ALBUM REVIEW: Soulphernus – Soulphernus

Here I review the debut album from UK Blackened Death Metal squad SOULPHERNUS! Set for release via Clobber Records on September 13th, this promises to be some devastating material.

Opening with an epic synth and sampling introduction, there is a fantasy vibe to the album before old school Black Metal riffs tear in over tight drum work, building a carefully crafted momentum before punchy into thrashy groove and total chaos ensues. The raw ferocity of the band certainly hits hard with a menacing snarl of the vocals joining the instrumental decimation with an incredibly clear production style and some pretty classic sounding songwriting. A ripping cacophony of simplistic but effective riffs, upbeat drums and morbid vocals are the general mainstay in this album and they do a brilliant job of creating a solid and punchy assault of Death Metal glory but with some depraved Black Metal eeriness creeping in subtly. Soulphernus have a crushing sound that is fiercely violent and piercingly brutal with a bludgeoning skillset to back up their ideas, this is definitely another fine example of the promising UK Extreme Metal scene growing stronger to me. While the band have this blundering, meat-headed sound, there is clearly a careful execution with the musicians staying in a synchronised pact to deliver oblivion with some gorgeously curated melodic work too. I must admit this does not strike me as particularly unique, which is fine, very fews things truly are anymore, but these guys do an absolutely stellar job of what they set out to achieve which is a pulverising Extreme Metal assault on the senses. Also taking into account that this is their debut album, it is really well formed with a strong flow between tracks and a clear presence of passionate people involved. A savage debut album that has huge potential for the band to have a great future in the scene and stands alone as a strong release that certainly should be given the time of day. Clobber Records (though I may be biased) have delivered some incredibly strong material for example Abduction and also the Absinthropy/Salix Babylonica split, both of which I had the pleasure of reviewing and adding to my personal collection. The closing track for me is by far the strongest with a warped and aggressive opening, bleak intervals and a powerful performance that rips you to shreds, seeing the album out on top form, marvellous stuff. This release shows they have a clear sense of direction for the label and are certainly making a hasty journey towards a desirable future. Soulphernus have made their mark and I hope they do not stop here because these guys are monstrously heavy. -7.5/10