After tantalizing the death metal world and truly putting Dark Descent Records on the map with their 2011 EP, The Dagger & The Chalice, Finland’s strangely named Corpsessed have finally unleashed their debut album, and it, along with Dark Descent’s two other killer early 2014 releases from Lie In Ruins and Lvcifyre, have signaled some of 2014’s most monstrous death metal after a relatively quiet 2013 (compared to 2011/2012).

There is a point after a brief intro (fittingly called “Invocation”) that starts real opening track “In Desolation” where a couple of regal, brutal, simple notes ring out like the herald at the very gates of Hell signalling the arrival of Lucifer, where you simply know that Abysmal Thresholds is going to absolutely kill. And from there it never lets up. Continuing the ’90s Finnish death metal, loosely based Immolation/Incantation sound, but certainly collapsing that muddy/menacing sound in on itself, Corpsessed have simply mastered this atonal, murky, sometimes doomy sound that’s utterly overwhelming.

You can certainly cull strains of the new Gorguts, Ulcerate, Ignivomous and other like minded bands with the deceptively discordant, oppressive hues, but it’s less chaotic and dissonant. Instead Corpsessed take that atonal structure and make it even thicker, more cavernous and even more menacing and unsettling. Not by layers or subversive atonal notes, but by sheer, oppressive force and weight.

The sheer presence this album has is tangible. It swirls and churns with palatable power and heft, but has control and pace that make it posses this regal, otherworldly, Lovecraftian, shadowy atmosphere that wrecks nerves. Case in point, fourth track “Sovereign” that takes a good two minutes to get going, but the build up is so foreboding, it crumples time and space, and you know its coming. The addition of ever so subtle haunting synths here and there add to the dread inducing nausea, used to great effect not only in “Sovereign” and “The Threshold” but also to complement the punishing opening crawl of “Necrosophic Channeling” and introduce “Ravening Tides”.

But as well as heaving, truly scary ritualistic throes, Corpsessed are more than capable of all out direct punishment as heard on the crumbling “Apotheosis”, or “Demoniacal Subjugation”. But that being said, its moments like the penultimate “Transcend Beyond Human” and horrific, slow burning, 7-minute closer “The Threshold” that will give you tentacle filled nightmares.

With this and the Lvcifyre and Lie In Ruins releases to start 2014, Dark Descent is equaling the late 2012 slew that included Maveth, Paroxsihzem, Desolate Shrine and Gorephilia. And, while 2013’s Vorum and Krypts releases were highlights of 2013 for me, this looks to surpass all of those and be Dark Descent’s crowning glory and a sure fire year end best for Corpsessed.

[Visit the band's website]

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