Exhumed - Red Asphalt - review
Exhumed - Red Asphalt - review
Tracklist
01. Unsafe At Any Speed02. Red Asphalt
03. Shock Trauma
04. Shovelhead
05. The Iron Graveyard
06. Crawling From The Wreckage
07. Signal Thirty
08. Death On Four Wheels
09. Symphorophilia
10. The Fumes
A review by
AndyMetalFreak February 28, 2026
US deathgrind legends Exhumed are one of the main pioneers of the subgenre since forming 35 years ago, and for that, they have no real need for introduction. What's remarkable about them, though, is just how consistent the quality of their discography is. This impressive streak dates back to their classic debut Gore Metal in 1998, and they continued to grind, slash, and brutally slam their way through another 8 stellar albums up to 2022's To The Dead, the quality of which I can vouch for here in my review. Four years on and they've been re-Exhumed once again, this time to deliver one of their strongest efforts yet (and certainly since 2013's Necrocracy) in the form of Red Asphalt.
Exhumed are clearly no strangers when it comes to subjects involving bloody gore and horror, and Red Asphalt maintains consistency on this front as well. This time they take an unexpected trip to the American highways, locations that can be as dangerous and horrifying as any, as sudden events turn a leisurely drive from A to B into blood-soaked carnage in a blink of an eye. Not only road accidents and vehicular homicides, but also zombie biker gangs are among the dangers lying in wait, and the blood and guts splattered acrosss the album cover art give a good idea of what's in store. This is as horrific and grisly a site you'll see adorning a deathgrind release as any (although this certainly takes some beating), and the music, I promise you, is just as devastating, but in an adrenaline-pumping, 'thank God that happened to someone else and not me' kind of way.
Red Asphalt is a high-octane ride of unrelenting ferocity, unprecedented groove, and total unhinged chaos from the get-go, where the foot is never released from the gas even once to refuel. The album doesn't take any risks musically, but neither does it hold back any punches, as at full throttle listeners are taken on a direct course for total headbanging collision, where nothing is left in its path but total bloody carnage. It's a no-nonsense effort that brings back the glory days of Slaughtercult, where melody met brutality without the need for any fancy stuff or technical showboating.
The reasonably short 36-minute run-time leaves no room for filler material either, with each song as ferocious and energetic as the next, and at just the right length. They each blend ferocity and brutality with melody, allowing you to enjoy the abundance of hooks it contains between the groovy breakneck rhythms and tasty dual guitarwork. Each song is at the very least replayable; however, "Signal Thirty", "Shock Trauma", and "The Fumes" tend to stand above the rest for me, and are what I'd consider some of the band's finest songs to date.
It's been said numerous times before that Exhumed's style is strongly influenced by Carcass, and here that much is obvious. You'll encounter grooves torn from the pages of Heartwork and Surgical Steel, and a semi-harsh dual-vocal delivery performance from Matt Harvey and Ross Sewage similar to that of Bill Steer and Jeff Walker. The production is also crisp, clean, and modern, mixed with ultra-sharp precision allowing nothing to be held back or buried, and the punchy bass and guitar tone is like being hit by a articulate lorry at full speed.
This style is nothing new exactly, being the original template for how this band have been playing from the beginning; however, it's a style that's always been effective for them, so I have no valid reason as to why I'd suggest they go in a new direction. Is Red Asphalt an improvement on their previous album To The Dead? I'd say yes, especially where the songwriting and hooks are concerned. Is it one of their best to date? I'd argue so, and certainly as one of their most enjoyable releases, even some might also consider it being a touch too safe.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 7 |
| Songwriting: | 8 |
| Originality: | 5 |
| Production: | 8 |
Written on 28.02.2026 by
Written on 28.02.2026 by
This is an honest review on my part, but you don't necessarily have to agree with it. Comments
Comments:
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Posts: 1819  |
Posts: 1819
To The Dead was good, but I can already tell this is gonna be getting way more spins from me. This ticks every box of what I love about not just Exhumed but Deathgrind as a whole.
---- Need a break from headbanging? Restore your street cred by visiting my hip-hop list! Tha Swagnum Opus: A Selection Of Hip-Hop For The Curious Metalhead
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 Posts: 64426 |
Posts: 64426
Rare band i like in this genre.
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die"  I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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