ALBUM REVIEW: Malthusian – Across Deaths

Here I review the debut full length album from Black/Death Metallers MALTHUSIAN! This release is jointly brought to us from Dark Descent Records and Invictus Productions! I am new to this band, so this will be a completely first time hearing approach to the album with no comparison to any other material they have released (although prior to this there was only a demo and EP from what I can tell).

1. Remnant Fauna opens things up with old school tremolo picked riffs, a dismal atmosphere and guttural vocals. From the very off I can tell this is going to be some really heavy Blackened Death Metal with a raw edge to it. The dissonant guitars and blasting drums sound killer together with a nice mix of Gorguts styled Death Metal with some more Leviathan sounding blackened touches. The vocals are grotesquely brilliant with a really harsh feel to them. The production may not be super tight, but it works well with the style and everything is perfectly clear to me. There is a convulsive feel to the rhythms and something really discomforting to them as well. The misanthropic feel to the whole song is really strong and clearly draws influence ranging from classic Black Metal and Death Metal through to DSBM and more atmospheric stuff. Really killer opening song, incredibly strong and harsh way to start the album!
2. Across The Expanse Of Nothing comes in with full throttle, there is so much groove and punch in the starting bars of this song and a real feeling of malaise. The grimly discordant guitar riffs with incredible drumming and guttural roars once more envelops such a dark atmosphere and malignant force to the music. This is not so much along the more balanced lines of Belphegor nor the more aggressive lines of Archgoat. This is incredibly unique and hate filled music, with a sound that seems consistent yet not inherently like something I have heard before, which is strange as it seems familiar to me somehow. The title of the song itself has a really poetic touch to it, the writing of the track is excellent and everything is stitched together beautifully but in the most gristly way. I am aware that my statements may be contradictory, but that is reflective of this music which is both somehow easy to digest yet really disconcerting. There is a lo-fi production style, that seems completely intentional and it really hits the right spots for lovers of the deeper reaches of extreme music. The screeches sound like they could be from a Silencer album, absolutely killer. Another wonderfully bleak and punishing track.
3. Sublunar Hex once more comes into fruition without need for introduction. The cascading riffs over relentless drum beats and malice fuelled vocals are no less punishing than the first 2 pieces. The lead guitar sections are monstrous with such an unsettling vibe and the rhythm/bass section really uproots the listener from their comfort zone. The sludgier parts drag and slash through notes with just as much fury as the faster tempo section, excellently transitioned too. The transcendentally unpleasant feel of the tracks is somehow really easy to listen to for me, although in many cases that won’t be the story, for the right listener this is perfect Extreme Metal, I don’t think it can really be pushed much further into extremity than this after all. The evidently well revised songwriting talents of the band is really impressive, as is their unique approach, reaching levels of malignancy I have not heard in some time. Brilliant!
4. Primal Attunement – The Gloom Epoch comes in with slightly more melody to the rhythms and structure, with some really warm bass tones catching my attention. The more Inquisition like grooves in the riffs are really cool, although the repugnant convulsions appear once more, there is a certain dense anxiety in the music. While being incredibly atmospheric, it is not of the more depressive atmospheres such as Woods Of Desolation or pleasantries of Eldamar, this is a sheerly hate filled and gristly atmosphere. Sonically this is incredibly unpleasant, which is what makes me love it so much. This, to the average Metalhead is going to be unlistenable, but fans of the more misanthropic Black Metal acts shall be absolutely addicted to this I would think. Personally the unique structures and theoretical precision of this music is really impressive to me, especially used in such a forceful and destructive manner. Yet another absolutely horrific and wonderful piece of music, not that I am surprised at this point. There is nothing becoming stagnant or overused in the bands repertoire so we constantly feel on edge and prepared for a new twist to attack us unexpectedly, this time it being more tipped in the direction of some crushingly heavy Death-Doom sections. They add such incredible power and misery to the track, I must say. It is astounding how many amazingly original surges through unpleasantries and yet wonderful songwriting the band seem to muster up in a single track (although a long one), the addition of subtle strings was a really eerie nuance for example. The ending is genuinely terrifying in many ways, but the screams and string sections are certainly a big part of the horrific ambience created. Stunningly disturbing piece of music right here.
5. Telluric Tongues (Roaring into the Earth) marks the last song of this glorious piece of dread soaked music, I am very curious to see which direction it will take in closing the album. First off we come in with marching and furious blast beats, absolutely vigorous guitar riffs filled with a reestablished energy and a bombastically nasty atmosphere once more. Beautiful sonic chaos once more berates us with unrivalled with attacks. The morbid growls once more hit us with the utmost contempt. The track seems to be a frenzied last bout at trying to musically assault the listener, an appreciated last assault I may add. The dismally screeched misery mixed with grinding ferocity certainly make for a fascinating and unique contrast. Absolutely insane closing piece, great job!

From the very beginning I liked it, the mix of dissonant Black Metal parts reminiscent of Leviathan, the Gorguts and Entrails like Death Metal punch and some really hellish soundscapes created across the guitar and vocal spectrum with chaotically blasted drums. The misanthropic chaos, dissonant riffs, incredible songwriting, furious drums and hideous vocals all perfectly come together to make some of the most claustrophobic and uncomfortable Extreme Metal I have heard of recent. In short, this is like the musical equivalent of being curb-stomped! -8.5/10