RUIN DWELLER

RUIN DWELLER     “Apocalyptic Ruin”

By Theron Moore

RUIN DWELLERmight be Madison Wisconsin's hardest working metal band in between lining up local gig after local gig and landing a coveted spot at the 2025 version of Milwaukee Metal Fest. The band recently released their six song EP “Apocalyptic Ruin” in October available now via the band's Facebook page, linktr.ee, and Bandcamp. 

“'Apocalyptic Ruin” is the band's fourth disc to date including their forthcoming platter of splatter “Ancient Ruin” (limited edition, 200 copies) set for digital & vinyl pre-order on their Bandcamp page. So, is 'Apocalyptic Ruin' a hit or miss? Hit. Big hit. Ever been smashed in the mouth with a golf club or baseball bat? Listening to this six song EP is like that. 

For the most part RUIN DWELLER are comin' atcha with a caveman-ish, chugging style of death metal which adds a very raw, very primal quality to the tracks on this disc. If you fused black metal-ish vocals against a wall of crunch, you have a good idea what to expect here. I haven't read any lyrics to their songs, but the music seems filled with creeping dread underscoring the sheer heaviness behind RUIN DWELLER which they wield like a battle axe. "Bestial Regression," is my favorite track on this record. It starts out fast with a classic filth / d-beat style giving the song a slight punk flare which meshes nicely with RUIN DWELLER’s already weighty sonic approach.

I've been a fan of RUIN DWELLER for quite some time and “Apocalyptic Ruin”, for me anyway, is their best offering to date. It's mature, it shows growth, and finds the band firing on every cylinder and then some. It's death metal served with a side of punk and a thrashy belt to the mouth. Patch this on, “Apocalyptic Ruin” needs to be added to your collection.

4/5 Stars

RUIN DWELLER