Being unfamiliar with this US acts previous two albums I decided not to investigate those releases prior to hearing this. With the sophomore being released just over a year ago the band has seen fit to unleash a third album of obliterating death metal tinged with a blackness that reveals itself as apparitional elements such as the vocals, the guitar hooks and utter barbaric violence. The title track starts the album with overriding claustrophobic riffing that is backed by grisly guitar hooks and a supremely dense atmosphere that feels like you’re being sonically suffocated. As the opener channels its vitriol down an intro like sequence the song breathes tension right before the detonation in speed where the blast beat plunges the track into borderline abyssal noise.

With a war like poise “Prison Of Sentient Horror” continues the rancorous causticity where the songs pendulum of violence swings from outright pandemonium to a grisly choking aura. With little in the way of respite “Worms” borders the noise bracket again as the songs inhumanity is homicidal, cruel and annihilating. The bombardment is relentless as the demonic animalistic vocalisations are terrifying, possessing murderous intent as “Bestial Magnetism” adds another layer of depravity where a slithering amorphous coagulum crushes the very soul out of you before the escalation in speed. The onslaught is frenetic, frenzied even, but highly controlled as a pyroclastic like bass invades the songs riffing substructure.

Closing the release is the epic “Rite Of Binding”, clocking near the nine minute mark the songs initial familiar bone stripping barbarity is linked to the oppressive density. Sectioning the song with a gruesome riff break is brilliant, as the songs plummets in speed momentarily before returning to the unerring blast. As the song approaches the half way point it completely slows down to produce a funereal doom stance that lingers to the end leaving you in no doubt that this band has indeed ruined you both corporeally and mentally.

(9/10 Martin Harris)

https://listen.20buckspin.com/album/choir-of-babel