This album is the solitary work of Justin VØLUS . The first track makes it known the only blackened element to this is the fact he is a creative misanthropy, which is more common in black metal than death metal. For those who lament labels with genres. if the elements which the label embodied were not true then there would be no need for them. I think they have also become a marketing tool, evident here, as I am not hearing anything black metal about this. Death metal should be dark. Justin is more of a guitar player than a drummer as the guitar tone is paramount in the mix, it's a slow deliberate grind that could stand to have been refined in post-production though the raw presentation has its own charm.
This brings us to what makes heavy metal, guitars, and vocals tend to be the metal aspects. This leaves bass and drums to create heaviness, through the punch they back. The guitar can synch with these elements and add to the heaviness after all if this was done with an acoustic guitar it would not have the same heft even if you kept the same bass and drum tracks,. Black metal is hinted at more in the second song, though an underlying influence rather than the energy driving the songs. I like the atmosphere and dissonant touches that surface here. The bass and ambiance leading into the third song do darken the mood, which is an effective touch before speeding into some of the more technical elements of his songwriting Despite this not being what you might call hooky or catchy songwriting, he does use some interesting sound and creates interesting moods.
At times the vocals lack any intention and feel like they are just a placeholder to take up the space, "Blasphemies Infernal Strif being the most notorious culprit in this regard. They are sometimes at lower gurgles than at others. The title track has a better drum sound, as it battles the guitar in the mix. A more spewed vocal attack here reminds me more of Deicide. The lyrics are more articulated despite the more agonized performance. It might be the album's best vocal performance. Lyrically this album's theme is just the typical metal pseudo-Satanic gobbledygook, with no serious occult intent behind it. The grime is laid on thicker for "Hissing Dissent". This is more deliberate in it' pacing as the slow pound hits harder here. Sonically not far from gore-grind.
The album's strength lies in the dissonant atmosphere it creates to counterbalance the heavy chugs. After all, anybody with a guitar and distortion pedal can make heavy chugs, it's what new can you bring to them that is the question. "Revengence of Blood" opens in a manner closer to death doom, though very straightforward aside from the creeping ambiance hovering in the background. it gradually builds momentum which is better than just blasting in your face. Some of the riffs shift in a way that makes me think of the almost industrial chug that Morbid Angel locks into. The vocals are pretty ridiculous on "Between Two Fires". back in the gore-grind gurgle. Midway he locks into a frantic blast beat which does nothing to help the song. I will give this album an 8, for taking a different direction. If you want eerie dissonant death metal that is very raw and gore grinding then this album is for you.
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