DISGUISED MALIGNANCE (Finland) - Entering The Gateways (new LP copy; not sealed) (2023) Released by Prosthetic Records on Red/Black Opaque Melt vinyl. 
For such a young band, it’s mind-blowing how many things DISGUISED MALIGNANCE got right on their first attempt. At 34 minutes long, Entering The Gateways is easily digestible, and the songwriting prowess and progression across the runtime make it nearly infinitely re-playable. 
The production is just amazing; it’s easily one of the best-sounding records you'll hear all year. Everything is so clear and audible, and yet there’s still an overwhelming heft—due in no small part to the incredible bass performance by songwriter, Aatos Palmu—that suits the album’s malevolent payload perfectly. This combination of nasty Death Metal songwriting and killer production reminds me an awful lot of one of my personal favorite modern OSDM bands, Mortiferum.
Entering The Gateways is a clinic on how to perform Old School Death Metal with a light progressive glaze. Born from their youthful innocence, this debut is more than enough for people to sit up and take notice of what they’ve accomplished and like all great inaugural records, it will act as a spring board for more to come. 
In a year glutted with memorable albums, these eight tracks will absolutely make their presence known for all the right reasons.  --  Prosthetic Records – PROS106101