Deathcore is having an identity crisis; Lorna Shore’s breakout popularity influenced a horde of homogeneous blackened deathcore bands and became a tipping point for a genre more than happy to never evolve. As the glut of technically talented but melodically stunted bands continue fighting for second place in the Lorna Shore soundalikes competition, a few try to break out, but rarely have the chops to bring anything new or interesting. As if by a mandate from Hell, Crown Magnetar truly take to the deathcore moniker in a way few bands even attempt to; by drawing from the roots of death metal and hardcore, combining them to create a blender of bludgeoning worthy of a genre that combines two of the beefiest slabs of metal in terms of their sonic footprint. For a band relatively new to the game, Crown Magnetar’s third LP, The Hollowing of Godflesh, couldn’t have come at a better time, but whether it is a bona fide modern classic or another uninspired attempt will depend on how willing the band is to step out of the genre’s shadow and pummel a new path to devastation.

Crown Magnetar offers an eviscerating combination of brutal death metal, deathcore, and tech-death. The band excises overblown theatrics, snarl-fueled vocal tangents, and reliance on machine-gun breakdowns. Instead, they trade them for brutal death vocals, slamming riffs, and tech-death chainsaw riffage that would make Archspire blush. Dan Tucker’s vocals quickly stand out, drawing more from death metal and brutal death than the aforementioned blackened deathcore. He even cites brutal death as his major influence in recent years, especially bands like Defeated Sanity and Brodequein. This isn’t just lip service; The Hollowing of Godflesh is stuffed with brutal death and slam influences, making it one of the heaviest records in recent memory, a feat rare for the shock-focused banal heaviness typical of modern deathcore.

Not to be one-upped, new guitarist Rob Maramonte (ex-Fallujah, ex-The Zenith Passage) is the sleeper star of the affair. Crown Magnetar’s latest is their technical pinnacle and for an album so relentlessly devastating, Maramonte finds plenty of time to impress. Blinding speed bolsters songs that suplex you from beat to beat as he taps through leads or drops chainsaw-riff after riff of hooks, worthy of Aborted. Clearly, the group’s tour mates inspired their latest, with obvious influences from Archspire and Aborted as well as Dying Fetus and fellow core crushers Spite. As initially overwhelming as The Hollowing of Godflesh can be, repeated listens revealed the depth of Maramonte’s guitar work. Every song has riffs that will stick with you or multiple moments of creative destruction. Drummer Matt Kilner (ex-Vitriol) offers technical chops to match Maramonte, while still sounding natural in a way so few modern metal drummers do. The raucous snare sits right at home with the intensity of Crown Magnetar’s sound, and The Hollowing of Godflesh feels cohesive and consequential as a result.

The Hollowing of Godflesh is a rare beast, and Crown Magnetar took to the record with a surgeon’s scalpel. At ten tracks and just under thirty minutes, not a single one breaks the four-minute mark. The most egregious being the album’s introduction, the subtly titled “Gun Eater,” which wallows in deathcore staples and silliness, as if to get it out of the band’s system before the record can truly begin. Still, it hits like a truck thanks to the talent on hand and the clarity of production. While it isn’t perfect, The Hollowing of Godflesh mostly avoids the horrible compression of modern deathcore, especially on many of Unique Leader’s records. Having your longtime producer also become your bassist likely helps, as Michael Sahm clearly understands how to bring out the best in Crown Magnetar’s sound. “Gun Eater” aside, every track on the record feels vital and stuffed with memorable moments. The mid-record trio of “Impaled Genesis,” “The Hollowing of Godflesh,” and “Godkiller” offer up a manifesto of mutilation that should put the stank-face on any earnest listener.

I came into The Hollowing of Godflesh wary of yet another deathcore band with comically dark anti-religious theming and over-the-top names. Luckily for us all, there is no “Ov” in sight. Only miles of breakneck, grinding riffage, slamming breakdowns, and genuine heaviness that would make an elephant blush. With The Hollowing of Godflesh, Crown Magnetar have established themselves as modern masters of deathcore debauchery and set a new standard for other upcoming bands wanting to break away from blackened death and bring back the brutal.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 4 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Unique Leader Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: September 25th, 2026