Following a number of singles and an EP in 2022, 2023 brings the twelfth full-length album from Germany's Atrocity. At the heart of Atrocity's sound is death metal and, sure, you can call it "death/thrash" or "melodic death" or whatever, but harsh vocals and buzzing guitars laying down sharp, jagged riffs is what Okkult III is all about. There are a few guttural croaks here and there, but an evil shout is the norm, making it not too difficult to parse out the words. It is a perfectly well-played and well-executed album that can make ears bleed and a pit start up without warning. Atrocity get to the point and don't screw around as much as they did on the last release I reviewed, the 2017 EP Masters of Darkness, and I guess changing things up while remaining solidly death metal is their thing. There's nothing at all wrong with Okkult III, other than it sounds like a lot of other death metal out there today, though that may be a me thing. Looking at some previous reviews, it appears they are getting back to their roots, so long-time fans will probably want to give it a good, long listen.
