Fun bit of #Thursdeath from France's Warside:
https://warside1.bandcamp.com/album/cognitive-extinction

A bit too tech to be brutal, but a bit too brutal to be tech, so maybe it lacks it's own identity like one review I read suggests. But every song has at least one good idea and plenty of memorable moments. And it's punchy and short, so it avoids the pitfall of becoming an unforgetable riff salad. And the performances are all top notch!

Ffo #DyingFetus #Benighted and early #Decapitated

Maybe war never changes, but Warside has. Between releasing inaugural EP The Enemy Inside, and recording their debut, three of Warside’s five members left the band. Now a quartet, the Lyon, France collective tromps into the death metal arena, brandishing Cognitive Extinction, their first long play. Down a guitarist, Warside reports Cognitive Extinction as having ‘a rawer, more direct sound.’ Though The Enemy Inside can’t be classified as polished or subtle, Cognitive Extinction embraces an even leaner, meaner aggression through twenty-eight minutes. Additionally, Warside weaves a broad theme into the album—the erosion of intelligence and critical thinking due to the proliferation of screens and dependence on technology. It’s an increasingly relevant theme in these crazy times, but is Warside’s warning enough to keep listeners’ gray matter from atrophying into pudding?

Though simply billed as ‘death metal,’ Warside skews towards the technical end of the spectrum. Dying Fetus, Misery Index, and Vomitory are cited as influences in the promo materials, and while elements of those bands exist on Cognitive Extinction,1 I also hear the frantic immediacy of Benighted and Aborted enmeshed with the tech-heavy grooves of more recent Cryptopsy and Suffocation. Technical without falling into technical death metal territory and bruising without earning a brutal death metal tag, Warside toes the line between extreme metal subgenres without fully committing to any specific one. Rather than wavering or wandering, though, Cognitive Extinction sounds confident, direct, and ready to peel your skull back to get a look at your cognition firsthand.

Despite adding some new members and shuffling guitar duties, Warside launches a savage assault that never relents. Returning from The Enemy Within, guitarist Vincent Morelle resumes six-string duties on Cognitive Extinction while former guitarist Jérôme dons the mantle of bassist. Joining them are duo Mathieu (vocals) and Thô (drums) from deathgrind project Festering Process, and together this foursome unleashes barrage after barrage of merciless death metal thunder. Tracks “Neurocide” and “Invasive Thoughts” meld Morbid Angel’s wicked melodies with Nile’s violent velocity, frequently coaxing involuntary stank-face. “Visceral” punches with Suffocation’s might, windmilling between stutter-stop leads and kick drum cannonades, while “Thirst for Rot” dive bombs into an early solo before hitting a swarthy Cryptopsy-meets-Decapitated groove. Throughout, Mathieu discharges fierce gutturals that remind me of Benighted’s Julien Truchan,2 primal and bloodthirsty without ever going full BREEE. All told, kinetic hooks, furious blast beats, and husky bass grooves carry the momentum of each track, with feverish solos offering brief detours from Warside’s otherwise unyielding onslaught.

Warside evokes death metal titans throughout Cognitive Extinction, yet clinging too tightly to these touchstones prevents them from fully realizing an identity of their own. In fairness, Cognitive Extinction works cohesively, with a consistent aural context that’s as bludgeoning as it is swift. And even though Warside sidesteps critical flaws, hooking an overcrowded niche with deathly wares can be a significant challenge. Genre greats can provide a strong template for writing compelling music, but emulation without innovation risks giving listeners an experience that drives them back to inspirations. Said simply, bands with unique sounds become reference points, while others get buried beneath the sands of time. In this regard, Cognitive Extinction feels like a half measure, where a blend of influences comes together to form a coherent album, yet lacks a wholly original voice.

Standout performances and sharp, economical songwriting distinguish Warside as an act I’ll follow closely, and help achieve a portion of the identity they need. Cognitive Extinction teems with talent and promise, and despite the abysmal dynamic range,3 the mix is well-balanced and allows listeners to appreciate what Warside does within its runtime. I’ve greatly enjoyed my time with Cognitive Extinction, and a couple of its gems have helped add some weight to my Heavy Moves Heavy ’26 playlist, but with so many killer death metal albums out this year, I’m unsure what lasting impact it’ll have. Time will tell, and in the meantime, I hope that Warside continues honing their blades to keep minds and interest sharp.

Rating: Good!
DR: 3 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Gruesome Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: April 17th, 2026

When in skilled hands, death and grind go together like all the finest combinations, whether it’s peanut butter and chocolate, beer and pretzels, or good old mac and cheese. The tasty combo applies to the musical inclinations of Illinois wrecking crew Melting Rot, as they unleash their second LP and follow-up to 2021’s Blood Delusions debut. Admittedly unfamiliar before dredging this one up from the promo sump, the trio feature combined underground experience with various lesser-known acts, forming way back in 2017. Citing the likes of Regurgitate and Excruciating Terror as comparisons, and featuring a guest spot from Exhumed legend Matt Harvey, can these unheralded deathgrind loonies make a sizable impact in the ever-crowded realms of the underground?

Following a short sample, right off the bat, Melting Rot lay their gnarled cards on the table, unleashing a rugged, relentless frenzy of old school grind values and groovy, gnashing brutal death, complete with incomprehensible, uber low vox and occasional deeper variations or grindy highs. It’s a tight, violent, take-no-prisoners approach, done and dusted in a mere eighteen minutes. Melting Rot flip between d-beaten bursts and blasts of crusty grind, to thuggish brutal death depravity with raucous energy and tight musical chops. Revelling in the relative uncomplicated nature of their sound, Melting Rot draw influence from the likes of Exhumed, Carcass, and a more straightforward Benighted.

Sporting a robust, extra beefy production job, Infatuation with Premeditation boasts a killer guitar tone, cutting a nasty swathe of distortion and welcome oomph to the ample supply of meaty riffs and piledriving grooves littering the album. At their most potent, Melting Rot dish out gnarly examples of their bruising deathgrind attack. Barnstorming cuts like the viciously grinding, punkish throes and infectious riffs of “Human Pavement Splatter,” crunching grooves and ripping powerplays of “The Surgeon was Comatose,” and thrashing melodicism cutting through the otherwise blunt force savagery of “Aiming for Construction Workers” highlight Infatuation with Premeditation’s stronger writing. Not to be discounted, “Open Casket Vomit Spew” injects Necroticism-esque flair and crunch, while “Morbid Infatuation” adds buzzsawing Swedeath riffs into its punky grind skirmishes. It’s nasty, unsanitized stuff, refreshingly free from modern polish, ensuring the material retains its dirty, rusty edge.

There are no glaring weak links, just a handful of moments where the writing bleeds together slightly, leading to fleeting moments of faceless brutality. Meanwhile, the vocals are a mixed bag. The multi-pronged attack largely defaults to the predominant gurgling lows, while serviceable, they lack variation and are fairly one-dimensional and monotonous in delivery. When occasionally cut with the shattering highs and other lower growl variations, the vocal impact is more effective. Shifting the balance would have worked wonders. Otherwise, Infatuation with Premeditation ticks all the boxes for a rollicking good time for deathgrind fiends. The brevity leaves you wanting more, and while long-term mileage is debatable, overall, Melting Rot swing hard and largely nail the impact. The subtle dynamic shifts between their higher gears are well executed, while the album is fueled by relentless energy and filthy, bludgeoning riffs, packing a mean, headbanging punch.

Melting Rot delivered a punchy, efficient blast of deathgrind goodness on Infatuation with Premeditation, featuring a short, sharp collection of nuggety brawlers falling in the solid to very good bracket and hinting at potential greatness to come if Melting Rot continue to sharpen and hone their songwriting skills. As it stands, Infatuation with Premeditation is a strong 3.0, an entertaining platter and recommended listen for deathgrind enthusiasts who like their deathgrind extra riffy and their grooves bloody and beaten.



Rating:3.0/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Hells Headbangers Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: March 27th, 2026

#Benighted
#DogsAlwaysBiteHarderThanTheirMaster
19/03/2026

https://www.purgatoire.fr/merch/m-134_benighted

Listening to some Benighted because... well, why not? 🤣

https://album.link/t/338608400

#nowplaying #Benighted

J'ai récemment commandé les 2 premiers #Benighted chez #Adipocere. Toujours sympa de jeter un coup d’œil dans le rétro et de voir le chemin parcouru par un groupe. Sur ce premier album, Benighted est loin du brutal death dans lequel il excelle aujourd'hui. On est plutôt dans du black avec des relents death. Le chant de Julien Truchan est même plus souvent proche d'un Dani Filth que d'un Corpsegrinder. Petites mélodies en riffing typiquement black et même un passage folk/médiéval. Content de compléter ma collec avec cet LP bleu marbré limité à 200 exemplaires. M'en reste 2 à choper et j'aurais la totale!

#vinyle #vinyl #vinylecollection #vinylrecords #metal

#Benighted
#Solitaris
#LocoMuerte
#Inverno
15/11/2025

#BeaujoFest
#BeaujoFestActeIII
#LaPirogue #Pirogue

https://www.purgatoire.fr/concerts/concert-624_2025-11-15_beaujofest-acte-iii

Charting the course to 2026: reflecting on 70000tons of Metal 2025 Artist Spotlight: Benighted:

#Benighted #70000tons #70000tonsOfMetal #ArtistSpotlight

Link: https://metalinsider.net/columns/artist-spotlight/charting-the-course-to-2026-reflecting-on-70000tons-of-metal-2025-artist-spotlight-benighted