Review: Vanishing Grasp – Pang of Phantom Self

Review by Sandre the Giant Released: 8th May 2026 The debut release from one man Minnesotan death metal project Vanishing Grasp, ‘Pang of Phantom Self’ is being released through Rotted Life Records, and is the brainchild of Andy Schoengrund who has done work in loads of underground bands such as Unsouling, Feral Light and Wolvhammer in his time. That gives me a lot of hope for what I’m likely to find in this record, as those are some bands I can definitely recommend checking out. ‘Pang of Phantom Self’ is out now. A delightfully raw and guttural gut punch of rotting old death metal meets you at the opening of ‘Primordial Reconstruction’, with any number of eerie guitar lines and atmospheric touches making the song feel even more unsettling. Vanishing Grasp are a very nuanced death metal band, relying on old fashioned brutality in equal amounts with deft, dynamic songwriting that prioritises just the right level of experimentalism. There are creepy ambient parts (‘Prelude’) that feel…