MONSTROSITY
‘Screams From Beneath The Surface’
Metal Blade Records

Death metal has always had a strange relationship with time. Some bands decay slowly, leaving behind relics of a violent past, while others rise from the grave sharpened by the years, heavier and more deliberate than before. When MONSTROSITY announced, ‘Screams From Beneath The Surface’, their first album in seven years, the question wasn’t whether they could still summon brutality. That answer has been obvious since 1990. The real question was whether a band, born in the early Florida death metal explosion, could still drag something new from the crypt.

For those of us who grew up in that early scene when tape trading, underground zines, and dimly lit clubs kept the genre alive; MONSTROSITY has always been part of the foundation. From ‘Imperial Doom’ in 1992 through decades of touring and shifting lineups, the band established itself as one of the architects of American death metal. Their music has always balanced violence with precision, with the kind of controlled chaos that separates the masters from the imitators. More than three decades later, the band returns with drummer and founder Lee Harrison at the helm, joined by guitarist Matt Barnes, the returning low-end force Mark Van Erp on bass, and vocalist Ed Webb. The lineup feels less like a reunion and more like an exhumation, something unearthed and given new life.

The album itself was forged between two pillars of death metal production history. Audiohammer Studios handled drums, bass, and mixing under producer Jason Suecof, while the legendary Morrisound Studios oversaw guitars, vocals, and mastering with Jim Morris. The result is a sonic bridge between eras, combining modern clarity with the unmistakable Florida death metal DNA that helped shape the genre decades ago. The production is powerful and precise, every instrument cutting through the mix while still retaining the grime and weight that death metal thrives on.

The record opens with “Banished To The Skies,” and the effect is immediate. The track carries that familiar early ’90s death metal atmosphere, the kind of riff-driven assault that once echoed through underground venues and cassette decks across the scene. The difference now is the polish. The riffs grind forward with that same aggression, but modern production sharpens every edge. It feels like hearing the spirit of classic death metal resurrected with modern muscle. “The Colossal Rage,” follows and continues down that nostalgic path. The track is crushing and direct, built around heavy riffs and relentless rhythm. It doesn’t attempt to complicate things; it simply delivers solid, punishing death metal that longtime fans of the genre will recognize immediately.

“The Atrophied,” introduces a different structure, opening with a bass line that slithers through the mix before the guitars crash in. From there, the song moves through multiple tempo shifts giving it the feeling of a musical narrative unfolding in stages. I had read that the song was written almost like a saga, and you can hear that intention in the way the sections evolve. Still, despite the ambition behind the arrangement, the journey never quite lands the way it promises. The ideas are there, but the payoff doesn’t fully deliver.

That structural complexity becomes even more apparent in “Spiral.” The track twists through so many musical shifts that it becomes difficult to anchor yourself within the groove. MONSTROSITY has always balanced technicality with structure, but here the constant changes make the song feel unsettled rather than progressive. The musicianship remains impressive, yet the overall flow feels scattered.

The album regains its footing with “Fortunes Engraved In Blood.” This track returns the band to a darker, more controlled groove. The riffing locks into place, guitar leads weave beneath the surface of the main rhythms, and Ed Webb’s vocals cut through the mix with destructive clarity. It feels deliberate, aggressive, and confident; exactly what you expect from a band with this much experience inside the genre.

“Vapors,” follows and immediately delivers one of the album’s most satisfying moments. Blast beats erupt while a slow, grinding groove pulling the track forward beneath the surface. The song captures everything that modern old-school death metal strives for: speed, weight, and riffs that stay lodged in your head long after the song ends.

“The Thorns,” begins deceptively, almost sounding like an instrumental buildup before the chaos begins. Around the 1:10 mark the track explodes. The riffs turn vicious, the drums accelerate, and the song feels like a machine grinding bone into dust. Yet despite that explosive moment, the back half of the track loses some of the momentum it built early on.

“Blood Works,” restores that balance again. The song carries the DNA of classic Florida death metal while benefiting from the modern precision of the band’s current lineup. The rhythm section feels tight and focused, and the riffs move with the same crushing weight that defined the band’s earlier work.

The mood shifts again with “The Dark Aura,” where the band leans into a slower and darker atmosphere. The intention is clear,a descent into something more ominous and suffocating. The early structure feels slightly drawn out, but the second half finally locks into a darker groove that feels far more developed and purposeful.

The album closes with “Veil Of Disillusion,” and it may be the strongest track on the entire record. The structure is tight and cohesive, the groove keeps your head moving throughout the song, and a subtle bass moment near the end adds a memorable touch. Unlike some of the earlier tracks, this one never loses its sense of direction. Everything feels deliberate, and it closes the album with authority.

Stepping back from the individual songs, ‘Screams From Beneath The Surface’ is unmistakably a modern death metal record. The production quality is exceptional, the musicianship is sharp, and every performance reflects decades of experience inside the genre. Webb’s vocals are crushing yet controlled, the guitars remain precise and aggressive, and the rhythm section demonstrates the discipline that has defined MONSTROSITY since the early days of the Florida death metal movement.

At the same time, the album never quite pushes the band into new territory. There isn’t a defining moment that elevates the record beyond what fans already expect from MONSTROSITY. Instead, it stands as a continuation of their legacy rather than a reinvention of it. For listeners who grew up with this style of death metal, that may be exactly what they want.

Personally, I’m looking forward to seeing MONSTROSITY perform these songs live at Milwaukee Metal Fest this year. Death metal often takes on a different life in a live setting, where the atmosphere is louder, darker, and far less controlled than anything captured in the studio. Sometimes that’s where songs like these finally reveal their true weight.

Until then, ‘Screams From Beneath The Surface’ stands as what it ultimately is: a well-produced, technically strong death metal record from a band that helped shape the genre more than three decades ago. It may not redefine MONSTROSITY’s legacy, but it reinforces the foundation they helped build.

3.0 Out Of 5.0 Battle Jackets🤘