There’s a couple of metal bands with this moniker but this version is from Spain and delves into the cataclysmic doom-death subgenre for a third album packed with ideas. I’ve seen various sources purporting that the band blends quite a few genres into their music, which might be true on previous releases I’ve not heard (but will certainly go back to) as here the band offers some classy doom-death creepiness instilled with a variety of facets all subtly executed within these seven songs. The promotional information has references to occult leanings which is definitely true as their song writing is entirely atramentous throughout.
‘Inner Flame’ is the albums starting point where an atmospheric intro sequence is filled with eeriness, creeping along before the isolated dark riff kicks in. The pace is much faster than you’d expect, more akin to straight death metal as the riffing has plenty of references to Celtic Frost slightly. I especially liked the thudding drum sound, it adds considerable weight as the riffing swerves into what I can only deem as some Voivod like twinges. With the production being particularly dense it affords the album that cloying constricting nature as ‘Sons Of The Serpent’ follows. Here we get a much slower more atmospheric piece with backing clean vocal chanting that works a treat within the occult nature of the album. Indeed that vocal style is taken further with a slow purposeful virtually monastic vocal being deployed to great effect, as the song switches into more traditional vocals I’m sure many of you will be thinking about early Paradise Lost material, and maybe even My Dying Bride due to the oppressive structuring.
Contrasting hugely is ‘Marrow Of The Soul’ where the album picks up in pace to unveil a catchy riff and more upbeat persona. My reference to Celtic Frost rears up again here as even the vocal tone has a slight Tom G Warrior feathering to it. The riff break is a cracker too, loaded with drum work it swings the song into much quicker realms but still maintains a dark aura. It seems the band likes to alternate the tempos of the songs as ‘The Architect’ returns to a more ominous and foreboding ethos as a wailing vocal is heard together with the soft melodic riff and generally sinister tone. The song is massively atmospheric, the slow morose pacing is doom personified as the murmuring bass work sees the song escalate in gravitas. There are plenty of similarities to Triptykon as the clean vocal chant is wondrously positioned amidst a variety of tortured groans. The pace is funereal, accompanied by some tormented vocal grimacing that make the song rammed with dread.
The two part title track begins with a gentle piece of resonating cymbal work and doleful melodies. The tone again is one of complete melancholy as a female vocal enters the mix by the soulful Marija Krstevska. I love this first part of the title track, it is saturated in sorrowfulness before the second part flows in. Here the metal kicks in nicely, upbeat and dense the song has one of those Voivod like riffs which is no surprise considering Eric Forrest also guests on the album. The pace is much faster than you’d ordinarily expect as the song produces a hypnotic almost transfixing tempo that is loaded with groove.
At over thirteen minutes the album closes with ‘The Golden Crest’, a theatrical construction that opens with spoken almost sermonised vocals. The song quickly plunges into doom-death where the pace slithers along, crawling through like miasmic sonic sludge. The song is potently heavy, possibly the heaviest of the album as the slow bituminous atmosphere is stacked with a raft of touches, such as cool chanted vocals and dense thunderous drum work. Triptykon comes to mind again here, particularly when that band unleash their heaviest most soul destructive riffing as Totengott do exactly the same here. As the song progresses it incorporates reams of atmospherics, courtesy of the vocals but also the resounding claustrophobic and choking tone the song possesses.
This is a fine third album by Totengott, one for those into doom-death as the three piece has crafted an ingenious and masterful slab of provocative and emotive metal for you to immerse into.
(9/10 Martin Harris)
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