Carrion Vael has cultivated an admirably consistent release schedule since dropping Resurrection of the Doomed in 2017. After unleashing follow-up God Killer in 2020, the Richmond, Indiana quintet has delivered big, veiny doses of muscular, technical melodeath every other year. Slay Utterly is Carrion Vael’s fifth load of unfettered aggression, slinging riffs that sparkle and crush in whiplashing frenzies. Though not explicitly billed as a concept album, Slay Utterly delves into tales morbid and macabre. Each track describes a different serial killer, with songs exploring the perspectives of both killers and their victims. It’s a brutal conceit, and with it Carrion Vael bum-rushes into 2026 with ambitions of aural beatdowns that’ll leave your ears bleeding. With five albums in fewer than ten years, does Carrion Vael have the stamina to keep slaying, or would they benefit from more premeditation?
Looking back over the last three albums, Carrion Vael strikes me as a band trying out different personas. Abhorrent Obsessions revels in technicality, reminding me of Exocrine and Psycroptic, while Cannibals Anonymous dabbles with deathcore along with adding a hearty helping of clean vocals. Overall, Carrion Vael embodies the violent onslaught of The Black Dahlia Murder and merges it with the melodic agility of Allegaeon, crafting an influence-laced affair with staunch sonic keystones. The clean and harsh vocal trade-offs throughout Slay Utterly serve as a clever nod to the killer/victim subject matter, expanding on the melodic phrasing from Cannibals. Meanwhile, understated orchestrations occasionally sneak in, unlocking an intricate audio arena that ranges from bludgeoning to grandiose and bracing Carrion Vael for their next evolution.
Carrion Vael scintillates with battering virtuosity on Slay Utterly, continuing both the technical guile from Abhorrent Obsessions and the savage euphony of Cannibals Anonymous. Guitarists Trenton Limburg and Ryan Kurder strut up and down the fretboard like cocks of the walk, ejecting molten melodies and solos with wicked exuberance. “Truth or Consequences” features choice six-string moments, opening with a stripped-back, Spanish-style acoustic jaunt and unleashing a nifty harmonized solo towards the end. In the meantime, human metronome Matt Boehner bashes his kit to smithereens, rarely relenting in his unyielding kicks and bionically smooth fills. On the vocal front, Travis Lawson Purcell roars, croons, and bellows in an inspired exhibition of versatility, with “1912” demonstrating his strong cleans as well as rapid-fire stylings that recall Archspire. Throughout, subtle swells of strings (“19(fucking)78”, “Black Chariot”) expand on a burgeoning dimension of Carrion Vael’s already overflowing arsenal.
Despite Carrion Vael doing so much right, a few weak links undercut what Slay Utterly could be. Given the complex layers populating this lush soundscape, it craves room to breathe. Instead, Slay Utterly nearly asphyxiates for lack of dynamic range, with Alex Arford’s bass the most immediate casualty in the loudness war.1 Listening in my car or through my computer speakers dampens the experience because of how crushed everything sounds, which I loathe because of the fabulous passion present. My headphones present an improved experience, but not by much. Influences also restrict Carrion Vael’s identity, where some tracks sound like mashups of other bands rather than an original, cohesive personality. While “40 Echoes upon the Parlor” separates itself by dexterously blending hyper-speed guitars, harsh and clean vocals, and supporting orchestrations, adopting this modality across all tracks would further buoy Slay Utterly. Lastly, I wish there were more obvious musical cues that coincided with the album’s theme. I listened to it ten times before I read the promo blurb about serial killers and their victims, but even knowing that, nothing stands out to connect the songs with their inspirations. Leaning into the concept more would have helped the album attain loftier heights.
Ultimately, Slay Utterly leaves me torn of heart and eardrum. Carrion Vael delivers a fun album that I would revisit more if the production leaned toward organic and rich rather than bricked and over-compressed. Despite that, these Hoosiers have constructed a burly forty-two minutes that sizzle with enough slick riffcraft to justify at least one spin. Knowing what aural atrocities Carrion Vael is capable of committing, I hope their next platter saunters in with a better production and more hooks to kill.
Rating: Good
DR: 4 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Unique Leader Records
Websites: Bandcamp23 | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: January 16th, 2026
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