Warside - Cognitive Extinction

Warside – Cognitive Extinction
Release Date: 17th April 2026
Label: Gruesome Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Death Metal
FFO: Dying Fetus, Vomitory, Misery Index.
Review By: Mark Young

In their own words, Warside have noted that the addition of new blood to the team has resulted in a rawer and more direct sound. From a personal perspective, I’m hoping that this is a true statement, something that just flays the flesh from you. In a nice way, obviously.

I’m happy to report that they live up to this with a suitably brutal collection of death metal that delivers on a number of fronts, and as result goes a long way to making good on their promise of this being a raw statement. The flaying begins with Mind Fracture, hitting the ground running with chainsaw intent and a performance on the drums that needs to be examined by those who wish to drum at this level. It’s a brutally effective start, a condensed opening salvo that leaves you in no doubt as to what this band want to do and just runs into Synaptic Decay, which continues with the idea touted by Mind Fracture: Keep moving forward at all times, keep brutal and above all bring the riffs. That is basically it, its death metal played with one eye on those who came before without being a carbon copy of those bands. If you were to give it a descriptor, I’d call it the scorched earth approach. Fans of this genre will be buoyed by the fact they don’t take a backward step at any point here.

Neurocide starts breathlessly, giving no quarter and expecting none in return. Looking to how these three land effectively sets my review in motion; There is no skipping these tracks, which is the same with the later songs; Invasive Thoughts hits like classic Vader, the drumming again being a masterclass in brutality and awareness, Visceral is just a hands-down belter with a mazy riff structure that is underpinned by that superlative drumming. I appreciate that we come for the guitars (generally) but you have to take your hat off here, this is quality.

Cognitive Extinction is the closing chapter and any thoughts you may have had that they would slow, throw a ballad in, break out the acoustic guitars can be jettisoned. It starts like its opening the show, flying at pace, keeping the intensity at that high level until the end. Its 27 minutes of in your face, savage death metal that proves that there is still things to say in this genre. With a bit of luck they will make their way over here at some point because I get the feeling that Warside will be killer live!