UMUR "Make Them Beg for Death" is the ninth full-length studio album by US, Maryland based death metal act Dying Fetus. The album was released through Relapse Records in September 2023. It´s the successor to "Wrong One to Fuck With" from June 2017. "Make Them Beg for Death" was preceded by the two teaser singles "Compulsion for Cruelty" and "Unbridled Fury". Both tracks are included on "Make Them Beg for Death".

Stylistically you get exactly what you expect from a Dying Fetus album. Ultra heavy groove laden death metal which is combined with fast-paced deathgrind blasting, shredding arpeggios, brutal growling vocals, and a high level of technical playing (this time also with a couple of solos from John Gallagher). The songwriting is top notch for the genre, although the songs can be hard to tell apart on initial listens. Given enough spins it of course gets easier and there are generally some high quality material on the album. If I have to make one complaint it would be that John Gallagher and Sean Beasley sound a lot alike on "Make Them Beg for Death", which means you don´t get the powerful effect of having Gallagher´s unintelligible ultra brutal growling complimented by Beasley´s more aggressive and slightly more intelligible growling. At least the difference between the two vocalists isn´t as audible as it has been on the preceding releases by Dying Fetus.

It´s all details though when discussing a new Dying Fetus album, because you always get top notch death metal songwriting, a high level of technical playing, and powerful, raw, and detailed sounding productions no matter which album you pick from their discography, so it´s the little details which set the albums apart and which are decisive when evaluating if it´s a good, great, or excellent release. To my ears "Make Them Beg for Death" is one of their better releases. The sound production is tight, brutal, and detailed, the songwriting relatively varied for a Dying Fetus release, and the band are on fire in terms of delivering intense and tight performances. They deliver ultra heavy slam parts just as easily as they deliver fast-paced blasting deathgrind parts. It´s all weaved together in a natural and seamless fashion. "Make Them Beg for Death" is another victorious release for Dying Fetus and a 4 - 4.5 star (85%) rating is fully deserved.

UMUR "Compulsion for Cruelty" is a digital single release by US death metal act Dying Fetus. The single was released through Relapse Records in September 2022. "Compulsion for Cruelty" is the first new song in 5 years from Dying Fetus (the first new music by the band since "Wrong One to Fuck With" (2017), and it´s released in conjunction with their September 2022 North American east coast tour.

"Compulsion for Cruelty" is a one-track single and it´s a track featuring all the trademarks of Dying Fetus. Brutality, aggression, and high level musical performances. Fast blasting parts, ultra heavy breakdowns, the two growling vocalists complimenting each other, and the arpeggio sweeps. This is Dying Fetus to the bone. It´s a nicely varied track with a lot of emphasis on heavy rhythms and the impact of brutality.

The single features a well sounding production job. It´s clear, detailed, and brutal, suiting the material perfectly. Dying Fetus have no yet made any comments if "Compulsion for Cruelty" will be included on their upcoming ninth full-length studio album, but if this track is any indication of the quality and style of that album, the fans will be in for a treat. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Descend Into Depravity" is the 6th full-length studio album by US, Maryland based death metal act Dying Fetus. The album was released through Relapse Records in September 2009. Dying Fetus have been through several lineup changes in the last couple of releases, and there´s been a couple of changes to the lineup since "War of Attrition (2007)" too. Second guitarist Mike Kimball has jumped ship leaving guitarits/vocalist (and only remaining original member) John Gallagher as the band´s sole guitarist. Drummer Duane Timlin has also left, and is replaced here by Trey Williams. The new three-piece lineup is completed by bassist/vocalist Sean Beasley.

From the first notes of the opening track "Your Treachery Will Die With You", it will be abundantly clear to most listeners that Dying Fetus have changed their brutal technical death metal formula almost none, and that they continue down the exact same path as they tread on "War of Attrition (2007)". The shift between unintelligble deep growling vocals and slightly more intelligible aggressive growling vocals, the tempo changes, the fast arpeggios (and even the rare neo-classical influenced moment), the ultra heavy breakdowns, it´s all in place. As is the top notch musicianship and the technically challenging performances. It´s Dying Fetus as they´ve pretty much sounded since day one. So it´s not drastic stylistic changes you´re looking for, when reviewing a Dying Fetus release, but rather the quality and catchiness of the songwriting...

...and in that department "Descend Into Depravity" belongs in the better part of the band´s output. The material on the 8 track, 33:47 minutes long album is most effective and crushingly heavy and brutal. You may not be able to tell the tracks apart upon initial listens, but given a few spins the tracks become more recognisable and memorable. It´s the immediate impact of the violent sonic assault which is the real winner here though, and you´re a real badass if you come away from listening to this album without a sandblasted face. The brutality and aggression of the material is scorching. "Descend Into Depravity" features a powerful, raw, and detailed sound production too, so upon conclusion it´s a high quality release by Dying Fetus. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "War of Attrition" is the 5th full-length studio album by US, Maryland based death metal act Dying Fetus. The album was released through Relapse Records in March 2007. It´s the successor to "Stop at Nothing" from 2003 and features a couple of lineup changes compared to the predecessor. Lead vocalist Vince Matthews has jumped ship, and the vocal duties are now shared by guitarist John Gallagher and bassist Sean Beasley. Gallagher has always performed the unintelligible deep growling vocals in the band´s music, and continues to do so here, while Beasley takes up the more aggressive yet still brutal growling vocal style. Drummer Erik Sayenga has also left Dying Fetus and is replaced here by Duane Timlin. With guitarist Mike Kimball making his second appearance on a Dying Fetus album, the lineup has gone from a five-piece to a four-piece.

Stylistically the material on the 8 track, 36:50 minutes long album pretty much continues the brutal technical death metal style of "Stop at Nothing (2003)". In fact there are very few surprises here if you are familiar with the band´s releases all the way back from their inception in the early 90s. Dying Fetus are a technically skilled band and they deliver their music with great passion and conviction. Their trademark heavy grooves are here in abundance as well as the fast arpeggio sweeping and the two types of growling vocals, as mentioned above. So don´t expect much development of sound. What you get is high quality playing, powerful compositions which will force your head to bang and your body to move, and a brutal and raw yet clear sounding production.

So if you can forgive Dying Fetus that they have by now found a trademark style which they stick to and don´t deviate much from, "War of Attrition" is yet another high quality release in a long line of high quality releases by the band. I´d rank it with "Stop at Nothing (2003)" in the band´s discography but below "Killing on Adrenaline (1998)" and "Destroy the Opposition (2000)", which to my ears are still the band´s most accomplished releases. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Stop at Nothing" is the 4th full-length studio album by US, Maryland based death metal act Dying Fetus. The album was released through Relapse Records in May 2003. There´s been a massive personnel change since the release of "Destroy the Opposition (2000)", and it´s only band founder/guitarist/vocalist John Gallagher, who remains from the lineup who recorded the predecessor. Drummer Kevin Talley, guitarist John Voyles, and bassist/vocalist Jason Netherton left Dying Fetus to form Misery Index in 2001. Especially the loss of the latter had some impact as Netherton was one of the main composers of the band and one of the two lead vocalists. New in the lineup are Sean Beasley (bass), Vince Matthews (vocals), Mike Kimball (guitars), Erik Sayenga (drums).

While there was a special magic to the previous lineup and their skills were generally through the roof, the new lineup are very well playing too. As far as the vocals go you won´t even notice that there is a new vocalist, and we´re still treated to one deep growling unintelligible vocalist and one slightly more intelligible and aggressive growling vocalist. Stylistically there have been very few changes too...actually I hear none, and Dying Fetus continue to play their brand of brutal technical death metal with the trademark focus on brutal grooves. The band as usual varies pace quite a few times during the tracks though, so while they often play really brutal grooves, there are also plenty of blasting deathgrind parts featured on the album.

The material on the 8 track, 35:39 minutes long album is well written for the style, but to my ears the tracks are generally not as memorable as the case were on the last couple of albums. Dying Fetus releases were never easily accessible material though, and the more spins you give it, the more memorable the material gets. "Stop at Nothing" features a powerful, raw, and detailed sound production, which suits the material well, and upon conclusion it´s another high quality release by Dying Fetus, although it doesn´t quite reach the heights of the two albums which preceded it. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.