ALBUM REVIEW: Cruciamentum – Obsidian Refractions

CRUCIAMENTUM are rightfully one of the most respected bands in the Death Metal underground. They now have a follow up full length to their majestic “Charnel Passages” due for release via Profound Lore Records on November 24th.

Naming the opening song after an album that is deemed a modern classic of your own making is a bold move. Indeed the gloomy and morbid atmospherics and vibrantly sparse mix allude to this living up to its namesake with a crushing soundscape of eerie Death Metal excellence. The drums sound massive and the riffs are pulverising as ever, with equally visceral snarls cutting through the mix while keeping all of the instrumental integrity stoic. The leads are frantic and tight, while sparing, to avoid detraction from the cosmic convulsions of the rhythmic violence. Blending thrashing and feral moments with macabre doom that is drenched in reverb to perfection, we can easily hear why Cruciamentum have been as influential to some as classic bands from the 90s. While a bit more furiously paced than its predecessor, “Obsidian Refractions” continues in the atmospheric yet very musically apt vein that began all those years ago with a promising start to things that feels worth the wait.

As one of the leading forces in real Death Metal remaining alive and well, it is vitally important Cruciamentum do not rest on their laurels. A healthy injection of the blackened and doomy sides of the genre continue to appear but with a refreshed approach that feels different but in a positive manner. The musicianship has definitely progressed and the phenomenal songwriting is by no means absent. Of course only time can tell if it will reach the legendary adoration of their prior work, but hopes are high as we hear their monstrous abominations contort into some of the most vile and magnificent music to date from this particular entity. Punishing and malicious yet with an intoxicating aura, those hammering drums and grisly riffs churn such potent extremity forth with an equally barbaric vocal display. Furthermore the production and artwork really fit the record perfectly, giving us the complete package as we fall further into the abyssal core of abhorrence.

Lurking in subterranean ossuaries, each graven and explosive moment plays off of the last and propels it next into new heights, keeping a constant source of adrenaline and desire to hear more. Feeding the fire with more venomous angles, the estranged manner in which they craft their songs continues to baffle with unique and malformed deliverances of decay. Each song grows from the last in tumorous fashion, spanning the cosmos with a huge diversity in sounds while all feel appropriate and purposeful. Culminating in a more cinematic and lengthy piece, one that leaves a hunger for more savagery. Of course you can play the older records, spin this again and just revel in the undying quality that Cruciamentum provide the Death Metal scene. Few others have such an unstained discography and thankfully this has remained true of this now international beast. “Obsidian Refractions” will keep you engaged time and time again in all of its bestial resplendence, or perhaps it will simply consume you…

A charnel and ecstatically charged opus of true Death Metal might from one of the finest. Cruciamentum showcase nothing but the finest on this new record which explains its six year incubation period (or eight since the last full length), but each well-crafted piece of the puzzle fits and flows transcendentally to give a tangibly claustrophobic yet expansive and otherworldly listen. The infinite depths of this bands sonic upheavals continue to impress and explore while keeping the original spirit as a live as ever. It should go without saying this is one of the truly unmissable Death Metal records of the year.