Hedonist - Scapulimancy (CD)

Scapulimancy is the debut full-length album by Canadian band Hedonist, rooted firmly in old-school death metal with a brutal, war-themed aesthetic and raw, buzzsaw guitar tone. Across ten compact tracks, the record emphasizes blunt-force impact over precision, pairing guttural vocals with relentless, battlefield-inspired riffing and tight song structures. Released in 2025, it runs roughly 36 minutes and showcases a sound that recalls the early 1990s death metal canon while remaining fresh and aggressive. The album features standout tracks such as Execution Wheel, which opens with feral energy and sets the tone for the rest of the record, and Barbarian, a mid-album highlight driven by pounding rhythms and martial atmosphere. The title track Scapulimancy closes in on the core concept with ominous, heavy riffing and a memorable vocal performance, underlining Hedonist’s knack for combining traditional death metal elements with a focused, punishing songwriting approach.