Let’s not overthink it — Cast the Stone’s Empyrean Atrophy is exactly the kind of death metal you hope for when you see names like Misery Index, Scour, and ex-Cattle Decapitation in the lineup. But don’t get it twisted — this isn’t a “supergroup,” this is a fully-formed, fully-focused unit writing from the heart. No filler, no egos, just six tracks of tightly wound, brutally executed death metal madness.

The sound? It’s a face-melter hybrid of early Swedish death metal worship (Dismember, Grave, At The Gates) and the more intense edges of American DM. The guitars are thick and savage, the riffs groove and gallop in equal measure, and the drumming is bonkers — shifting from blackened blasts to hooky d-beat patterns with total finesse. And then there’s Andy Huskey’s vocals — absolutely filthy, soaked in bile, and full of menace.

Tracks like “As the Dead Lie” and “A Plague of Light” show just how tight and dynamic this band is — switching from melodic tremolo riffs to pit-igniting stomp sections without ever losing that cold, grim atmosphere. And the Infestdead cover (“Jesusatan”) at the end? Pure blast-happy chaos to send you off in style.

Let’s not forget that the whole thing was produced by Dan Swanö — the man who literally shaped Swedish death metal as we know it. You can hear it in the way every instrument cuts through, and how the band’s chaotic energy stays locked in from start to finish.

If you dig Edge of Sanity, Opeth’s early years, Dissection, or just miss when death metal had this much soul and savagery at the same time — Empyrean Atrophy is a must-spin.