The 2025 release of Pestilential Hymns by Thaumaturgy features eight tracks (an ADHD'ers version of 46 minutes) of pure grind-hate-death metal core encased in a hurricane of filth. Based out of Kansas, USA this is their second release by Memento Mori Records and the first to feature new vocalist TG. Previous vocalist KT still fills a backing role, more focused on guttural growls and harrowing discord, leaving the creative song play to this new voice in terror.

The track line up reads like titles from politically and socially botched medical science textbook fictionalized for doom to terrorize, not help the prospective student. First up, Neuroticism explores delightfully delicious emotions banded in anxiety, moodiness, sadness and anger. Enshrouded in punk-metal style grunts and screams, the back and forth blast beats are unforgiving against a mocking shred-style lightning quick guitar and equally alienating bass. Alternating time signatures and extremely fast snake patterns pave the way for things to come.

Oncologist's Hymn opens with a wiry back and forth, up and down the guitar neck, punk-metal sonic collision backed by quick, sharp vocals, splashing snare, rapid fire kick, and abrasive bass that regurgitate more than relate what can only be termed "death by testicle infused ass cancer" (wild guess here). The song ends in an androgynous droning synth mix of black doom and white noise that fades out to leave us with our thoughts (about cankerous puss, fermented feces, and festering sore caked in blood, not their words, mine).

The Shadow Approaches, an experimental mix of sludge metal, doom metal, and ambient noise, flows uniquely from the previous two tracks. There is a cohesiveness here. A genuine feeling that a shadow, in fact, approaches. The song opens with a slow mid-tempo of hung chords leading to a chug-a-loof metal cocktail of revered-laden aggressive guitar riffs that are classic evil demons clawing to get in the coffin. The vocal overlay is more guttural and abrasive following a classic chorus, riff, chorus style. I'm reminded of Napalm Death meets early Neurosis meets Sam Kinison.

Plague Ritual hits you with the long, rhythmic drop-d chord riffs that build tension to a slamming, shouting improvised time signature of grinding blast beats and drawn out, expansive droning. Slow, then fast, then back to slow vocals are all over the place layered on top of frustrating yet punishing blast-beats, fast attack, alternating guitar rhythms behind a doom-tortured symphony of dad breaking, not fixing the motorcycle in the garage background noise.

The tracks keep hitting this way for the course of the album. Awaken Ares, Entropic Hegemony, An Ignominious End, and A Forced March all connect in a way with the rest of the album that the listener just needs to dim the lights, light the candle, joints, cocaine, LSD, and dog and just sit back and let it ride. Listen to this one from start to finish. If you stop in the middle your ass will burst with roaches who will eat you to death balls first.