Fun fact: Broken Hope's Swamped in Gore debut was the first death metal album to be digitally recorded from start to finish. Over a quarter century later, the Chicago-based death merchants are readying their seventh studio effort, Mutilated and Assimilated, due June 23 through Century Media.

The record will feature 10 new songs (track listing below), which founding guitarist and lyricist Jeremy Wagner testified "are relentless and violent and dark and heavy — and ALL from a fresh and ferocious place we haven't shared before." The album was cut from the axeman's new studio and he also noted "the stellar work of engineering / producing Jedi, Scott Creekmore," adding "the production is on a sonic level like we've never had in our career."

"For me personally, I feel Mutilated and Assimilated is my own finest hour as a guitarist and lyricist since I formed this band as teenager. I've never felt this inspired before. The album has my strongest riffage to date, it also has [singer Damian] Leski riffage on a few songs, it has my best friends on it," Wagner added.

There's also a certain aura surrounding this release as Wagner, who had previously purchased six of late Slayer six-stringer Jeff Hanneman's personal guitars, used them to write and track Mutilated and Assimilated "in honor of his influence on [Wagner] AND the world of metal."

The album, featuring artwork by Wes Benscoter, will be released in a variety of formats, including limited edition CD + DVD Digipak (North America), special edition CD + DVD Digipak (Europe) and vinyl available in "Peeled Flesh" neon pink, "Antarctic" blue, black (limited) and transparent red (limited). All vinyl options are gatefold editions.

Broken Hope, Mutilated and Assimilated Track Listing

01. "The Meek Shall Inherit S--t"
02. "The Bunker"
03. "Mutilated and Assimilated"
04. "Outback Incest Clan"
05. "Malicious Meatholes"
06. "Blast Frozen"
07. "The Necropants"
08. "The Carrion Eaters"
09. "Russian Sleep Experiment"
10. "Hell's Handpuppets"
11. "Beneath Antarctic Ice"
12. "Swamped-In Gorehog"

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