So apparently when LL from Desolate Shrine fame touches something it turns to gold. His new creation is Convocation and along with Marko Neuman on vox this Scars Across debut album is a punishing mix of doom death. 4 songs clocking in at 50 minutes this is some pained and anguished brutal and depressive stuff.

Opening with the 14 minute “Disposed” I notice a little Morgion influence with the slow and plodding nature, but super freaking heavy, monolithic, cavernous doom death. This is doomier and more plodding than Desolate Shrine. There is a lot of layered heaviness and the vocals sound like they were recorded in hell. Convocation add some melody to the song and the atmosphere is drenched in dread. The 4.45 section-you will understand what I mean. Around the 11 minute mark some thunderous double bass comes in with some mean ass riffage soon thereafter. I love the drum sound-and the toms come through excellent towards the end.

Let’s skip to the last song-the title track. I was confused as to the direction of this track. With the classical intro and piano. The song eventually turns into a monstrous epic doom/death melodic tune that has atmosphere cloaked in darkness and walls of screaming souls. There is a chanting, ethereal sound to the vocal passages and this tune is just plain ass creepy. This should be the soundtrack of some movie about the pits of hell. Since my physical copy has yet to arrive I am not sure, but imagine that is an organ being played in the background. So damn sinister. Excellent guitar melodies burst through towards the end of the song.

“Allied POW’s” is really cool and “Ruins of Ourselves”, is more plodding doom/death. Excellent vocals and the band gets into funeral-doomish moments. Not enough to drive me batty, due to the death metal overtones, but definitely funeral doom is an influence with Convocation. There are some rumbling heaviness, atmospheric and melodic moments al kind of thrown together to create one of the most depressive, heavy albums I have ever listened to. Powerful, dark, evil, emotive, yet original. While there are leanings towards some other bands, at the end of the day Convocation has created a monstrously original album with Scars Across. Once of the highlights of the year, thus far. Buy or Die!

[Visit the band's website]

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