I was going to kick off the next series of reviews with some of my favorite non-metal albums of 2024, but the other day I got a big box of new vinyl from a label I love (and love to gently chide): 20 Buck Spin. They are deservedly one of the darlings of the independent metal scene, and consistently have some of the best death metal (and now black metal with the latest from Hulder) released in any given year. But man do they have a type when it comes to their death metal, and over time I’ve suffered more than a little fatigue from the similarities both in sound and visual presentation. Despite that, I’ve heard a lot of great things from their recent releases which were all covered over at Nine Circles¹, so I broke down and picked up their latest three big 2024 releases. We’re starting with the one I’m least familiar with: Los Angeles’s Civerous and their rotted sophomore record, and debut for 20 Buck Spin, Maze Envy.

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