Mitochondrion – Vitriseptome Review

By Dear Hollow

Vancouver’s Mitochondrion has a knack for violence. The quartet has always hinted that its signature relentless breed of dissonant black/death war metal is a façade for a much darker reality, contrary to the lurid barbarousness of its counterparts. Longwinded compositions of unhinged brutality suddenly align into chuggy riffs and experimental prowess at the guidance of its triple-vocal attack from hell, making cohorts with just as much of the likes of Teitanblood and Adversarial as Ulcerate and Portal.1 Deceptively straightforward, incessantly pulverizing, and neck deep in otherworldly ambitions, it’s non-Euclidean punishment from men who are alchemists at heart. Mitochondrion returns.

Otherworldly ambition has largely separated Mitochondrion from its counterparts since its 2003 inception. Vitriseptome is the lineup of their classic albums, 2008’s Archaeaeon and 2011’s Parasignosis, with bassist Sebastian Montesi of Auroch and Atemporal the only new addition in 2012. It has been thirteen long years since Mitochondrion’s formidable Parasignosis, only an EP (Antinumerology) and a split with Auroch (In Cronian Hour) to fill the absence. What 2024’s Vitriseptome does is ambitious to compensate, a ninety-three-minute affair described as a trilogy in two phases, separated by a flurry of ambient interludes – often the only respite from the intensity. With classical alchemy in mind, Mitochondrion concocts this mixture: the two phases or halves representing “Dissolution” and “Coagulation,” the trilogy denoting the three classical alchemical elements salt, sulfur, and mercury, and its quarter movements coined “Separation,” “Confusion,” “Initiation,” and “Return.” Each portion consists of a distinct sound palette while adhering to its emphasis on non-Euclidean and claustrophobic punishment rooted in sinister blackened death, cavernous OSDM, and bellicose war metal while venturing into the realms of dark ambient and noise. While its length is challenging and ambition alienating, it is worth a trek through Mitochondrion’s darkness where the smoke curls up and the crooked galaxies hang.

Each division encapsulates a certain mood or focus. Opening five-track suite “Separation” would feel right at home in an Adversarial album, gashing the ears with relentless blasting, unhinged tremolo, wailing solos, and putrid roars amid shifting sands of jarring tempo shifts, aligning like rotten stars in pulsing staccato climaxes (“Increatum Vox,” “Oblithemesis”). The seven tracks of “Initiation” balance its muscular character with a thick shroud of grime-crusted noise (“The Cruxitome,” “Ignis Caecus”), punishing concrete riffage emerging like colossal fists (“Argentum Mortifixion,” “The Protanthrofuge”). Contrary to these blasting behemoths of excess, latter halves “Confusion” and “Return” are far more restrained,2 comparatively meditative explorations that encapsulate the respective war metal attack and noisy approach (“Vacuuole,” “Viabyssm”), while expanding into filthy oceans of emptiness with Ulcerate-esque dissonance and haunting solos (“Flail, Faexregem!,” “Antitonement”) – a darker place to land that serves as a reminder as to who holds the key on this intense journey. The mix is dense and nearly impenetrable, a key contrast to the likewise ambitious organic treks of Ingurgitating Oblivion or Orgone.

As disparate as the styles are within Vitriseptome’s various divisions, they never stray from Mitochondrion’s signature breed. The punishment is still all-encompassing and incessantly pulverizing, but balance is the priority. Its moments of relative stillness there is a tension to the looming attack (“Viabyssm,” “The Protanthrofuge”), and there are moments of tense placidity in the more warfaring partitions (“The Erythapside,” “Ignis Caecus”). Dynamically, the band utilizes its interludes and its underlying approach extremely effectively, with smooth transitions (“Oblithemesis” to “[]” to “Vitriseptome;” “Ignis Caecus” to “[antimonphoresis]” to “Vacuuole”) guiding the proceeds from experimental and unhinged former to patient and contemplative latter. As such, nary a second feels wasted on Vitriseptome despite its interlude-heavy tracklist and demanding runtime. Its two-then-three-then-four thematic divisions don’t feel confused or convoluted, because the density of the music and intricate construction lend purpose and distinction. Vitriseptome offers undeniable proof that Mitochondrion remains atop the death metal echelon, in spite of its thirteen-year quiet.

Vitriseptome is challenging, but it’s a challenge well worth undertaking. A puzzle unlocked, its secrets are revealed with every listen – a harrowing and putrid collection of knowledge. The dynamics therein tell a story of alchemical rage and occult obsession, fueled by madness and horror. Undeniably a test of patience, its first impression of unhinged insanity slowly gives way to intensely calculated brutishness, bolstered by its atmospheric prowess and bared teeth of noise. Mitochondrion hasn’t missed a beat after thirteen years: Vitriseptome succeeds as a reminder of their formidable greatness and sets the tone for the act’s pulverizing future.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 53 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Profound Lore Records
Websites: mitochondrion.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/mitochondrion137
Releases Worldwide: November 1st, 2024

#2024 #40 #Adversarial #AtmosphericDeathMetal #Auroch #BlackenedDeathMetal #CanadianMetal #DarkAmbient #DeathMetal #DissonantDeathMetal #Egregore #IngurgitatingOblivion #Mitochondrion #Noise #Nov24 #Orgone #Portal #ProfoundLoreRecords #Review #Reviews #Teitanblood #Ulcerate #Vitriseptome #WarMetal

Apep – Before Whom Evil Trembles Review

By Dear Hollow

In Egyptian mythology, Apep (or Apophis) is the counterpart to the supreme solar god as the embodiment of darkness and chaos. Described as the “Lord of Disorder,” the serpent deity is daily at war with Re. It was believed that the sun itself was Re’s barge, helmed by the scarab-faced god Khepri and guarded by many gods such as Set and the Eye of Re, casting light upon the earth before descending into the underworld and rising from the dead the next day. In line with the common trait in Egyptian religion being man’s invaluable contributions, priests’ daily rituals ensured that Re remained safe and untouched. What happens if Apep ever catches Re? The world would be plunged into darkness and descend into chaos, returned to the primordial waters of Nu.

This apocalypse, the devastation of ma’at, and the iniquity of man are embodied by the German blackened death metal band Apep. Established in 2016 and offering its first full-length in 2020, the formidable The Invocation of the Deathless One, the core palette of no-frills blackened death metal, whose intensity can verge upon war metal periodically, is continued in Before Whom Evil Trembles. Featuring just a dash of desert sands, the sophomore full-length is far from a slump. Rather, it’s characterized by frantic riffs, underworld-ripping vocals, and funereal plodding, utilizing the unequal tuning found in much traditional Arabic music. Sure, Apep may not be world-ending and Re evades capture in Before Whom Evil Trembles, but the battle is an epic one.

Of course, it’s unfair that Apep’s release date is a bit too close to comfort to the elephant sphinx in the room: Nile’s The Underworld Awaits Us All. Any death metal band with an Egyptian mythological theme will face this inevitability, as seen in the pigeonholing of acts like Crescent, Scarab, or Maat. The comparison is ultimately unfair, because the unique technicality and brutality of the North Carolina act is its trademark, while Apep’s album deals instead in unhinged groovy wildness akin to Adversarial or later-era Decapitated. The Arabic folk manifests itself most prominently in acoustic interludes (“Wanderers in the Waste,” among others), but that’s far from the star of the show. Tracks like “Enslaving the Putrefied Remnants of the Deceased” and “Before Whom Evil Trembles (Goddess of Carnage)” are all-out assaults, blazing tremolo giving way to chunky riffs while M. Friedrich’s manic drums parade, guided by the gravelly war cries of vocalist C. Fleckeisen. Guitarists O. Pikowski and P. Kühn feature a technicality that injects warfaring madness into “The Pillars of Betrayal” and “Tombs of Eternity”; while firmly planted in the mode of traditional music from the MENA region,1 Apep’s style features a distinct descending quality like Re’s race to the underworld. Tempo is likewise utilized to a devastating degree in these tracks, the slower plods feeling obscenely heavy and climactic to conclude.

While Before Whom Evil Trembles attacks viciously and tastefully ends on a more contemplative note, the earlier tracks pale in comparison, fading away in a heavy blur. Likewise, the vocals can feel loud and monotonous. Fleckeisen is a skilled vocalist, but his growl’s dominance in the mix robs the album of its impact. Similarly, drummer Friedrich most often opts for a punk-inspired blast beat style that adds to Apep’s frantic pace but begins to feel tired when some sections could benefit from blackened speed. Still, the second half of Before Whom Evil Trembles is significantly more dynamic than the first. Apep’s best songs are closers “The Breath of Kheti” and “Swallowed by Silent Sands,” which fuse folk rhythms and melodies with metal, the former’s more playful and dancing rhythms adding to the unhinged mania, while the behemoth latter features more menacing plucking and sprawling patience saturating its ten-minute runtime.

Apep’s Before Whom Evil Trembles feels like a pyramid being dropped on you. It’s a fast and uncompromising riff-fest with just enough Egyptian flair to whisk you away to an ancient world of doomed gods and desolate sands, even if it isn’t always memorable. Although undoubtedly unfair to compare to Nile, Before Whom Evil Trembles lacks the oomph to make the meteoric impact that the German quartet is clearly capable of. Apep is chasing after its own Re, and while Before Whom Evil Trembles is not the serpent capturing the sun, the day draws nearer when the earth will be bathed in chaos.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: War Anthem Records
Websites: apep.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/ApepBand
Releases Worldwide: September 13th, 2024

#2024 #30 #Adversarial #Apep #BeforeWhomEvilTrembles #BlackenedDeathMetal #Crescent #DeathMetal #Decapitated #GermanMetal #Maat #Nile #Review #Reviews #Scarab #Sep24 #WarAnthemRecords

Adversarial – Solitude with the Eternal Review

By Dear Hollow

I guess I’m one of two Adversarial fans here at AMG, because I’ve name-dropped them in scattered reviews, while Angry Metal Guy himself made a 224-word TYMHM back in 2010 for the act’s debut All Idols Fall Before the Hammer, then slyly name-dropping them in a 2019 ROTM post compared to Musmahhu. The point is, Adversarial is apparently obscure. While sporting a style not unlike the dense n’ dissonant stylings of Antediluvian and Mitochondrion, the melodic dissonant template has always reminded me of Ulcerate; the difference is the absolutely apeshit blast-happy approach to punishment. After nine long years, we are hit with third full-length Solitude with the Eternal, and it embraces the duality, a double-edged sword, of dissonance and punishment.

Time has not worn Toronto’s Adversarial, as Solitude will attest. Punishment is still priority number one, as 2010’s All Idols… and 2015’s Death, Endless Nothing and the Black Knife of Nihilism firmly established – blastbeats and shredding riffs are in no short supply. The trio of raging guitarist/vocalist C.S. and thunderous bassist M.M., romping atop the galloping doomsday horse of drummer E.K., shred and gurgle like there’s no tomorrow. Despite its cutthroat intensity, Solitude with the Eternal manages to avoid war metal unhingedness while remaining just on this side of sane, guiding its compositions with a “Janus-faced” and “dual-tongued” attack, a pendulum swinging between sharp and slithering, gazing upon horrific truths while revering its macabre beauty. Ultimately, while nothing terribly groundbreaking, Adversarial makes the nine-year wait worth it in its more dynamic songwriting weaponized in this dichotomy for maximum darkness.

Solitude with the Eternal is a bit of Angelcorpse songs covered by Antediluvian and Tetragrammacide, while somehow avoiding the crawling crassness of the former and the DR0 eardrum decimation of the latter. Balancing thick and grimy riffs with a stinging dissonance that shines like a blast of shattered glass, tracks like “Beware the Howling Darkness on Thine Left Shoulder,” “Merging Within the Destroyer,” and “Fanes at the Engur” are relentless assaults guided by C.S.’s absolutely devastating bellows and subterranean shredding with simple yet effective dissonant overlays, while “Hatred Kiln of Vengeance” and “Endless Maze of Blackened Dominion” feel like Evangelion-era Behemoth on crack, guitar harmonics balancing tones blasphemous and regal in equal measure. Bass is blessedly present, shining amid the blinding melodies in “Beware the Howling Darkness…” and “Fanes of the Engur.” Drums have always been Adversarial’s main spotlight, a sharp pong dominating tracks in All Idols Fall Before the Hammer and a mammoth thud in Death, Endless Nothing…; Solitude with the Eternal sports a much more palatable in-between, effectively cutting through the murk while not testing listeners’ mettle.

While spending most of its time blasting, Adversarial’s textures still shine. “Witness to the Eternal Light” features an atmospheric wind-torn ambient motif amid the blasting with a more dissonant palette, which sets the tone for the centerpieces “Death is an Advisor in the Woods of the Devil” and “Crushed Into the Kingdom of Darkness.” These two tracks feel like the eye of the storm, focusing more heavily on dense atmospherics and stinging melody, injecting a powerful sense of purpose to the pummeling that surrounds it; the former deals in far more prominent guitar melodies, while the latter paints its dense riffs in broad strokes through slower tempos against the backdrop of night. Because of this setup, the album feels a bit like a journey through a heretical hurricane, giving further weight to the album’s second act. Adversarial’s more meditative songwriting shines here.

Of course, this is not to say that Solitude with the Eternal is perfect. It’s obnoxiously loud, riddled with tempo abuse, and C.S.’s saturated vocals can often drown out the instrumentals, questioning momentum – ultimately requiring multiple listens to discern every murky movement and burning lead. However, Adversarial’s unhinged attack that avoids war metal decadence is addictive, and its more nuanced textures give the third full-length a mysterious and sinister quality only hinted at in the band’s catalog. It may not make lists, but it remains a pummeling return from an act that feels like they’re just getting started.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Dark Descent Records
Websites: facebook.com/AdversarialOfficial
Released Worldwide: May 31st, 2024

#2024 #35 #Adversarial #Angelcorpse #Antediluvian #Behemoth #BlackenedDeathMetal #CanadianMetal #DarkDescentRecords #DeathMetal #DissonantDeathMetal #May24 #Mitochondrion #Review #Reviews #SolitudeWithTheEternal #Tetragrammacide #Ulcerate #WarMetal