After turning heads with a well-received demo in 2018, Aparthiva Raktadhara have finally returned with a slightly longer offering. Their debut full length consists of six songs coming in at little under 35 minutes, however, this three-piece outfit from India are no slouches, making every second count.

Their brand of death metal is steeped in the relentless, old school riff-o-rama traditions of Morbid Angel, with exotic melodies that are savage in delivery. Their unrelenting deployment of blastbeats is akin to the percussive battering that Dutch legends Centurian used to deliver, though a tool that’s used in such a way that the variety in tempo keep the listener guessing rather than fatigued. The drum sound itself is wonderfully organic, the tribalistic rolling across of tom-toms on opening track “Noumenal Wings Of Uncreation Hover Over The Excrements of Sunyata” standing out in particular.

The vocals are pretty consistent throughout, a dry guttural rasp that serves as a lynchpin to the twisting and meandering riffs oft associated with fellow would-be theologists Nile and the aforementioned Centurian. Several of the songs feature the kind of short, sharp dirty dive-bombing guitar solos that Kerry King would be proud of.

The quality of their performance and songwriting will likely see Aparthiva Raktadhara pique listeners interest in far eastern mythology, much as US counterparts Nile have documented Egyptology albeit in a marginally less authentic manner (not a dig at Nile or Karl Sanders passion; rather an observation of geographic realities). A pummelling yet stunning debut from a promising band. 

(8/10 Doogz)

https://www.facebook.com/aparthivaraktadhara

https://ironboneheadproductions.bandcamp.com/album/aparthiva-raktadhara-adyapeeth-maranasamhita