ADVERSVM ~ Vama Marga (2023)

The third album from German Funeral Doom/Death band Adversvm this time featuring Don Zaros of EVOKEN as the band's new and permanent keyboard player. Riffs are carniverous with an immense bite radius ensuring Adversvm's evolving position among the top apex predators of this particular genre. The introduction of Zaros has added layers of 'what's lurking under the bed' creepiness to the overall oppressive atmosphere and there will be the inevitable comparison to EVOKEN which is warranted and  fine by me as that is one of my favourite bands, but what sets these doom titans slightly apart is the willingness of  Adversvm to gouge an even deeper furrow of bludgeoning doom/death interwoven with chilling, spine tingling intricacy.

One of, if not THE  album of the month for June

IMPERISHABLE - Come, Sweet Death (2023)

Raging Swedish death metal pitted with some surprisingly exquisite lead work.  Coming from Sweden, there will be the usual comparisons and rightly so, but what makes Imperishable a cut above their contemporaries, is that the standard HM2 'buzzsaw' guitar, although evident, doesn't saturate the overall sound, making Come, Sweet Death  sound leaner and even more brutal than the likes of Dismember and Entombed who are obvious influences.