The half hour of misanthropic sludge and deadly doom on offer across both sides of this split LP confirm that it’s one of the heaviest releases to be unleashed this year. Ignore at your peril, and prepare to abandon all hope. – By Ross Mckendrick

With Patricidal Lust, Vastum eschew the done-to-death tropes that so many modern death metal bands are content to endlessly recycle, in favour of delivering a disquieting record that’s sure to be the most uncomfortable listening experience you’ll have this year. – By Ross Mckendrick

The three tracks of skull-scraping racket contained on Malthusian’s MMXIII perfectly embody the principles of misanthropy and suffering in horrifying aural form. – By Ross Mckendrick

With their debut full-length record, Transient deliver a devastating barrage of blistering grindcore, providing an excellent example of just how varied the genre can be. – By Ross Mckendrick

The Illicit Revue is ugly, primitive death metal the way it should be, festering warts and all. – By Ross Mckendrick

Ross Mckendrick reviews the triumphant return of Baroness to Glasgow.

Old Skin’s debut release demonstrates a willingness to stray far from the traditional templates of hardcore without losing one iota of intensity, and marks them as one of the most left-field bands operating on the fringes of the genre. – By Ross Mckendrick

By now the D-beat-meets-Dismember trend is approaching saturation point, but the 3 tracks of vicious hardcore on offer here put Blind To Faith far ahead of the snarling pack. – By Ross Mckendrick

With their sophomore album Bombs of Hades have released one of the gnarliest albums of old-school Swedish Death Metal of recent years. – By Ross Mckendrick

Self-proclaimed ‘sewer doom’ Toronto three-piece IRN have spewed forth one of the most disturbing and disjointed releases you’re likely to hear this year. – By Ross Mckendrick