The answer is no. The REAL Record o’ the Month is Epigone (and the other two Wilderun albums we’ve reviewed) you uncultured swine. And they’re going to keep BEING the records o’ the month until there is complete agreement in the comment section.

As you know, Wilderun really is the best band active in metal today. I would say they’re tied with Turisas, but since Warlord Nygård has apparently come down with a George R.R. Martinesque case of writer’s block, I’m not sure we could call them “active.” Regardless of competition, however, it’s tough not to appreciate the sheer genius of Epigone upon continued, ongoing reflection. Epigone finds Wilderun doubling down on the dissonant strains that led to one of the best and most epic examples of ‘resolution’ in the history of music. The record is complex, unsettling, and yet strangely sticky; once it gets under your skin, it doesn’t let go. It just continues being the best thing you’re listening to this month, in perpetuity. In a way, Epigone is the gift that keeps giving. It blends that smooth, orchestral approach with something raw and loud and dangerous. Top it off by being brilliantly played, beautiful arranged, and—this is key—it has RotM art that I’ve already made and used on multiple occasions. I can just pop up the same background we used for nearly all of 2022 and leave it up until the next time they release an album. This was a great plan and I should never have caved to the kind of pressure that readers and writers and even friends and family exerted on me. I can give Zadion his much desired win and I don’t have to fuck around with this anymore.

And, frankly, until morale improves down there in the comment section, the beatings will continue.

Runner(s) Up:

Wilderun // Veil of Imagination [Review 1; Review 2] — Wilderun is the only band to repeat as my Record o’ the Year, a fact accomplished because Veil of Imagination is even better than its predecessor. This record is the kind of complete album from an absolutely brilliant band who we all have the privilege of seeing develop before our eyes. There are only so many superlatives that I can write before I become a self-parody—a thing that I know I’m in no risk of becoming, but why risk it?—so I will try to keep this brief. I was right that Veil of Imagination was the starting gun for a new decade of melodic death metal and that it was an iconic album; yet that seems to be the case for everything Wilderun releases. Like Soen’s Lotus or Xoth’s Interdimensional Invocations, Veil of Imagination is a record that clearly exists as more than the sum of its parts; where everything is perfectly in place. The combination of inventive songwriting and arrangements (both songs and the album’s craft and impressive flow), stellar orchestral compositions, and the production, are all wrapped up in a cool concept with amazing artwork. These all complement each other, making Veil of Imagination truly stand out from the crowd. It’s records like this one that remind us all of the strength of the full-length album as an art form. It’s the kind of thing you want to put on in headphones and just sit down to listen.

Wilderun // Sleep at the Edge of the Earth — Sleep at the Edge of the Earth is a special album. In scope, this record is reminiscent of Orphaned Land’s ORwarriOR; it plays like a film score. The songs are littered with hooky, contagious riffs, gorgeous orchestrations, and inspired melodies that creep under your skin. It struck me again on every listen that this album is complete. Sleep at the Edge of the Earth is the very image of what the album as a single unit—an art form—should sound like. Every note is perfectly placed and the songwriting manages to be epic, emotive, and evocative without ever feeling overwrought or cheesy. Wilderun combines all the things I love about metal—orchestral epic vistas, earthy folk music, and melodic death and black strains with excellent clean vocals and startling growls—into a perfect package. The true test of an album, of course, is that it grows with time and 2023 finds Sleep at the Edge of the Earth just as vital and impressive as the day it was released. When I first heard Sleep at the Edge of the Earth, I liked it. Then I set it aside and moved on with my life and when I pulled it out again I loved it. This record has continued to reveal facets and wrinkles I did not notice the first time through as only the best albums ever do. It belongs in the pantheon of truly masterful albums that I own and have had the honor to have featured here at AngryMetalGuy.com.

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The primary keyword to Dystopia A.D. is expansive. All the songs sound big and bombastic, and they switch up the pacing and even the genre constantly. “Force-fed Soma” sets a calm yet strident pace, but interrupts itself with bursts of blast-beat, hammering tremolos and piercing screams, before finishing off with an impromptu trumpet solo. The title track rolls out a straight Amon Amarth riff that veers into left field when atmospheric layered vocals and snippets of neoclassical scale-running drop in. Chris Whitby is the mastermind behind the band, handling everything besides lead guitar and a few guest spots. His approach to songwriting results in tracks that sound like miniature albums, traversing multiple moods and themes in the span of minutes, but returning to prior motifs often enough to not abandon cohesion entirely.

While there is a tremendous amount of variety and atmosphere on display, Doomsday Psalm is primarily a guitar-driven album. The lead remains the sole domain of Aki Shishido, who maps out numerous beautiful solos and a wealth of strong riffs in a rainbow of styles. And he saves the best for last. Penultimate track “As Skies Collapse” bursts from the gate with a battering Gothenburgian assault, and closer “Howl of Barghest” has an absolute ripper of a main riff, interspersed with tasteful noodly solos. Whitby supplies the vocals, and his range is impressive, utilizing deathcore-tinged growls and screeches as well as an excellent semi-clean chorus on the epic “Fields of Carrion.”¹

Room for improvement does remain. A few passages need a little extra oomph, as they create the occasional lull in energy, most notably on opener “Imperial Dawn” where it’s in danger of tainting first impressions. The drum programming is done exceptionally well, but it never quite escapes sounding a bit more mechanical than a good live drummer. These are the most minor of qualms, however. Between the excellent guitars, solid vocals and adventurous, many-faceted songwriting, Whitby and Shishido have delivered an ambitious and impressive album that invites regular revisiting. There are precious few reasons any fan of progressive death metal should not be checking out Doomsday Psalm.

Tracks to Check Out: “Fields of Carrion,” “As Skies Collapse” and “Howl of Barghest.”

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Walking the line between old school death metal and blackened speed-thrash, Atomwinter are barely fucking around. I say ‘barely’, rather than ‘not’, because there is the obligatory one-minute instrumental opener to skip on Sakrileg. The album would’ve opened far stronger had the band just ripped straight into “Ov Blood and Flesh,” which tells us immediately that these guys have listened to a lot of early Incantation and taken that as their creative starting point. Fast and furious, one of the first things that struck me about this album was the work of Patrick W. behind the kit, as he slides up through slow brooding tempos to machine-gun-like blasts by way of crusty d-beats. He sets the rhythmical backbone of Sakrileg, driving it forward as founding members Martin S. and Benni G., on bass and guitar respectively, pump out a wall of old school death riffs.

New vocalist Florian Bauer, who joined after Atomwinter’s decent (if shoddily produced) 2018 effort, Catacombs, offers a stronger and more varied performance than his immediate predecessor, Oliver Holzschneider. Bauer’s deep, rumbling roars and snarls lend depth and texture to the unrelenting fare served up by Martin and Benni. Channeling a fair amount of early Asphyx, and even Angelcorpse, into their riffs, Atomwinter isn’t winning any awards for genre-defining creativity but these boys know how to write a decent guitar lick. Highlights include the frantic (proper) opener “Ov Blood and Flesh,” the sepulchral feel of “The Lungs of Hell” and the huge, stomping beast that is the title track.

There’s a lot to like about Sakrileg. While the band plays it fairly safe in songwriting terms, this is a very consistent album, with no weak tracks (intro aside) and strong performances all around. This is aided by very good, organic-feeling production, which gives Atomwinter real heft and presence. Compared to the previous three albums, which all feel like they were probably recorded in a damp garden shed, Sakrileg has a more polished veneer atop the bile and venom of its blackened sound. Its shortcoming is that lack of risk-taking, which means that, for all its good moments, there are also few standout moments of real quality (like the solo about 2 minutes into “Until the Loss ov God”) to be found. There are also a few little tricks, such as the air-raid-siren-like guitar lead, that are, rather like “ov”, perhaps over-utilized across here.

However, standing at only 37 minutes (36 if you, like me, will always skip that intro), this is a crisp, bilious and fun death metal album, with little to criticize about it. The old school feel of Sakrileg, paired with its production job, means the album packs a punch that is every bit the equal of that tasty cover art. While Atomwinter’s first three records did little for me, this one has more than enough about it to mean I will be looking out for their next record with interest.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Trollzorn Records
Websites: atomwinter.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/atomwinter
Releases Worldwide: February 10th, 2023

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Way back in November of last year, a Steely

Consécration Cadavérique is a relatively brief album, clocking in at just over 38 minutes, but that’s across only five tracks, meaning it boasts both a tight runtime and lengthy compositions. I generally avoid the latter in my black metal, as trem-heavy, blast-beaten repetition can quickly grow tiresome, my mind begins to wander and the unrelenting wall of sound quickly becomes indecipherable background noise. Yet Orphique make it work. That success can be attributed primarily to David Potter, the mastermind who concocted this entire Quebec-based BM affair, while also serving as lead vocalist, chief lyricist and songwriter.

“Concocted” is the operative word, because it’s clear Mr. Potter and his chosen musicians have worked hard to imbue each track with its own unique melodic backbone. There’s a healthy but controlled reliance on recurring riffs, atmospheres, and accents which helps to ensure cohesion without amplifying tedious repetition. You always feel connected to the beating, hideous heart of each track, even as tempos change, intensity ebbs and flows, and different corridors of sound are explored. “Onirique” is a perfect example, with its transition from a straightforward opening riff into a blackened, melodic onslaught, all before a controlled dive into sparse plucking that evolves into a 80s-inspired neoclassical solo. “Vampirique” brings the trudge and the mid-paced riffing, introducing orchestration and an acoustic interlude, while “Chim​é​rique” features simple, mournful keys over pained, echoing screams. Despite so many shifts, it’s abundantly clear that the same deft hands are at work here, resulting in an album that is both explosive and subdued, as melodic as it is chaotic. The frustrated barks that precede actual lyrics on “Sporadique” and the harsh vox effectively shoehorned into a more traditional vocal cadence on “Orphique,” “Vampirique” and “Chim​é​rique” are emotive high points on an album already full of them.

Steel Magnolias in all his ancient, hairy wisdom, was quite right to suggest Consécration Cadavérique.¹ None of the minor issues I have takes away from the overall success of Orphique’s debut. I may not have understood a single word that was shrieked at me, but I fell under its spell all the same. So take this beautifully-balanced cadaver for a spin. You’re sure to walk away consecrated.

Tracks to Check Out: “Onirique,” “Vampirique,” “Sporadique”

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Does a new year mean new pursuits? New ideas and new beginnings? Who cares? For me, a new year just means more death metal. As such, I’m starting 2023 off the way our forefathers intended: with a smattering of muck and more than a glaze of grime. With this being my goal, I figured I couldn’t go wrong with the sophomore album from

Nothingness studied at the Immolation and Morbid Angel school of classic death metal, majoring in the oldest of olde approach; Think colossal, crunchy riffs, knuckle-dragging growls and mid-paced destruction with tasteful doses of brutal freneticism. They may have also considered minoring in Cannibal Corpse, but that’s not the most interesting part of their higher education. Nothingness clearly had a very weird senior year, filled with several “self-discovery” electives and maybe even a semester abroad. The result? A smidgen of dissonance, a dose of atmospherics, and some off-kilter musical choices that evoke the likes of Voivod. Now, with a bloody sheepskin in hand and a debut album under their belt, Nothingness crossed the stage following a few post-grad studies, eager to get your head banging, your blood pumping and throttle me senseless for extending this tortured metaphor.

Supraliminal features riffs, riffs and then to top it all off, a few more riffs. While it’s easy to point to first track “Curse of Creation” as the prime example, quality riff-craft is on display throughout the record. The refrain on “Catapulted into Hyperspace” (my favorite title so far this year) sounds like what you’d expect to hear as you’re pulled screaming into a black hole. “Beacon of Loss,” meanwhile, boasts hard rock riffage with a thin film of doom that’s beefier than anything you’d find at a cattle convention. From blackened, tremolo wailing to doom-laden drudgery to mildewed OSDM grime, Nothingness has a proven knack for imbuing a riff with blistering life. This strength is augmented by their willingness to include doses of dissonance in unexpected places, adding an uncanny aspect to their arrangements. “Inviolate Viscera” is perhaps the best example of this, with a Voivod-inspired, off-kilter main riff that gives way to a warbly, plucky refrain and a vibraslap out of nowhere. It’s clear Nothingness are comfortable bucking genre conventions, as heard on other tracks like “Horrendous Incantation,” “Temple of Broken Swords” and closer “Decimation Mechanism.”

Unfortunately, a nifty bag o’ dissonant tricks isn’t quite enough to lift Supraliminal to the lofty heights that Nothingness seem capable of. They pack a solid OSDM punch, know their way around a riff and aren’t afraid to introduce some less-than-traditional (for death metal) elements, and yet the end result is still less than the sum of its parts. While I found myself fondly recalling certain sections of certain riffs of certain songs, Supraliminal as a whole felt more like a grab bag of ideas than a unified whole. There are plenty of interesting concepts at play, but they’re arranged in such a disjointed manner that the ultimate product lacks the cohesion necessary to be truly memorable. Tracks like “Curse of Creation” and “Inviolate Viscera” don’t make up for overlong songs like “Temple of Broken Swords” and “Beacon of Loss” or more forgettable tunes like “The Anvil.” It feels like Nothingness are still searching for the kind of band they want to be, and as a result, come off as more uncertain than they’d like.

Nothingness have crafted an engaging but ultimately mixed platter. But as I shared with an aggrieved colleague, I’d rather listen to a strong 2.5 that swings for the fences over a solid but safe 3.0. And that’s ultimately where I come down on Supraliminal: it’s overlong and lacks cohesion, but it’s also truly inspired in places. What’s more, Nothingless have the chops to address these nagging issues, and I’ll be there when they do.

Rating: ​2.5/5.0
DR:​ 5 | ​Format Reviewed:​ 256 kbps mp3
Label: ​Everlasting Spew Records
Websites: everlastingspewrecords.bandcamp.com/album/supraliminal | instagram.com/nothingness_is_death
Releases Worldwide​: January 20th, 2023

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A much rawer, more stripped-back version of the black metal drug that Marrasmieli is pushing, Sammale operates in shades of bleak black, dappled with folk elements. Synths are used very sparingly, much more so than in Zannibal’s day job, with most of the atmosphere here being guitar generated and driven. In many respects closer to Paisaunt’s jagged assault, Sammale has a rough feel to it that is much more organic and free-flowing than Marrasmieli. Indeed, Zannibal has said that he feels he overthought some of the songs on Martaiden Mailta and he deliberately took a step back when it came to writing Sammale, even down to improvising some parts during studio recording sessions. The result is an unpredictable and intriguing album that lurches between restrained folk (opening of “Jo Hanki Haihtuu”), sometimes set to the sounds of nature (“Sammal”) and furious, visceral black metal (“Kalmanväki”).

Direct and unvarnished in the harsh parts, whimsical and light in sparing moments, Sammale feels like taking a stroll through some gloomy woods at dusk, which rapidly accelerates into a headlong dash, bouncing off half-seen tree trunks, as you realize the woods are full of monsters. The album achieves the unlikely combination of feeling simultaneously like a fully realized journey but also slightly unfinished. The combination of harsh, unrefined black metal with wisps of broken, half-heard melody (“Mehtän Kultainen Kuningas”) and brooding, doom-laden atmospherics (“Köyry”) grew on me with each listen. Everything here is handled by Zannibal, allowing him to imbue Sammale with a gritty edge that is not found in Marrasmieli’s work but, in doing so, he does not abandon all sense of nuance or melody. On the contrary, these flow through the album like tiny brooks and streams that snake across the forest floor.

Muddy guitars and a raw, almost second-wave, drum sound contribute to this earthy picture. Nevertheless, the album has a surprisingly high DR score (possibly artificially inflated slightly by my review version being only 192 kbps) and an accordingly rich and textured sound. Zannibal’s vocals straddle that point between a blackened rasp and demonic roar more associated with funeral doom, giving “Köyry” and the beast of a closer, “Kalmanväki” a real sense of depth, despite the (deliberately) low production values. In some ways, I hear elements of Mystras’ sound in Sammale, particularly on that closing track, albeit without the grand historic narrative that Mystras majors in.

I may be sitting here in 2023, laboring on 2022, but this is definitely a pleasing way to close out one hell of a long year. Tightly written and clocking in only just over the half-hour mark, there is much to enjoy about Sammale’s debut effort. Raw, knotty and rough around the edges, but laced with nuance and moments of surprising delicacy, Sammale is a petite little diamond in the rough. Lacking in true standout moments, it is nevertheless an album well worth your time, which will be repaid in full.¹

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 11 | Format Reviewed: 192 kbps mp3
Label: Naturmacht Productions
Website: sammale.bandcamp.com
Releases Worldwide: December 30th, 2022

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Writers here at AMG have often noted that releasing an album in the mid-December wasteland is a fool’s errand. While recency bias is certainly prevalent among album reviewers in general, it’s impossible for underground bands to build the word of mouth necessary to make multiple year’s end lists. Moreover, even more prominent bands will miss out on opportunities to end up on fan’s holiday wishlists. In sum, minimal exposure, nonexistent sales, and reviewers’ often justified assumptions about the quality of releases in late December prove a death knell for these releases. Bands and labels of course know this and avoid December like the plague. It was then with significant trepidation that I picked up

Siberian Tusk’s sound certainly owes much to stoner rock progenitors like Kyuss/Queens of the Stone Age, but even more so to Audioslave. While Siberian Tusk’s promo material emphasizes a punk aesthetic, it doesn’t translate to the band’s sound. No, this cocktail is an alternative base with several dashes of butt rock bitters. The Audioslave comparisons are apparent from the outset, as guitarist Kent Rune kicks “Rich & Poor” off with a near-carbon copy of the whirring helicopter-effect intro from “Cochise” like a Norwegian Tom Morello. Vocalist/guitarist Begil channels Chris Cornell’s timbre as he snarls, sneers, and bites his way through Reapers, even if he understandably lacks Cornell’s power and range.

What saves Siberian Tusk from being an Audioslave clone is their sense of groove and swing derived from their stoner influences including Kyuss and, of course, Black Sabbath. Drummer René, in particular, knows exactly when to push the tempo forward and when to lean into a languid backbeat swing. As a result, most of the individual tracks bear the hallmarks of an organic band rooted in hazy and boozy jam sessions. Too many stoner rock and metal bands often mistake repetition for groove and feel incredibly stiff as a consequence, which is not the case here. Instead, René’s interplay with bassist Inge Morten provides a far more varied foundation on which Rune and Begil can build traditional stoner and desert riffs. The best moments on Reapers marry the swing and start/stop stomp of Sabbath with propulsive alternative (“Eternal Bliss,” “Two Fast Uppercuts,” “Fucked Up”).

Where Siberian Tusk gets into trouble is forging Reapers into a cohesive whole and when it indulges in more butt rock tendencies. Several songs (“Goes Around,” “Desert Sun,“ “Truth Be Told“) feature the same vibrato-drenched guitar. While these similar intros tempt the listener to zone out through Reapers, they’re paradoxically periodically punctuated by the jarring tracks that lean more into butt rock. The opening to “Hung Over,” for example, channels the worst vocal impulses of Nickelback. Subsequent track “Reaper Blues” features a heavily flanged drum intro that has far more to do with glam and hard rock than the drier sound associated with desert/stoner rock and overwhelms the creamy fuzzed-out guitar. The third deadly sin, for this reviewer at least, are the often poor lyrics. I tend to focus more on instrumentation and composition when I listen to albums, but the lyrics to “Hung Over” and “Fucked Up,” for example, can be downright distracting. If you like your stoner lyrics to feature more sci-fi (ala Sleep and The Sword) and fewer personal foibles, you’ll likely find yourself wanting to skip many of Reapers tracks.

Nevertheless, for listeners who are able to look past Siberian Tusk’s immediate alternative influences and relative unoriginality, there is much to enjoy about Reapers By Trade. While these Norwegians don’t create anything new on Reapers By Trade, they consistently craft mean and comparatively (for stoner) lean individual compositions. Reapers is unlikely to stay in my rotation in full, but I’ll likely revisit some of the choice cuts (“Eternal Bliss,” “Two Fast Uppercuts”) in the coming year. It’s a shame that the apparent earlier release date in 2022 was pushed back to December, because Reapers offers much more than your typical mid-December fare.

Rating: ​2.5/5.0
DR:​ 7 | ​Format Reviewed:​ 320 kbps mp3
Label: ​Hidden Noise Records
Websites: siberiantusk.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/SiberianTusk
Releases Worldwide​: December 16th, 2022

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The onslaught of sound that constitutes Bucephale can be overwhelming. Nostromo lays it on thick, a grind-influenced classic metalcore gallop with thrash and groove for good measure, riffs curb-stomping and pummeling with little reprieve. Revealing that the veteran Swiss quartet features former guitarist Jérôme “Jéjé” Pellegriniand and drummer Maxime Hänsenberger of the renowned grindcore outfit Mumakil makes sense, the immediacy and intensity infused with Bucephale coming to mind. Boasting veteran pedigree, Geneva’s Nostromo was formed in 1996, breaking up in 2005 after a respectable three full-lengths, an EP, and a split. Two EP’s into the revival set in 2016, the quartet has not lost their touch. Yet, for all the pummel, Nostromo is not a one-trick pony¹ for their first full-length in eighteen (!) years.

In an admirable team effort, Hänsenberger’s percussion adds a driving mania, bassist Ladislav Agabekov bolsters each punishing rhythm with punishing depth, and vocalist Javier Varela’s rabid barks inject vitriol aplenty, but Jéjé’s riffwork is the true star of the show. Alongside Nostromo grind core,² influences of Integrity and Bury Your Dead in bouncy climactic breakdowns, tracks like “IED (Intermittent Explosive Disorder)” and “Ship of Fools” are sure to get the head bobbing with cutthroat riffs alongside frantic blasts, while the Pantera-inspired grooves of “Lachon Hara” and “In Praise of Betrayal” ooze with swagger amid the incessant grind pace. You’ll find your ears bleeding with the down-tuned fretboard abuse of tracks like “Decimatio” and “A Sun Rising West” atop crushing riffs, recalling the bouncy melodeath influence of Killswitch Engage or Unearth. Djent influence seems intent on corrupting tracks like “Per Sona” and “Realm of Mist” with wonky time signatures and rhythms, recalling Meshuggah’s more punishing moments.

Speaking of Meshuggah, the true test of Nostromo’s mettle is their ability to create truly haunting songs that don’t compromise their, uh, integrity.³ Rhythmically challenging but nevertheless infectious, opener “Ship of Fools” introduces the album with ominous plucking, which later kicks into a punishing groove that dissolves into a plucky half-time portion that introduces the kickassery. This atmospheric quality is not a one-off, mind you. Perfected to a pitch-black degree that recalls Amenra’s Masses, “κ​α​τ​ά​ϐ​α​σ​ι​ς” and instrumental closer “Asato Ma” attain a doom-meets-Meshuggah vibe, sporting hauntingly sharp plucking, colossal polyrhythmic riffs, and contemplative tempos that recall a more atmosphere-forward “Break Those Bones Whose Sinews Gave It Motion.” As such, Nostromo’s guitar tone and production are nearly perfect in Bucephale, adding nimble crispness to the grind or metalcore-forward moments, and crushing weight to the slower doom passages.

While “Ship of Fools,” “κ​α​τ​ά​ϐ​α​σ​ι​ς,” and “Asato Ma” provide plenty of food for thought, Nostromo’s emphasis on bouncy kickass riffs makes Bucephale fun above all else. An infectious blend of metalcore, grind, groove, and thrash, with just enough contemplation to show maturity, it’s an album devoted to the concussion. While rock-solid songwriting shows the act’s veteran heart pumping, the willingness to balance head-banging simplicity with rhythmic complexity and cutthroat vitriol. Screaming along with it will make you horse,⁴ but you’ll love every second.

Tracks to Check Out: ”IED (Intermittent Explosive Disorder)” “A Sun Rising West,” “κ​α​τ​ά​ϐ​α​σ​ι​ς”

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Manum Inicere Alicui has little sticking power, which is surprising in a way, given how much is going on. This latter point compounds the first problem. Through seven tracks, Har Shatan move through atmospheric shades (“Intro/Aurora”), dungeon synth (“Secret”), grimy old-school fuzziness (“Loyalty until Death”), icy second-wave (“Blood of Creation”), and more besides. There are even low, dramatic cleans spliced in here and there. Yet it all fades away into unmemorability as soon as it’s passed. Even while it’s playing, the moroseness of the majority of the DSBM-tendencies is not moving, the frenzy of the blastbeats is not furious, and the rippling synth is not atmospheric. It leaves the listener cold. Not in a positive way, as a frostbitten black metal assault or devastatingly miserable DSBM record would. But in a way that saps attention spans and flattens a listening experience to a mirage of greyscale milquetoast monotony.

But there are redeeming qualities. “Blood of Creation” has a pleasing evil-ness to its reverberating snarls and fuzzy tremolos, though the repetitiousness tires it before its time. Despite its welcome-overstaying length, the gently ebbing waves of mournful guitar and throatily-pronounced vocals of “Lichtträger Lucifers” make it the best cut of the bunch. The only one that carries real poignancy, even if it remains relatively unremarkable. In fact, it is in the quieter and more gentle areas that Har Shatan seems to succeed the most. The musing plucked “Another World/Outro” and melancholic synth interlude “Secret” are subtly sweet, although the former does not need to be five minutes long. The singing that surfaces is not bad, adding a layer of intrigue and a bit more weight to “Intro/Aurora.” There are also moments (“Fulgens et Sole Clarior,” “Blood of Creation”) when the snarls are delivered with a satisfying punchiness and drawn-out into more of a scream. Few and far between they may be, but they’re good when they arise.

What trips the record up is its lack of commitment to any particular version of itself. Har Shatan probably could have made a decent album in any one of the various styles on display. They play each competently, though some perhaps better than others. Tacking them together as they have done certainly isn’t jarring—there isn’t that much disparity between them—but it does contribute to the overall vagueness that makes the record fairly unmemorable. Something that actually is a little jarring is the way some tracks end very abruptly, often midway through a note, whilst others fade out unappealingly. Manum Inicere Alucui might also have benefitted from a little editing. Not that forty-five minutes is especially long, but because what merit tracks like “Lichtträger Lucifers” and “Blood of Creation” possess is drained by their seeming endlessness.

I never like to disparage an individual’s musical expression. That being said, Manum Inicere Alucui is not especially successful such communication. It suffers from its subtly shifted styles that are played in serviceable but forgettable patterns, leaving it with a bland and uncertain identity. There is promise here, but that promise has not been realized yet.

Rating: Disappointing
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320kbps mp3
Label: The Sinister Flame
Website: harshatan666.bandcamp.com
Releases Worldwide: December 31st, 2022

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This is not your grandma’s deathgrind. Ósserp aren’t satisfied until your entire body is contorted in weird knots, bleeding from every pore and retching its guts out to no end. Riffs buzz and saw their way through bone, blasts pummel your muscle into slurry, guttural roars rend your spine into segments. Between the shattering swaths of vigorous deathgrind that evoke a grindier alternate universe version of Slugdge’s Gastronomicon, gloomy doom-death awaits to stomp your soul while your body is down. And when they get down and dirty with death, they smack of Winds of Leng and Phrenelith, with an occasional blackened edge. Yet, at no point are any of these dalliances with the extreme anything other than seamless.

Forty-three minutes would normally be a big ask for deathgrind, but Ósserp make the experience endlessly engaging by transforming each song into a complete and compelling journey. Even the most straightforward outing, “La Rèmora,” slithers between groovy death metal themes in such a way that exudes personality. But more often than not, Els nous cants de la Sibil·la pulls from every corner of the extreme metal spectrum in clever, and sometimes downright subtle, ways, granting standout tracks like “El Rival Més Fort,” “El Pes del Buit,” and “L’home en el Laberint” the uncanny ability to ensnare the senses and mangle the flesh without even once sacrificing the album’s continuity.

Album arrangement further enhances Els nous cants de la Sibil·la’s sense of fluidity. From the onset of brutal opener “Cavalcant L’ossa Menor” it is clear that Ósserp have nothing but complete destruction in mind. As the record progresses, greater complexity blooms into view, rooted to an unflappable death metal core. That core gains extra support from crippling atmosphere (“Tot Crema”), an entity that grounds the album as much as it enhances it. It is used with great effect to signal the arrival of Ósserp’s doom-oriented explorations, which then predict a violent surge of intensified speed and vitriol. To my delight, this dynamic cycles around again—but on a greater scale—halfway through. This, in effect, summons an overwhelming sense of defeat just before an absolutely demolishing run of relentless, righteous deathgrind sends the record rocketing forward again, almost all the way to conclusion.

With Els nous cants de la Sibil·la, Ósserp crafted a dynamic deathgrind record with a variety of tones, textures, and twists. Using intelligent and detailed arrangement strategies across the album allowed the group to avoid several damning pitfalls: grind’s propensity for choppiness; buzzsaw death’s monotony; death-doom’s lack of excitement. All the while, Els nous cants de la Sibil·la retains a charismatic, refined character that makes it a standout of 2022. Don’t miss it!

Tracks to Check Out: “Tot Crema,” “El Pes del Buit,” “L’home en el Laberint,” “La Rèmora”

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