You may recognise this band’s moniker from a song of the same name by Electric Wizard and whilst this Swiss act has a doom like aura they underpin their all their songs with a death metal foundation to produce a monstrously dense debut full length. The weird fun fair intro leads into ‘Crawling Caskets’ where the cavernous like production is utterly demolishing as the pace slithers with deep bituminous gruesomeness enhanced by the grisly vocals that situate themselves at the lowest possible frequency you could imagine.

Picking up the pace ‘House Of West’ initially bursts in with blasted mayhem before plunging into the slow rancid riffing. The pace picks up again as the grating riff style has a bone brittling style that is truly destructive. ‘Devouring Crypts Of Darkness’ appears on earlier material as the song produces a massively oppressive riff and suffocating bass where the crawling pace sees the song slimily stalking the listener with gutter filled terror. ‘Downfall’ has a fantastic riff that corrosively bores deep into your head before the detonation in speed which produces a pandemonium like aura that I particularly like about this release. After a short title track interlude ‘The Envenomed King’ returns the album to the skulking claustrophobic doom where the density of the riffing hints at acts like Blood Incantation, Tomb Mold and their ilk. The swerving changes in speed enhance the momentum before the song channels down a bulldozing miasmic cascade of ultra-slow ghastly riffing.

Retaining a macabre aura is ‘Into Unknown Kadath’ where the songs harsh riff base is matched by the chaotic drumming sequences before the song plummets back into the fetid sludge doom posturing where the double bass is completely seismic. Closing this beast of an album is ‘Endzeit Burial’ as a slow snare tap signals the riffing to burn caustic holes into the bass heavy rhythm section. Adding a groaning vocal style is excellent as the song pulverises the listener before the swelling speed breaks. There will be few doom death album as punishing and obliquely horrifying as this debut full length making it well worth the corruption it will inflict upon you if you decide to investigate.

(8.5/10 Martin Harris)

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https://funeralopolis.bandcamp.com/album/of-deceit-and-utter-madness