I will state here and now that this is a staggering album from start to finish, and now that you’ve read that you can go and check it out. However, I will expand on that bold statement as US act Sarcoptes, fronted by the exceptional abilities of Sean Zimmerman (Bass, Guitars, Keyboards) and Garrett Garvey (Drums, Vocals), have created quite possibly one the albums of the year, even at this early juncture. What this duo possesses in song writing prowess is fundamentally brilliant as their back catalogue shows.

Theming the album around human tragedies or atrocities matches the sonic ferocity you bear witness to as the album alternates three double digit epics with two shorter tunes as ‘The Trenches’ clocks near 14 minutes to start things off. You don’t need me to tell you what this song is about as rumbling explosions, rain and background atmospherics introduce it. With a whistle blow, just like they used in the trenches of World War I, it signals the going over the top as the song smashes in with a skin stripping riff and unhinged blast beat. At the heart of Sarcoptes is melodic/symphonic black metal but this duo has decided to inflict grievous sonic harm by incorporating thrash riffing to all the songs, producing a blend that is as unique as it is insanely intense. There are so many things happening on all the songs I could write a full length review just on the opener with its constantly switching tempo changes and evolving structures, all linked to caustic malevolent vocals as the black metal is very similar to Cradle Of Filth, Ancient and occasionally Dissection.

‘Spanish Flu’, guess what this is about, sees the album change to virulent nihilistic black metal as its shorter duration produces an incessant rage alongside those ridiculously intense vocals, but tempered by keyboard symphonics as the blackened thrash riffing splits you in half. Epic and saturated in atmosphere ‘Dead Silence’ returns to long durations as the short fade in unleashes a more serene riff yet ingrained with blasted speed drum wise. The colossal change to double bass will have fans of Dimmu Borgir wetting themselves with the song is crammed with subtleties as here I felt the song changed to something more like early Immortal due to the outright viciousness of the riffing. In fact some of the riffing here has touches of that bands ‘Blizzard Beasts’ toning on the guitar sound as the continually progressing dynamics see choral vocal effects before the massive riff change that is utterly brutal and positioned perfectly for maximum carnage.

‘Tet’, which I assume is about the Vietnam War Tet Offensive, is short and violent, like the other shorter track here, ‘Spanish Flu’, and astonishingly pernicious, its unremitting hostility has the thrash riffing down perfectly where blistering violence shows no signs of relenting. Closing this phenomenal release is ‘Massacre At My Lai’, a shameful period in human history perpetrated during the Vietnam War, as the subject matter matches the sonic malice that pours scorn from your speakers, ear buds, air pods, headphones, or whatever mechanism you use to listen to music, into your head like a pestilential onslaught. At times deliberately slower, with a symphonic backdrop the song has a purposeful punishing persona interweaving the slower riff with symphonic facets as the song marches onwards adding scornful venomous vocals, but you know the song is going to let rip at any moment. It does after about four minutes with a blitzing thrashing riff coupled to double kick as the keyboards add to the atmosphere, and whilst you’d think the addition of keys would dilute the cruelty of this release, they do not, they add to the sense that you are being subjected to a terrorising assault as the closer, like the other tunes, shifts tempo, adding riff breaks and changes to the unrepentant barbarity.

Unbelievable second full length from Sarcoptes, hideously malevolent and saturated in transformative terror, this is going to be hard to surpass in 2023.

(9.5/10 Martin Harris)

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https://sarcoptesblack.bandcamp.com/album/prayers-to-oblivion-black-metal