Mental Cruelty - A Hill to Die Upon (2021) Hi-Res

German death metal quintet MENTAL CRUELTY have quickly established themselves as one of the most exciting bands to watch out for in the underground of extreme metal. Having only been on the scene for five years, the band have achieved impressive milestones, from releasing two critically acclaimed albums to touring with bands such as RINGS OF SATURN, NEKROGOBLIN and SIGNS OF THE SWARM. Now the band set to take on their next challenge with third full-length effort, A Hill To Die Upon.

One of the key things to note about the album is that it distances itself slightly from its predecessor, Inferis. Slam and deathcore still heavily influence the sound, but there’s more maturity in what the band have composed this time round. The constant brutality of squeals and breakdowns are scaled back and replaced with black metal-esque atmospheric riffs and vocals. Instead of it being something that is consistent in delivering gut punch after gut punch, this refined blend adds heaviness in a different manner.