The response to the new Depravity record is overwhelming. I strongly believe they’ve upped the ante in every department and despite the brutal nature of it, I’m glad people are realizing it, even if it takes a few more listens. US site Consequence of Sound premiered an outstanding track HERE and included Grand Malevolence in the best albums feature of the month. Here’s what Joseph Schafer had to say about it –
“Aussie technical death dealers Depravity have made more than a few impressive accomplishments in only four years as a band. Their debut album, 2018’s Evil Upheaval turned heads with its sharp, speedy strikes, and this year’s follow-up, Grand Malevolence, offers many of the same charms.”
Press –
– “undoubtedly one of the best records of its kind that 2020 has produced by far” – Headbanger Reviews (US)
– “one of the best death metal records to be released this year” – Cadaver Garden (US)
– “one of the best death metal releases of 2020” – Winter Torment (US)
– “one of the masterpieces of 2020” – Metal Hammer (Portugal)
– “creating the aural sensation of an ominous haunted setting” – Metal Temple (Greece) 10/10
– “wonderful slab of monstrous death metal” – Metal Injection (US)
– “Phenomenal, crazy, death metal!” – Brutalism (Netherlands) 5/5
– “one of the most anticipated records in extreme music this year” – Metal Obsession (Australia)
– “absolute corker of an album” – The Metal Wanderlust (US)
– “let’s all just get mashed to pieces by this stunning album” – Rock ‘N’ Load Mag (US) 9/10
– “massive” – Hell Is Open (Germany) 9/10
– “manages to simultaneously drill, bludgeon, blast and buzz” – Noob Heavy (Australia) 9/10
– “fast and devastating” – Acta Infernalis (France) 85/100
– “have, once again, grafted and gored their way to the upper echelons” – Angry Metal Guy (US) 3.5/5
– “delivers a sound that is utterly punishing” – Metal Rules (Canada) 4/5
– “is a punishing, unrelentingly intense listen” – Metal – Epidemic 3/5
– “A solid Death Metal release that should make for an enjoyable listen” – Metal Trenches (US) 8/10
– “one of the 2020’s most extreme albums” – GBHBL (UK) 8/10
– “is unbeatable” – Dead Rhetoric (US) 8/10
– “nothing to complain about “Grand Malevolence” – Stormbringer (Austria) 4/5
– “tightly-executed and fun” – Distorted Sound Magazine (US) 7/10
– “fast-paced, technical and at the same time groovy Death Metal” – Metal.de (Germany) 7/10
– “said to have a great impact on the global level” – Dargedik (Chile) 7/10
– “A rather enjoyable album, which is full of interesting twists and turns” – Ave Noctum (UK) 7/10
– “technical Death Metal album at a high level” – Musik Reviews (Germany)
– “a bloodthirsty, pummelling affair from start to finish” – Amnplify (Australia)
– “a sonic bloodbath of violence” – No Clean Singing (US)
– “maximize your mental whiplash” – Invisible Oranges (US)
– “looks very much to be an album that is set to smash skulls all over” – Sentinel Daily (UK)
– “has exceeded the expectations imposed by their debut album” – RTMB (Spain)
– “recommended for most death metal fans” – The Independent Voice (UK)
– “whirlwind of devastation” – Wormwood Chronicles (US)
– “maximize your mental whiplash and minimize your consciousness” – Invisible Oranges (US)
– “putrid and raw with a level of heaviness that many don’t believe it’s possible to reach” – Metal Addicts (US)
– “a stupidly heavy barrage of well written technical wizadry with some fucking character” – The Sleeping Shaman (US)
– “The whole album displays an intensity that few bands can properly capture” – The Razor’s Edge (UK)
– “a great death metal album from a highly skilled band” – Wonderbox Metal (US)
– “excellent” – Teeth Of Divine (US)
– “a band devoted to grinding bones to dust” – Two Guys Metal Reviews (US)
– “been a while since they’ve heard it done this well” – Heave Blog Is Heavy (US)
Depravity (Australia) – ‘Grand Malevolence’ (December 4th, 2020)
Genre – Death Metal
Release Date – December 4th, 2020
Record Label – Transcending Obscurity Records
For fans of – Suffocation, Morbid Angel, Psycroptic, Nile, Spawn of Possession, Gorgasm, Immolation, Hour of Penance, Abysmal Torment, Decrepit Birth
After releasing a groundbreaking album in ‘Evil Upheaval’, Australian death metal giants Depravity take things to the next level on their new album ‘Grand Malevolence’ which is one of the most devastating albums of this year. It’s technically evolved, with masterful songwriting meeting skull-smashing brutality, executed with blinding speed and power. Each song is a testament to the best expression this style holds, showcasing facets of the sub-genres without allowing it to dilute the overall intensity and momentum. There’s technical death, brutal death, even progressive parts designed around the same dark and pummelling death metal Depravity are known for. It’s a clear tour de force and it might take multiple listens for that realization to sink in, because the album is so meticulous and intense that it might be too much to grasp at one go. Depravity have created a masterpiece and set high standards with it not only for themselves but for the genre as a whole, eschewing concepts of stylistic differences, trends and schools, and imbibing it all to create the most lethal expression possible. Prepare to get blown away.
Line up:
Drums – Louis Rando (Impiety, The Furor)
Guitar – Lynton Cessford (Entrails Eradicated)
Vocals – Jamie Kay (Inanimacy, ex-The Ritual Aura)
Bass – Ainsley Watkins (ex-Scourge)
Guitar – Jarrod Curly (ex-Malignant Monster)
Artwork by Alex Tartsus (Sepulchral Curse, De Profundis)
Track listing:
1. Indulging Psychotic Thoughts
2. Grand Malevolence
3. Invalid Majesty
4. Cantankerous Butcher
5. Trophies of Inhumanity
6. Castrate the Perpetrators
7. The Coming of the Hammering
8. Barbaric Eternity
9. Hallucination Aflame
10. Epitome of Extinction
11. Ghosts in the Void
Official Depravity Bandcamp
Transcending Obscurity Official Site
Transcending Obscurity Records Facebook
Official Depravity Facebook
Official Transcending Obscurity YouTube Channel