If anything could be said about Epoch, it would have to be the fact that the band is a bit of a mystery. Being wholly unfamiliar with the group or its sole album Sacrosanct, (originally a digital only release in 2015; now seeing a physical release this year, via Lavadome Productions) I tried to do a little internet research but ultimately, came up short on any real info, or at least any substantial or factual info on the apparently, Belgian group. So, for the sake and fun of conjecture, I’m going to pretend that Epoch hails from a mystical place of extreme creations, hybrids, and fantastical aural mixtures, very much like a heavy metal Island of Doctor Moreau.
In the case of Epoch and their debut re-release, this beast, known as Sacrosanct, is dripping with the influences by the likes of Dead Congregation, Morbid Angel, Aosoth, Incantation, Arkhon Infaustus, and Lvcyfyre, but the most prevalent would be a base splicing of Immolation and Hate Eternal. All eight tracks on Sacrosanct rage in that good ‘ol U. S. of A. stylized death metal; twisting and turning with enough intricacies and subtle tech flairs and atmospheric shifts to keep the material moving and engaging, only getting better and more memorable with each listen.
From the dissonant, angular riffing and obtuse melodies of “Altered States”, to the all out fury of “Ichneumon”, “To Datechon, ho Katechon”, and “Absolute Vision”, or “Fear Ritual”, with its nice use of a-typical guitar play within the beatdown of blasts, fat grooves, and dissonant chords, Sacrosanct is a feral and rabid monster of death metal heft. If truth be told, my only actual complaints with Sacrosanct is the absence of any true guitar leads/solos and the tendency for the drums to be a tad too blast driven, `a la Hate Eternal. The blasts are just a very minor gripe, but as for the leads, if the band were to inject some truly good and fitting solos into these tracks, then step back! For that would be akin to giving this savage creation a pair of adamantium claws.
Easily able to stand toe-to-toe in Primal Rage battle with today’s death metal elites, Sacrosanct is an album worth hearing and Epoch, a band worth taking note of and keeping tabs on.
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Rob from monads and alpha centauri is the vocalist and the one who brought this project to my attention.
on Mar 8th, 2017 at 09:56Sick band and review Kris. Nice work!
on Mar 8th, 2017 at 12:16This is good shit
on Mar 8th, 2017 at 21:04This is probably one of the best “I’ve never heard of them before” bands on this website this is actually FUCKING EXCELLENT!!!!! Post less leftist faggotry post blackmetal crap and more stuff like this!!!
on Mar 9th, 2017 at 21:08Catchy as all fuck, thank you! I’ll be on Bandcamp Friday getting this because it is badass.
on Mar 15th, 2017 at 15:44