The Amenta; Beyond Mortal Dreams; Centurian

The Amenta's “Flesh Is Heir” starts with a one-two punch of modern death metal production values (read: Behemoth) and a huge chugging heaviness. Loud, upfront rhythms energized by The Amenta’s obsession with plucking away at the low strings with magnitude. They play fast, and they slow down to highlight the groove, with robotic-machine-industrial sounds. Snippets recall Fear Factory, Behemoth, maybe Dimmu Borgir, too. The mix of “futuristic-robotic-industrial” and metal is clearly competent and strong. The songs hit hard, with groove. This band is more experimental and has a “samples, programming” member, so it’s groove industrial growl metal. www.theamenta.com

Beyond Mortal Dreams. The 4-song EP is called “Dreaming Death,” of which the last song is a Beherit cover. The first two numbers are high-intensity blasting, low-growling, instantly likable songs. Put these songs on and let the high-speed journey begin: massive riffs, good soloing, great vibe. Good. The third song shows a heavier, slower side of Beyond Mortal Dreams, and the soloing takes over and eventually the speed picks up to the expected level. Another blasting, frenzied track, the cover of “Beast of Damnation,” closes this impressive little ditty of an EP. www.facebook.com/beyondmortaldreams

Centurian’s “Contra Rationem” (which is Latin for blastattack death metal) continues where the band started out in 1999’s debut “Choronzonic Chaos Gods,” a monolith of blasting intensity, with very little fat. Now, in 2013, Centurian has more of the same. Blasting for the hungry death metal aficionado. The songs sort of sound similar, and that’s on purpose. It’s just the band playing death metal fast, the only way they know how. They merely want you to bang your head to meat and potatoes death metal (tofu and potatoes, vegetarians). Centurian’s back and seeks to destroy your hearing, and they are capable of doing it with this album. www.centurian333.com