"I thoroughly enjoyed the head-ramming, head-bobbing, adrenaline-triggering metal displayed on this Wisconsin band’s 2016 album, Evolution of Evil. I didn’t expect they’d be back so soon, but here they are with a new three-track EP named The Ascension, which will be released on August 18. Earlier this week Metal Underground premiered a lyric video for one of those tracks, “Lilith“.

I think the drum and bass assault in this song loosened the fillings in my molars. I think the vocalist set himself on fire before grabbing the mic in the studio. I think the guitarists jammed live power lines into their necks when they cooked up these riffs and solos. When you listen, you might think you’re having a seizure. And who doesn’t enjoy that?" - No Clean Singing

"Back in 2016 Wisconsin death groove outfit Casket Robbery burst onto the scene with their debut full length, Evolution of Evil. Powered by the crushing riffs of Cory Scheider and unreal vocals of front man Dustin Foesch the band was an instant hit. Taking aim on the USA, they crossed their homeland with their companions Disappearance until struggling down an unfortunate road that would see the band break with the entire lineup, save for Scheider. Fortunately for Casket die hards, Scheider refused to let the band wither and die. Casket returns in 2017 with The Ascension.

‘The Ascension’ kicks things off with a deep, dark style that we’ve come to expect from the likes of Casket Robbery. Charging riffs, chugging bass and bone crunching beats start things off with a distinctively death metal sound. A hypnotic mini-solo opens the gate to the gnarly death growls of new vocalist Megan Orvold and what a change this is. As much as I loved Foesch on vocals, Orvold brings a whole new level of evil to the band – the ability to growl your highs gets my horns up high. All in all, this one is a real head banger. It’s brutally heavy but has enough groove and atmosphere to cross over into the realm of black metal making for one hell of a good start. And though the song has a great fadeout with the lead guitar screeching over the echo of church bells I felt like something was missing.

After the haunting beatdown that was ‘The Ascension’ I was revved up for more and ‘Lilith’ doesn’t disappoint. This is a death metal ass kicking! Fast and loud drum beats echo in your ear, especially the charging assault of the bass drum. The nonstop barrage of heavy and I mean heavy riffs gets my head banging and then there’s the lead guitar. Good god is this head spinning! Not only does the lead guitar continue the haunting atmosphere of ‘The Ascension’ there is a supremely shreddy solo thrown seamlessly into the fray – things just got serious! And then there’s the vocals – as much as I miss Foesch, Orvold is unbelievable as a death metal front woman. She’s got the rage, the depth and the power of the best death metal vocalists and that’s no lie. This chick can growl!

Finishing off this extended play is ‘Pockets.’ Though not the battle anthem that was ‘Lilith’ this track keeps the adrenaline pumping and my fists in the air. Cory Scheider’s signature death groove is ever present in his riffs and shrieking of the lead guitar adds so much to the band’s sound. What really rocks this tune alone is the expert use of synths. Though they’re only prominent at the beginning and the end, they can be heard subtly though out the track adding a nice touch of atmosphere. And then there’s that brief but haunting use of a choir to give this song just a tinge of black metal. All in all, this was a great way to end Casket Robbery’s first official release with their new lineup.

I’ve been a fan of Casket Robbery since first meeting Cory Scheider during his time in Mercy Isle. Every time I saw them play they rocked the house and blew the headliner out of the water. Evolution of Evil was a groundbreaking album for modern American death metal and The Ascension is a worthy successor. Though the band has replaced nearly all of their “Evolution” lineup the band has reemerged stronger and more brutal than ever. My only complaint is that it’s only three tracks. Hopefully Scheider and company crank out a full length quickly. 9.5/10" - Metal At The Gates

"The heavier subgenres of metal have been making a huge advance in the last few years. With bands such as Lamb Of God and Devil Driver thriving in the fold, one can easily forgive the advent of so many new bands, and it would be even easier to lose the good ones in the mess. Casket Robbery is just one of those bands you shouldn’t lose.

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that I sort of turn my ears off to most- not all- bands of this nature. I like a bit of sugar in my cereal. That said, There are quite a few bands than are like really hot, dangerous women. You know it’s wrong but god damn do you wanna be all over it. Such was the case when I listened to Casket Robbery’s upcoming EP The Ascension. The short version, it’s like hot, sweaty, sonic hatefucking, in the best way.

Madison, Wisconsin- based Casket Robbery have been around since 2011, recently replacing their vocalist Dustin Foesch with Megan Orvold, of the Madison band Disappearance, and quickly recorded their new EP. That not so subtle move from male to female vocalist has, effectively, changed their game, bringing them into the light along side bands like Arch Enemy and Kittie (their early work), an accolade not easily obtained in this music industry.

You’ll hear tones of Chimaira in Orvold’s throaty screams, along with earsplitting guitars from Cory and Troy. A clear exemplar of this is the EP’s third track, “Lillith”. The whole EP is, in itself, unrelenting, but this track is just MASSIVE!

What I really like about The Ascension is that it’s produced well without being overproduced, which can probably be accredited to the band’s time table of getting new music out with Orvold on it in time for their summer tour (which they just completed). To that end, while they might have worked quickly on this, they clearly had a vision for where they wanted it to go, because you don’t get the sense that it was rushed, or that key points in the production or arrangement were left out. While I have never been a fan of one set of ears taking on both roles, Gabe Fry did a fantastic job mixing and mastering.

With that said, if there’s one gripe I have (and it’s a small one), it’s that there isn’t much dynamic in the vocals. While I understand the sort of monotone scream is a staple of heavy stuff like this, I can’t help my roots; Megan is an extremely talented singer, and I would welcome some different elements in her delivery.

Having seen the band play (and played shows with them), I could easily, and would love to see this band on tour with a major headliner like Periphery or Lamb Of God. If they keep playing their cards right, they will. And if they come to your city, you’ll be doing your metal loving ears a disservice by missing out.

The Ascension comes out on August 18th. Do yourself a favor and get it."

FFO: Arch Enemy, Devil Driver, Periphery, Chimaira

Genre: Death Metal

Bloodrock Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0 axes - Bloodrock Media

"My head is full of pointless knowledge. Well pointless to others but not to me. I find it highly useful. But sometimes there is a fuck up my memory bank and everything gets confused. Like with CASKET ROBBERY. The name sounds so familiar that I wonder if I have heard or done something with them before but when I search my mind I don’t seem to find anything sustainable about them yet when I search battlehelm.com I find that I interviewed them back in 2016. That’s how fucked up my mind is. But I am thankful that I get to review their new EP because this is pretty awesome metal. Borderline death and thrash and heavy metal this is an amalgamation of styles made cool. It is heavy as hell yet not annoyingly boring. There is always something happening that makes you take notice. And music that activates you is good music to my ears." - Anders Ekdahl - Battle Helm

"Casket Robbery are a band from Madison, Wisconsin that has been featured before in this zine and plays a groove orientated form of brutal death metal and this is a review of their self released 2017 ep "The Ascension" which will be released in August.

Horror movie style samples start off the ep along with some death metal growls and heavy riffing a few seconds later that also adds in elements of groove while the riffs also add in a small amount of melody at times and when guitar solos and leads are utilized they are done in a very dark yet melodic fashion.

All of the musical instruments have a very powerful sound to them and melodic vocals can also be heard briefly and a small amount of blast beats can be heard while the main focus is on a mid paced style and the music also has an atmospheric touch at times while also always remaining very heavy and brutal.

Casket Robbery creates another recording that remains true to the brutal groove orientated style of death metal from previous releases, the production sounds very professional for being a self released recording while the lyrics cover occultism, serial killers and gore themes along with a concept to them.

In my opinion this is another great sounding recording from Casket Robbery and if you are a fan of groove orientated death metal, you should check out this ep. RECOMMENDED TRACK "Lilith". " 8 out of 10. - Extreme Metal Zine Blog

"A lot of the time, metal being “legitimate” or “artistic” means that it incorporates non-metal influences and discusses non-metal subject matters. Which is fine — nothing like convincing yourself that you’re using your BA while you pound Kentucky Gentleman in the back of Hi-Dive. But sometimes, you just want some creepy, gory death metal about slicing someone open and/or eating them.

The problem, however, is that too often this takes the form of some overdone death metal or slamcore, and the murderous lyrics feel a little too bitter towards women to be fun and sp0oky (think every song by Devourment).

But Madison, WI’s Casket Robbery bring the slasher flick horror in spades with “Pray For Death,” a song that sounds more like the Kill guy looks than any song on Kill (well, except maybe “Death Walking Terror”), and they don’t come across as total cretins while doing it. The track is big and bouncy and has an awesome Haunted Mansion-y guitar lead at its center. All of the lyrics are about the blade and killing someone with it, but never start calling that victim a “cunt” or “whore” or whatever. This track may not kill fascists, but it’s pretty good at butchering wayward teenagers surrounded by inexplicable mist, and sometimes that’s all you need." - Emperor Rhombus - Metal Sucks

"...lyrically coherent...immacuately crafted riffs, and alien melodies"
-Decibel Magazine - Decibel

“...packed with jolting grooves, weaponized drumming, bleak melodies, and face-shredding vocals, and it includes a notable guest appearance by former Warbringer guitarist John Laux. This is head-ramming, head-bobbing, adrenaline-triggering metal."
-No Clean Singing - No Clean Singing

"Casket Robbery have a refreshing sound, setting them apart from their peers…This is a solid album with a good balance of brutality, groove and harmony.  If you like early 90’s heavy metal, think Pantera “Far Beyond Driven” era you should love Casket Robbery. 4.5 out of 5.”
-Loud Stuff  - LOUD STUFF

"Many death metal bands try to emulate their heroes ... while others brazen their own path...And I will definitely be shocked if Casket Robbery are not on a top 10 list by then end of 2016. 9 out of 10”
-Taste of Khaos - Taste of Khaos

"The Ascension EP the latest release from CASKET ROBBERY. It is the follow up to last year’s debut album and is their first release with an almost entirely new line up. Bringing in new members can often be tough for bands but and with effectively the entire band being new, this EP is almost a rebirth for CASKET ROBBERY. So are they able to pick up where the previous line up left off?

Immediately any fears over the new members not being able to deliver are put to rest. Opening track Pockets Lined With Flowers does a great job of showcasing the talents of vocalist Megan Orvold. The music is still punishingly heavy and packed with grooves as well. The slight touches of atmospheric moments help give the EP a darker sound as well.

The title track is more of a slower stompy number really centred around grooves. The EP feels less focused on technicality and more on delivering straight up brutality. Lilith closes out the EP and is arguably its strongest track. It incorporates a few more guitar melodies which contrast nicely against the unrelenting heaviness of the riffs. The focus on this track does shift more towards technicality with a nice solo used in the middle.

Clocking in at just over 10 minutes with only three tracks this is a very short taster from CASKET ROBBERY. But as an introduction to the new line up it certainly does the job. These tracks demonstrate a more ambitious side to the band and even with guitarist Cory Scheider being the only remaining original member, it doesn’t feel like a huge departure from what came before. They’ve just taken the elements that worked in the past and aimed to expand and refine them. Megan Orvold in particular deserves a lot of praise for her brilliant vocal performance, she never comes across like a generic death metal vocalist and her personality really shines through.

The Ascension will no doubt appeal to fans of CASKET ROBBERY but also might be their best release for pulling in new comers. The production feels incredibly modern without sounding too clean and losing any of the darkness. Considering it would have been easy for Cory Scheider to let the band die after the line up departed, but this new line up have proven themselves to be very impressive. It wouldn’t be surprising if the full length follow up to this EP really helps CASKET ROBBERY rise up the death metal ranks.

Rating: 7/10" - Distorted Sound Magazine

Here it is folks, the moment you've all been waiting for, the BAND TO BAND COMBAT Top 25. These 25 artists will appear on Combat Records compilation COMBAT BULLETS Vol. 1.0, in stores this Spring, alongside Combat artists including Marc Rizzo, Raven, Helstar, WRATH, Dead By Wednesday and more!

Bullets is available NOW for pre-order at the following link: http://empmerch.com/product/combat-bulletsvol-1/
(The first 100 copies will come with a FREE limited edition BULLETS poster!)

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BAND TO BAND COMBAT: TOP 25

Insinnerator
51,671 Votes

Salvación
45,452 Votes

At Home In Hell
32,389 Votes

The Venting Machine
32,127 Votes

Midnite Hellion
31,986 Votes

Psykotribe
30,307 Votes

Mynas-official
28,777 Votes

Absolute Threshold
27,370 Votes

Diabology
26,632 Votes

JUDGEMENTAL
26,173 Votes

Riot/Gear
25,617 Votes

Fatal Malady
24,655 Votes

THROW THE GOAT
24,013 Votes

Dead Atlantic
22,510 Votes

Disareyen
19,373 Votes

Slor
19,355 Votes

Casket Robbery
19,294 Votes

A HANGING
18,859 Votes

SmackFactor
18,214 Votes

Rear Naked Choke
18,205 Votes

Crisis King
18,084 Votes

Mammothor
17,823 Votes

Riverside Odds
17,804 Votes

Take The Day
17,659 Votes

Anialator
17,441 Votes - Combat Records

Tracklist:
Dead By Wednesday - Live Again (f/ Brian Fair)
Even The Dead Love A Parade- Morphine Queen
Arise in Chaos - The Divine
Solus Deus – Immovable
Urn – Silently, I’m Still Screaming
S7N Band – Blackout
Sardis – Satisfied
Revilwen – Lead
Psykotribe – Live Evil
NonHuman Era – Hollow Point
Mutilated By Zombies – Maggot Bath
Machinage – Voices
Grüzer – The Accessory
Ditchwater – Blister
Casket Robbery – Annibelle’s Hell
Toothless – Ennui
Abertooth Lincoln – Dreamy Kids
Evil Engine - Father
Unicorn Death – Doomed By The Inquisition
Incarcehated - Nightmare Reality - EMP Label Group