Oh crikey, the darkness is vibrating, bringing with it the death screams of multiple realities collapsing inward. Or at least thats what goes through my head, when listening to French madmen Deathspell Omega. Yes indeed, these purveyors of perverse dissonance haven been kick around for a good while now, steadily releasing acclaimed nightmare after acclaimed nightmare through patented brand of microtonal abuse. Now at near legendary status, it’s safe to say that the enigmatic entity known as DSO have cast a corrupting shadow across extreme metal, spawning similar depravities in their wake such as Dodecahedron and Ars Magna Umbrae. Following up on The Synarchy Of Molten Bones, Deathspell Omega are set to unleash their newest monstrosity, The Furnaces Of Palingenesia, making it their seventh to date. What more is there to say? Come, the abyss calls…..
Huge chords and clashing melodies ensnare us in DSO’s malefic grip, bolstered by the humming of pulsing synths and gurgling rasps of Finnish (and sketchy) vocalist Mikko Aspa. The dread filled prelude of Neither Meaning Nor Justice is but a pleasant dream for the nightmare that follows, manifesting in the claustrophobic blasting of The Fires Of Frustration. This is prime DSO, discordant leads bouncing off the rumbling rhythm section, before being forced into order at the behest of their masters. Dense walls of guitars and blast beats follow, only the faintest traces of something resembling a tangible melody managing to manifest above the maelstrom. Ad Arma! Ad Arma! notes fall on one another, constantly shifting and giving the song an almost amorphous quality, it’s bulk heaving and contorting with unsettling grace. Splinters Form Your Mother’s Spine is almost impenetrable, intentionally difficult and intimidating for any willing to discern its pandemonic murk. It forcibly vacates all other thought, making this work of analysis even more arduous to type.
It never lets up, the malaise of madness only thickening on Imitatio Del. There’s some chugging here and there, acting as the only solid foothold amongst the chaos. And then the doom laden 1523 forcibly breathes air into my suffocated lungs, eternally grateful for the reprieve that it offers. But far the most melodic track thus far, it nevertheless fits well into the overall flow of The Furnaces Of Palingenesia. It ends with Sacrificial Theopathy, cluttered complexity in full force but entrancing and engrossing at the same time. It also marks a change in key, moving down from D to C which continues on the slightly more straightforward Standing On The Work Of Slaves. Whilst the introductory bass shows hints of groove though this is merely a ruse, as all manner eldritch terror soon slithers forth. Renegade Ashes introduces some disembodied chanting, as if things weren’t harrowing enough already, only intensifying on Absolutist Regeneration with its abyssal howls.
You Cannot Even Find the Ruins… ushers in the albums end, by which point I am left a broken man, crushed both physically and spiritually. A pitiless elegy to a pointless existence, a funeral dirge to the worlds downfall and the perfect way to close The Furnaces Of Palingenesia.
There isn’t much that I can already say in regards to Deathspell Omega’s latest horror, the majority of my words have already been stripped, raped and strangled from my mouth. The Furnaces Of Palingenesia is the blasphemous perpetrator, the infernal accuser and the nihilistic oppressor. And I? I am just another victim. Great stuff. 8/10Vulture: Ghastly Waves And Battered Graves (Metal Blade Records) [Scott]
This album, as you would expect is fast and heavy. But unlike some bands, they still sound like its a human performance. Every song is played with precision, but with taste and personality. However this album like many others, suffers from problems that other thrash bands tend to suffer with. The songs, all things considered, sound a bit "samey". By that I mean on my own first listen, I had a hard time from telling the tracks apart. Almost all the riffs had that tremolo, fast sound to them. I know some of you will say "Well that's the point isn't it?" but as I said a lot of thrash albums riffs tend to sound the same. But that is really one small little nick that I had on this great album. Great haunting vocals, awe-inspiring dualing solos and pounding drums. What's not to like? 8/10
Act Of Destruction: Beyond Eternity (Self Released) [Rich]
Act Of Destruction are a melodic death metal band from Illinois with Beyond Eternity being the new self released EP by the band and their first release since their debut album Extinction in 2015. Although a short EP comprised of only five songs it is definitely quality over quantity as this is a little cracker of a release. Their core melodic death metal sound is heavily infused with the stylings of traditional heavy metal, power metal and progressive metal. Throughout I could hear influences and similarities from and to bands such as Nevermore, Symphony X, Into Eternity, Wintersun and Devin Townsend so basically this EP is full of things I like. This was reflected by the grin on my face whilst listening from the opening onslaught of Eternal Combustion to the catchy immediateness of Spiritual Infinity to the progressive epicness of Starkblast. This is a fabulous EP which is highly recommended for those who love their metal heavy and furious but with plenty of melody, emotion and depth. Great stuff! 8/10
Vovk: Lair (Self Released) [Matt]
Lair is the debut album from Ukrainian prog stoner band Vovk, it's a complicated record with a number of genres throughout it. Lair kicks off with the spacey Endless Waterfall, built around some bubbling basslines, that beckon the echoes of Hawkwind and Syd Barrett Pink Floyd with it's otherworldly nature and desert rock sound that is intercut with occasional flare of post-hardcore. Endless Waterfall is a track that brings you into this record with your mind wide open which is paid off on Ancient Times which blends twitchy math-rock with snot-nosed punk before the ambient bass throb returns. The bass and vocals of Oleksandr Kuts are the key components of this record especially on the slightly sludgy Something a song that is so down tuned it will rattle you walls, in the middle section of the song drummer Dmytro Krasnenkov breathes life into it, along with the tribal Forest. With an engine room like a truck it's up to guitarist Oleksii Chervoniak, to fill in the gaps adding more riffs but also cleaner noodling passages. Lair is a complicated beast heaviness mixes with progressive textures for a melting pot of post-hardcore, prog and Sabbath stoner, My Own Private Thoughts even has the "My Eyes Are Blind But I Can See" repeated in it. An assault on the senses Lair is a great debut album. 7/10
Act Of Destruction: Beyond Eternity (Self Released) [Rich]
Act Of Destruction are a melodic death metal band from Illinois with Beyond Eternity being the new self released EP by the band and their first release since their debut album Extinction in 2015. Although a short EP comprised of only five songs it is definitely quality over quantity as this is a little cracker of a release. Their core melodic death metal sound is heavily infused with the stylings of traditional heavy metal, power metal and progressive metal. Throughout I could hear influences and similarities from and to bands such as Nevermore, Symphony X, Into Eternity, Wintersun and Devin Townsend so basically this EP is full of things I like. This was reflected by the grin on my face whilst listening from the opening onslaught of Eternal Combustion to the catchy immediateness of Spiritual Infinity to the progressive epicness of Starkblast. This is a fabulous EP which is highly recommended for those who love their metal heavy and furious but with plenty of melody, emotion and depth. Great stuff! 8/10
Vovk: Lair (Self Released) [Matt]
Lair is the debut album from Ukrainian prog stoner band Vovk, it's a complicated record with a number of genres throughout it. Lair kicks off with the spacey Endless Waterfall, built around some bubbling basslines, that beckon the echoes of Hawkwind and Syd Barrett Pink Floyd with it's otherworldly nature and desert rock sound that is intercut with occasional flare of post-hardcore. Endless Waterfall is a track that brings you into this record with your mind wide open which is paid off on Ancient Times which blends twitchy math-rock with snot-nosed punk before the ambient bass throb returns. The bass and vocals of Oleksandr Kuts are the key components of this record especially on the slightly sludgy Something a song that is so down tuned it will rattle you walls, in the middle section of the song drummer Dmytro Krasnenkov breathes life into it, along with the tribal Forest. With an engine room like a truck it's up to guitarist Oleksii Chervoniak, to fill in the gaps adding more riffs but also cleaner noodling passages. Lair is a complicated beast heaviness mixes with progressive textures for a melting pot of post-hardcore, prog and Sabbath stoner, My Own Private Thoughts even has the "My Eyes Are Blind But I Can See" repeated in it. An assault on the senses Lair is a great debut album. 7/10
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