The death metal scene has really seemed to fully embrace the genre’s muddier, grimier, and quirkier side over the past several years, which may be partly due to the reunion of one of the sub-subgenres most important figures, Gorguts. When you consider how ultra-quantized the tech death scene had gotten in recent times, it probably needed to happen. A lot of newer bands have foregone a slicker approach for something much more earthy, slime-soaked and caustic, and it may go without saying that bands like Ulcerate, Artificial Brain and Portal have been writing some of the style’s most exciting new material as of late.
Orlando’s Bhavachakra (or the Tibetan Buddhist wheel of life) have emerged from the swamps where death metal first got its start with their self-titled debut, and man oh man, this is definitely the first new band in 2016 to get incredibly excited about. This album ranges from claustrophobic and insanely dissonant death metal, frigid black metal elements, occasional forays into avant-garde/experimental territory, and a whole lot more. It doesn’t matter whether the band is assaulting you with mathy, angular riffs that would do bands like Deathspell Omega proud or creating terrifying atmospheres like in the piano “Prelude” track in the middle of the record; everything is delivered at an extremely high level of thought and quality. The production may be a little too modest at times, but nothing ever really gets lost in translation and the immediacy of the performances really helps propel the intensity to even greater heights.
These guys are brand spankin’ new and just dropped this album on January 29th, which can be streamed in full on their Bandcamp page and purchased for just $7. Please take our word on this one; it’s well worth the money. This is some of the most refreshing and stunning death metal you’ll probably hear for months to come.