Album Review: Warside – Cognitive Extinction

Band: Warside
Title: Cognitive Extinction
Label: Gruesome Records
Release date: April 17th, 2026
Country: France
Format reviewed: High-Quality Digital Recording

Album Review: Warside – Cognitive Extinction via Gruesome Records by Sílvia

I must say… I wasn’t ready for this! I just saw the band labeled as death metal, and as I had been the entire day listening to different bands of this genre, I still wanted a bit more. It was late at night, and it was going to be one of those sleepless nights. You know, metal is the best of the lullabies, right? I was also rambling through the promos sent to our zine in order to find something for my next review. But what entered my ears just after pressing “play” was a big display of brutality. It amazed me so much that I had to listen to it again… and postpone going to sleep, of course.

This album doesn’t go with subtleties. First track, “Mind Fracture”, seems to give it all in terms of brutality, with pulverising drums, all those infectious riffs and bestial growls. It’s like a huge nuclear explosion that devastates everything in its path, leaving the listener exhausted. But, don’t worry because the level of intensity is maintained all through the album, so… be ready for more.

It’s not only about delivering brutality with an insanely fast face, it’s also about technical skills, and believe me these four musicians in Warside have plenty of them. There’s room for a few brilliant guitar solos, some low and deep resonant bass passages, and in the closing theme there’s a real sensation of ending: the last part of the song is like a farewell, played at a slower pace, and the guitar solo sounds a bit like a lament, and it gives way to a heartbreaking speech that marks the end of it all.

What blows my mind the most is, without diminishing the other musicians, the drummer’s work: he is fast as a machine gun, and what a level of coordination! Besides his frantic speed delivering beats and pressing the double bass pedal, the way he grinds all the elements of his kit, with constant changes and excellent precision, keeps me in awe.

The artwork of this album also caught my attention: the dark and horrific image of a skull surrounded by what seems to be the flesh peeled off it, with all the teeth and a trickle of blood dripping from them; and more things I don’t identify, but this disgusting view made it for me. The artist is Jesus Lhysta (Rotted Artist), from Venezuela, an experienced illustrator in this kind of art.

These 8 tracks grind your brain as you listen to them. The sound is massive, pure destruction. There’s no mercy… 9/10

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9/10 Epic Storm
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