- Details
- Written by: Edvardsen
- Hits: 181

It's been fifteen years since Russian brutal death metallers Cranial Osteotomy blasted their vicious debut album out into the world. Victim Of Wicked Sickness was a violent, uncompromising statement of intent, a guttural slam fest that had underground aficionados hungry for the next Cranial slab of lust and disgust. However, after just a couple of demos and a single emerging under the Cranial Osteotomy banner since then, most will have given up hope…but at long, long last the comeback is on! Cranial Osteotomy have returned with their gargantuan second album, the skull crushing Vortex Of The Dark Knowledge!
The intervening years are forgiven and forgotten when intro 'Praecursor' lowers the listener into a darkness thick with portents of ill omen, the dread anticipation reaching fever pitch before the mutated beast that is 'Thanatomorpheus' drags its fearsome frame out of the shadows. From this moment on all is chaos, madness, violence…sickening riffs and machine gun bursts of blast beats, vocals that tear at your flesh like a ravenous beast sating the hunger of ages, gut wrenching bass and dark alleyways of hallucinatory horrors
From the colossal firepower of 'Structures Of Decadence Impurity' to the breathless, savage destruction of 'Cathedral Butchery Feast'; from 'Divine Desecration' where the sinister ghosts of melody bleed through the layers of pulverising riffs as the song builds to cataclysmic clashes like the peals of doom, to 'Vortex Of The Dark Knowledge' that still manages to shock with its power and intensity, despite all that has come before…on to the final annihilation of 'Scorched Diadem' where guitars perform intricate acts of dissection as the drums pound like world destroying war hammers…there is no peace, no mercy, no respite here - only unending nightmares and eternal damnation.
Mixed at Impulse Studios and mastered at Gravestone Studios and adorned in the infernal artwork of Marco Hasmann (Kraanium, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Vile etc), Vortex Of The Dark Knowledge will be unleashed by Comatose Music on July 10th. Cranial Osteotomy have returned and hell rides with them…

Track Listing:
1 - Praecursor
2 - Thanatomorpheus
3 - Hideous Monument Of Ambrosial Pulchritude
4 - Dipping Into Sombre Quagmire
5 - Structures Of Decadence Impurity
6 - Cathedral Butchery Feast
7 - Divine Desecration
8 - Obscenity Aeon
9 - Vortex Of The Dark Knowledge
10 - Scorched Diadem
For Fans Of:
Suffocation | Condemned | Skinless | Internal Bleeding
ONLINE
LINEUP
Vladislav Melnik - Drums
Vladimir Pomytkin - Guitar
Vad Moskalenko - Vocals/Guitar
Vitaliy Sturk - Bass
BIOGRAPHY/LOGO

Cranial Osteotomy is a Russian slam/brutal death metal band formed in 2009 in Omsk, Siberia. Emerging from the underground extreme metal scene, the band quickly established itself through a relentlessly aggressive sound rooted in the traditions of brutal death metal, while incorporating elements of slam to create a dense, punishing sonic identity.
From the beginning, Cranial Osteotomy focused on delivering uncompromising brutality—characterized by down-tuned, groove-heavy riffs, blast-driven drumming, and guttural, often grotesque vocal styles. Their lyrical themes revolve around gore, sickness, torment, and death, aligning them with the darker and more visceral side of the genre.
The band gained recognition within the international underground scene with their debut full-length album Victim of Wicked Sickness (2011), a release that showcased their raw intensity and cemented their reputation among fans of extreme and slam-oriented death metal. Over time, Cranial Osteotomy continued to refine their sound while maintaining the savage, unfiltered approach that defines their music.
Known for their unrelenting aggression and bleak atmosphere, the band’s compositions combine crushing guitar work, thunderous percussion, and a suffocating sense of brutality. Their music often explores the darkest aspects of human existence, delivering a cathartic yet disturbing listening experience that appeals to dedicated followers of extreme metal.
Remaining active since their formation, Cranial Osteotomy has built a loyal fanbase within the global death metal community. Through their dedication to extreme sound and uncompromising artistic direction, they continue to stand as a notable act within the Russian brutal death metal underground.
DISCOGRAPHY
Victim of Wicked Sickness - 2011
Vortex Of The Dark Knowledge - 2026
GENRE/COUNTRY
Slamming Brutal Death Metal/Brutal Death Metal
Russia

