To put it rather bluntly, Frog Mallet’s latest album is a filthy, groove-loaded leap forward that proves Frog Mallet's biggest weapon isn't the gimmick—it's the riffs.

When a band calls itself Frog Mallet, you already know subtlety drowned in the swamp long ago. The Boston outfit has always leaned into amphibian absurdity—weaponized memes, tongue-in-cheek song titles, and enough pond references to stock a biology textbook—but Consumed by Frogs proves the joke only works because the music hits like a cinder block.

This isn't novelty slam. It's slam that happens to be obsessed with frogs.

Following Dissection by Amphibian and the self-titled EP, the band has sharpened both its songwriting and production. Sean "Frog" McCormack handles guitars and vocals while Anton "Sledgehammer Salamander" Picchioni lays down drums and bass, and together they deliver thirty-plus minutes of groove-heavy brutality that rarely wastes a second.

The album barrels forward with "EAT BUG," immediately establishing the record's formula: knuckle-dragging slam riffs, hardcore bounce, and lyrics that are simultaneously ridiculous and oddly committed. The hooks are stupid in the best possible way—you'll catch yourself muttering "Eat bug" long after the song ends, questioning every life choice that brought you there.

Guest appearances are scattered throughout without feeling like stunt casting. Alexander Hall Kristensen joins the monstrous "Megalofrog," Bryan Whipple adds extra heft to "Internally Entombed," Sawyer Sadler helps turn "BFBD2" into one of the record's biggest beatdown moments, and Devin Alford's appearance on "The Phrogg" closes the album with crowbar-swinging amphibian insanity.

Tracks like "SNACK TIME" and "Boiled in a Pot" show Frog Mallet's biggest strength: they understand pacing. Rather than stacking breakdown after breakdown until everything blurs together, they let riffs breathe, throw in memorable grooves, then drop the floor out from under you when the slam finally lands. Even "Krungus Wungus The Humungus"—a title that sounds AI-generated after too many energy drinks—works because the band plays it with absolute conviction.

That's the secret to Frog Mallet. They never wink at the audience.

The lyrics are gloriously unhinged, but the musicianship is legitimate. The guitars have enough grime to satisfy old-school slam fans, the drums swing instead of simply blasting nonstop, and the production is thick without becoming an indistinct wall of mud. Everything feels designed to make a room full of people throw elbows rather than admire technical precision.

Perhaps the biggest surprise is how memorable Consumed by Frogs is. Plenty of modern slam records blur together after a few listens, but Frog Mallet understands the value of recognizable riffs and genuine song structures. Beneath all the swamp sludge and amphibian mythology are songs you can actually remember.

Early reactions from the death metal community echo that sentiment, with listeners praising it as a substantial step forward and noting that the band has evolved well beyond its novelty reputation.

If you demand absolute seriousness from your death metal, Frog Mallet probably won't convert you. But if you're willing to embrace a band that mixes crushing grooves, infectious songwriting, and unapologetic frog worship, Consumed by Frogs is one of the year's most entertaining slam releases.

Sometimes all death metal needs is a little more swamp.