Avulsed – Phoenix Cryptobiosis

Written by on 09-08-2025 at 09:30.

Avulsed is a long running Spanish death metal band and I suspect that quite a few genre enthusiasts will be familiar with its music. The band was founded in 1991 around vocalist Dave Rotten and I think it’s fair to say that by now both the band and the singer have reached the status of a true metal institution. Avulsed is still going strong, as can be read in this review where we discuss album number eight, and Dave Rotten himself has already meant so much for the scene. His record label Xtreem Music seems fairly successful and Dave is still active in countless other bands. So the chance you’ve come across him is quite high.

However, it did take quite a while before the successor to Ritual Zombi saw the light of day. This new one bears the name Phoenix Cryptobiosis. As esteemed colleague Bart Al Foet already pointed out, Avulsed delivers rock solid metal and over the years there has been a shift towards Swedish death. I can only agree with that. I think the long period between albums has done the band good. After the earlier progression set in motion on Ritual Zombi, the band has further developed itself.

Slowly we are introduced to this new version. Beautiful, sensitive guitar lines form the intro to the gory world that lies beyond. Because Avulsed likes to keep its lyrics in the realm of gore and horror themes. Even if they do not seem quite as extreme as in the early years, they’re still not suitable for a children’s party. The music still sits deeply rooted in heavy and lumbering death metal with Dave’s pitch-black growl layered on top. Which, by the way, is fairly understandable, especially during the catchy choruses in a track like Blood Monolith. Which happens to be a damn good song, now that we mention it.

And it’s not just the choruses of that track that are catchy. Throughout the entire record there are some truly tasty songs on offer. Just listen to Guts of the Gore Gods. Forceful melodies are paired with a driving and crushingly heavy rhythm section. After a clearly defined chorus (again), we hear a super tasty and urgent riff that really sticks. Now and then, the accelerator pedal is firmly pressed too. It’s here you can clearly hear the progression the band has made. The sense of timing is also spot on: the title track Phoenix Cryptobiosis is built so differently that you never get the feeling you’re hearing the same song.

Besides the sense of timing, the guys have also woven a lot of feeling into the songwriting itself. With a solo dripping with emotion, a break where the tempo is completely taken away so there’s space for other riffs that create a totally different atmosphere, you can hear that the band means business with this album. Just take the solo in the track Devotion for Putrefacation and the catchy riff that follows. You can’t help but move to it.

Avulsed is back. And how! In my view, this has become a stunning album where Swedish-origin death metal is delivered with a load of groove that commands respect, and you can clearly hear that the band has taken a big step forward in…, actually in everything. Technically, the sound is top-notch, the rock-solid songs are full of feeling and good ideas, and the brutality is never forgotten. What a killer record! Buy it!

Score:

86/100

Label:

Xtreem Music, 2025

Tracklisting:

  1. Limbs Regeneration
  2. Lacerate to Dominate
  3. Blood Monolith
  4. Unrotted
  5. Guts of the Gore Gods
  6. Phoenix Cryptobiosis
  7. Devotion for Putrefaction
  8. Neverborn Monstrosity
  9. Dismembered
  10. Bio-Cadaver
  11. Wandering Putrid Souls

Line-up:

  • Dave Rotten – Vocals
  • Santiago Arroyo “GoG” – Drums
  • Alejandro Lobo – Guitars
  • Victor Dws – Guitars
  • Alex Nihil – Bass

Links: