Very occasionally, and I mean very occasionally an album appears for review or just to listen to that makes you stop what you’re doing, even taking notes, and pay total and resolute attention. That is exactly what this Australian band has done with their debut full length that follows hot on the heels of an EP and split released in 2016 and 2017 respectively. This Western Australian act takes the core of death metal’s fundamental basis and blends it with a variety of other extreme genres producing a terrifying sonic obliteration and I really mean those superlatives.

With 11 songs spanning just under 23 minutes you’d think the album was grindcore and whilst there are elements of that genre it is also much more than that too as the whole incendiary aural grenade kicks off when you remove the pin and starts with “Arbitrator”. The fade in lures you into that false sense of security before a brutalising riff comes straight from a post hardcore guise that leads into a double kick cannonade. Add to that the high end fretboard lead work and that’s within the first minute. Everything about this album is intense, the power, the unrestrained animosity as the bass bores into the song ceaselessly priming for “No Validation For Violation”. The tune has a grind façade linked to a disembowelling vocal torrent that sees both deep guttural tones melded to high snarls creating a rabid texture.

My descriptions may indicate that this album is all about speed but it isn’t, the hyper velocity elements are well focused and executed with utmost precision allowing each riff break and subsequent speed injection to manifest maximum momentum such as the massively varied “Reign Of Wasps” with its bone crumbling drum work and excoriating vocal diatribes linked to the colossal nosedive in tempo into sludge territory. I indicated that this is essentially death metal taken to massive extremes and “Sycophant” is as pure as death metal as you get with a US like approach in the genre but balanced against swerving speed incursions that make the track manic, frenzied even but in a highly controlled manner. “Perpetual Servitude” is probably something we can all relate to and the grinding bedlam exuded by the song is nothing short of auditory Armageddon and contrasts hugely with “Scorched” with its titanic cymbal smashing breaks that splice the track into neat segmented chunks of bludgeoning power.

The scathing vocals that dominate the album add a layer of pernicious hazard that tip the album into the realms of utter horror especially the doublet of “Fostering The Festering Spawn” and “Mortals Threat” the latter having segues of maniacal blasting leaving the album to close with “Vermankind” and is the longest song on the album. Beginning much slower the song has an air of experimentation, or so you think until a ferocious riff totally demolishes it along with the barbaric vocals. Rarely staying on one riff for too long the track quickly veers in speed to a thudding drum beat that has a core tendency before the blasting foray intercedes making the song demented and the perfect album finale.

You will not find an album as intense, varied and unreservedly punishing as “Eras Of Forfeit” as I urge you to check it out you will not be disappointed, plus the album art has been done by Dan Seagrave, what more could you ask for as I have just bought the red/black marbled vinyl of it.

(9.5/10 Martin Harris)

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