Terror Corpse – Ash Eclipses Flesh Review

By Saunders

Already boasting a killer debut EP to their name in 2025, courtesy of the sick, old school deathgrind mayhem comprising Systems of Apocalypse, Texan wrecking crew Terror Corpse hit the ground running in their short time together. The newly minted outfit come seasoned with underground cred, featuring members that have logged time in the likes of Malignant Altar, Oceans of Slumber, Necrofier and Insect Warfare. Recording the EP as a five-piece, debut full-length Ash Eclipses Flesh finds Terror Corpse stripping back to a trio and shifting tact musically. While remnants of the heavily grind-influenced charge of Systems of Apocalypse remains intact, Terror Corpse mine the fetid soil of vintage death metal, citing the likes of Celtic Frost, Incantation and pre-2000s Morbid Angel as key influences. Throw in shades of Immolation, Terrorizer, early Carcass and Exhumed, and you have a recipe for a good old-fashioned beatdown. However, don’t be fooled into thinking Terror Corpse is a run-of-the-mill act riding the decaying coattails of legacy acts of the past. Ash Eclipses Flesh respects the past, while paving its own twisted path through grisly killing fields and dank caverns of grotesqueries.

Terror Corpse merge old timey underground aesthetics with a vital injection of their own character and modern appeal. Presenting a grimy and wickedly brutal collection of grind-encrusted old-school death, Terror Corpse both encompasses and deviates from the deathgrind formula of the EP, pivoting into deathlier, guttural realms. Any disappointment of the sound shift is swiftly bludgeoned on opening track “Pyre of Ash and Bone.” The song makes a hellish statement, hammering down violent, riffy death marches through menacing atmospheres, as uber low guttural vox, squealing leads, and livewire drumming seal the deal. Dobber Beverly again cements his status as a cult legend in extreme metal drumming. Also handling guitar duties with main vocalist Mat V, the duo reinforces the album’s retro, brutish charms, primitive clubbings, and ominous atmosphere with a vital collection of top-shelf riffs, mangled leads, and headbangable delights.

Ash Eclipses Flesh revels in shifting gears from dense, noisy chaos and relentless blasts to knuckle-dragging grooves, and monstrous, caverncore-esque swarms, Terror Corpse also incorporate infectious bursts of thrashy death and gnarled, punkish grind into the fray. After a solid, respectable beginning, Ash Eclipses Flesh really hits stride on third cut “Womb of the Hollow Earth,” and it’s a ripping, high-potency ride from here on in. Elsewhere, they delve into death-doom slogs, inflicted upon the devastating “Fallout Obliteration,” and punishing mid-section on the lurching, vicious stomp of “Sons of Perdition.” Refusing to neglect their classic grindcore and splattery deathgrind roots, Terror Corpse bring the filth and dual vox, including shrieky highs, to the thrashing intensity of “Nuclear Winter.” Meanwhile, the tremendous “The Hollow That Devours” intersperses cavernous double bass rumbles and thrashy bursts with immense mid-paced chuggery and thick, insidious grooves.

Versatile tinkering of their songwriting formula ensures the songs chart diverse territories, while remaining uncompromisingly brutal and wickedly infectious. Even the closing cover of Celtic Frost’s “Into the Crypts of Rays” doesn’t feel wasteful or tacked on. Terror Corpse inject the song’s anthemic, punky edge with their own beefed-up deathgrind spark. Beverly’s energetic, nuanced drumming proves essential as the album’s beating heart, driving the fluctuating pulse rate and need for speed, slick tempo shifts, and rambunctious, sewage-coated grooves. The power of the riff compels, not through technical wizardry, but courtesy of a firm understanding of the genre’s classic origins and grimy, atmospheric underpinnings. Infectious and rancidly beefy riffs, wildly unhinged leads, and sinister melodic currents define the excellent axework. There are no glaring flaws or major drawbacks preventing a strong recommendation. Perhaps you could argue Terror Corpse aren’t doing anything especially new or innovative, while the dominant, incomprehensible gutturals might be a tough sell for some listeners.

Twenty-twenty-five has delivered diverse treats across the metalverse, including top-notch death metal releases of varied persuasions within the genre. Ash Eclipses Flesh is another not to be missed. What they lack in bells, whistles, techy flair or innovation, Terror Corpse more than compensate through their authentic and fresh spin on a vintage sound. A tightly performed, superbly produced, and invigorating slab of riffy old school death, armed with gnarled deathgrind and grisly brutal death ammunition, Ash Eclipses Flesh is a surefire corker and end-of-year list disruptor.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Dark Descent Records
Websites: Facebook | Bandcamp
Releases Worldwide: November 21st, 2025

#2025 #40 #americanMetal #ashEclipsesFlesh #carcass #celticFrost #darkDescentRecords #deathMetal #deathgrind #exhumed #incantation #insectWarfare #malignantAltar #morbidAngel #necrofier #oceansOfSlumber #oldSchoolDeathMetal #review #reviews #terrorCorpse #terrorizer

Back to the Grindstone: Insect Warfare – World Extermination

By Saunders

Back to the Grindstone is a love letter feature dedicated to the appreciation of all things grindcore. This most extreme of extreme niche genres has been kicking since the late ’80s, growing in underground stature as the years march on. The rule of thumb to this feature is simple; spotlight will be on grind albums old and new, though will not include releases from the past five years, or albums previously covered on this website. Genre classics, underappreciated gems, old school and nu school will be covered, highlighting albums aimed at established fans and curious listeners interested in diving into the cesspool of the grind scene.

For the long overdue second installment of the Back to the Grindstone feature, it is time to examine one of modern grind’s great treasures, a raw, uncompromising and gritty blast of unvarnished, tough-as-nails grind from Texan killing crew, Insect Warfare. A one-hit wonder, in the fact the now defunct outfit only ever released one full-length album amidst a series of shorter form nuggets, Insect Warfare made their major statement count big time. Regardless, the utterly relentless twenty-two minutes of elite grind comprising World Extermination is a must-listen for the uninitiated grind freak, or any hardened grind veteran yet to be acquainted with what the lads served up here.

Released in 2007, World Extermination slots into the modern realms of grind, yet eschews the polished or streamlined aspects of some modern grind, in favor of an incredibly intense and raw throwback to the old school values of legendary acts Brutal Truth, Phobia and Napalm Death. The trio make one hell of a ruckus, boasting one of the meanest, nastiest guitar tones in modern grind history, as crusty, serrated grind riffs collide with frenetic drumming, while the rabid grunts, growls and screams of band mouthpiece Rahi Geramifar rage over the top. It’s sharp, brutal stuff, not for the faint of heart. White knuckled intensity and shrieking extremity are key grindcore components, but without the song-smithing smarts it can devolve into a noisy mess with little substance. Insect Warfare cram tons of nasty riffs, rhythmic shifts, and rotten grooves to keep the listener clambering back for more.

The riffs are catchy in the purest grind sense, while the gritty, aggro percussion and organic, no-frills production lends the album its frantic, off-the-chain edge and vitality. And don’t be fooled by the short runtime and quantity of songs, even within compact time capsules, the songs offer plenty of bang for your buck. World Extermination tears by with such reckless abandon that it often demands instant replay, and as with many classic grind albums, it is best absorbed in one concentrated rush. Highlights are plentiful and tend to chop and change from listen to listen, however, there are a slew of noteworthy modern grind classics to explore. The musicianship is excellent, with one of the tightest performances you will hear on a grindcore album. Beau Beasley handles guitars and bass, and it’s his violently speedy, deceptively infectious riffs that propel the album and provide the hooks, working in perfect unison with Dobber Beverly’s imaginative, frenetic drumming performance.

“Self Termination” raises the bar early; a tightly wound ball of rage and relentless energy, featuring gnarly, hook-riddled riffs, insanely fast drumming and unhinged vocals. “Manipulator” features the requisite high-octane blasts of barely contained mayhem with an epic closing groove riff that is the ultimate payoff. Elsewhere, the awe-inspiring intensity and chaos of “Mass Communcation Mindfuck” is the ideal soundtrack to a violent rampage, “Hydraphobia” welds toughened grooves and headbanging riffage, with glass-shattering grind outbursts and manic drumming. Special mention must also go to drummer Beverly, who attacks his kit with finesse, lightning-limbed speed, and concussive battery. Closer “Evolved into Obliteration” shows some restraint, its ominous, seething tone and throat-shredding, Iron Monkey-esque higher-pitched vox forming a vicious climax to close proceedings.

Perhaps not the most suitable candidate for first-timers exploring the wonders of grindcore, World Extermination is nevertheless essential listening and one of the milestone grind albums released in the past twenty years. Sadly, it was the only proper LP released before Insect Warfare split up, but deserves to be considered a grindcore hall-of-famer and modern classic.

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#2009 #625Thashcore #AmericanMetal #BackToTheGrindstone #BrutalTruth #Grindcore #InsectWarfare #IronMonkey #NapalmDeath #Phobia #Review #Reviews #WorldExtermination

Back to the Grindstone: Insect Warfare - World Extermination | Angry Metal Guy

A Back to the Grindstone feature piece on World Extermination by Insect Warfare, released in 2007 via 625 Thrashcore.

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Self Termination by Insect Warfare

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#ListenBrainzMonday

Grindcore and soundtracks again. This combo makes me happy. More #doseone, #insectwarfare, #kiefer, #carlosviola, some other god stuff!

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Aftermath of attack 2

Shot one was 2 inches left of the crack between the bricks and wood. Shot 2 was hurried and 6 inches wide right but it did make a nice cloud that should be carried into the nest by those massing outside the entrance.

I fear that they will begin to triangulate my firing position and launch a precise counter-assault.