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Following the untimely death of guitarist and founding member Justin Lowe in 2015, the future was uncertain for After The Burial.

Their densely packed extreme metal was bolstered by Justin’s technical wizardry, so can the first album without him hold a candle to their previous four releases? In short: yes. The Minnesotans’ trademark brand of progressive deathcore (like a techy Whitechapel) hurtles towards you at 100mph from the off before slamming into you. Repeatedly. There is absolutely zero fucking around – it’s an industrialised metal killing machine laden with monstrous muted chugging, bombastic drum blasts and even an airhorn.

Anthony Notarmaso’s snarling, scratching vocals lead a destructive charge that isn’t ashamed to show off a bit; it’s no secret After The Burial know their way around a guitar. The production is high end, as you’d expect from Sumerian releases, but it remains resolutely monstrous, as demonstrated on the guttural, barbed battering of Lost In The Static.

Basically, Dig Deep comes crashing in like Kool-Aid into a courtroom, and from the hellacious Mire to the frenzied riffage of Heavy Lies The Ground, it’s an audible Devil’s playground.

Luke Morton joined Metal Hammer as Online Editor in 2014, having previously worked as News Editor at popular (but now sadly defunct) alternative lifestyle magazine, Front. As well as helming the Metal Hammer website for the four years that followed, Luke also helped relaunch the Metal Hammer podcast in early 2018, producing, scripting and presenting the relaunched show during its early days. He also wrote regular features for the magazine, including a 2018 cover feature for his very favourite band in the world, Slipknot, discussing their turbulent 2008 album, All Hope Is Gone.