If you’re an old git, like me, who was around at the beginning of the death metal explosion in the mid to late 80s and early 90s then you may have come across this US death metal act when they released their debut ‘Expound and Exhort’ in 1991 on the back of a few demos. One year later the band released ‘Passage’ and at the time I felt Viogression were going to become something of a force in the death metal scene worldwide. The debut was a great record, doom death sludge with the odd added clichéd intro piece that has now become somewhat collectable. However, I wouldn’t say that the follow up, ‘Passage’, had quite the same impact, it didn’t have that gutter trawling filth like the debut, but was decent all the same after which the band folded and the members seemed to go on to form another band within an industrial thrash style called Medusa Oblongada whose self-titled EP from 1994 is on YouTube if you want to hear it.

Since then the band reformed in 2014 and released the ‘A Pure Formality’ EP and a compilation in 2020 featuring the bands demos. Added to that it appears that only vocalist Brian DeNeffe is the sole remaining original member but is excellently assisted by Matt Holtz, Duane Timlin and Kyle Sweeny all of whom exist in other bands. This third album has been released in cooperation with a number of labels, including Murdher Records, Satanath Records, Dark United Media and Pest Records all based in different countries. So, with the history and background completed onto the actual album and what struck me about the album was how much it sounds like that debut, ‘Expound And Exhort’, with its slimy guitar sound and dark aura toning. It’s a fairly long album too, at over 55 minutes as opener ‘Nectar Of Veins’ uses a good build-up before the abrupt riff insertion which caught me off guard a bit. There is a caustic nature here too, particularly in the guitar sound, though generally the production has that suffocating darkness doom-death typically has. Obituary references abounded back in the 90s for this band and the same is still relevant with this album too, Tardy like vocal bellows backed by sporadic blast beat sections to add some fluidity.

‘Under The Riverbed’ has full doom-death wrangling, the slow double kick adding opacity and power to the songs vocal gurgles and roars coupled to its infesting noxious density that continues with ‘Death Dive’. Here we have some noise samples added for atmosphere which increase in loudness until the expected change which dutifully arrives alongside a fine increase in power with blasted pieces. ‘3 Skulls’ is a sub two-minute death metal demolition, packed with aggression and offering good contrast with ‘From Dust’. The change is huge, offering a relatively softer approach with creepy sludgy riffs oozing into the songs structure.

‘Caliginous Conflagration’ has been released as a video so you may have seen it in your newsfeeds and is definitely one of the best songs here. Here we get some Deicide like licks, hostility and destruction marrying up nicely with the songs seething energy. As we hit track eight, we get the first of two epics, ‘Sisters Of Iris / Taurion’ and ‘Cipher’ which are bridged by ‘Blood Stained Path’. The first epic has a slow evolving nature, starting with a bell toll it offers an eerie ethos with gentle guitar work and a true doom-death stance. However, the speed is ever present and the band inject it into the core of the song alongside some excellent double kick work which intensifies the density further. The bridging track does just that, it chains the two epics together by unfurling a gnarly riff and accompanying catchiness through its riff. ‘Cipher’ is another muddy epic, crawling, slithering and threatening to asphyxiate it possesses a slight progressive feel due to the way the song weaves around.
The closer is a fitting end to the album, a far more ambient acoustically driven tune with morose piano, it has a delicateness and finesse that maybe you didn’t hear on the previous tunes but is no less creepy in its own right.

Viogression have returned, they may not be a death metal band you know, but I would urge you give this a listen plus the debut as their deathly sonic quagmire is excellent.

(8.5/10 Martin Harris)

https://www.facebook.com/Viogression

https://pestrecords.bandcamp.com/album/viogression-3rd-stage-of-decay