I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, how are people not into Death Metal! There is literally something for everyone, well at least if you’re into Extreme Metal. It’s so expansive and I don’t even fully see that Extreme Metal covers everything. If you look at the new releases from Exist and Swarmageddon you’ll find a heap of clean vocals and easy to digest instrumentation! It’s wonderful and I’m glad that I’m open minded enough to ingest all of it!
Forget all of that Tech and clean vocal deconstruction of Death Metal for now though. The roots of the genre are equally being rejuvenated with a wide array of OSDM worshipping artists. Amongst those ranks is the Finnish band Gorephilia. Having formed back in 2007 the band have released (including today’s album) three full lengths, each garnering much praise in the underground. Severed Monolith in particular was a hit among many. Let’s turn our focus to the new record though, In The Eye Of Nothing comes to us through Dark Descent and Me Saco Un Ojo, two strong labels. Will the band get some more underground acclaim?
Walls Of Weeping Eyes comes crashing in with some massive purist 90s sounding Death Metal sickness. Chunky riffs dosed with memorability and guttural vocals makes for one hell of an enticing opener full of power and nausea. Continuing this tradition is the sluggish Perpetual Procession, I would almost go as far as to say there is something of a Doom influence in this track perhaps akin to early Autopsy. Devotion Upon The Worm kind of adds to this with an additional Progressive nature. It drags along with nigh on Funeral Doom barbarity in a unique and crushing display.
Breaking up the album is Consensus a dissonant instrumental. Do we need it, no, but I think it adds to Gorephilia’s ethos of a looming presence in the underground OSDM world. Thankfully Simplicity Of Decay gets straight back to the point and picks up the pace for some all out Death Metal devastation, proving that Gorephilia aren’t one trick ponies. Not For The Weak takes things back to a slower pace, but I’m not complaining these huge riffs are the gift that just keeps giving. Another instrumental is found in Death Dream, this time I’m less tolerant, filler! I cry aloud, but it’s good filler at least. Finally comes Ark Of The Indecipherable, again relatively Doom laden, it sort of gives me Morbus Chron vibes with its Prog nature.
All in all I couldn’t say that I’m bowled over by this album, don’t get me wrong it’s extraordinarily strong Death Metal, far better than a lot of stuff. However, it somewhat lacks a touch of the wow factor, but that said it’s so close. If you’re not keeping tabs on this band then you really should they seem like a good bunch for future experimentation and In The Eye Of Nothing kind of sets the table for just about any underground Death Metal direction. Think of this album as a crossroads, which path will Gorephilia take next, and will that be the full ticket?
(8/10 George Caley)
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