The 4 #HorsemenOfTheApocolypse - #Pestilence, #War, #Famine, & #Death - have been replaced by just 1 - on a jackass.

#TrumpRegime #USPol #auspol

🔥 LIVE ANNOUNCEMENT 🔥

On May 10, Beyond the Pale hits the stage at Club Hell (Diest, BE) supporting death metal legends Pestilence 🤘

This show also marks our first gig with new vocalist Bram “Bolo” van Minnen (Necrotaph).

🕑 Doors: 14:00
🎟 Tickets: €20
ℹ️ More info: https://www.helldiest.com/event-info/pestilence-beyond-the-pale

#BeyondThePale #Pestilence #DeathMetal #ClubHell #Diest #Belgium #LiveMusic #metal #metalmusic #metalband #MetalCommunity

Five-headed Brazilian death metal horde Papa Necrose emerged from the promo sump with two strikes against them before Anthropomorphy Execution even began. First, if we were somehow living in an alternate metalverse where Ghost didn’t exist, then the name Papa Necrose might be passable. But we don’t. Instead, the name only evokes the theatrical imagery tied to Tobias Forge’s famous alter-ego. Second, the Saw‑meets‑Easter‑Island cover art is não é bom,1 feeling flat out undercooked. Put those surface issues aside, and you’ll find a record that soaks itself in classic 90s progressive death. The outcome of years of arduous development, Papa Necrose’s third LP once again turns its attention to the Catholic Church as its central target. However, rather than chasing reinvention, Anthropomorphy Execution embraces familiarity, seeking to recapture the qualities that have allowed this well-known strain of death to endure.

Anthropomorphy Execution wears its influences squarely on its sleeve: post Human‑era Death and early Pestilence are the clearest touchstones, with vocals that blend Obituary‑style guttural heft and Schuldiner‑like phrasing. There’s nothing here you haven’t heard before, but the performances are surprisingly astute. And it’s clear Papa Necrose has more than enough musical chops to pull off their homage. Danilo Vagner and Carlo Silva’s down‑picked, grinding riffs, Luquian Silva’s dynamic tom fills, and Eric Gusmão’s exploratory bass runs are executed with precision, coalescing into highlights like “Hammered in the Mind,” “Cathedral of Death,” and “Eighteen Years Awake.” Gusmão’s Sound of Perseverance-flavored breaks, along with the interplay between Vagner and Silva’s riffs and Silva’s fancy kit work, give the tracks plenty of groove to latch onto. James Murphy (Death, Obituary, Cancer) even shows up for a guest spot (“The Thousand Yard Gaze”). Talent-rich, but too obvious in their devotion, Papa Necrose seems comfortable being nothing less than an off-the-shelf clone of their heroes.

Anthropomorphy Execution by PAPA NECROSE

Anthropomorphy Execution’s biggest problems lie in its songwriting and overall cohesion. While the individual performances are competent, the sum rarely matches the quality of its parts, leaving Anthropomorphy Execution feeling clunky as a whole. Alessandro Necrose is a capable vocalist and effectively channels a John Tardy (Obituary) level of disgust, but a vocal mix that sits too far forward and drowns everything in delay undermines his delivery. His tendency to end his growls with an exaggerated gurgle (“Anthropomorphy Execution,” “Cathedral of Death,” “Disenchant Them”) doesn’t help matters and comes off as cheesy rather than heavy. Structurally, tracks tend to sprawl, with vocals that occasionally lag behind the instrumentation (“Fall, Die, and Break”), or overactive solos that crowd otherwise promising passages (“Disenchant Them”). And with a runtime of over 46 minutes, the album overstays its welcome by at least two songs.

While Papa Necrose lacks a distinct identity of their own, discerning musicality and a clear reverence for the classic progressive death sound produce some strong moments. “Fall, Die, and Break” is a straightforward track that leans on chunky, mid-paced riffs, fret-tapping fireworks, and dexterous drumming to establish a serviceable baseline for the record’s sound. It’s nothing special, but it demonstrates a functional grasp of structure and pacing. “Eighteen Years Awake,” “Hammered in the Mind,” and “Cathedral of Death” benefit from a sharper sense of momentum, finding Papa Necrose at their heaviest and most confident. Driven by syncopated bursts of technical shredding and frequent tempo shifts, the songs remain engaging throughout and largely sidestep the issues that drag down the rest of the record. “Anthropomorphy Execution” could have joined them as one of the record’s stronger cuts if not for its near‑lifted guitar harmony from Symbolic’s “Sacred Serenity.” To its credit, the song is one of the few moments where Papa Necrose attempts to break the mold, introducing added wrinkles like ceremonial-flavored motifs. Still, this occurrence isn’t enough to overcome the track’s mimicry, nor imbue the material with a sense of personality that gives it lasting appeal.

Papa Necrose is no doubt fluent in classic progressive death, but Anthropomorphy Execution rarely speaks in its own voice. Competently played and steeped in the right influences, the record leans too heavily on familiar tropes to ultimately feel essential. Until Papa Necrose tempers its devotion with a stronger sense of self, their work will continue to land as another well-executed homage in a genre already defined by far stronger voices.

Rating: Disappointing
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Awakening Records
Websites: awakeningrecordscn.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/papanecrosedm
Releases Worldwide: March 20th, 2026

https://youtube.com/shorts/RjdEI96kK78?si=H5vhNQA7AZajhGE7

🚨NEW ERA🚨
We’re proud to welcome Bram “Bolo” van Minnen (Necrotaph) as the new lead vocalist of Beyond the Pale 🎤. Bram joins effective immediately.
“With Bram, it felt like someone kicked the door open to a new era… Beyond the Pale sounds more alive than ever,” says Frank (bass/co-vocals).
Bram: “It clicked instantly. I can’t wait to hit the stage and show off some of the new songs.”
Welcome, Bram—let’s make it loud! 🦁

#BeyondThePale #DutchMetal #DeathMetal #ThrashMetal #Metal #Necrotaph #Pestilence #Music #Metalheads #metalvocals #metalvocalist #metalsinger #metalband

Bridge City Sinners
10.06.2026 Hamburg / Bahnhof Pauli

Myrath
01.10.2026 Hamburg / Bahnhof Pauli

Pestilence
06.05.2026 Hamburg / Logo

Spiritbox, Jinjer und Dying Wish
02.10.2026 Hamburg / Sporthalle

SWMRS
30.04.2026 Hamburg / Betty

#BahnhofPauli #Betty #BridgeCitySinners #Hamburg #Logo #Myrath #Pestilence #SWMRS #Spiritbox #Sporthalle #SteelFeed

Pestilence
07.05.2026 Oldenburg (Oldenburg) / MTS Records

#MTSRecords #OldenburgOldenburg #Pestilence #SteelFeed

Arch Enemy
02.08.2026 K?ln / Club Volta

Bridge City Sinners
11.06.2026 K?ln / Luxor

Myrath
02.10.2026 K?ln / Geb?ude 9

Pestilence
08.05.2026 ?bach-Palenberg / Rockfabrik

Spiritbox, Jinjer und Dying Wish
04.10.2026 D?sseldorf / Mitsubishi Electric Halle

SWMRS
29.04.2026 K?ln / Blue Shell

#ArchEnemy #BlueShell #BridgeCitySinners #ClubVolta #Dusseldorf #Gebaude9 #Koln #Luxor #MitsubishiElectricHalle #Myrath #Pestilence #Rockfabrik #SWMRS #Spiritbox #UbachPalenberg #SteelFeed

In the midst of a recent metal deep-dive, Romania’s Scythe skulked out from a Bandcamp back alley and bludgeoned me with the flat side of their blade, knocking me senseless with scuzzy shenanigans. We weren’t graced with a promo for Scythe’s self-released debut, but Boiled Alive packs in so much grimy panache that after my first listen, I had it shortlisted as someThing You Might Have Missed. Rather than wait several months before bringing attention to Boiled Alive, though, I volunteered to burn some midnight oil and write about this quartet from Constanța. Why did Boiled Alive get me so hot and bothered? Scythe’s brand of death metal grips you by the throat and never relents, evoking many influences while creating something uniquely their own. After the dry spell I’ve had with death metal lately, I finally found something I unapologetically adore. So step right up, put your head on the chopping block, and let Scythe have a whack at your earhole.

Scythe doesn’t make grand statements about existentialism or introspection, nor do they redefine a genre. First and foremost, Scythe is here to serve up sickly, sticky licks with blithe recklessness. This fearsome foursome drops track titles that ooze with enough viscera (“Liquified Entrails,” “Of Pure Goriness”) to squelch onto a Cannibal Corpse setlist while harkening to soundscapes defined by Pestilence and Autopsy. Throughout Boiled Alive, the pace oscillates between frenzied paroxysms and plodding crawls, often within the same song (“Necrophilic Corpse Orgies”). Though it would be easy for these dynamics to jostle listeners, the savvy songwriting avoids clumsy transitions and affords an entrancing experience. Ultimately, Scythe guides listeners through a curated gallery of horror that’s as thrilling as it is fulfilling.

Boiled Alive by Scythe

Interweaving Asphyxiating drudges with Mercilessly hectic eruptions, Scythe concocts a unique brew all their own. Boiled Alive simmers with ever-shifting tempos, imbuing the album with vivacity and a disarming blend of chops and accessibility.1 Where “Liquified Entrails” opens with a cannonade evoking an unholy union of Priest’s “Riding on the Wind” and Merciless’ “Souls of the Dead,” “Of Pure Goriness” flits between a mid-paced slink and rabid surges of hostility, and sounds like the crossbred bastard of Cannibal Corpse and Dismember. “Necrophilic Corpse Orgies” and “Tenebrous Decease” expose Scythe’s ability to nimbly jump between accelerated clips and more measured velocities, electrifying with their seamless agility as they navigate whipsawing tempo changes with a sophistication that is all the more impressive considering the band has no other projects or credits to their names.2

The musicianship on Boiled Alive is especially tight for a band formed just three years ago, and the mix highlights the band’s technical acumen. Rather than feature the glossy veneer popular with bigger labels, Boiled Alive sports a dry, natural texture that allows Scythe’s instrumentation to glisten. Reminiscent of the production on Invictus’s release last month, every whack on a tom and clang on the bass is afforded an organic timbre, imparting a raw aesthetic that lets Scythe sizzle. Whether rattling off meticulous snare rolls (“Necrophilic Corpse Orgies”), punky, snare-kick combos (“Plastered in Phlegm”), or playful cymbal splashes (“Of Pure Goriness”), David Rolea flays the skins on every track. Meanwhile, bassist and vocalist Andrei Constandache wields a gorgeously fat low-end tone3 as he assaults the mic with a menacing rasp. Not to be outdone, guitarists Mihai Panait and Andrei Oglan buzzsaw their way through Boiled Alive’s eight tracks, focusing on knotty riffs over wankfest solos. While the drums are the star of the show, Scythe suffers no weak links.

Part-thrashy, part-doomy, and all deathly, Scythe swings for the fences on Boiled Alive. And dammit, it’s Great. This beast writhes and squirms with purulent pizzazz, and I’m guilty many times over of restarting Boiled Alive as soon as the final track concludes. I wish solos were more prevalent across the album, and Constandache’s vocals, while effective, could use some variety, but these nitpicks should be taken as wishlist items for ol’ Grin rather than anything inherently off with Boiled Alive. Scythe discharges riffs and fun with an enviable effortlessness that should have death metal dealers and appreciators paying attention. In a genre with so much competition, Boiled Alive stands above the rabble, and I anxiously await the next time the Scythe comes down.

Rating: Great
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Self-Released
Websites: Bandcamp | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: February 1st, 2026

Five years ago, I highlighted Invictus’ 2020 debut LP Catacombs of Fear as part of our year-end death metal roundup feature. Since then, the Japanese death metal trio toiled under the ground with a brutal live schedule and steadily wrote what might very well be my most highly anticipated follow-up in the death metal realm. Hot on the heels of killer releases from personal favorites like Depravity, and jumping just ahead of another highly anticipated salvo from Eximperitus, Invictus’ upcoming Nocturnal Visions has big shoes to fill and stiff competition to combat. But if anybody has the chops and the balls to do it, it’s Invictus.

Having only one previous album and a few scattered demos/singles to their name, Invictus haven’t messed with their formula very much since their inception. Boasting a killer combo of Demolition Hammer nastiness and Consuming Impulse-era Pestilence attack, Nocturnal Visions pushes 35 minutes of pure adrenaline. Nary a second faffs about with filler, fluffy atmosphere, or anything else that could be construed as something other than devout reverence to The Almighty Riff™. With each twist of phrase or shift in movement, guitarist/vocalist Takehitopsy Seki tears through an unrelenting assault of intense grooves, speedy thrashes, and writhing rhythms that don’t just open up pits, but rather rip open dimensional rifts straight to hell itself (“Altar of Devoted Slaughter,” “Wandering Ashdream”). Instead of relying on blasts for intensity, Haruki Tokutake’s percussive strategy focuses on machine-gun double-bass runs and thrashy skanks so brutally exacted upon my spine that I needed a back brace and headgear just to approach the second half—accommodations which in no way deterred my summary bodily encrushment (“Persecution Madness”). Bassist Toshihiro Seki clunks and clangs beneath the surface with a violent, hammering tone that, while not always as audible as it ought to be, nonetheless deepens the tonal quality of the record’s warm, slightly swampy production (“Nocturnal Visions”). Unlike many of those acts from whom Invictus draws inspiration, Seki’s vocals operate squarely inside the Incantation/Tomb Mold school of subterranean monstrosity. Counterintuitively, this sets the trio apart from their influences by hiding in plain sight with their contemporaries.

Nocturnal Visions by Invictus

Regardless of where you fall in the greater scope of metallic fandom, Nocturnal Visions is a magnificent showcase of energetic songwriting and devastating hookcraft. While the formula opener proper “Abyssal Earth Eradicates” utilizes feels and sounds familiar, Invictus executes it with a youthfulness, voracity, and dare I say exuberance that makes me forget for a moment the entirety of death metal’s history. As Nocturnal Visions progresses through its early movements, boasting killer tracks in “Altar of Devoted Slaughter,” “Lucid Dream Trauma,” and “Persecution Madness,” my ability to care about anything other than banging my head, grimacing like a gargoyle, and stomping my poor abused feet against the floor vanishes. What’s left is a mind-broken sponge reduced to primal instincts, with a vocabulary of one word, “Fuck!” exclaimed exclusively with each new swaggering groove or pummeling riff. Even after several dozen spins, pit monsters “Persecution Madness,” “Dragged Beneath the Grave,” and later highlight “Wandering Ashdream” received such frequent and aggressive verbal confirmation of their sheer awesomeness and perpetual energy that my coworker had to perform a wellness check. Even the daunting eight-minute closer “Nocturnal Visions” earns its keep here, switching up themes and reprising refrains just enough to keep my interest up and my engagement high.

That doesn’t leave much room for negatives, and indeed, few found purchase in my evaluation. Obviously, Nocturnal Visions exhibits nothing new or innovative; it’s simply doing classic death metal far better than most. Consequently, Invictus left some creativity and novelty on the table. They could easily pick up bits and bobs from that stack of potential ideas and bring an extra dimension to future efforts without sacrificing their core sound. Additionally, pacing Nocturnal Visions at such a blistering rate of speed so consistently across 35 minutes leaves a little to be desired in the way of songwriting dynamics. Tokutake in particular makes the most of his arsenal of patterns, fills, and tumbles to alleviate this condition, but not quite enough to cure it—see the otherwise ripping “Frozen Tomb.” Seki’s somewhat one-note vocal approach doesn’t always help matters in that respect, but his performance is rock-solid and dependable enough not to hurt either.

Of course, these critiques amount to mere nitpicks in the truest sense of the term. Nocturnal Visions is, simply put, a staggering monument to old-school death molded for the modern era. Invictus blasted my skull apart with their debut, but this sophomore effort is more than a worthy successor. Hear it!

Rating: Great!
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Me Saco Un Ojo Records
Websites: invictus3.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/Invictus
Releases Worldwide: January 26th, 2026

For those of you playing the #Android version of #RedDeadRedemption and are stuck on the #Pestilence mission, here's the easy way to complete it with a bit of luck

https://youtube.com/shorts/MzxqPLZIPms?feature=share

#JohnMarston #OnePlus #OnePlus13 #RazerKishi #Razer #Kishi