Review by Carl on May 10, 2026.

These dudes must be the nicest guys around, because who else would've been so gracious to summarize everything great about a decade of 90's death metal, and put it out on an album for all to hear?

The awesomely monikered Disfigured Dead deals in a form of death metal that sounds as familiar as it is enjoyable. The band combines mid-tempo stomping heaviness with frenzied savagery in a way that sounds very similar to what Cannibal Corpse did in their final years with Chris Barnes and on those first few albums featuring the Corpsegrinder. That resemblance to the Cannibal ones is also noticeable in both the adequate riffing as well as in the rough, low growling and menacing shrieks that are being employed here. The guitar work is of high standard throughout, going from the already mentioned Cannibal Corpse-like rumblings, all the way to a confident, more intricate Morbid Angel style of playing, with some ripping leads evidencing this. The use of downtuned technical riffing and pinch harmonics brings Disfigured Dead's very 90's style of death metal closer to the end of that particular decade, making me think of more brutal acts like Skinless, Rotting, Waco Jesus, and Regurgitation more than once. Even the atmosphere of the first couple of Nile albums is referenced in the haunting tremelo riffing in tracks like "Deranged Consecration" and "Baneful Barbarity", providing even more variation to what is a pretty banging collection of 90's death metal-isms already. It's probably needless to point out that the execution is on point for the whole duration of the album, with an extra mention for drummer Kyle, handing in a stellar pounding performance throughout. Soundwise, it may not be the most original take on death metal that Disfigured Dead has on offer here, but this is absolutely solid stuff nonetheless.

With the music already being a pretty ripping affair, there's, of course, a fitting production needed, and luckily, that's also been taken care of in an agreeable manner. Personally, I think the sound mix is a tad too slick and could've needed just that bit more grit to it, but honestly, it isn't all that dramatic. There's thankfully been a lot of life kept in the way this album sounds, with all the instrumentation being well balanced out, and the excellent riffing taking a well-deserved centre place, making sure enough power and clarity come roaring out of the speakers to leave a more than convincing impression.

Although I get a damn hard kick out of this album, I don't necessarily agree with everything presented here. I could've done without the audio samples, something I find to be pretty redundant on most releases, and the already mentioned overall sound being just that bit too nice in my opinion. These are, of course, personal gripes, and when seen in the big picture, they aren't even all that worth mentioning, probably. "Relentless" offers up copious amounts of nostalgia, filtered through a respectful contemporary lens, while being presented in a thoroughly professional manner throughout. As it should be!

This is an album for those whose taste in death metal never developed further than the period between 1992 and 2000. I have no doubts that these folks will find a lot to be enthused about in this album, and its predecessor "Visions of Death" as well, so if you are one of those people who just can't put down those old Sinister, Monstrosity, Immolation, and Suffocation albums, this one's something you surely shouldn't pass on.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Review by Sam on April 17, 2026.

I’m going to go ahead and assume this guy’s name is pronounced “too-GAH”, as he hails from the French Canadian province of Quebec. First off, what was wrong with Nihilistic Manifesto? Although I described his lead guitar playing as “decadent” in my review for Foreverglade, it’s also quite unobtrusive and natural. I’m not so sure the same can be said for Tougas, because when he lets it rip, it pretty much dominates the soundscape. I like to hear molten lava in the form of guitar shredding as much as the next metalhead, but was this really what was needed after Worm had already established themselves as masters of the moribund and the iniquitous? I dare say it’s like a jarring switch to saccharine when you’ve used real sugar in your coffee all your life.

Ok, so Philippe Tougas is really good. I mean, like a supreme, generational talent. I personally have never listened to the likes of Steve Vai or Yngwie Malmsteen; it’s just not my bag, but I think I can safely guess that Tougas is of that ilk of gunslinger. The evolution of Worm has been quite literally exponential, from the virtual unlistenability of Evocation Of The Black Marsh (not much of a surprise there are no reviews yet for that one, because, well, hmmm), to a band that has firmly founded their mission statement with Gloomlord, to refining the rough edges of that album into the fully formed and manifest necromantic doom masterpiece that is Foreverglade. The black metal of Starpath is very good, though Tougas-ified, and I’m not going to say much about Necropalace here because I need to spend more time with whatever the fuck that’s supposed to be. It’s just too much.

Bluenothing begins gently, with a pleasant, clean guitar over the sounds of ocean waves. The doom that Worm has perfected over the years then ensues. At 1:05, Philippe introduces himself with authority. It’s melodic, it’s shred city, it’s meedly mee, and it’s thankfully brief because it’s also a bit overwhelming. The death and black vocalizations of Phantom Slaughter then take command over that creeping, nasty beat that drummer L. Dusk plays in like every Worm song, but yet never gets old. The tempo picks up for a slough of death metal riffs colored with macabre keys, an indication of the band’s penchant for funeral doom and other fantastical forms of metal. About halfway through this epic opening piece, the dudes slow to a morbid crawl, and this is topped with tasteful lead guitar that does not distract, but adds meaning. This is why I know that Philippe Tougas is probably a musical genius, because when he shows restraint, he can properly color within the boundaries of his canvas. However, early in the nine-minute mark of the song, he proceeds to shred for what to me seems to be a “look what I can do” moment. I will venture that there are two versions of Tougas (Two-gas?) one is the egoist, the other, the artist.

Next, we have Centuries of Ooze II, and again, I have to ask what was wrong with the first one. The application of the funeral organ is dialed up for this one, and the clean voice of Phantom Slaughter, which is breathtaking, features more prominently. They also seemed to have removed the ripping 6/8 death metal sequence that appeared in the latter half of the first version. Now that Worm has a bona fide six-string wizard, who also happens to be a multi-instrumentalist, producer, recording engineer, and guitar teacher, I am curious as to what input he has and will have on the songwriting process. Slaughter is obviously the mastermind as he has a unique ability to create sensations of dread, terror, grief, disease, disgust, and ultimately triumph, but from what I’ve heard with Necropalace, the individual credited as Wroth Septentrion is and will be making more of an imprint on this ensemble.

The first three synth notes of Invoking the Dragonmoon are so similar to King Diamond’s Two Little Girls that I half expected to hear the infamous falsetto raving about dirty fingers and broken dolls. Is this near-plagiarism a side effect of the addition of Tougas? I don’t know, but what I can say is that this track, with its sounds of conflagration, eerie whispers, and Kingly keys, could have stood on its own as a segue without the masturbatory soloing, but alas, this fella wants you to know he can play. Closing piece Shadowside Kingdom also begins with vibes very similar to The Eye, reminiscent of that record’s beautiful instrumental, Insanity. This gives way to a full-on black metal assault, complete with blast beats and blazing double bass. And, yes, the shredding is unrelenting. I prefer Worm at their slowest and deathliest, although they would not be who they are without their undeniable lust for black metal and its aesthetics. It will be fascinating to see where this formation goes after their current release, which appears to be confounding to some reviewers.

Rating: 8 out of 10