Release Date May 29th, 2026
Format CD/LP/Tape
Genre Grindcore Death Metal
Origin Japan
Pharmacist was formed in Japan in early 2020 by the duo of Pharmacist (guitars, bass, vocals) and Therapeutist (drums). Coming out fast and loud, the band dropped the EP “Forensic Pathology Jurisprudence” shortly after formation, then followed it up with the debut full-length “Medical Renditions Of Grinding Decomposition” in August of the same year, planting its flag in old-school death metal and gore-drenched grindcore in the tradition of early Carcass and Pathologist. The next year was a relentless outpour of splits, singles, and EPs, eventually culminating in the second full-length, “Flourishing Extremities On Unspoiled Mental Grounds”. Hells Headbangers picked that record up for a vinyl release in early 2023, laying the groundwork for what would become the band's third album, “Vertebrae After Vertebrae”.
After an extended absence, Pharmacist returns with their third full-length on Hells Headbangers, and "Vertebrae After Vertebrae" makes one thing immediately obvious. The band hasn't used the downtime to grow more progressive or experimental. This is a tighter, rawer, more
stripped-back version of what they've always done, pulling the focus squarely back to the immediate, gut-level impact of early material like "Medical Renditions Of Grinding Decomposition."
What separates this record from a simple rehash is the deliberate songwriting. Each of the seven tracks has its own shape and character, moving between tempos with enough variation to keep things from blurring together. The slower breakdowns are particularly effective, as they don't just exist to give your neck a rest but actually add to the brutality by letting the riffs breathe for a second before crashing back in. Small melodic moments are peppered throughout, not to soften anything but to sharpen the contrast with the grinding core that surrounds them.
The production, handled again by VoidLab in Tokyo, is everything this kind of music calls for. Raw without being swampy, punishing without losing detail. The mix hits with the force it needs to. Adam Medford's cover artwork stays true to the gross, surreal aesthetic the band has built its visual identity around, and it fits the music's disposition without trying to oversell it.
The references that surface across "Vertebrae After Vertebrae" range wide, from the death/thrash growls of Kreator and Vio-lence to the gore-soaked ground of Death and Gorgasm, but they never overwhelm the Pharmacist sound. You recognize the bloodlines without the band disappearing into them. That's a harder balance to strike than it looks.
Seven tracks, just over 37 minutes, no wasted space. This is the catchiest and most direct Pharmacist has sounded, and for this style, that's not a minor thing. It doesn't reach for anything it can't grab, which means it earns everything it lands. A solid, satisfying slab of goregrind that comes in, makes a gory mess, and leaves stench behind.
|7.5
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