I am totally unfamiliar with this Spanish act whose homeland is the Catalonia region, which has a bearing on the album that I’ll write about later. Having formed in 2003 the band released a demo and two full lengths which I have not heard though I did give the last album quick auditory scan just to see what their early stuff was like. However their last album ‘The Black Chamber’ was released in 2013 and since then the band has lain dormant through the usual issues that surrounds bands. Now eight years later and reinvigorated and with some personnel rearranging the Catalonian act has resurfaced and I must say these new songs are far stronger than the material I’ve listened to on the two previous albums and they weren’t weak songs on those albums either.
However eight years is a long gap between albums as we all know and things can change a hell of lot but this new highly motivated version sees them catalysed into action with a set of ambitious death metal compositions that have a flair for the progressive at times. What is also new about this album is that it has been sung completely in Catalan which their vocalist Jordi says ‘has raised the possibility of being able to express himself in his mother tongue’, which I’m sure we can all empathise with, hence my reference to the band being from the Catalonia region of Spain.
As I said these new songs are a huge step up from the previous material and with it a rearrangement in personnel that sees Germán Padierna return to the fold on bass. What has been captured here on ‘Arrelats’ is something very organic, very real and tangible, something you can feel with each song despite its brutalising assault. With a sublime haunting intro piece ‘Lividesa’ the album gently leads into the title track which with its impacting riff that smashes like a tornado appearing in front of you. The riff has that emotive power you can latch onto as the song channels down a melodic death poise funnelling blast beats within catchy riffing segues, reinforced by the drumming demolition Manel Rodríguez.
Crashing in is ‘Estigmes Sobre Cendres’ where the slight chaotic nature takes a little time to coalesce initially but quickly focuses as the high impetus of the riffing is backed by the dense drum work, which is truly thunderous on this album, an oft used cliché in death metal I know, but it is very apt here I assure you. I like the way the band weaves repeating portions of the songs into the fabric of their song writing, only repeating it for emphasis or not at all if necessary, it is that detailing I especially enjoyed. I hinted earlier at a progressive superlative and indeed the guys in Vrademargk manifest this in two gigantic epic compositions the first of which is ‘L’art De Morir’ where the serene drifting guitar work hazily meanders into the song with a melancholy that is steeped in sadness before being stripped away for the riff and snare roll work. As the song sequentially builds it abruptly but smoothly dissolves to leave a doom laden section with a deep anguish entrenched vocal. The phase is supremely opaque, punishing to some degree as the song eventually unveils its brutality via the blast beat, though very short-lived. These sporadic blasts infuse the song with unbridled rabidity but it is the slower aspects that make the song so hypnotic before the whole tune disperses into a very tranquil phase that eschews a bleakness, before a closing minute of ferocity.
Sandwiched between the two epics is ‘E|gocidi’ a torrent of deathly abuse that comes flooding from the album and links brilliantly with the monumental ‘Eudaimonia’ where you expect the song to begin with some tranquillity like the other epic. Instead it detonates from the off, the low level bass thundering through the song like seismic events as the guitar work is actually rather gently added. The speed is unerring at times but as expected it is reined in smoothly for doom death laden pieces sprinkled with lead work that are tinged with an emotive texturing. The momentum and jarring tempo changes work extremely well, keeping you alert at all times as the song returns to the vehement speed before the track dissipates to leave bereft guitar work that fades to albums conclusion.
This Catalonian band may have been away for eight years but they return with an exemplary death metal release; dense, dark, and immersive this album billows with emotive riffs and ambitious songs.
(8.5/10 Martin Harris)
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