Drawing inspiration “from black and death metal to djent and hardcore”, Cabal embark upon their third album. I’ll add “melodic hooks” to that. It’s true that pungent death metal djent hardcore is their game, witness the opening song of this album “If I Hang, Let Me Swing”, but there is a flow, even with a cyber breakdown towards the end.
Heavy, heavier, heaviest. There’s no compromise here. Anger and darkened scenes form a solid base. Triggering drums, downtrodden riffs and metalcore vocals provide for leaden heavy but engaging progressions. “Magno Interitus 44.1” is the darkest hymn you’ll ever hear. Djenty murderous instrumentals drive us into the ground. The cyber metal insertions, which are not overdone add a clever twist and a little touch of mystery. The boys chant …. darkly. More angry breakdowns fill the air on “Existence Ensnared”. Deep, dark, heavy, angry. This is a djent cyber factory of pressed metal. “Insatiable” is how I feel about this. I may be being beaten to death under the weight of this slab of heaviest metal, but it drives me forward and moves on in interesting ways. Hardcore it is but the heat and sparks ae flying off the CD player or PC or whatever medium you’re using to listen to it. “Insatiable” is a call to arms. People are protesting and making their presence felt.
“Blod af Mit” (Blood of Mine) is like a trip to the factory where they press iron and steel. Hang on, there’s distortion in the process. This entertaining blip over, the punishment returns. As the juggernaut pummels on and the hardcore vocalist preaches, I feel like punching holes in walls. The drum pave the way for the instrumentals. It’s hard. It’s harsh. That’s “Exit Wound”. “Violent Ends” is the least surprising title of all, given the nature of tis monster. The pace picks up but the ferocity doesn’t let off. Djent sparks fly. Dark mechanisms are at work. It threatens to break down. There is a cyber trigger. The vocalist is just angry. Every song is an opportunity for a deathcore rant. A symphonic element creeps into “Like Vultures”, a further excuse for djenty brutality. The tempo picks up. Angry fists continue to fly. “Exsanguination” drives through walls – no surprise there – but its strength lies in its breakdowns, its cyber interruptions and the thundering end which drives a deeper hole into an already deeply fracked earth. More drilling into the earth follows with “Plague Bringer”. The sampled electro cyber touches feature again alongside the gut-wrenching vocals and bring this gargantuan album to a close.
About 20 years ago I discovered a Danish band called Lipid who released a thumping straight line heavy metal album called “Hagridden”. Here we are with Cabal, another Danish heavy metal band in 2022, taking this heaviness to a higher level. They themselves acknowledge the death, the black, the djent and the hardcore elements but it’s more than that. The songs flow and wear you down, but also contain fluid structures and subtle touches. “Magno Interitus” is a well-constructed album with superglue-strength songs which drive through walls but keep us engaged and entertained at all times.
(8.5/10 Andrew Doherty)
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