Carnifex is back with their eighth long-player, Graveside Confessions.

Hailing from San Diego, Carnifex has built an indelible reputable for creating blackened deathcore music over the past fifteen years. From their first full-length album Dead In My Arms (2007) all the way through to their newest, Graveside Confessions, their unique perspective has given color and life to the unforgettable music they create. Each new album is an adventure, and it is one you can’t wait to take. The band is Scott Lewis (vocals), Shawn Cameron (drums), Cory Arford (guitar), and Fred Calderon (bass).

The music is crushing, punishing deathcore on songs like the opener, the title track. The percussion is killer, absolutely blistering. The vocals are a study in savagery. And then there are other, unusual elements – who could have anticipated the lyrical flourish that blinks in and out? A solemnity enters the discussion at half past, a contemplative reflection, and then the crushing continues. The outcome of this multifaceted musical attack is obliterating.

The show goes on for more than an hour with one explosive emanation after another. “Seven Souls” was a track that stood out for me, and so did “Talk To The Dead.” But then there is the haunting and unusual “January Nights” followed immediately by the rampaging “Cemetery Wanderer.” This album is a wonderland of dark riches.

A pleasant surprise on the new album is the re-recorded versions of three songs from the band’s first album: “Collaborating Like Killers,” “My Heart In Atrophy,” and “Slit Wrist Savior.” The improvements in recording technology that have occurred since the originals were set down are employed in the best possible ways make these early songs gleam. All this comes together to create an irresistible album. Highly recommended.

Graveside Confessions is out now from Nuclear Blast Records. Get the goods at the label link below or by jumping from the band’s website.

Band photo by Jim Louvau.

Links.

Carnifex website, http://www.carnifexmetal.com/

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/CarnifexMetal

Nuclear Blast, https://www.nuclearblast.com/en/music/band/discography/details/7429480.3074076.graveside-confessions.html