As a debut release this Spanish act has set themselves a rather large bar to surmount for their sophomore such is the quality here. The eerie despondent acoustic opening to “Amoral Era” breathes levels of menace into the track before it detonates with a scathing blackened assault. The way the black and death elements seamlessly morph from one to the other, all bolstered by a fine grisly vocal performance, is superbly executed as the opening track delivers a multifaceted epic that is littered with ferocious intent.
“Hive” follows and maintains the punishing aura as the song delves into a Morbid Angel like style but retaining reams of melody especially through the drum work which has a monstrous sound on the album I might add that I thoroughly appreciated. Eeriness reappears on “Gateless Call” where the gloomy guitar hook threads tendrils of malignancy before a clean vocal appears adding texture and depth. Again the blackened edge pierces into the mix as the song escalates in power smoothly with vicious panache. “What Open Eyes Bring” is violent with initial blasting relenting for a thundering assailment that sees the double bass dominate the songs overriding density.
The album closes with two monumental and epic tracks beginning with “Sins” where a doom death persona is displayed as the pace is deathly slow, funereal like to some degree, as a deft melody filters into the tracks sublime dramatic dirge. The abrupt switch in speed is colossal as the blasting hurtles the track into outright bedlam where the vocals take on various guises all of which drip malevolence leaving “The Struggle” to complete this excellent release. I was expecting a continuation of the bombardment similar to the other songs but instead we get an approximate eight minute soothing track that begins with doleful piano creating an atmosphere of melancholy. There is a beguiling eeriness to the song that is embedded in the sorrowful melody that feels mournful yet strangely transfixing. You’ll expect the song to explode any moment but it does not, preferring to whisk the listener to realms of desolate charm and the whole track works brilliantly.
There is something curious about this album, it has all the tenets of blackened death metal you could ever want but within its tracks there is something more than just the sum of its parts, something lurking, terrifying yet obsessively addictive making this a very cool release indeed.
(8.5/10 Martin Harris)
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