There’s nothing better than a short, concise and on point PR statement rather than a gushing overblown essay on why you should listen to a band. That’s exactly what we got here as an introduction to German black deathsters Thorybos and their new EP. To quote part of it; “Pushed into darkness and drowned in black mire. Fog oils the faces. Fat-cheeked black lizards, teeth, tongues and rites…” If that doesn’t make you want to hear this nothing will and it gives any writer trying to throw any arcane descriptions of blasphemy and tomb mould into a review a real good run for their money. Then we get to the band themselves who have been around just over a decade releasing two albums, a stack of demos and a compilation to boot. What a feast of names we have here from vocalist V. Tyrant of Necrocracy and Clandestine Blood Cult Inauguration to drummer Deathpriest Goatcommander of Black Abyss and Morbid Bestiality! Yep you know exactly how this listening experience is going to go down and it sure ain’t going to be pretty!

What we get are 5 tracks and just over 20 minutes of bestial onslaught. The interesting thing is that it is solid from start to finish and boy can the Deathpriest blast away for the duration, There’s no pause between tracks, just a sudden subtle surge as one ends and the other hones in remorselessly making the whole thing strike as a rabid dash to conclusion. There’s no time to do anything once play is pressed and Kephalomantic Necrophany batters in. This is fast paced war metal which takes no prisoners, a rite of skulls piled atop each other as the sulphurous stench of rotting carrion fills the air (we can play that descriptive game too). Delinquent, obtuse, primitive death worship is the name of the game and it’s a grimy and harrowing one. Some may say there’s not enough diversity here and that’s fair enough but wheels are not trying to be mended just left to roll relentlessly crunching heads as they grind everything into bloody mangles flesh.

Vocals are hoary and lyrics blasphemous and vulgar, descriptively envisioning a charnel house at the very mouth of hell. Thankfully this lot don’t make the all too common mistake of drenching everything in reverb. Twin guitars seethe and Gasmasked Flagellant of the Innocent hits the bottom end. bass obliterating with nasty low toned depth as it spreads disease. We rattle and hammer on through short, sharp and abrasive onslaughts dashing towards Morbid Consecration and a sudden abrupt downing of tools and sharpened implements. The quintet have stabbed and slashed their way to the end and spewed their lot; silence may well be a blessing but then again the short running time may just want you to press play and start the ghastly ritual up again… It’s your choice and your funeral, one thing’s for sure Thorybos have just well and truly pissed on your grave!

(7.5/10 Pete Woods)

http://www.penetrationhammer.de/thorybos/thorybos.html

https://thorybos666.bandcamp.com/album/the-foul-and-the-flagrant

https://www.bleakbone.de

https://soldeviantrecords.bandcamp.com/album/thorybos-the-foul-and-the-flagrant