ALBUM REVIEW: Khnvm – Portals To Oblivion

German / Bangladesh Death Metallers KHNVM are back with a new album of ferocity. Set for release via Neckbreaker Records on December 17th.

Booming drums begin the record with some gorgeous stringed instrumentals, offering an Asian folk influence to the album which is certainly a unique idea for a Death Metal band, executed without feeling like a gimmick. Flute passages give a more haunting texture to this introduction before coming to a close. Jumping from this to savagely played Death Metal that creeps and crawls with a sepulchral aggression is a strange but magnificent leap that sees us instantly immersed in a brutish and violent frenzy of tight, blasting drums and menacing, grooving riffs which back up the usual rapturously hideous vocals. This concoction continues gloriously from the albums predecessor (read my review here) while adding some more progressive flourishes that showcase the trios musical skills extremely well. Utilising gloomier textures amidst their high-octane brand of extremity gives this album a tasteful dynamic while keeping an overall feeling akin to Gorguts, Immolation and that particular school of bands which retains an old school aggression while showcasing some technicality too. All of this ensures the album begins with a ferocity that cannot be ignored.

Melodic might not be the most obvious word for an album like this, yet soulful lead work and intricate riffing certainly plays a huge part on this record while the pulverising assault of blast beats and more primal guitar work is still very much intact. Their homage to most eras of Death Metal is commendable as the executed is not a disjointed or jarring mess, nor an insipid pandering to the masses, rather a destructive cacophony of incredible musicianship fuelled by fury. Flesh-ripping vocals continually offer a stoic and consistent attack atop the mountainous array of killer instrumental venom, ensuring the full band delivers only the most brutal onslaught they are capable of while the clear-cut production accentuates this with its dense and weighty display of sound. The pacing is interesting, with a blend of more typical length and longer songs which weave a trail of despair amidst the ferocity at hand, gripping the attention rather than meandering into desolate blandness. This is an absolutely daunting, vigorous album with a fervid and enormous sound that is executed magnificently. A superb follow up to the debut.

Vile, vitriolic and crushing Death Metal from an obscure gem of the international underground, Khnvm are certainly worth listening to for fans of truly devastating music which walks the line of old school and modern with a barbaric prowess.