Review by HanSathanas on February 25, 2026.

Opening the first half of the split is Stillborn, a legendary act from Poland playing black / death metal, who contributed three tracks. Each song features unrelenting savagery from the very first strum of the chord, building up a dark atmosphere of impending death from one track to the next. While not as fast as its counterpart on later half of the split, Stillborn delivers a gripping performance. The guitars are so detuned that they sound like brutal death metal, while the bass fills out what little space is left in between to enrich a suffocating sensation.

Although there aren't many riffs that can be independently pointed out as awesome, the output is better enjoyed as one giant movement. From 'Thousand Faced-Bitch' to 'Wrath, Death & Destruction', blast beats are used extensively to complement the swift tempo. Nevertheless, the band doesn't shy away from taking a few breaks in each song before launching another offensive. The vocals are killer, no pun intended. The combination of Tomasz Zięba and Andrzej Tabor on this split quickly reminds me of Wör and Chris Ross a.k.a. Vermin from Axis of Advance fame.

Concluding the latter half of Death Monsters are four demo tracks recorded by Azarath, yet another Polish monstrosity that has gained infamy over the years as one of the most brutal black / death outfits of our time. Generally, the songs are crushingly fast and heavy. A lot of wasted potential due to the inferior production. Bruno's vocals are pushed upfront in the mix. The riffs are thin, but not as fragile as the bass, which you could hardly hear except in some sections of 'Nightskies Burial Ground'.

Songs like 'Earthly Morgue' and 'Nightskies Burial Ground' hinted at the band's future direction. The songs could have been a snooze fest if not for Inferno, who is known for his technical prowess and blinding speed that brought Behemoth to the spotlight. Double kick drums are extremely fast, as are the blast beats. The fills are also frantically rapid, thus leaving no room to breathe in between the snare, toms, and cymbals, especially in 'Heavens Like Demise'.

While this split may not be the best thing that has ever happened for both bands, I still find it interesting to listen to. Generally, the songs presented by Stillborn and Azarath are not that bad. They still pack a punch, particularly if speed and brutality are what you are looking.

Rating: 7.8 out of 10

Review by JD on December 1, 2011.

Polish Death Metal has been growing like mad, and the metal world cheers with joy at that. Polish metallers sure know how to play some of the best and nastiest extreme metal around. One of the most impressive acts coming out of Poland is Stillborn.

With three blood splattered and soul crushing albums under their bullet belts, Poland’s Stillborn puts out their fourth bowel gutting album to an eagerly awaiting masses and oh how nasty this newest album is. Blackened Death Metal has never sounded so venomously nasty and yet so damned proud of what sonic destruction they can do. Stillborn stands blood streaked and victorious.

Upon listening to the album, many songs soon come to the forefront, and quickly made Stillborn’s music speak for it gore spattered self. Track standouts include crushing mightiness of 'Blood And Dust' that brings Death Metal to life with a twist of Hell for added flavouring, to the ground shaking explosiveness of 'Hymn Of Destruction' - showing these five guys deliver BDM that is shockingly good.

Unabashed, unconventional and exceedingly heavy at every turn Stillborn has captured the essence of extreme metal and used it to unleash a darkened vortex of sound that impressed and scarred me at the same time. In a world of cookie cutter extreme metal, Stillborn stands with a few contemporaries that has that perfect mixture of heavy, power, lyrics and talent - and makes the world aware of who and what they are.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 9
Production: 8
Originality: 9
Overall: 9

Rating: 8.8 out of 10