Ulthar - "Providence" (2020)

Let’s cut to the chase here and address the bleedin’ obvious. The cover art for Pittsburgh death metal squad Ulthar's new album, "Providence", is knee-deep in dongs and minge. In fact, you can't move for all the hideously mutated clunge ‘n todger on display here.

True, they all emanate from what could best be described as a grimdark cancer-tree shagging itself silly in the lower depths of washed-out, spiky hell, care of legendary UK fantasy artist Ian Miller. But still. You'd think the wretch hanging off the top right of the picture would be happier, somehow...

But enough of what you're missing. This album may not always score a direct hit, but when it does, you feel it. I've already drooled over one track, Furnace Hibernation in a previous post. However, it's not alone. Songs like Undying Spear, Through Downward Dynasties, and album closer Humanoid Knot, are a case in point.

Dopethrone – “Transcanadian Anger” (2018)

Dopethrone’s new album is like that crackhead that breaks into your house, ravishes the vacuum cleaner, vomits over the kitchen, and then collapses half-dead on your carpet – in a clown costume.

"Transcanadian Anger", with its luridly apocalyptic cover, is the product of a band that’s comfortable with its sound, but more than able to make it do new things on every track.

That’s to say, you know every song is a Dopethrone song, with that trademark shriek trademarking away with the equally trademark guitar sound that drones, thunders, croons and writhes up and down the blues scale like it wants to give it VD. (Presumably, also trademarked.)

Oxygen Destroyer - "Bestial Manifestations of Malevolence and Death" (2018)

What is good in life? Big rubber monsters tw*tting each other and everything else that gets in the way (usually Tokyo), of course.

We are living in a kind of big screen kaiju renaissance right now, as Godzilla (2014), Shin Godzilla (2016), King Kong: Skull Island (2017) and the forthcoming Rampage (2018) all show.

So, big monsters make for big box office, but do they make for great death metal? Seattle Gojira-fanciers Oxygen Destroyer say they do, and their new album "Bestial Manifestations of Malevolence and Death" makes the case very, very forcefully.