ALBUM REVIEW: Deathspell Omega – The Furnaces of Palingenesia

Here I review the brand new album of Experimental Black Metal legends DEATHSPELL OMEGA! Set for release on May 24th via Norma Evangelium Diaboli.

01. Neither Meaning Nor Justice draws in on echoing guitar chords with twinkling discordance and built in drums with gruesome growls soon firing out total hatred over the monolithic instrumentals. An immediately intimidating start to the album filled with a dissonant vitriol. There is an atmospheric feel to the music that is jarring and harsh with slow tempo crawling menace being present among gorgeous synths. An epic start to the album.
02. The Fires Of Frustration drives right into blasting drums and frenzied guitars that really hit with that punishing Deathspell Omega feeling amazingly, coupled with the snarled, maniacal vocals, there is such a tastefully unpleasant sound to the music that is stunning in the most repugnant ways. The chiming chords are discordantly harsh while precise and incredibly well chosen, with intricate and punctual drums to really harden the blow of insanity inducing Black Metal that is avant-garde but in no way pretentious or grating. Traditionally structured extremities do make a fantastic and grandiose appearance but with plenty of unique flare in the songwriting itself that makes for an excitingly volatile listen. Fantastic.
03. Ad Arma! Ad Arma! drowns you with waves of dissonance and grooves from its brilliant and punchy inception. Convulsive guitar, bass and drums make a ferocious backing while reserved enough for room to grow. Eerie vocals cascade further darkness over the already bleak instrumentals that feel intricately executed and designed to make some of the most uncomfortable sonic assaults that the band can muster, filled with tension and dread. The offset and interesting timings with some gorgeous riff-work makes this song catchy but also unpredictable. Brilliant.
04. Splinters From Your Mother’s Spine bombards massive walls of ferocity from the whole back, diving right into richly intense and intimidating yet well spaced violence. Fierce drum patterns and grinding guitars make a formidable backing to the snarling howls of the vocalist that are carefully interwoven with a concise and clear production style that allows the force of the music to be presented beautifully. Surging with aggression and convulsing with loathing, this track is a relatively short but ridiculously thorough experience in itself. Glorious.
05. Imitatio Dei cascades into brilliance with some gorgeously haunting guitar work and totally insane drumming that howls with totally chaotic violence but also a remarkably precise feel to it with vocals working in an instrumental fashion to assist the blunt force trauma effect of the song. Melancholic atmospherics do make a stunning appearance but in a way that makes sure you know some more harsh assaults are imminent. With awesome builds and semi-spoken word over melodically picked guitars and cymbal crashes, the track rebuilds to full=tempo assaults in a really unique way. Plenty of traditional Black Metal barbarity also makes a fun appearance in the track but blended with the bands signature progressive frenzy. This ferociously brilliant track is a definite favourite from the band for me. Utterly astounding.
06. 1523 slows the pace to huge drum hits and sparse guitars with melancholy taking the foreground in this brooding piece from the onset, confirmed by almost whispered vocals.  Menacingly withdrawn from extremity, the band use this militant yet atmospheric piece to show that softness can still be terrifying with the bass guitar driving out bellowing fuzz under bleak guitars. A mournful and sombre affair that fills you with a satisfaction of the bands diversity while not detracting from the intense blows of the album.
07. Sacrificial Theopathy brings in the harshest assaults thus far, with morbidly hammering drums, utterly chaotic and hideous guitars and maniacal howls that work in unison to drive the full discordant force of the band through progressing unpleasantries filled with a genuinely upheaving sense of purpose that is represented perfectly in this well-paced, nicely varied but often barbaric piece of music. Sparse sections certainly add atmosphere and tension among the monolithically bombarded strikes. This song had a really interesting and unique balance that felt incredibly well thought out. Great stuff.
08. Standing On The Work Of Slaves drives in fuzzy bass lines, primitive drums and muted guitar which builds into darkened cascades of chiming notes and snarled vocals that feel truly disgusting but in a mesmerising manner. The punchy rhythms of the song that ensue were unexpected but certainly welcome, giving a hypnotic effect that still packs a blow, building to a totally anthemic piece of ambient, avant-garde glory. There is a feeling of being pulled underwater to the song which drowns you in the misanthropic darkness of the band with no remorse. Excellent.
09. Renegade Ashes falls in with gorgeously drawn out guitar riffs over pounding drums that creates a ferociously intense effect, a sound the band have used plentifully in their career but remains just as effective as ever. There is a mournful touch to the guitars in their progressively melodic patterns that is stunningly played over the precision-driven and totally amazing drum skills, all accompanied by offset and demonic vocal attacks. Some clean vocals make a haunting appearance before the total fury of the song kicks in with nothing held back. Insanely fast drums, dancing guitar work and tortured screams throw absolutely every unpleasant yet brilliant shred of hate the band has to offer right into the listener. Combining screams and spoken word worked so damn well with the atmosphere of the track, adding even more tension, as is the case with the resplendent synths. Another fabulous song.
10. Absolutist Regeneration follows with progressive instrumentals that fiercely hammer out grooving and maniacal patterns that are richly enjoyable, especially when joined quickly by the vitriolic vocals the are spewed over the convulsing instrumentals. Tormentingly dark, the music once more throws forward impenetrable waves of sheer discordancy and terror that is uniquely intense and truly some of the most violent extremity one can witness. Surging through beautifully woven, textured progressions with such a purposefully strong sense of songwriting and musicianship that encapsulates the magnificence of the whole bands skills perfectly. Extravagant, decadent, and totally evil.
11. You Cannot Even Find The Ruins… is the finale to this opus of hideousness. Beginning with bleak guitars, thunderous drums and a true sense of melancholy, with some industrial elements to the production that add nicely to the harshness of the bands sound even when at their most tranquil. The bellowed vocals sound amazing over the sombre instruments, allowing the ambience of the album to make one last echoing appearance before fading into nothingness. However before the end, the song teases with doomy chord hits and building drums, with the vocals becoming progressively more pained. A really enticing, depraved and saddening final piece of brilliance.

As expected, this release is a blistering, seething inferno of dissonance, progressions and sheer Black Metal brilliance. Volatile and ferocious with an unpredictable fury, the band have added yet another piece of musically genius and violent work to their intense discography. Fans of Black Metal who wish to be made uncomfortable, look no further. -8.5/10