ALBUM REVIEW: Antichrist Siege Machine – Purifying Blade

ANTICHRIST SIEGE MACHINE are back with their 2nd album of vitriolic War Metal, set for release via Profound Lore Records on October 8th. Read my review of their debut “Schism Perpetration” HERE and my review of their more recent “Filth Of The World” EP HERE.

A beginning sample sets the tone for the violence ahead in unsettling fashion, nothing too overzealous but certainly a fitting start to things. A maniacal howl and diabolical riffing launches into life with a tempest of whammy dives and blast beats, there is no denying the filthy scourge of sonic extremity is truly impactful. ASM have a powerful sound that is actually rather well produced, though still retaining the raw feverishness of War Metal, a wall of bass-driven murk hits like a sledgehammer of bestial violence. It is probably redundant to speculate at this bands influences, but I would be shocked if Conqueror, Revenge, Black Witchery, Blasphemy and Beherit were not among them. Hammering drums and equally skull-decimating riffs punch through with extremely vicious hooks while the vocals keep the insanity in the vein of an urgent call to arms. Barrages of unrelenting instrumentation continually deliver true carnage with an untamed and sadistic level of aggression remaining consistent and genuine.

Forging onwards with unrelenting energy, this short album may be less than half an hour, which suits the pacing and lack of diversity in tempo, but the amount of mayhem they pack into this thing is certainly impressive. The entire record overflows with malignant sounds which are strung together in a carefully precise and yet volatile manner, a fine line to walk in this style. A healthy amount of stomping grooves intersperses the slaughtering music terror to give some whiplashing hooks to the record while not pausing the senses of dread and danger that remain bold and stoic throughout. Primal and yet seemingly rather well thought out, this record is another triumphant blight on all things holy which respects tradition but does not utilise worship as a cover for lack of original ideas.

Antichrist Siege Machine are definitely one of the most convincingly intense and barbaric Black-Death Metal bands that could fall into the “War Metal” categorisation that some favour. Their demonic ensemble of violent instrumental battery and scathing vocals has all of the bestial characteristics but most importantly they craft sincere and visceral music that is brimming with its own identity. Here we see the duo deliver total chaos and malice once again with no remorse.