Few bands can evolve their sound album to album without any apparent effort involved to the extent which Revocation have managed. The sheer levels of refinement which have resulted in a high-intensity, progressive leaning, technical thrash metal behemoth are simply stunning to behold and listen to. At times the jealousy burns brightly in me as I listen to the guitar work and complain about why I’m not that good but I already know the answer: practice and the fact I’m not David! Sidetrack aside, ‘Netherheaven’ is another thematic release from the technical thrash trio. On the previous release (The Outer Ones), we were dragged beyond the abyss to meet those who Lovecraft warned us about. Now, on “Netherheaven”, we are cast down into the very depths of Hell itself, mirroring the experience of Dante but wishing we were the DOOMslayer at the same time. So, rip and tear until it’s done and let’s get this on the road.
“Diabolical Majesty” is the opening assault and it’s exactly what you would expect from Revocation. It’s a blistering paced assault of tight riffing, pounding drums and rumbling bass. The intricate and turbulent guitar lines serve to back up the fierce snarls of Davidson and the way everything is kept tight throughout is simply a joy to hear. The switch from intense to a more thrash friendly groove allows for a brief reprieve from the assault but it doesn’t last long as the progressive edges slip in again. Atonal chord stabs lead to a slick lead section which shows off plenty of technical ability and some good atmospheric work and in all, as an opening track and leading single from the album, it does its job in grabbing your attention and showing you just what to expect on this release.
From here, the dance of thrash, death and technical and progressive metal continues. Blurring the lines between the genres and styles, the intricate and immersive musical experience hammers away. “Lessons in Occult Theft” has a dark atmosphere with some big death metal influences. The pseudo Gothenburg buzzing guitars shift in and out of heavy atonal stabs and the drums roll and crash as the current of the track swells like the river Styx. “Nihilistic Violence” brings a huge crushing groove of jarring atonal stabs and grinding chugs which provide a platform for a commanding vocal delivery. The dark and powerful delivery is of a more deliberate pace for the first half of the track but as soon as it hits the middle portion, the speed significantly cranks up. Faster riffs, a wild Slayer inspired solo rips through and you just know bodies will be swirling round in a dance of chaos in a live setting as this continues before it shifts back to the controlled crushing groove.
“Strange and Eternal” opens up with some fretboard gymnastics. The grandiose neoclassical inspired sweeping arpeggios lead into some flat out thrash riffing which in turn takes us further into the abyss as it teasingly jumps between a frenzied attack and a subtle atmospheric transition before the technical section lands. Precise rhythm section work gives a polyrhythmic platform for the winding riffs to captivate with how effortless the execution seems to be and of course, the soloing towards the end of the track just caps it off nicely. “Galleries of Morbid Artistry” ups the atmospheric intensity. The powerful low end shatters the delicate clean melodies and once again, the death metal influences surface, adding their darkened touches to the complex dance of riffs. By this point we’re halfway through the release and the music certainly fits the thematic nature in the lyrics. The narrative is delivered powerfully and the music has such a surrounding presence which forces you to submit to it or to steel yourself as you fight further into the darkness. Again, slick compositional work and technical proficiency are delivered in style and the consistency displayed has been phenomenal.
“The 9th Chasm” is a transitional instrumental track which clocks in at roughly 3 and a half minutes. It has the abrupt shifting tempo and angular leanings of most modern progressive metal as it starts off. The jarring nature of the guitars with the thundering rhythm section helps build the suspense before a smoothly delivered melodic solo comes in, like a calm before the storm before it shifts into another sequence of intricate and bludgeoning riffing. “Godforsaken” follows on after a brief pause and it’s more of the same. Pounding and powerful on all fronts, it keeps the shifting feel in the delivery thanks to the jarring chord stabs which punctuate the tight chugs and buzzing. Towards the final third, we get a quick false finish into a melodic segment. A swelling arpeggio run with a deliberately slow feel rhythm underneath it lays down the groundwork for some more impressive Davidson soloing before it shifts right back into the powerful and thundering delivery to finish off.
“The Intervening Abyss of Untold Aeons” gets going fairly quickly as the dissonance turns into a highly focused blitz of riffs and relentless rhythm work. The thundering bass and drums don’t let up as the wall of guitars surges forwards and the vocal snarls pack just as much bite here as they did on the opening track. Fast paced, the track doesn’t let up on the hard-hitting delivery. Snarling vocals provide some pretty vivid descriptions of what we experience in this vast space and the technical playing coupled with the atmospherically charged technical edged death/thrash keeps the heaviness going to the very end. “Re-Crucified” wraps things up in a typical Revocation style; fast, intense and relentless. The powerful thrash undercurrents in the blistering pedal tone riffing and drums drives things forwards and the venomous vocal delivery helps add to the intensity. The low end is deep and rumbling, helping lock the guitars in and augmenting the heavily accented sections and even when things slow down briefly, the intensity remains at the same level.
In all, “Netherheaven” is what you expect from Revocation. The consistency of the musicianship holds high from start to finish. The blending of Thrash and Death metal in the progressive approach to metal is done effortlessly and the way this trio locks everything in tightly is just a testament to the proficiency of the band. Everything is delivered with purpose and intensity and it truly does sound like the soundtrack to a journey through hell. Another excellent release from a band who have held a high level of consistency throughout their career.
(8.5/10 Fraggle)
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