Nothingness Godslaughter Review

Nothingness

Godslaughter

Everlasting Spew Records

2026

Minneapolis, Minnesota isn't known for its share of dirty, grimey, “digressive” death metal. Nothingness are on a course to change that, however, with their third full-length, the monolithic nine songs of Godslaughter.

To truly immerse yourself in this album, you first need to understand the ideas that shaped these songs. From the band directly: “Godslaughter is a confrontation. Our new record is a glare out into the world, and a concise statement that gradually unfurls into the excess of oblivion.” From that, I will assume that Nothingness have crafted these tunes to lyrically reflect the state of the world and how absolutely dire the straits are that we find ourselves in for the remainder of 2026. Their quartet beginnings date back to 2018, but this record’s lineup of Barclay Olson (Vocals), Alex Lewandowski (Guitars, Synth, Additional Vocals), John Hancock (Guitars), Jon Grandel (Bass), Jason Hirt (Drums), and Xen Hartzell (FX) are firing on all cylinders behind an even, low-tuned, dirgey, bottom-heavy mix (handled by Adam Tucker at Signaturetone Recording), where the vocals and drums specifically (for this style of death metal, usually) are plenty upfront and unburied. That's a rarity, and my ears thank them for not going full-on cavernous or cold, production-wise.

For the songs, this is atmospheric, mid-tempo, old-school-inspired fare, heavy on double bass groove, smatterings of blast beats and d-beat speed, oftentimes off-kilter riffs, and the aforementioned synth parts to add some proper eeriness. Standouts include the merciless “Trenchant Glunch,” the deeply pocketed double-kick-led “Convulsing Putrefaction,” the busily riffed “Skull Evulsion,” and the tech-minded, near-seven-minute “Vanquishing Providence” and “Umbral Spear.”

Nothingness are not creating a new rule book here so much as they are adhering to it with their own ham-fisted alterations. The end result is nine songs in just about 40 minutes that have all the requisite trademarks of old-school tech death metal and even moments of doom, with some avant-garde soundscapes and FX too. Three bangers in, and Nothingness are set to continue the path of honest expressions through extremity. Long may they continue to slay…

-TB

RIYL- Gorguts, Nightmarer, Incantation, Morbid Angel, Aeviterne