THE NEW FLESH INDEX 🩸 Artists That Defined My Week #17 Friday, April 17th to Thursday, April 23rd, 2026

 

This entry covers my listening from April 17th to April 23rd, 2026. Writing it up a couple of weeks late made it easier to see what actually stayed.
 
Following on from week #16, the same idea continues: depth over movement, focusing on the artist rather than constant movement onto the next release. Instead of moving between new releases, I stayed where one held and worked backward from there. Full catalogues, full albums, repetition — that shift defined this week.
 
At a glance, the numbers contracted again. Total plays reached 484, with 14 new albums (down 71%) and 141 new tracks (down 22%). Only 2 artists featured (down 97%) — not a lack of options, but a result of the depth of each artist’s catalogue. Immolation alone has 12 albums, which took time to move through properly.
 
Total listening reached 1 day, 9 hours (down 36%), while average daily plays rose to 69 (up 12%), peaking on April 20th with 106 plays (up 14%). Longer sessions replaced movement, and most new entries didn’t hold past the first pass.
Once the week settled, it narrowed quickly. Two albums triggered it: Immolation — Descent and Battlegrave — Enslavement, both holding under repetition and pushing the listening backward into each catalogue.
 
Immolation dominated the week through a full catalogue run. Acts of God led with 90 plays, followed by Descent (60). From there it tightened: Atonement and Majesty and Decay (44), Kingdom of Conspiracy (41), and Shadows in the Light (26). The remainder settled into shorter runs, with Harnessing Ruin (19), Close to a World Below (18), Failures for Gods (17), Unholy Cult (17), and Here in After (13) with Dawn of Possession (10) sitting at the base of the run
 
Acts of God held as the top album. From it, Attrition surfaced as the most played track with 8 plays — not a spike, just confirmation.
 
Battlegrave followed a similar pattern, with Enslavement as the entry point before descending into their three-album catalogue. Cavernous Depths led with 31 plays, matched by Enslavement (31), with Relics of a Dead Earth (24) rounding it out.
 
Fewer plays, more weight. At album level, repetition did the sorting. Acts of God led clearly, with Immolation’s catalogue — anchored by Descent — forming the upper tier, while Battlegrave reinforced the pattern rather than breaking it.
Compared to last week, the difference isn’t scale, it’s depth. New music still matters, but only as a trigger. Once something holds, the listening moves backward, not onward.
 
Less drift. More repetition. More time inside the catalogues.
 

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Artists that Defined my Week

1).

⚔️ Artist: Immolation (397 plays)
🩸  New Title: Descent
⚔️ Genre/tags: Death metal, technical death metal, dissonant death metal

Immolation — Albums (personal) ranking:

12). Shadows in the Light (2007) (26 plays)
11). Harnessing Ruin (2005) (19 plays)
10). Majesty and Decay (2010) (44 plays)
9). Failures for Gods (1999) (17 plays)
8). Unholy Cult (2002) (17 plays)
7). Here In After (1996) (13 plays)
6). Kingdom of Conspiracy (2003) (41 plays)
5). Dawn of Possession (1991) (8 plays)
4). Descent (2026) (60 plays)
3). Close to a World Below (2000) (18 plays)
2). Acts of God (2020) (90 plays)
1). Atonement (2017) (44 plays)

 

Formed in Yonkers, New York in the late 1980s, Immolation are a band that have always been held in high esteem, often viewed as sitting at the top of the death metal pantheon. Fellow music fans have encouraged me to check them out for years, and with the release of their 2017 album Atonement, I finally did just that, picking up the vinyl after being struck by the sheer impact of the record.
 
Over the course of this week — and after many social media posts — two things seem clear. First, a common criticism is that they don’t have that defining track, and that some albums suffer from dense or questionable production. Second, the fan favourite record seems to be Close to a World Below. With that in mind, and with limited prior knowledge of the band, I came into this run relatively open.
 
Subjectively speaking, even with my listening limited to the last week, Immolation don’t come across as a single-track band to me at all. If anything, they feel designed to resist that kind of listening.
 
Admittedly, I did start to feel Immolation fatigue as the week went on. Not because the quality dropped, but because the catalogue is so consistent and dense. That fatigue also sharpened my listening experience, because the records I enjoyed most were the ones that continued to hold my attention once everything started to blur together.
 
Working through the catalogue, Dawn of Possession (1991) establishes the foundation. For some, their discography doesn’t get better than this. It’s raw, aggressive, and direct — closer to early death metal’s physical impact than the suffocating atmosphere the band would later specialise in. It’s easy to see why it’s considered a classic. For me, though, it felt more like a starting point than somewhere I stayed this week, despite placing it at #5 in my personal ranking.
 
That foundation deepens on Here in After (1996). The sound becomes more oppressive and less immediate. I’m not a death metal veteran, but to my ears it feels like the band stepping fully into something more suffocating. Even so, it didn’t pull me back repeatedly — it felt transitional rather than definitive.
 
Failures for Gods (1999) sharpens that identity further, though it’s also where the production debate becomes harder to ignore. Some hear flaws; others hear texture. I sit somewhere in the middle. I understand what it adds, but it didn’t make me return to it more than other records did.
 
Then comes Close to a World Below (2000), and this is the album most people point to as the definitive Immolation release. It’s easy to understand why — the atmosphere is suffocating, the structure feels deliberate, and everything clicks into place. For me, it landed high in my ranking, but not necessarily in repetition. It feels monumental — something I entered and absorbed — but not something I looped endlessly. That said, listening to twelve albums in seven days is heavy going; at a certain point, the density alone becomes overwhelming.
 
Unholy Cult (2002) continues that refinement, tightening the sound without losing its imact. It’s often regarded as one of their strongest releases, and I can see the argument. In my listening, though, it remained part of the core rather than rising above it.
 
With Harnessing Ruin (2005) and Shadows in the Light (2007), the catalogue starts to feel less like isolated standout records and more like a continuous body of work. These albums reinforce the identity rather than reshape it. For me, they made more sense within the run than on their own.
 
Majesty and Decay (2010) is where things begin to feel more controlled. The density is still there, but it’s handled with greater precision and I would suggest this is due to a tighter and cleaner mix. This was one of the albums I spent more time with, even if it didn’t rank as highly. It feels like a key step toward the refinement of the later material.
 
That refinement continues on Kingdom of Conspiracy (2013), which feels confident and stable — not trying to reinvent anything, just executing the Immolation formula at a high level.
 
Atonement (2017) is where everything aligns for me. It’s the clearest expression of what I want from Immolation — weight and dissonance, but with enough clarity to stop it collapsing into an unlistenable mess. It didn’t just hold my attention under repetition — it improves with it. That’s what pushed it to the top of my ranking.
From there, Acts of God (2022) became the centre of my week. It was the album I returned to most, and that’s where its strength lies. If the criticism is that Immolation don’t have a defining track, this album answers that in its own way — not through a single standout, but by sustaining attention across the full record.
 
Finally, Descent (2026) continues that trajectory. It doesn’t feel like a reinvention, but it doesn’t need to. It feels like a continuation of the last few albums, tightening the same ideas without losing the core identity. It was one of the key entry points for my listening this week, and it held long enough to justify that.
 
Looking across the full catalogue, what stands out isn’t variation, but consistency. Immolation don’t move dramatically between albums — they refine. The differences are subtle at first, but they become clearer the longer you stay inside the discography. That said, I wouldn’t recommend doing what I did and compressing it all into a single week. Each album needs time to fully reveal itself.
 
Based on how I listened this week, they aren’t a band built around individual tracks. The more you stay with them, the more the albums make sense as complete works rather than collections of moments.
 
And more than anything, 30-plus years in, the quality hasn’t dipped. There are no obvious low points — only records that reveal their true colours the more time you invest.

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2)

⚔️ Artist: Battlegrave (87 plays)
🩸  New Title: Enslavement
⚔️ Genre/tags: death metal, extreme metal, metal, thrash metal

Battlegrave — Albums (personal) ranking

3). Relics of a Dead Earth (2018) (24 plays)
2). Enslavement (2026) (31 plays)
1). Cavernous Depths (2022) (31 plays)
 

You know — or at least you get a pretty strong indication — that an album is going to hit hard when the drumming alone elevates it. That’s exactly what happened here with Battlegrave’s third album, Enslavement. I mean, my god — the chops on display are ridiculous. Not just tight, not just fast — genuinely inhuman at points. The double bass work in particular is relentless in a way that stops being impressive and just becomes overwhelming.
And then you realise why.
 
The drums on Enslavement aren’t even from a permanent band member — they’re handled by Robin Stone, who’s worked across multiple extreme metal projects, most notably, (the) Amenta. That explains a lot. It doesn’t feel like a step up by accident — it feels like a specialist coming in and pushing everything to the limit. The performance isn’t just tight, it’s surgical. It dominates the record.
 
That was my entry point, and it set the tone for everything that followed.
 
Working backwards from there, Cavernous Depths (2022) sits at the top of my ranking — not because it overwhelmed me immediately in the same way, but because it just fucking fucks you up. The drumming here was written and performed by 66Samus, (I mean did you listen to his gravity blasts on Empath by Devin Towensend) someone who’s already well known for precision and technical control, and you can hear that difference instantly. There’s still speed, still aggression, but it feels more measured, more deliberate.  
 
That balance is what pushed it to #1 for me. Enslavement hits hardest on impact, but Cavernous Depths is the one that sustains it.
 
Going back to the start, Relics of a Dead Earth (2018) feels like the band in a more direct, crossover-leaning space. There’s a hardcore edge there for sure — crossover thrash, S.O.D.-type aggression — and straight out of the gates, the riffs absolutely eviscerate the listener.
 
The drumming here comes from Kevin Talley (check out the self titled Chimaira record), and that track record shows. It’s aggressive, punchy, and relentless, but it’s also grounded. Compared to the later albums, it feels less technical and more direct — less about showcasing extremity and more about driving the songs forward. It suits the record perfectly, but it also highlights where the band would go next.
 
That progression is what stands out most across the three albums — and interestingly, a lot of it is tied to the drums.
 
Relics of a Dead Earth is raw and immediate, driven by direct, forceful playing.
Cavernous Depths tightens that into something more controlled and precise.
Enslavement takes the brakes off and pushes everything to an extreme.
Cavernous Depths tightens that into something more controlled and precise.
Enslavement takes the brakes off and pushes everything to an extreme.
Cavernous Depths tightens that into something more controlled and precise.
Enslavement takes the brakes off and pushes everything to an extreme.
 
It’s not just songwriting evolution — it’s a change in how the band channels energy.
 
What I keep coming back to is how rhythm-driven Battlegrave are. The guitars absolutely crush, but everything feels anchored to the drums. Rather than riffs standing independently, they’re locked into the percussive movement underneath them. That’s what gives the band their identity. It’s not about standout hooks or moments — it’s about sustained pressure.
And that’s why the catalogue works best when you run it in reverse like this. Starting with Enslavement, then stepping back into Cavernous Depths, then back again into Relics of a Dead Earth doesn’t just show progression — it shows how the same core idea gets refined, reshaped, and ultimately intensified.
 
In terms of my own ranking, Cavernous Depths and Enslavement ended up tied on plays, but they function differently. Enslavement is the album that grabs you immediately — the one that forces your attention. Cavernous Depths is the one that keeps it. That difference is subtle, but it’s what gave it the edge for me.
 
Relics of a Dead Earth sits lower, but not because it lacks quality. It’s just earlier in the development. The aggression is there, the intent is clear, but compared to what follows, it feels slightly less defined. It’s the sound of a band finding its footing rather than standing on it.
 
Looking across the discography as a whole, Battlegrave feel like a band that are still building upward rather than settling. There isn’t a dip — just a trajectory. Each release takes what came before and pushes it further, tightening the execution without losing the raw edge.  I can only salivate at the prospect of who will play on their next record? 

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⚔️🩸 The New Flesh Index Playlist #17 (30 biggest tracks of the week)

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ALBUM REVIEW: Hooded Menace - "Ossuarium Silhouettes Unhallowed"

By: Andre Almaraz

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 26/1/2018

Label: Season of Mist

 

“Ossuarium Silhouettes Unhallowed” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1.Sempiternal Grotesqueries
2. In Eerie Deliverance
3. Cathedral of Labyrinthine Darkness
4. Cascade of Ashes
5. Charnel Reflections
6. Black Moss

The Review:

“Ossuarium Silhouettes Unhallowed” is the fifth full length album by Finland’s reigning kings of death-doom, Hooded Menace. It also happens to be their first full length release as a five piece unit since their recent acquisition of new member, Harri Kuokkanen, as stand alone lead vocalist. The recording consists of six tracks which combine to make up forty-two minutes of total running time and the scheduled release date by Season Of Mist is January 26th, 2018. It appears that a seventh bonus track does exist on some formats but unfortunately, we did not have it made available to us for this review.

First track, “Sempiternal Grotesqueries,” is the longest running song of the album. This lumbering juggernaut slowly builds up from an epic graveyard crawl which eventually transcends into that classic Hooded Menace gallop, after which we are thrown into a frenzy of double-kick drums and pummelled into oblivion. This song has all the classic cornerstones that we love about Hooded Menace and it bounces our brains back and forth between them all for over ten and a half minutes. It is an all encompassing thrill ride of pure death-doom bliss in such a way that only Hooded Menace can deliver.

Second track, “In Eerie Deliverance,” begins with those signature guitar harmonies which have always accompanied many of the band’s massively haunting riffs. The opening movement has a bit of a twist in its groove and some unorthodox drumming, slightly akin to something Immolation might do - to give you a rough comparison. I feel like this aspect combined with the melodic chorus part make this track a bit of a standout from their usual repertoire. This is a good indication of a band that is continuing to grow and not afraid to take some chances outside of their usual comfort zone which is very admirable. Plenty of melody and double-kick while having minimal guitar soloing make this one an interesting listen for seven minutes and it works very well.

Third song, “Cathedral Of Labyrinthine Darkness,” lets the heavy dirge rumble of the bass guitar take the lead for a few brief seconds in the very beginning and leaves me wanting more. This one in general is a crawling behemoth with so much gloom and doom that it feels like a slimy dense fog is pouring out of your speakers and into your unsuspecting lungs. It is pure suffocating slow death. Fourth song, “Cascade Of Ashes,” creeps in like an undead zombie dragging its decayed carcass across the night’s shadows after a brief acappella vocal line chimes in to start off the number. The central focus point of this track comes in the form of a small break in the middle that leaves only a solitary guitar to ring out some unconsecrated notes that segue into a groovy tribal drum beat. This seems to me as another venture into slightly unusual territory for the band and again, it works very well.

Fifth song, “Charnel Reflections,” much like the opening track is a stroll through the familiar cemetery of the damned that Hooded Menace have worked so hard to create and perfect over the last 11 years. It is another fine example of the band's classic style of riffs and melodies which we, as fans, have come to know and admire. The sixth and final track, “Black Moss,” is an instrumental two plus minute outro that morphs from a heavy driving riff with plenty of guitar soloing into some classical guitar as it fades off and unwinds us from the bludgeoning assault of dust and cobweb covered ancient headstones that have been hurled at us for the duration of the previous five songs.

As always, the musicianship on this album is indisputable metal mastery at its finest and the production is near flawless. Although the vocals are a bit different this time around, but I feel it is not a drastic change and in my opinion, the new vocalist suits the band well. One can only appreciate that Hooded Menace is still growing and changing ever so slightly with each new release but one thing is certain; as long as Lasse Pyykkö is at the helm, they will continue to hold their place at the top of the death-doom subgenre and never grow stale in their craftsmanship. Hooded Menace, to me, is the quintessential death-doom metal band and this album shows that they remain as relevant as ever.

“Ossuarium Silhouettes Unhallowed” is available to preorder/buy here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Immolation - "Atonement"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 24/02/2017

Label: Nuclear Blast

Eleven focused and taut tracks of atmospheric death metal is what you get and it is delivered superbly,  this is an interesting and engaging listen with a heart of absolute darkness.

“Atonement” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. The Distorting Light (3:14)

2. When The Jackals Come (3:54)

3. Fostering The Divide (3:27)

4. Rise The Heretics (3:41)

5. Thrown To The Fire (4:04)

6. Destructive Currents (4:26)

7. Lower (4:01)

8. Atonement (4:32)

9. Above All (4:55)

10. The Power Of Gods (3:58)

11. Epiphany (4:22)

The Review:  

Immolation are something of an East Coast death metal institution these days. Ross Dolan and his not so merry men have perfected a kind of “rolling tank” style of death metal which is quite distinct from many other US death metal masters. Certainly, the atmosphere and texture on offer here is different to anything from Florida.

Indeed, this album is a very different proposition to “Kingdom of Conspiracy” from a couple of years back. Opener “The Distorting Light” brings a pitch black atmosphere, echoing vocals and a distinctly modern death metal approach to sound and production- reverbed, bassy and big sounding. Much of the material here is not lightning fast- sure there are fast blast beats, but the melodies (if that is the right word) are often quite slow moving, as are the vocals. “When The Jackals Come” is a good example, and in this way the record shares something in common with the best black metal- but is way heavier. “Fostering The Divide” is slow and steady, with the distinctive rolling style that we have come to know and love from Immolation.

There are no epic tracks here, so the arrangements are tight and focused with plenty of riffs and changes, but not so many that the album is hard to follow. Running consistently through the album is a very dark atmosphere, though; it permeates “Rise The Heretics” and “Thrown To The Fire” and even when things are faster, as they are on “Destructive Currents”, the bleakness is all consuming.

There is clean guitar to be heard on “Lower” (and at other points in the record), but only for the intro as things then get very weighty and very, very dark. The title track is a bit of an album high point for me; frenetic changes, dissonant riffage and lovely soloing (as per). The final three tracks (taking the count all the way up to eleven) continue the atmosphere, but “Above All” is more straightforward fare in terms of delivery, as is “Power Of The Gods”. The track placement is solid- more experimental stuff early on and more straightforward death metal down the back stretch to keep the listener interested via direct heaviness and weight of riffs.

As is standard with death metal, by the time “Epiphany” rolls around the album has run the right length. Too much of music this heavy is, indeed, too much. Eleven focused and taut tracks of atmospheric death metal is what you get and it is delivered superbly, as usual. Time will tell if this matches the heights of “Kingdom...” as that was one of my top albums of 2013, but on the first few listens this is an interesting and engaging listen with a heart of absolute darkness.

“Atonement” is available here

Band info: facebook

FFO: Incantation, Morbid Angel, Suffocation, Dead Congregation