SPLIT REVIEW: Anhedonist / Spectral Voice – Abject Darkness / Ineffable Winds

Anhedonist and Spectral Voice have come together to release a split of pure Death-Doom debauchery. Featuring a rare track from Anhedonist and a new piece from Spectral Voice, this should be some obliterating material together. Out now via Dark Descent Records and Parasitic Records.

Starting out with glistening guitar dissonance, Anhedonist set a foreboding mood before the crushing Death Metal assault sweeps in like a tempest. Storming riffs, thundering blastbeats and roaring bass drive out a distinguished assault of pure chaotic malice. The guttural spew of the vocals soon completes the swampy mix and furthers the bellowing extremity into even more morbid territories. With an unholy cacophony of putrid instrumental and vocal delights, this track is a devastatingly heavy piece of purely amazing Death Metal that drags you into the crypts of doomy brilliance. A tight blend of slower crawls and battering assaults rampage throughout this single track and work together gorgeously to make a monstrous piece of extreme music.

Next up Spectral Voice convulsively dive into slow tempo, fetid stomps of violence Death Metal that reeks of the macabre. Melodic riffs and rhythmic butchery alongside a slew of killer drum work backs up some harsh screeching vocals, making for a disturbingly twisted listen that is ferociously heavy and equally unsettling. This track has the natural oozing ambience we all love about Spectral Voice, additionally the vitriolic grooves and eerie droning thunderous Death Metal from their prior releases which makes an unmistakably morbid soundscape that is immediately recognisable. Once more, Spectral Voice have made some astonishingly fantastic Death Metal that touches all the important bases (savagery, brutality, slow doomy parts and pure headbanger fuel). Totally marvellous.

Both bands contributed something unforgettable which made for a relentless yet incredibly atmospheric split that delivers total obliteration in only two pieces of music. This is a must for fans of more interesting Death Metal that blends all that we know and love then spews out a renewed and vanquishing slab of pure disdain. -8/10