Well, you should certainly recognise the artwork adorning the cover of this but what is that indecipherable band logo? Xasraug, right, ok. Now what about Indricothere the musician, surely not a hornless rhinoceros making all this noise? So, behind that name we actually have Colin Marston who the chances are you have heard of through involvement in one of his more well-known technical death outfits such as Gorguts and Dysrhythmia. Personally my discovery of his craft came via the somewhat convoluted and downright odd acts such as Behold The Arctopus and Infidel?/Castro! whose albums confused the hell out of me when I was new to this reviewing lark. Then of course there is his USBM group Krallice, equally bewildering and a difficult listen, their work stood them apart from many peers and gave you plenty to wrap your head around, a new album by them seemingly missing our radar last month. Never mind, I am sure this will more than make up for that.
If the logo didn’t give it away this is very much in the black metal realm and contains 5 sprawling tracks over an hour’s worth of musical contusion. I note that sources such as metal archives list it as instrumental. That’s not exactly the truth although perhaps you could look at what we hear in that department as backing rather than lead and maybe even all sampled? For a start on opener ‘Relentless Ignorance’ and at other points over the journey some gorgeous female choral work and chants, sounding a little bit like Ofra Haza craft delicious atmospheres. Marston provides all the instrumentation obviously and I am guessing the occasional leonine roars and growls that crop up. It’s the power of the riff which after a slow and sombre beginning here that really does compel you. We know what a great player he is, be it guitar or bass etc and unleashed Marston is able to strum up a veritable blazing storm here but thankfully one that matches the inherent dark canvas and is not too convoluted to enjoy and follow. Also, between one track ending and another starting there are some atmospheric parts breaking up the zealous strumming which have you imagining you have been running terrified from a deep tomb only to find yourself free suddenly and expecting to escape before the next vast cavern unveils itself to you. As we continue through ‘Grim and Unhallowed Entitlement’ the dense passageways definitely become claustrophobic and stifling and at times it is slightly difficult to breathe amidst it all. There are certain Emperor like symphonic elements adding to the frenzy and even what a Bandcamp listener helpfully points out is a sample chant of a Ketjak/Ramayana Monkey. Needless to say, there is plenty going on here and tracks do not lose their way even when they stretch to the 15-minute mark. It’s best to see which particular hedge you are dragged through and hang on for dear life. Watch out for ghostly (I am guessing sampled) ghastly Gregorian chanting monks lurk just around the next dark corner, the horror of it all is manifold and we are still only on the second number.
Naturally this sounds absolutely fantastic and rises in line with the fitting artwork to a medieval baroque mass over the twisting title track. A slight spacey keyboard swirl just about allows you to grab a breath before we are flung back in. The words “oh my giddy aunt” somehow seem apt. Sounding a bit like Diamanda Galas just about to fling open the gates on a Rotting Christ stomper whoever provides the voice is equally effective as the chasm of ‘Arboreal Detestation’ has souls plummeting down it straight towards the fiery bowels of hell. Pitchforks and sulphurous brimstone are in the head as much as the music and this is another veritable tempest of a number which only the hardiest will survive to witness the finale. Swirling on clouds momentarily somewhere between heaven and hell this comes in the form of another ludicrously entitled number ‘Ruinous Sepulchral Delusion’ a track title ole Dimmu Borgir must be kicking themselves for not having got themselves. And thusly we spiral towards endpoint and either redemption or abandonment with eternal suffering and pain on what is quite honestly a remarkable album. Bish bash Bosch, a near flawless masterwork in the year of the plague!
(8.5/10 Pete Woods)
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