Incantation is the new black.
If mimicry is the highest form of flattery, Incantation have to be drowning in flattery considering the rather sudden rash of supposedly old school death metal acts that are plying a form of their trademark style. It’s a style I never cared for when Incantation played it 15 years ago and while my tastes and exposure to the style have expanded, my response is still lukewarm with a few exceptions (Vaesaleth, Portal, Impetuous Ritual, Teitanblood, Dead Congregation to name a few).
Right alongside recent releases by the likes of Beyond Hell, Blaspherian, Decrepitaph, Goreaphobia, Burial Invocation, Contaigeon and many others, arguably the most Incantation-y is Georgia’s Father Befouled, who while admittedly are ripping off another band, at least is isn’t Mastodon.
Scrawling, filthy, cavernous feedback drenched noise is the order of the day, with the music being less about riffs and more about a murky, oppressive mood. The nine tracks and the intro/outro that comprise Morbid Destitution of Covenant continue where the band’s split with Helcaraxe left off with no changes in their tone or delivery. They do the chosen homage well for what it is, supplying ample density and dissonant rumbling with little flare or bullshit. It’s direct, noisy, somewhat nauseating and…well, it sounds like Incantation! I don’t think I can be any clearer or more honest.
The mostly warbling blasts of course veer plentifully into expected sludgy, trudging segues with “As Reverence Descends”, “Testament of Unholy Essence”, “Vomiting Impurity” and “Christless Mass” just to name a few. None of them really stand apart or stand out amid the albums 38-minute run time as it all seems to blend into one long song. Only the 6+ minute closing instrumental outro “Now Desecrated” invokes any tangible sense of dread with its atmospheric drone and haunting chants. But when a 6-minute outro is the albums most evocative track, I think there might be a problem.
With that being said, if you are craving note for note Incantation worship (logo, artwork and song titles included) Father Befouled are the obvious choice, though they should be sending royalty checks to John McEntee.
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…or I could just go listen to “Diabolical Conquest” again.
on Nov 18th, 2010 at 02:19You often use the term “scrawling” to describe death metal. Does this mean that death metal bands have poor penmanship?
on Nov 18th, 2010 at 08:55^LOL
on Nov 18th, 2010 at 10:10Can’t wait to see Incantation play “Onward to Golgotha” start to finish tomorrow night !
on Nov 18th, 2010 at 11:37Haha@scrawling
I have a feeling the word he wants is sprawling.
on Nov 18th, 2010 at 17:14LOL- good catch guys
on Nov 18th, 2010 at 17:20I enjoy said band but mainly cause I love Incantation and just about every band that is sucking them off recently. it’s greatly increased my cd purchases.
on Nov 21st, 2010 at 01:23Incantation Schmincantation, I think this record is simply the poppermost.
Then again, I prefer Robin Trower to Jimi Hendrix but I’d argue I’m
not just being perverse.
Hendrix or, in this case, Incantation, do the heavy lifting of R & D.
Which leaves the imitatiators, the good, useful ones, to do things
like fetishize original elements until you have this weird mutation
thats so much like the original it’s totally fake and obviously
this is where Father Befouled come in.
Except I think there’s great aesthetic concentration and impact in
their fakery. I mean, I have a whole mess of promo downloads playing
and a FB song ripped through the Tannoys and the “original” “quality”
stuff paled in comparison to this fire breathing fakery.
It was neat.
on Nov 27th, 2010 at 21:01As for the formatting problems, I have no idea.
on Nov 27th, 2010 at 21:04