Zurich-based old school Death Metallers VORAX, featuring members from the Messiah, Omophagia, and Death Kommander, follow their 2022 Jurassic Dawn EP with debut full-length, Volcano Shock. An eight-track, thirty-two-minute slab of primaeval Death Metal, this is an essential listen for Old School Death Metal fans.
VORAX – Volcano Shock
Release Date: 27 June 2026
Words: Jools Green
There is so much that I love about this release and its predecessor. As the title suggests, Volcano Shock (and previous EP Jurassic Dawn) are inspired by all things prehistoric, taking “a thunderous journey into prehistoric worlds, dealing with natural cataclysms, dinosaur domination, and the raw laws of survival.”
Surely Death Metal and dinosaurs have to be the perfect combination? My attention has definitely been grabbed by two tiny but powerful T. rex claws, and I cannot see myself breaking free any time soon.
VORAX also take the Old School authenticity very seriously, too. The album was recorded, mixed, and mastered largely as analogue, using self-restored studio equipment from the ’80s and ’90s. Tracked and mastered on tape and mixed through a vintage Studer console, there is an aspect in the sound that OSDM fans are bound to appreciate.
Volcano Shock delivers something that reflects the genre’s late-’80s and early-’90s classic sound, raw, brutally powerful, but with a groovy, catchy and a little bit of a filthy edge.
All the musicianship is great. But I am particularly impressed with Beni from Omophagia on vocals. His delivery goes a little beyond OSDM and has a bit of a Brutal Death edge, which adds extra impact.
Opening with Magma Ocean, this is such a powerful and dramatically phrased piece where chugging riffs and pounding drum rhythms dominate. I really do love the drum work here. It is almost tribal and very primal. The soaring opening scream is protracted to perfection, as are the ensuing ones throughout. The pace ebbs and builds like bubbling magma, and the crazy burst of closing leadwork completes the mental imagery.
Devouring Raw Flesh delivers a voracious drive with slick, punctuated bleak ebbs alongside raw vocals that slice through menace alongside flesh-crawling, protracted screams and a burst of searing leadwork midway for good measure.
Slightly slower in pace, Volcano Shock harbours a haunting repeat that reflects a touch of Bolt Thrower. I do like the bursts of powerful, almost militaristic drum work and the brutal death leaning to the vocals, which originally begin as spoken, developing their brutality and powerful protractions as the piece progresses.
As it reaches its zenith, the riffs develop a searing quality before erupting into a swathe of haunting leadwork. I love the closing dramatic echo into oblivion. This is a superbly dark and reflective piece.
Everything about the next piece, Burning Lava, screams red hot, crawling lava flows. From the pace and drama to the riffing, to the strong drum delivery, and the raw, protracted vocals, you can practically smell the sulphurous aroma and sharp acrid notes oozing from this piece.
The pace is up, and there is a sinister undertone as Hunter Killer commences, and the opening scream will send a chill down your spine, too. With the slick direction changes adding to the sense of threat, this is a real action-packed piece that twists and turns as it progresses, holding your attention throughout.
As the piece progresses, the drum rhythms pound harder like the heart of the prey, and the closing leadwork spirals insanely, developing the atmosphere further.
Flight Of The Pteranodon once again has a subtle Bolt Thrower echo. I love this piece. It is chunky, heavy and subtly groovy to addictive proportions. Midway through, the pace levels out, opening into a glorious swathe of lead work. I could fully visualise a huge winged beast soaring effortlessly on an air current.
Penultimate piece Reign Supreme is a glorious crusher of a track. Searing guitar and pounding but slow-paced drum rhythms open, and all through this piece, the vocal punctuation, protraction and delivery are superb. The soaring leadwork just after halfway makes an excellent contrast to the more down-paced aspect of the riffs and drum work.
Final offering, The Great Dying, has a slow, dramatic opener. The pace gradually builds as it progresses, the vocals are a little more acerbic on this track, but as always, they are superb, particularly the screams, which are blood-curdling and dramatic.
I love the little complex bursts of riffing and drum work, as well as the superb second half swathe of lead work. Lyrically, it is dramatic too, converging on how the sky has turned grey and the light has gone, heralding the great dying.
VORAX release Volcano Shock on 27 June 2026. It will be available as a CD, vinyl and digital release. For more details, visit the band on Bandcamp. The superbly vivid cover art is by Jon.
Old School Death Metal fans really need to give this VORAX album a spin. You cannot fail to love it.
