Monstrosity’s comeback is set for 2026.
Still signed to Metal Blade Records, the band led by Lee Harrison (drums, ex-Atheist, ex-Malevolent Creation, ex-Terrorizer), Matt Barnes (guitar, Chaos Inception, Quinta Essentia), Ed Webb (vocals, Fleshreaper, Generichrist, ex-Massacre), Justin Walker (guitar), and Mark van Erp (ex-Cynic, ex-Malevolent Creation, ex-Solstice) is finally unveiling its seventh album, Screams from Beneath the Surface.
Banished to the Skies offers a brief introductory sample before letting the musicians show us what they’re made of, first with a guitar solo, then with a solid rhythm section that’s as technical as it is effective, setting the stage for the beastly roars. Note the particularly melodic touch added to the bass/guitar duo, while The Colossal Rage immediately shifts to a far more violent approach rooted in Old School Thrash, fueled by blast beats and choppy riffs, yet retaining a complex approach in select passages. The same goes for The Atrophied, which doesn’t hold back in showering us with piercing lead parts while the rhythm section pounds away, but also allows for some redeeming dissonant passages between two waves of rage leading into Spiral, which immediately unleashes its scathing harmonics. The track’s foundation remains, of course, virulent, but the track is fairly short, and we quickly move on to Fortunes Engraved in Blood, which explodes without delay and offers us another chance to break our necks thanks to its very abrupt approach. Another eruption as soon as Vapors begins, offering a fresh dose of tortured and at times even haunting leads while the other three musicians hold down the rhythm section, joined by the vocalist once the guitar has settled, then the band returns to softer tones with The Thorns. The vocals naturally contrast with the whole, bringing a welcome touch of rage that eventually rubs off on the composition, which races forward at full speed before finally letting us loose on Blood Works, which takes over and hits us hard right from the start. There’s an underlying groove that makes the track highly catchy while making the most of the screeching sounds, then the atmosphere grows heavier with The Dark Aura, whether due to the slow pace, the mysterious tones, or the accompanying samples. Everything about this track plunges us into the abyss before the final explosion that leads into Veil of Disillusion, where we find those furious and devilishly effective Old School roots that will have us headbanging, and we’re already eager to hear live, with the vocalist sometimes taking center stage.
Despite the still fairly “recent” lineup changes, the band has regained its momentum for Screams from Beneath the Surface! Monstrosity is in top form, and although the band still has a fairly underground reputation, it packs a serious punch!
90/100
