Artificial Brain are a technical death metal quintet from Long Island, New York. Their core sound weds pummeling tech and death metal to the buzzing edges and Phrygian mode scales of black metal with an angular, dissonant edge and nearly subliminal growling vocals using science fiction themes as lyric inspiration. The self-released, three-track Demo 2011 presented the band with opportunities for regional touring while 2013’s Butchering Cosmic Giants EP won notice globally, netting them a record deal with Profound Lore. 2014’s long-playing debut, Labyrinth Constellation, was produced, mixed, and mastered by Colin Marston; it scored dozens of positive reviews for its bracing modern approach to death metal. 2017’s Infrared Horizon proved more experimental and wide-ranging, resulting in a prime slot on Cattle Decapitation’s tour. Founding vocalist Will Smith left the band in September 2021. He was replaced by vocalist Paulo Paguntalan for immediate touring, though Smith’s voice had already been recorded for material on 2022’s Artificial Brain. ~ Thom Jurek, Rovi

Technical death metal troupe Cognitive are back with Abhorrence, their fifth full length album and a tremendously worthy successor to 2021’s Malevolent Thoughts of a Hastened Extinction. This is the New Jersey powerhouse quintet at its brutal best – unrelenting riffs leave the listener stunned, while a wave of thoughtful, devastating lyrics washes over. The album is a turbulent, draining but ultimately fulfilling experience.

Cognitive started work on Abhorrence while touring Malevolent Thoughts of a Hastened Extinction, sending tracks back and forth to each other while trekking from one intense gig to another.

2024 promises to be a big year for Cognitive, as they take Abhorrence on the road and bring more people into their vile new world. 13 years after the release of their debut EP, the band’s fifth full-lengther sees them continue to make giant strides forward while retaining the elements of their past efforts that got them this far.

Abhorrence may provide therapeutic commentary about how messed up the world currently is, but also, ironically, provides a breath of fresh air. We’re all in this together, so catch Cognitive on the road this year.

We, Warforged, are a Chicago death metal act, focused on refining our own take on death metal. We are playing exactly what we want to be playing, and what we feel that we can offer to the vast world of metal. Not only are we musicians, we are also huge fans of the genre as well, bringing our knowledge together to create some of the music that not only we enjoy, but that we know fellow fans of metal will enjoy.

Epitasis is a death metal band hailing from Chicago, IL. We hope to deliver slamming blackened riffs, devastating solos and brutality to a town near you!