Japanese doom/death metal you say? Count me in! I tried to research this band but information on them is like gold dust… However, they have been making music since back in 1995, an impressive 6 album releases before this one and a shed-load of split cd’s. Influenced by bands such as Autopsy, Bathory and Celtic Frost…. They can’t be that shabby!
The album starts with ‘Here Comes Perdition’ with some plane sound effects as an intro. Then on with some meaty black metal styled riffs, further on come the drums, full of doom! As the track heads towards the middle section, the vocals make an appearance, think Satan sat on the shitter screaming and trying to squeeze one out. That’s what it sounds like!! Fantastic stuff!!
‘Hellbringer’ has an odd southern sludge feel to it, yet maintaining the black/death metal roots. Then there’s ‘The Colossal Hole’. A beefy feast of bending riffs and insane growls and then there’s what can only be described as a weird solo in the middle, deranged and thought provoking.
No sign of the pace chilling out with ‘No Saviour’. The tempo gets faster and the guitar gets crunchier. Then there’s the solo. Again it’s dark, gloomy and purely imaginative!
Personally I think, ‘Rotten Disciples’ is a brilliant track, the vomiting noise at the beginning and the old school sounds, the growls, together with a kick-ass bunch of riffs, I definitely could see myself rocking out to this one. Do you even rock out to doom metal?
‘Dishuman’ is a little samey to the previous tracks if I’m honest. However, after a few beers in a mosh pit nobody is going to notice. The only difference on this is the riffs are a little catchier. Oh and there’s some Zakk Wylde styled pinch harmonics making a little appearance. Onto ‘The Unhallowed Tide’ in which I found the feedback noise in the middle along with those deep bass lines quite a treat and would fit perfectly as a soundtrack to a gore horror film.
Last but not least ‘Tormentopia’ an interesting song title choice. I always wonder with albums, whether you should start with your best track or end with it? In this case, they’ve definitely ended on a high. The riffs maybe a little repetitive but they work! The overall sound on this one you’d think it was made back in the 90’s in some grotty old burning church in Norway The voice effects on the vocalist screaming Tormentopia is to me what Dani Filth would sound like IF his balls dropped. The track ends as the album starts with the noise of aeroplanes in the air.
If doom is your bag, this is definitely another album to add to your collection.
(7/10 Charlene Rance)
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