ALBUM REVIEW: Convulse – Deathstar

Finland’s legendary Death Metal tyrants CONVULSE are back with their 5th album of mournful morbid antics, presented in their strangest opus yet. Out via Transcending Records on October 30th.

Cosmic sounding melodies chime in with an otherworldly and ethereal glow to start the album in a far more upbeat manner than anticipated. Melodic lead guitars soar over a grooving gallop of rather traditional Heavy Metal sounding riffs before snarling vocals punch into life. Taking a rather eclectic direction it seems, we are delivered into a rather confusing but by no means bad realm of Extreme Metal that has more in common with the sonic approach of Grand Magus than that of most Finnish Death Metal bands (Convulse being a prime example of in their heyday). The atmosphere-drenched guitars and pounding drums are still here, chunkier bass tons galloping alongside them and these almost blackened screams emanate through the mix. Convulse have returned from the grave, but is it with what we expected?

Continuing, things only seem to get stranger with a strange blend of psychedelics and Doom Metal that is loosely gripped by their Death Metal legacy but far more shrouded in celestial oddities and a completely frenzied approach which was hinted at on their previous album back in 2016. Of course there is nothing wrong with a band progressing if it is done well, which I feel can be applied to this release but one needs an open mind. Drawing a mix of traditional Heavy Metal and more progressive Death Metal in the vein of Amorphis and the like with a huge emphasis on the psychedelic and otherworldly ambience of the record, there is little here in common with the bands earlier albums but this new direction has been handled with some magnificent songwriting and a rejuvenated sense of the band believing in themselves. If the fans are to be divided, then so be it. That seems to be the feel of the record, perhaps the intention behind the title tracks heavy resemblance to “Roots Bloody Roots” by Sepultura.

Aside from the heavily mentioned weirdness of the album, it packs a punch with fearsome grooves and still embeds itself in a more extreme feel than many of the more progressive Death Metal bands. I would be lying if I said I preferred this to the likes of “World Without God” but that does not mean this is a bad album at all, in fact it is superbly written and with a solid performance carrying out the esoteric Heavy Metal that Convulse have decided suits their maturing as a band that has been around for a long time. For those who want to see these Finnish veterans breathing new life into a monstrously significant Death Metal band, be prepared for mind-warping soundscapes and ethereal excellence. If you have the attitude that the earlier Convulse albums should be the be all and end all of their identity, then you are perhaps going to be confused and dismayed, which may be the intention behind the release after all.

If you enjoy the more melodic and progressive Finnish bands, then this is potentially going to be your new favourite record. If you prefer the more creepy Death Metal of Sentenced, Funebre and Krypts however, then you may feel a touch lost listening to this record. I was certainly rather surprised at first but all the same, Convulse are doing what they believe in and doing it damn well which must be respected. -7/10