About

James Doom, TP Darko, Genoveve Ann, Aeon Trujillo, Samuel Brown

(From left to right: James Doom, TP Darko, Genoveve Ann, Aeon Trujillo, Samuel Brown) Photo by: Erik Molina 

 

DEATH BENEFITS is a slamming death metal band forged in the isolation and chaos of the 2020 COVID pandemic. Based in Las Cruces, New Mexico, the group delivers a crushing blend of brutal riffs, guttural vocals, and haunting atmospheres, channeling themes of death, grief, the afterlife, and inner rage with raw emotional weight and unflinching intensity.

Current Lineup

  • Genoveve Navarro – lead vocals & keys | ferocious presence and melodic darkness

  • Samuel Brown – founder, lead guitar | technical, relentless, architect of the band’s sound

  • Jesse J. Vargas “James Doom” – rhythm guitar, co-founder | tone craftsman and sonic backbone

  • Thompson Peratrovich “TP Darko” – bass | thick low-end devastation

  • Joseph “Aeon” Trujillo – drums, co-founder | the rhythmic heartbeat of DEATH BENEFITS

Releases & Evolution

DEATH BENEFITS released their self-titled debut EP on Christmas Day 2021, establishing the band’s signature formula: slamming riffs, crushing breakdowns, and an atmosphere steeped in grief, spirituality, and existential dread.

They followed the EP with three standalone singles that marked key milestones:

Their momentum surged when the single “536” unexpectedly took off on TikTok, pulling in more than 50,000 streams across platforms and expanding their reach far beyond the Southwest.

Founded by Samuel Brown and Aeon Trujillo in the early days of the pandemic — with James Doom joining shortly afterward to complete the original trio — the band weathered several lineup changes before solidifying around their most focused, crushing incarnation with the arrival of Genoveve and TP.

Recognition & Live Presence

Their growing presence in the Southwest metal scene has earned them notable recognition, including being named Best Rock Band by the Las Cruces Bulletin in 2022 and consistently placing in the publication’s Top 3 every year since.

Their live shows are punishingly heavy — baritone guitars tuned to subterranean lows, bass thick enough to rattle the room, and an intensity that hits like a shockwave. They’ve headlined two of the three Southwest Metal Festivals in their hometown, leveled underground venues and bars across the Las Cruces/El Paso area, and remain relentless in pushing their creative and live limits.

 

DEBUT ALBUM — RECENTLY DECEASED

Released November 2nd, 2025 (Dia De Los Muertos)

Recently Deceased marks the earth-shattering full-length debut of DEATH BENEFITS — ten tracks of unrelenting brutality from a band carved straight from the Southwest metal underground. Fueled by suffocating heaviness, explosive speed, and monstrous vocal force, the album showcases a band fully in control of its chaos from the first hit.

Blending the ferocity of traditional death metal with the bone-splintering impact of modern slam, Recently Deceased delivers thunderous drums, cavernous growls, and razor-edged riffs that collide with surgical precision. Every track is designed to hit with catastrophic weight — from collapsing mid-tempo slams to blast-driven assaults meant to overwhelm the senses.

The album explores themes of death, darkness, spiritual decay, and the brutal truths of human existence, all performed with ruthless intent and atmospheric depth. Years of dedication, lineup shifts, setbacks, and late-night writing sessions culminate in a debut that feels both inevitable and undeniable.

Now available on all major streaming platforms, Recently Deceased cements DEATH BENEFITS as a rising force in extreme music — dark, heavy, and impossible to ignore.