Depravity: Bestial Possession

Bestial Possession is the 3rd Full length album from Australian death metal act Depravity. The album is due for release via Transcending Obscurity on the 21st of November.

I often start death metal reviews with a form of pedantic sub-genre pigeonholing because, let's face it, in 2025 the term Death Metal can mean a lot of different things to different people. Old School Death Metal is a real trend of late, and Progressive Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Technical Death Metal and Brutal Death metal styles are all different enough (to discerning fans) that there is some merit in providing some context to where the sound fits in the death metal spectrum.

When it comes to Depravity, we have a relatively rare sound in today’s Death Metal scene: this is a band that fuses almost everything you could want to hear in one cohesive package. It’s not often that I agree with press releases but in this case, I do agree that if you’re a fan of Morbid Angel, Suffocation, Deicide, Hate Eternal, Hour of Penance or Nile, then you’ll find plenty to like on Bestial Possession. Depravity’s music is heavy as hell, very technically proficient, and has that old school malicious intent and energy that made the seminal bands in the genre special. Across Bestial Possession’s run time there are enough blast beats and shredding to border on tech-death, but this isn't techy for the sake of it. Supported by some veiled melodic hooks, and the odd slamming brutal death metal riff section, there really is something for everyone. The production is modern and crisp, but pleasingly maintains some organic aggression from the player's performances.

I’ve been a fan of this band since their Reign of the Depraved EP and one of their hallmarks is that they never miss with their album openers. You can take it to the bank that the album opener on a Depravity release is going to be a stone-cold killer. "Engulfed in Agony" continues this tradition. It is a fantastic track that is heavy as hell and contains enough twists and turns to keep you on your toes. The pinch harmonic riff section that closes the track is so satisfying. Lynton Cessford & Jarrod Curley are a formidable pairing on guitar. I like their approach to riffing and arrangement, and their juxtaposing lead styles also add a lot to the band’s offering.

"Eunuch Maker" is another great track. The title reminds me of the BBC sitcom Blackadder, but realistically, there’s nothing funny about the morbid and macabre lyrical content. The track has a percussive, chopping riff that nods to the lyrics, and the mid-paced melodic outro section and solo at the end is moody and ominous and enhances the song.

"Call to the Fallen" is one of the pre-release singles selected to showcase this album. "Call to the Fallen" is certainly a contender for the best track on the album, mixing machine gun precision with some melodic sensibility and mid-tempo grooves with outstanding effect. The Rhythm Section of Louis Rando & Ainsley Watkins provide a reliable anchor throughout, with Rando’s drumming being especially animated and head-turning. Again, this track has an absolutely epic ending.

"Awful Mangulation" is another up-tempo brutal track...Depravity doing what they do best. Jamie Kay’s deep gutturals sound as good as ever, and his delivery and phrasing is catchy as hell, particularly on this track (Man-Gu-Lation!). The solos and riffs are great, and the almost slam style riffing and machine gun vocals in the middle of the track are a highlight alongside the outro riffage.

"Rot in the Pit" is another pre-release single and contains some stellar death metal riffing and grooves. I love the whole track but the chant-tastic ‘Rot In The Pit’ stomp at the end is destined to light up their live shows in the future.

"Aligned With Satan" is another fantastic track. It's heavy and evil, and contains a Morbid-Angel-Summoning-Redemption style riff that I just find so satisfying. Absolutely killer stuff.

Depravity aren't the most prolific band on the planet when it comes to new releases, which means you're always getting quality over quantity. These tracks have clearly had a lot of thought put into every riff and element. They've put together a remarkable collection of tracks.

The album closes out with "Blinding Oblivion", "Legacy", and the closer "Catastrophic Contagion". All three tracks are high-energy, volatile death metal pieces. It's very easy to repeat myself here: Riffs for days, brutal gutural vocals, head-turning drumming. You get the picture.

All things considered, I find this to be in the very upper echelon of Death Metal albums released this year. Depravity’s ability to write and execute gimmick-less death metal that will appeal to fans of all death metal sub-genres is relatively unique. If well-written and executed extreme metal is something you’re into, do not overlook this album. A late contender for death metal album of the year.

Track listing
1. Engulfed in Agony
2. Eunuch Maker
3. Call to the Fallen
4. Awful Mangulation
5. Rot in the Pit
6. Aligned With Satan
7. Blinding Oblivion
8. Legacy
9. Catastrophic Contagion

Added: October 27th 2025
Reviewer: Chris Reid
Score:
Related Link: Band @ Bandcamp
Hits: 112
Language: english

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