisfying, and masterful album, furthering Nile’s domination of death metal these past few decades.
-EK
Best of the Rest
Oxygen Destroyer – Guardian of the Universe
Since watching the excellent Godzilla: Minus One I’ve become thoroughly obsessed with all things Kaiju-adjacent. Watching Shin Godzilla for the first time (along with a host of other classic Godzilla films), delving into the history of the world’s most famous monster, and gaining a deeper understanding of his cultural and historic significance has been an oddly rewarding experience. Which meant that the release of death-thrash modern masters Oxygen Destroyer’s third full-length record could not have come at a more appropriate time for me. Guardian of the Universe is everything I was hoping it would be and more, reviving from the depths one of the 21st Century’s most dynamic extreme metal death-thrash attacks with vim and vigor.
It goes without saying that if you’ve enjoyed anything the band has released before you will absolutely love Guardian of the Universe. All of the best aspects of the band’s sound are here in spades, including their Ulthar meets Sodom at warpspeed aesthetic, and there isn’t a single dud on the track list. Strangely, despite its familiar sound and similar structure to its predecessors, I can confidently state that the band’s third record absolutely demolishes their previous efforts with ease. This might seem like a bold claim given the above stated similarities, but I assure you once you’ve slapped your headphones on and given Guardian of the Universe a spin you’ll understand why it’s thusly been made. This is a precision barrage that is among the most accomplished in this genre I have heard in many years.
Seriously. There isn’t a superfluous second spent throughout Guardian. It genuinely might be the most impressive thrash-adjacent record I’ve heard on an execution level since Trials dropped This Ruined World. There are no weaknesses here. No bad riffs (Thrash, death, or otherwise). No wasted or undercooked performances. No inappropriately timed film samples. No jank production choices. Everything fits so perfectly that it’s almost maddening. Guardian is the type of death-thrash records that fans of this style of music dream about. It’s here, and it’s essentially perfect. I don’t even know what track to recommend, to be honest. Just hit play and let this thing punish you thoroughly.
I really don’t have anything more to say. The Kaiju live, and Oxygen Destroyer hath revived them. Long may they reign in abject terror. Essential listening.
–JA
Teeth – The Will of Hate
While Los Angeles death-dealers Teeth have been knocking their namesake out of unsuspecting faces since 2013, my introduction to their particular brand of audio punishment was in 2019 upon having their sophomore outing The Curse of Entropy recommended to me. After becoming one of my most listened to releases of that year, I’ve been hotly anticipating new material from this band for five years. While 2021’s Finite served as a frustrating but delicious teaser far too short to slake my thirst, 2024 brings us the band’s proper third record The Will of Hate, and I’m happy to say it was well worth the wait.
While The Curse of Entropy served as a chaotic and vicious intro to the band’s sound, The Will of Hate finds the band in a period of refinement. Losing none of Entropy’s brutal potency, The Will of Hate finds Teeth opting for a more streamlined and focused form of punishment. Where Entropy flung its punches with a chaotic expression of violence, Hate is a Mike Tyson-styled fighter, knowing exactly which combinations to throw and when to generate maximum knockout potential. This is Teeth at their most compositionally discernible and digestible yet even more punishing peak. It may be their best yet.
Fans of the band’s previous material will find plenty to love here when it comes to standard punishment. Tracks like “Blight” and “Shiver” offer new expressions of the sonic violence the band has made their name on, throwing a steady barrage of brutal riffs and expectedly wrathful kit work with enough conviction to convert even the staunchest skeptic. But they do so with a much more measured exactitude, exhibiting a maturity in approach that many bands in this space never find. Without doubt Teeth aren’t interested in making carbon copy records, but instead delving even further into their chosen musical space, emerging like a clearer and more focused version of bands like Altarage or Our Place of Worship Is Silence, who thrive successfully in abject chaos. It feels like a best of both worlds gamble that pays off in spades.
Viewed as a standalone piece of death metal expression, The Will of Hate is an excellent record. When viewed within the prism of what came before, it’s an even more impressive achievement. Concentrating the band’s aesthetic and skills into their most coherent and legible manifestations yet, Teeth show that they have far more to offer than abject chaos, allowing their skill as songwriters and musicians to shine even more prominently than before. While The Curse of Entropy will always have a special place in my heart, I fully anticipate The Will of Hate to eclipse it as my favorite Teeth record. Another absolute banger from the boys.
-JA
Vile Rites – Senescence
I love some quality atmospherics in my metal. Black metal tends to be the subgenre that gives me the most bang for my buck on the “getting-lost-in-the-woods-at-night” aesthetic, but every once in a while a death metal band will come through with a record that blends punishing riffs and a healthy dose of atmosphere to excellent effect. Vile Rites and their psych-inflected fusion of tech and old school death metal fits the bill perfectly, creating in their debut full-length Senescence a record that is not only filled with incredible individual moments, but also creates a cohesive sonic world in which to get completely lost in. It’s a magnificent step forward for one of the genre’s most promising and talented bands.
To understand the blend I’m referring to above, look no further than scorching album opener “Only Silence Follows”, which features a catchy af central riff that is surrounded by tasteful atmospherics and off-kilter psych sections that never feel like distractions, but instead tasteful garnish to a meaty main course of punishing guitar pyro and percussive intensity. “Senescent” takes these elements to a new level in a progressive death composition that smacks of Gojira/Mastodon in terms of structure, but when it decides to go full death there’s no noodling around. Vile Rites blend progressive song structures and sheer death metal brutality convincingly, never veering too far in one direction or risking becoming stale. It’s songwriting of a high caliber that I can easily commend the band for, as each track offers its own particular delights.
One would be remiss to not touch on the instrumentation throughout Senescence as well. While the songwriting is uniformly excellent across the record, the musicianship impressively follows suit. I’m hard pressed to think of a death metal record this year that more effectively executed its songwriting vision than Senescence does. Holy smokes are the performances here incredible, gliding between psychedelic weirdness and old school death metal slamming with a smoothness that is highly commendable. Tracks like “Shiftless Wanderings” are a masterclass of death metal done right and I am wildly impressed by this band’s ability to channel controlled instrumental rage with such poise and focus.
There really aren’t any major downsides to my ears regarding Senescence. An exceptional sonic experience in every respect, this is a record that deftly balances more atmospheric and psychedelic moments with death metal punishment in a way that feels appropriately thematic and impactful on the overall album experience. It’s difficult to imagine this record missing out on some year-end recognition. Vile Rites are quickly becoming a death metal juggernaut, and Senescence only serves as further proof that the hype is well founded.
–JA
Pneuma Hagion – From Beyond
I’ve got a confession to make…I prefer Steve Tucker era Morbid Angel to David Vincent. Don’t get me wrong, those earlier albums are classics and groundbreaking in their own right, but Gateways To Annihilation is an utterly punishing experience and an incredible example of innovative death metal.
I’m guessing the guys in Pneuma Hagion feel the same way, because there are HELLA LOT of similarities between that album and their third full length From Beyond. But this isn’t just a soundtrack to the Morbid Angel appreciation society, there’s a distinct metallic hardcore viibe that summons the fury of Nails and early Fuming Mouth, which helps keep the intensity firmly in the red. It’s as though the band have distilled death metal into it’s purest form, removing all the unnecessary frills in the process, leaving us with pure unadulterated brutality. It’s quite something to behold.
Curtain raiser “Harbinger of Dissolution” sets the stall out nicely, showcasing Pneuma’s capabilities when traveling at breakneck speed and wading through the swamp. This gear change is a theme throughout the album, and whilst it may get a bit predictable it’s certainly effective.
One of the combinations I love in death metal is when a mid-tempo riff is played over a bed of mind blowingly fast blast beats. Nile often do this extremely well and you’ll find some quality examples here too, including on “Aeon” and “All Worlds Enslaved” (two of the best offerings on the album). It’s jagged, it’s nasty and yes, sometimes they bring it back at the end of the track too. Stop it. That’s naughty.
There are some clever Lovecraftian themes happening here, and I’m sure it’s going to resonate with some of you, but I’m here for the show on this occasion. Kind of like when you decide to watch Die Hard again instead of the latest Pedro Almodovar thriller. Sometimes you just want to let something wash over you.
This is a bludgeoning album that is so heavy it’s difficult to do justice with just words. So, I’m not going to find more synonyms for brutal or unrelenting, I think you get the picture by now. If, like me, you crave having your brain and ear drums assaulted by vicious noise, then this is the fix you need.
–PK
Eye Eater – Alienate
New Zealand is fast becoming the modern version of Florida. No, I don’t mean it’s now home to alligator theme parks and gun toting pensioners, I’m talking about the plethora of Death Metal coming from our Kiwi brethren. Ulcerate, Blindfolded and Lead to the Woods, Plague of the Fallen, Abysm (OK, more death grind, but still killer) and now you can add Eye Eater to that list.
Eye Eater offer up an eerie concoction of dissodeath and prog with elements of djent and deathcore. I know, I know, that sounds like a lot (to the point that I questioned whether this even belonged in Deaths Door), but they manage to orchestrate and arrange everything into a succinct yet ambitious thirty six minute package on Alienate. Take into account that this is their debut release and the alchemy is even more impressive.
Richard Moore is the driving force behind the band, handling vocal duties and guitars. He was also responsible for a solo project called ThunderWalker, which was a more stripped back version of what Eye Eater has now become. Apparently, an invitation to a local Ulcerate gig was an epiphany for Moore and there are obvious influences from his fellow countrymen, but you’ll also hear brush strokes of Meshuggah, Gojira and Humanity’s Last Breath, among others.
Whilst more than capable of pummeling you with blast beats, serrated riffage and dissonant intricacies (as happens on album opener “Alienate” and “Everything You Fear and Hope For”) these guys can also conjure groove (if “Other Planets” doesn’t get you stomping around the room all hope is lost), atmosphere and melody (“Teachings of the Insentient”) in abundance.
The heavier moments resonate more immediately than some of the lighter sequences, but there’s a hell of a lot going on here and I’ve come to appreciate the album as a whole with repeat listens. Sure, there are a couple of ideas that aren’t fully realised (closer ‘Silence of the Forgotten’ feels like a missed opportunity to build something monolithic), but hey, this is a debut and a damn good one at that. I’m hoping we will hear Eye Eater evolve and grow into something even mightier on future releases.
–PK
