ALBUM REVIEW: Lifelost – Dialogues From Beyond

Here I review the new LIFELOST album featuring a member of Wormed. This album is set for release on Transcending Obscurity Records on October 28th! Let’s see what this endeavour into Black Metal will bring!

1. Malign Emanatio kicks straight into haunting atmospherics with a bleak yet also beautifully orchestrated feel to things. The walls of guitar and drum battery hit hard while the soaring leads add dissonance. The gruesome growls and sickening screams are absolute in their cathartic decimation of extremity. The track comes together really nicely with its tight production that keeps a raw edge to things, without being overly polished nor sounding too static. The grisly screams are nicely disturbing and suit the songs depressive feel very nicely. The riffs are really epic and original, loved how they sound! This first track was some really well thought out and abyssal Black Metal with a very brutal touch to it, drawing influence from some Death Metal elements. Great track to open with, the very abrupt ending being quite unexpected.
2. Sepulchral Vault continues with menacing vibes and bleak yet huge atmospheres. The sound of this music seems to perfectly match aggression and depression creating something both outwardly hateful being with inner loathing encompassed too. The surging and convulsive feel of this track is really groovy and catchy but also pretty damn uncomfortable in an enjoyable way. There are some very Silencer like screeches in the background really adding to the discomfort. The flourishing leads elevate the song into cascading chaos and melodious madness. Wonderfully written piece of music right here with some really darkening tinges on the classic Black Metal formula that is brought into new and original territories.
3. Released From Life definitely has a title that could fit a DSBM song. Coming in with very old school riffs and a more raw sound used, the huge atmospheric styles continue in a way that feels like middle era Shining. There is a certain foreboding melancholy and sombre emotivity behind the more aggressive, forcefulness that the song outwardly projects. There is a really cool contradiction both emotionally and musically in this material that I am finding fascinating to listen to. The tremolo riffs using a nice bend with them to create a really unsettling sound sound killer over monolithic blast beats and with the leads rejoining along with guttural screams the song really packs a punch. I was actually expecting something much more bleak from the title so this piece really caught me off guard, great work all the same with some excellent harmonies! The decimating heaviness of this song really stands out beautifully.
4. Metanoia launches into pristine guitars and thunderous drum fills that fire the song into a really gorgeous vibe with plenty of force yet a more slow tempo burn on things takes place. It is unclear what creative direction this will go in, then some really intense vocals bring it to fruition with a really dreadfully dark feel, bordering on some more doomy vocals. The morbidly depressive song has a really stunning sense of songwriting to it that drags at you as you listen, devouring light and joy with the begrudging assault of Black Metal melancholia. Another wonderfully put together piece of darkened artistic brilliance with both chaos and order seeming to battle very violently in the song which is incredibly exciting in every aspect.
5. Incorporeal Gate is the final endeavour of this short but incredibly intense Black Metal release, I think keeping it relatively short was a good way to retain its impactful nature rather than to drag things out unnecessarily. The song begins with more gorgeous lead riffs topping a huge underlaying rhythm, bass and drum instrumental section that really has this awesome feeling to it. The violently intoxicating, dismal vocals quickly come back for one last bout into insanity and really drag through the mix perfectly. The song is another dissonant and horrifically great example of how emotive Black Metal can (and should) be with such a misanthropic violence to this last piece that captures a similar vibe to bands like Leviathan with their totally anti human obliterating assault. This piece is a great way to finish the album with unapologetic ferocity and a last chance to really kick your teeth in. Great stuff, once more, I was thoroughly impressed and this track led the album out beautifully.

This is some pretty brutal Black Metal with tons of aggressive atmospherics, tight, brutal and disturbing with plenty of consistency. Once more Transcending Obscurity are bringing us the best of the Extreme Metal underground with reliably excellent releases, this being one of many! -8/10