Review by Alex Grindor on December 29, 2023.

A relatively new band, Karkosa established their presence in 2018 with the EP Harvest Of The Adept, which drew some attention. Now, almost 6 years later, they spawn their first LP Esoterrorcult. As soon as it starts, it is clear that this is quite the beast, wasting no time in ripping and tearing through your speakers.

With barely any sort of warning, dissonant harmonies open the gates of Esoterrorcult, as the first track 'Encorcelled Spirits' displays a furious barrage of blackened death expertly executed. In this single track we are treated to everything the album has to offer; machine-gun drums, ravaging guitar riffs and a wide variety of vocals, ranging from hellish growls to clean vocals. Music wise, the album is a furious display of black death with a palatable rage in every aspect of the album. The guitars cut through with furious, monstrous riffs and harmonies that never seem to cease, as well as a dash of dissonant work that adds to the atmosphere of the album. The drums are maniacal in their delivery, with constant blasts and changes in rhythm without losing any aggression in their delivery. The bass guitar, as it is the norm in this style, is barely perceptible. It does show at moments and its weight is sort of present but it's lost in the mix with the rest of the instruments. The vocals have quite the range and shift at every possible moment, sometimes even harmonizing between them.

Production-wise, there is little to note here. It is well recorded and mixed and there are virtually no mistakes to take note of. Whoever was in charge of the studio did an excellent job, as did the band in their performance. The only minor complaint would be the bass buried in the mix but this is common in extreme metal bands, even more recent ones. That aside, I did find the clean vocals to be a bit odd being included amidst the chaos of the music. This issue is quickly addressed though, as they are well performed and add another layer of chaos and despair to the overall sound, while not being overly featured.

Karkosa has crafted an excellent record with little to no issues to be noted. Their unhinged blackened death is executed to utmost perfection, showcasing a band that has completely grasped the vision of where they want to take their music. In 10 tracks they deliver everything, from apocalyptic frenzy to horrific atmosphere, and I hope that Karkosa only improves as time goes on. The album is set to be released in February 2024 and I would suggest checking it out as soon as it is released. This is one hell of a maniacal album and deserves your attention, as Esoterrorcult blurs the line between melodic black metal and brutal death metal, threading in a space I can confidently say is their own.

Rating: 9.4 out of 10

Review by Jeger on January 16, 2025.

Proper death metal should always have a sense if not just a hint of nostalgia. Lest we forget what true DM stands for, and it's never stood for a bunch of flashy guitar doodles, a thousand beats per second blasts and AI cover art. It's about the mood of the album. It should be menacing, oppressive and unsettling. Artists like Trey Azagthoth (Morbid Angel) and Chuck Schuldiner (Death) were able to pull off the technical stuff, because they did it with class unlike much of today's crop of death metal bands. Ears to the underground and into the historic streets of London, England do we now venture: the land of ale, football hooliganism and Mutagenic Host - a contemporary death metal band that happens to have this thing down fairly pat. On January 3, Mutagenic Host released The Diseased Machine via Memento Mori.

Collectively, Mutagenic Host feels like traditional death metal themes fail to capture the essence of what's pertinent to our time, which appears to be corrupt global powers, AI robots and technology as a disease rather than anything beneficial to mankind. However, when it comes down to the music, you can expect a cross between classic Bolt Thrower and old school Obituary: slow-dragging riffs, punishing bass lines and caveman rhythms to see you off into a festering world where nothing is sacred and slavery to technology is the norm. "Neurological Necrosis" - Dying Fetus-level brutality to kick things off, but a step or two slower; giving you amble time to absorb every cranium-splintering breakdown and every world-caving-in riff. Literally nothing technical here. "The Diseased Machine" hits like a massive bong load taken after a shot of whiskey: cortex and gut receiving the impact here.

Entombed - "Wolverine Blues" vibes? All fucking day, only heavier, fucking big balls swinging… You could also call out some "Left Hand Path" influence and you'd be hitting home as well. "Organometallic Assimilation" being a prime example. Dialed up a bit and just hammering those brutish progressions into your big fat head all fucking day. Futuristic T2 war cinematic parts create a movie-like experience during some tracks while segments like the intro to "Promethean Dusk" just ooze early '90's era Deicide vibes as crunching riffs give way to primitive grinds. For the mosh pit! For the swilling of cheap beer and for romping through festival mud is The Diseased Machine - a catalyst to world-annihilation - a futuristic yet primal journey.

Keep those grooves coming all day! And that's exactly what Mutagenic Host does during the entirety of this thing before the experience culminates with "Rivers Of Grief": visual (especially on weed), epic and pulverizing. Just another banger amongst bangers. Mutagenic Host is like Jungle Rot on steroids and they're fucking steamrolling their way through the UKDM scene like it's their job. To the underground, remember? And the soil is fertile indeed; turning up from blood-fertilized earth bounties of global destruction-heralding death metal.

To exist in a technology-driven wasteland of what the world used to be is our inevitable demise. Great conceptualization here. Don't get me wrong, I love some disembowel-them-in-a-basement death metal, but there's just something about this one. I dig the contrast between sound and theme - a brilliant alternation between prehistoric savagery and carbon fiber plasma warfare stuff. Overbearing, bludgeoning death metal done the old fashioned way. Definitely not for fans of modern tech, more like for old school Massacre, Death and "Effigy" era Suffocation knuckleheads. An album such as The Diseased Machine is not created with the achievement of accolades in mind, but instead to honor the genre in its purest form while at the same time covering themes that are pertinent to our hellish existence today and the inglorious future ahead. Not bloody bad at all…

Rating: 8 out of 10