The Notrap

Three years after their last four-dimensional journey, veteran sonic explorers Afterbirth are back with yet another venture into the realms of colorful, unconfined brutal death metal.

While not without its songwriting inconsistencies, The Enduring Spirit has the supreme merit of forging ahead and exploring new prog(ish) territory, unafraid to take risks or sow distrust and confusion among the more conservative fanbase. And that alone is much more important than my or your assessment of it, as it embodies the very essence of the (enduring) creative spirit.

Much like the wrath of yesterday's gods, As Gomorrah Burns is the flame from above that comes to consume us all, whether we are believers or not, as it encapsulates the present and the past in a chameleon form that has never been so accessible and deceptively sexy. An inspired contemporary offering that is not only the very best of the Matt McGachy-era, but also one of the finest albums the Canadian collective has ever released.

Times and circumstances may change, bands can come and go, styles do evolve and yet, thirty years on, nobody blends groove with brutality quite like Dying Fetus. It's a fact of life, whether you choose to embrace it or not. Make Them Beg for Death doesn't aim for innovation or throw any curveballs; rather, it roams familiar territory, compiling the trio's greatest strengths into a deadly package that somehow synthesizes both the band's legacy and stylistic spectrum. It is the sound of inevitability, as the wise man once said; that overwhelming might that pushes you into the mosh pit and makes you headbang. And that, my friends, is all I want from these lads.

Thirty-two years after the first killing, the vile cannibal squad shows no signs of slowing down or willingness to change its disgusting diet. Meat is back on the menu, now with fresh blood and repulsive new ingredients, courtesy of chef Erik Rutan. Violence Unimagined is thus not only a treat for those who feast upon flesh but also a proof of resilience, power, and determination. It is yet another successful chapter in one of the best portfolios the genre has to offer.