A band which suggests succession to bands such as Anorexia Nervosa, Emperor, Dissection and others is of interest to me. Deathcode Society is such a band. This album promises “a musical journey through …. this gloomy maze where psychosis, murderous urges and mystical obsessions endlessly wander”.
The murderous urges are evident in the opening bars. Yes, it is reminiscent of Anorexia Nervosa in the embodiment of chaos, symphonic undercurrent and downright malevolence. In modern terms, it’s Carach Angren who come to mind as “Scolopendra” takes its furious, theatrical course. Dark and wild symphony precedes and infiltrates the next onslaught “Shards”. Vocalist Arnhwald Rattenfänger screams his terrible tale. The black metal orchestra provides the exaggerated drama. The song takes an unexpected turn with an epic clean chorus but we’re soon back to the world of mad scientists, in this case highly competent musicians depicting a world of unremitting turbulence and chaos through the medium of pompous black metal and symphonic statements. “La Nuée” (The Cloud) is another terrible tale. The unremitting expanse of noise is typical of this horror genre. As a listener, it’s hard if not impossible not to be swept along in its storm. A vedic chant provides a mystical introduction to “Scales”. The song explodes into tempestuous black metal as usual, but does recede into a more rhythmic section before the storm builds up once more and the chant resumes. In a typical development, the song ends in tension and despair amid ghoulish black metal fury.
Deathcode Society are then at their theatrical best in the ball of fury that is “Mazed Interior”. I very much like it when they slow down and let the following wind drive their creativity as they do here instead of forcing the extremity. More musical twists and subtleties come out of these passages, whether it’s an epic atmosphere, despair or fear. It’s hard to achieve these things when you’re throwing the kitchen sink at it. This is not to say that “Unlightenment” is not entertaining. It most certainly is. “A la Néante” (To Nothingness) starts with a colourful guitar riff which runs like blood through the first part of this piece. A voice from the underworld appears, and accompanied by obscure, ghoulish noises, utters dark words. There is silence. Then there is an explosive roar and we’re in the eye of the storm again. The music abates and it’s as if a pendulum is swinging, but not for long as Deathcode Society have plenty to say and want to say it in an extreme fashion. To go with the extremity, there is great instrumental skill and a sense of death and tragedy. “A la Néante” is a series of movements, which seem more geared to shock than to provide fluidity. The fact that this is extremely dark almost goes without saying. “Narcosis” is the final drama. A withering modern black metal riff accompanies the horrorscape. The clean epic chorus is used, but musically this is about crashing drums and violent and unrelenting heaviness from the instrumental department as a whole. An eerie whisper of an accompanying keyboard can be heard. After four minutes of mayhem, we enter an alien world. The build up follows. It is intense and testimony to the band’s skilful sense of epic drama and foreboding as the final notes are played.
I’m not sure how much room there is in the world for two Carach Angrens, but Deathcode Society fall into this category. There’s much more than just this. “Unlightenment” is an enjoyable and extreme ride, and a particular joy for those who like extreme, theatrical black metal with a bit of symphony to twist the knife.
(8.5/10 Andrew Doherty)
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