Those of you who follow the underground black metal scene, if you can call it that these days with practically everything being available at your fingertips, will probably know this US black metal act because the band members have played in or play many other acts. There are too many to mention here but the notable ones are Pillorian and Black Salvation as this second full length follows on neatly from the epic single the band released when first signed to Debemur Morti, and a cracking track it was too. I’m assuming that the said single was enough to give them the go ahead for a full length because here it is. After skimming the bands early material it is clear they have drifted in a different direction to their debut full length released nearly ten years ago and is a wholly different proposition now and benefits tremendously from the shift.
Whilst at the core of this sophomore full length is black metal the experienced musicians delve into a widespread of styles covering doom, atmospheric black metal, gothic textures and occasionally some deathly density producing five songs that reek of ingenuity and are saturated with enduring musicality. With only five songs you can imagine their durations are pretty lengthy and whilst that is true for three of the numbers two are relatively short and pithy. Kicking matters off is ‘From Innocence’ which was released as a single, if you can call an eight minute tune a single, in June 2024 and immediately you are thrust into a seething cauldron of caustic nihilism that is situated within the barbaric black genre. The speed is incessant, the vocals are acerbic and the aura is one of utter glacial malevolence, but as the song proceeds a very cool clean Gothic vocal is added that possesses a chant like ethos that soars into atmospheric realms. As the opener progresses that continually morphing dynamics ensures the song offers tons of variety yet is instilled with a blackened malfeasance as I especially enjoyed the fluidised tempos with double kick loaded sections that you can really latch onto.
‘Arid Death’ follows the opener and here we get some very sombre guitar work, poignant and despondent as the intro is bleak especially when the isolated guitar riff pierces the mix. You can feel the tension, feel it elevating in power with each successive second towards a gnarly and brutal riff change and half blast. It is immensely dark with an enshrouding ghoulish persona that pervades through the deeper vocal style but also the hypnotic and repetitive tempo that I always like in black metal as it gives you time immerse yourself into its malice. There is a menacing aura to this track too, crafted via the vocals but also the interweaving riffs that reminded me of acts like Aosoth and the sadly defunct Svartidauði. When the track pauses it creates an epic avenue from which the song unleashes an obsidian roar that penetrates the mix alongside the doom like pacing. Here the song brandishes a fine guitar hook that embeds into your head and takes the song back towards speedier territory and its climax.
‘Agony Exhaled By Mist’ is the shortest song here and through its duration it listens like a prolonged interlude of bereft vocals, doom laden soundscaping and atmospheric morosity. The percussive fills lead the song into more dense areas where the clean vocal adds desolate texture amidst the borderline funereal aura. ‘Ash, Teeth & Bone’ returns the album to full black metal, blasted drum work sits with the frost laden riffing as that ceaseless speed returns to hypnotise you. Ingrained into the mix are a variety of hooks that bore into your soul manifesting as sinister layers of despair. Half way in and the song abruptly pauses to reveal a disturbing atmospheric soundscape that fades for the black metal to return, but at a much slower pace. The vocals have a dense, ghoulish tone too making the track ever more intense and palpable as it draws to a close.
Closing the album is ‘To Decay’, which was also released as a single in July 2024, and at nine minutes is the longest composition. The opening riff is strangely uplifting, almost upbeat to a degree as the slow pacing and mournful vocal line pave the way for the song to be virtually doom metal. As the song progresses it has a gradual intensification via the drum work as the double kick filters in and layer upon layer of solemnity are added. The clean vocal is wondrous here, adding tons of texture before the isolated riff break sections the song in half. With the melancholy riff break you feel like you’re residing in a vat or overarching dread as the intermittent double bass adds to the atmosphere. In places the song shifts into more Gothic realms, especially with the clean vocal that I have already mentioned as the tempo picks up hugely with a few minutes to go, unfurling the bands blackened wrath without resorting to blast beats. It is an epic way to end the album and I am sure Other World are destined to move onto global recognition because this album deserves to be heard by all black metal fans.
(9/10 Martin Harris)
05/09/2024 at 4:42 am
You nailed this review man. While the album is nothing so earth shattering that black metal will be changed forever, there is enough here to render this a worthy entry into pantheon of black metal. If you’re a fan of Darkspace (Season Of Mist) or Ghorot (King Of The Monsters) this will be right up your alley.