Latvia is for me an unknown quantity musically apart from a melodic death metal band called Trendkill Method. This album comes from a far darker place. The short and concise track titles – “Black”, “Witch”, “Sinner” “Agony” etc – convey what this is: no nonsense, deep and purposefully heavy death metal with high dosages of black and doom-laden content.
What I particularly liked about “Holy Wrath” is its honesty. The continuous flow of rumbling death metal is oppressive but it is developing and hypnotic. There’s plenty of technical content and a faint hint of a groove in parts. At times I am reminded of Grave, at others of Entombed or Mayhem. There’s most definitely a rancid old school feel about this.
Anger and torture peer through the opener “Black” but while the guitar twists in its intriguing and anarchic way, the drum beat towers above it all, creating in total a creepy effect. For seconds, “Holy Wrath” slows down, not quite to the point of doom but enough to generate a sense of agony. The pace picks up and then leaves us behind. Another round of dark meanderings and an intense but controlled ending follow. They’ve made their point. Black metal in its rancid forcefulness can be found. It’s straightforward really, but then the patter changes with “Sinner” which grinds on remorselessly with its doomy death progression. “”Insanity” starts in similar funereal vein before cranking up to a pumping beat. The growls maintain a thread between the black and doom metal. It’s pretty dirty stuff. By contrast again “Son of the Winter” is pure death metal. It is cold, dark, sunless and most of all it is threatening. As if dragged back by mud, “Witch” progresses sludgily, occasionally breaking out but always returning to the land of grey struggle. There’s plenty going on instrumentally and what thee is adds to the pitiful painting. The uncompromising harshness of “Agony” which ends the album seems entirely appropriate.
It’s been done before but there’s good musicianship and a wealth of ideas here. Diseim don’t mess about. You can’t ask for more than that. This is a solid album.
6.5 / 10 Andrew Doherty
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