Back into the grimy cesspool of Jersey City heading into the northwest you will find the city of Passaic, NJ. A smaller city that gave birth to the wretched CHAINED TO THE DEAD, a group that started back in 2014. From the beginning this band has sought to bring you the stench of Death and have delivered it across many stages. Over the years the band was able to put out a handful of releases independently before gaining the attention of Horror Pain Gore Death Productions where they released a split with DUTCHGUTS in 2017. Two years later, CHAINED TO THE DEAD released their debut full-length album “A Gruesome Encounter” and now they are back again with their latest EP of putrid Death.

“Only Hunger Remains” was released on October 24, 2024 under the banner of Horror Pain Gore Death Productions. An album that is to offer you up a healthy dose of old school Death that lasts for 20:38 minutes. Having only six tracks to showcase their putrid flavor of Death that festers in all the right ways, we are sure to enjoy this. So let’s find out what these guys have been up to in the studio.

Looking at the album art, it screams 90’s Death. With cover art that reminds you of an older Heavy Metal comic or possibly even a Conan the Barbarian, you get an interesting female empowerment ritual. Three naked females enjoy a ritualized slaughter of a few men with a blazing torch beside the half naked priestess. Her acolytes play with the guts and skull of their previous victim. A storm rages within the back. Hues of reds, oranges, yellows and black and grey make up the colour pallet. The band's logo sits upper left while the album title sits upper right in a washed orangish yellow.

"Flesh Hunt" begins with a click track of a movie scene that plays out before a bit of a Hard Rock or Groove Metal chord progression plays out over a drum roll. The caustic vocals soon kick in shortly after and the tone picks right up into a shotgun blast of aggression. The track soon has you thinking of Grindcore that is coated in Death as it blasts by in a torrent of caustic and often sporadic tonality. A few time-switches mix the tempo up but done so decently as well.

As you listen through the album, it begins to remind you of elements of bands like ENTOMBED or the sporadic elements of INFESTER and quite possibly MORBID ANGEL and PUNGENT STENCH but with a more caustic fry scream like in NAUSEA. The best part is that the levels are of a decent production value that leads to an easy listen. The band draws from inspiration but rather than regurgitating it adds their own take to it. Sadly, most tracks do blend together after a bit with very little variations from track to track. However, it is impressive of the various time switches that happen within some of the tracks.

With the drums that kick off “Blood Duster Double Feature” before hitting with a Hard Rock chord progression that is puked on by the harsh vocals. Decent track that has a blend of hard rock and old school Death elements. Even has a decent breakdown that kicks the track into a bit of a heavier tone. This track leads into “Games Of Humiliation”, the closing track to the EP. A simple yet upbeat chord progression kicks in with short bursts. The tone changes a bit and takes the track in a bit of a slower slam or older Death pace before switching up into a more fast pace torrent. The track even gives way to an impressive solo that rings out over the drums. This track has a strong hardrock feel to it near the end. Fun fact, it's also a cover of PUNGENT STENCH.

Overall, it is a decent album of Death that often plays with Hard Rock elements and even a bit of Grindcore at times. I feel after listening to it a few times it blends elements of older Death with elements of older hardrock which allows for a unique sound. You can hear the sporadic elements creep in as well to further add to it.I would say that the CHAINED TO THE DEAD lean heavily into older hardrock with some of the chord progressions but tinged in the older Death. It's different. I would recommend getting a copy and giving it a try. You may like it, you may not, but it's worth a listen. It's a different flavour of old school Death but with a modern twist.