ALBUM REVIEW: Of Feather And Bone – Sulfuric Disintegration

Following the crushing “Bestial Hymns Of Perversion”, OF FEATHER AND BONE are back with their 3rd slab of Death Metal to decimate all in its path. Out via Profound Lore Records on November 13th.

Gritty and creepy samples start the album off in an appropriately mysterious and daunting manner before a cavernous spew of crushing riffs, blasts and snarled vocals bellow into life. The meaty sway of atmospheric and obliterating Death Metal is unfathomably intense with hideously convulsing guitars atop a huge array of killer drum work. The mix is tight with a murk that allows the disgusting vocals to rot amongst the destructive instruments gloriously with the frenzied pacing of the opening song inducing spasms of morbid ecstasy. One major change is the absence of a boss HM-2, taking a more clean-cut approach to the guitar tone which works in the favour of this bestial rampage. As someone who loved the HM-2 use on the last record, which was not remotely like a Swedeath knockoff but certainly benefitted from the crusty guitars, it is cool to see that OFAB are not a one trick horse. This is equally revolting.

The one-beat drum hammering is more akin to Archgoat than most “old school Death Metal” which is a tag some have applied to OFAB. This recording is far more in the vein of Ascended Dead, Weregoat and Ritual Necromancy (whom they toured with supporting Tomb Mold, a fantastic show). Atop these primal beats is a fantastic onslaught of cymbals which intertwine with ferocious and malignant riffs and the delightfully malicious vocals. Monolithically brutal, the charged structure of the songs drip with atmosphere, warping as the album draws you further into the abyss. While expansive, the tracks all sit at around 5 minutes, making them very “to-the-point” and urgent which accentuates that demonically eerie and aggressive mood of the record. Ritualistic sparseness with some Attila Csihar style incantations occasionally add a blackened touch to the blood-drenched soundscapes, beautifully daunting in nature with such well-executed song structures to allow these odd experimentations.

It is easy to see across these 6 pieces of intimidating, disconcerting and unhinged Death Metal that OFAB have grown even stronger than ever on this album. From their humble Hardcore beginnings to chainsaw Death Metal crushers to this desolate slab of psychotic blasphemy, they have got a lot of ideas to offer. While there may not be too much similarity between albums, the consistency across the songs on both this and its predecessor, while completely different, are inarguable. With a grandiose step up from an already brilliant album in terms of songwriting and atmosphere is impressive, the feel of this record is just as gorgeously rancid. Earlier on I used the term “bestial” regarding the hammered drums and primal passion conveyed on here, while it may not be a War Metal record by any stretch, the ferocity is certainly parallel in many ideas while the ancient mysticism of the incantations is so multi-faceted one could not say the primordial aggression extends to the songwriting. With so much to offer in 30 minutes, it seems too good to be true. Nothing is missed even in such concise form, delivering total barbarity, atmosphere and not a second of unnecessary filler. Just pure harrowing, deathly excellence.

Of Feather And Bone were already in my regular spins with “Bestial Hymns Of Perversion”, they have now followed it up with an even more monstrous, demolishing slab of concrete Death Metal that is unforgiving, warped and invades every bit of your psyche. An album with so much to offer and so quickly, there is infinite reasons to replay this record til your brain disintegrates. Truly an impeccable masterpiece of Death Metal from beyond. -9/10