In typical fashion of this label of dark and extreme metal, the music does the talking. Moluchtas are a Belgian black-death metal band. That’s the information. Let the music speak.

This album gets off to an imposing start with a doomy feel, transforming soon in an echoing cavern of evil. Heavy, sludgy, sinister, “Surrender to the Void” is darkness personified. It reminds me a little of Christ Agony. Thunderous tones rumble through its core. Now and again it breaks down into doom-laden territories but the tempo quickly picks up again without ever letting us free. “The One That Defiles the Earth” shares the same extreme qualities, rumbling though thickets remorselessly. At one stage there is a clearing but the overriding mood is of hardship and struggle. The echoing preachings of the vocalist are the perfect foil for this constant thunder. “The One That Defiles the Earth” is an anvil at work. Each piece takes us to new hostile territories. “A Carnal Illumination” is just that. The place is not just hostile. It’s scary and dark. It’s all extremely heavy of course. The sound is never turned down.

The murderous and deathly scene continues with “Damnation’s Dawning”, another rumbling juggernaut. Moluchtas insert breaks but not in a way that is contrived. By managing breaks and tempos and overlaying the structures, they make each track interesting without losing sight of the constant dark path. The ghastly atmosphere rolls on into the deep “The Sanguinary Provenance”, another fiery ode to heaviness incarnate. Echoing vocals then accompany the dull rumble of “The Quintessence of Emptiness”. Again, this is a mixture of deliberate decay and controlled instrumental work, resulting in a furious barrage of intensity. The drum beats steadily and in another twist the track ends in an instrumental crescendo of chaos and fear. The last of these 8 substantial pieces is “The Sun of Malediction”. As deep bassy sounds sets the dark mood, the guitar wails. As ever it’s a feast of extremity, driving us further and further into the ground. The eastern-sounding drum signals a new exploration. This is a plus point of this album – it’s always mobile and searching out new dark corners without ever compromising the threat level.

There’s nothing fancy about this. There’s no pretence or attempt to be clever. This is a well-executed collection of heaviness with captivating structures. “Telos Terminus” is both powerful and impressive.

(8.5/10 Andrew Doherty)

https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/telos-terminus