Album Review: Dichotomy – Lucifer Owns The Fence (Rottweiler Records)

‘Lucifer Owns the Fence’ is the debut album from Dichotomy, the new death metal solo project of Jordan Varela (Lust Of Decay, Shuriken Cadaveric Entwinement, ex-Lividity). Out July 3rd, 2026, via Rottweiler Records.

A man who knows death metal, especially the old-school kind, Jordan Varela and Rottweiler Records make a potent force, so it’s no real surprise that this album goes hard. From the moment He Is… causes carnage in vitriolic fashion, to the moment Satan Will Kill You bludgeons the mind senselessly, it’s harsh, hard, and so very heavy.

This is top notch death metal coming from an absolute pro, and with enough blackened edges to keep it sounding varied throughout. Jordan hasn’t just delved deeply into his own past and present, he’s leaned into his influences, and you’ll hear plenty throughout, especially if you’re looking in the direction of more ‘sinful’ acts.

The bar is set high with the opening blast of fiery aggression that is He Is.. and kept consistent throughout. There are some peaks, there are dips, but mostly, it’s an album that delivers exactly what it promises.

Which is harsh and horrible death metal sounds, and it’s hard to argue that tracks like The Antithesis, What a God, and The Fence deliver on all of this, and more. Of course, I’m preaching to the death metal choir here, and there’s nothing here that will change a naysayer’s mind. Although I do think you’d have to be a bit ignorant to not at least appreciate how much talent Jordan has.

I like death metal, and while bands plying an old-school trade aren’t always what I seek out, when it’s delivered like this, I’m fully on board. Being cracked over the head with fast and furious heaviness courtesy of Better to Be Drowned with a Millstone Around the Neck is never going to get old. Nor is being bloodied by The Perseverance, being bruised by The Greatest Lie Ever Told, and being wrecked by Through Christ We Live. Track after track of uncompromising aggression and ugliness. There’s really no better album summation than that.

Dichotomy – Lucifer Owns the Fence Track Listing:

1. He Is…
2. The Antithesis
3. What a God
4. The Fence
5. Better to Be Drowned with a Millstone Around the Neck
6. The Perseverance
7. The Greatest Lie Ever Told
8. Through Christ We Live
9. Satan Will Kill You

Links

Bandcamp | Facebook | Rottweiler Records