DIABOLIZER is a Death Metal five-piece band from Turkey. "Khalkedonian Death" is the band's first full-length album, released by Everlasting Spew Records on July 2, 2021.

The group's appreciation for the Tampa Bay Death Metal scene is fairly evident. Abomination's mouth produces the same horrifying demon cries of DEICIDE's Glen Benton. Influences from MORBID ANGEL's Erik Rutan and Trey Azagthoth abound in the tremolo-picked, octave-sliding and dissonant riffs of Mustafa and Can. Malik plays the bass with the same thunderous whomp as CANNIBAL CORPSE's Alex Webster. And, as I've said when discussing other Death Metal drummers in my reviews, Aberrant passes the Gene Hoglan "sniff-test," as it were: speedy, technical, almost robotic and definitely brutal.

As with most Tampa Bay Death Metal-styled albums, this record is an adrenaline rush of blistering guitar riffage, devastating blast beats and disturbing death growls. Songs like "Bringers of Khalkedonian Death" and "Cloaked in an Aura of Madness" are unending speed trips with occasional proggy elements sticking through as well. Others, like "Mayhemic Darkness and Possessed Visions," are notable for their element of surprise. In the case of "Mayhemic Darkness and Possessed Visions," that surprise comes in during the middle of the track, when the band launches into an almost ENTOMBED-style Death 'n' Roll breakdown.

Other highlights from this record include "Spearfuck the Throes of Treason," which, ridiculous names aside, opens with one of the album's chunkiest riffs before bringing us into an epic groovy section with gigantic chords, ambient cave screams and boot stomping drum beats; "Dawn of Obliteration," which proves the fact that Death Metal bands really know how to open an album on a strong note; and "Sulphuric Vengeance," which shows the band reaching Mach speeds as well as some of the more melodic peaks on the record. My one complaint with that song is that the band did not avoid using the clichéd Death Metal riff of the chromatically descending minor third that starts at the root note of the scale (music theory nerds that love Death Metal will know what I'm talking about - it's on nearly every Death Metal album ever recorded).

Overall, this is a crazy record. The production is crystal clear, the songwriting is excellent, and the musicianship is incredible. The members of DIABOLIZER have a real winner on their hands with this album, and I can't wait to hear the next one!