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DYING REALM
Siege The Walls EP

Cavernous / Dry Cough (2026)
Rating: 5/10

Charging from Birmingham in England, Dying Realm is the latest clan of death metal cavemen to brandish clubs and cave your head in with their brand of war-torn noise. Just a touch more refined then many of the gore-obsessed UK death metal acts, Dying Realm instead opt for a raw onslaught of gasping vocal traits and chainsaw riffs which are less inclined to loiter in stinky caverns, but instead lurk in a mid-to-late 90s hovel.

Opener ‘Graves Of Gods’ could easily veer off into that ever recognisable Swedish sound as a manic solo fizzes through the grinding murk. It’s aggressive, and maybe boasting a pinch of hardcore in the vocals. I’m not the biggest fan of the outbursts from David Blaney, who once fronted deathcore outfit Bound By Blood.

It could be argued that the confrontational deathcore shouts do come into play here, but as this short (14 minutes) release unravels it also becomes clear that while solid, it’s also very generic and lacking any kind of identity. ‘Villainous Incantation’ rages hard, the riffs and percussion providing a steady tumultuous backdrop of vocalisations which don’t add anything of merit.

There are a few interesting chops and gallops musically, and extra hostility is added with ‘Mace Buried Deep’. The vocals have extra punch and dehydrated traits, somewhat similar to Asphyx, as are some of the driving and pummelling strikes, but nothing really catches except some of the mid-paced segments on closer ‘Abundant Mutilation’.

The all too familiar yet nondescript hammering may be more entertaining on stage, but this EP is simply bland, however much it shouts in your face.

Neil Arnold

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