I still remember the first time I heard Apexapian, Atræ Bilis‘ debut full-length album. I was messing around on YouTube when I saw the track premiere for “Lore Beyond Bone”; the album’s description didn’t sound like my usual thing, but the cover art was really cool, and it was a 20 Buck Spin release, so at the very least it felt worth giving an absent-minded listen. Little did I realize at the time the way that album would hook itself into me and rewire the chemistry of my brain. It wasn’t just an album I thought was good, it was an album I had to tell everyone about. I raved about it to the ..read more

I just love it when a plan comes together and exceeds the expectations created by the potential displayed on previous albums. This time, I am thoroughly impressed by New Jersey’s death metal unit Replicant and their third album Infinite Mortality, to the extent that my initial nods of approval have turned into reckless headbanging as the only appropriate response and proper way to communicate its crushing excellence. The brilliance of Infinite Mortality lies in Replicant’s uncanny ability to combine and mutate seemingly every strain and era of death metal into a concoction that should impress ..read more

We’ve talked before about albums that just weren’t meant to happen and yet, thankfully, they do.  Lifeless Birth is one of those albums.  The sheer amount of willpower and grit it took to get this album into your hands is astounding, and lesser bands would have crumbled under the weight of the task. Necrot, however, are no lesser band, and while it seems ironic that just as they approached the zenith of their career, they become hit with blow after blow from the gods above, they have definitely come back stronger and more brazen than ever. I had the great fortune of seeing Necrot op ..read more

Creating what is perhaps their most dynamic and interesting release to date, wizards of ferocity Witch Vomit have returned after five years with their third album, Funeral Sanctum.  Having already mastered their craft of blackened death metal, this album adds extra spice by way of catchy melodies, an instrumental intro and interlude, some doom influenced riffs, and other treats making this album memorable and creating a more expansive sound.  All of this is packaged in striking album art by Matt Stikker, immediately giving a sense of the music and capturing as much detail visually a ..read more

Off all the death metal currently burbling in the cauldrons of 20 Buck Spin, SLIMELORD might be one of the most peculiar…and that’s saying a lot! Mixing vicious cavernous death metal with forward thinking technicality and hints of psychedelia in their brutal attack, the band released their debut full length Chytridiomycosis Relinquished in March.  Guitarist Alexander Bradley sat down with Nine Circles to talk about the new album, the shift in direction from the technical thrash of Bradley’s other band Cryptic Shift to the more filthy strains of SlimeLord, his love of ..read more

Los Angeles’ metal scene has its share of gems, but is largely remembered for the heyday of the Sunset Strip and the Aquanet-doused denizens that made a mess of West Hollywood in the 80’s. Yet since moving here, I can’t seem to stop accidentally finding interesting acts everywhere I turn, whether it’s the industrial pop leanings of Wreck and Reference or the long-form neck-snapping aggression of my friends in Skyeater. Civerous were one such chance encounter, a band I saw open a show I had decided to go to that blew me away so completely I started going to shows just to see them. It’s been a ..read more

Gotta be honest, folks. I needed some kind words, and it just so happens that Josh sent some kindness my way on our Initial Descent this week!  Apparently, me do good word typey on the internet thing!  Of course I very much appreciate the shout-out, and I’m glad what I do here doesn’t go unnoticed, but this does put a slight amount of pressure on me to nail the apparently much-awaited review for Unextinct, the newest full-length from Romans Hideous Divinity.  Unsurprisingly though, this thing rules, so writing about it should be a cake walk. Featuring Stefano Franceschini, form ..read more

If there’s one critique I have of 20 Buck Spin — and it’s hardly a negative one — it’s that the label so consistently releases solid music that it can be a little hard to keep up. The current set of five albums from Hulder’s Verses in Oath through Atræ Bilis’ Aumicide may yet prove to be one of the strongest in the label’s history. So what makes the second offering in this run so special? On a label best known for death metal, this is some damn good death metal! After a trio of EPs released between 2019 and 2022, England’s Slimelord are finally unleashing their debut full-length Chytridiomyc ..read more

How deep and dank can you go in death metal? Some bands strive for the absolute black and filth of a long forgotten cavern of dampness where the music struggles for a single breath, and that’s fine, I guess. For me, a better question is how deep and dank can you go in death metal while still maintaining a semblance of structure and – dare I say it – melody to engage these old ears? Fathomless Ritual aim to answer that questions with their debut full length Hymns For The Lesser Gods. Dank death metal that gets technical without straying into full blown wheedley dee? I’ll take it. The band is a ..read more

Hard to believe it’s been a decade since Job For A Cowboy graced us with Sun Eater yet here we are on the eve of Moon Healer and we couldn’t be more stoked for it if we tried. This band occupies a special spot for most of here on staff as they exemplify our varied tastes in death metal and all things extreme. With this album that statement couldn’t be more true as it is wildly all over the map yet cohesive and heavy as lead at the same time. Ian screamed the loudest when the news dropped of a new album so it was the obvious choice to get him on with our podcast m ..read more