Dublin Ireland’s Malthusian have returned with their first full length release Across Deaths.  Having reviewed their last EP below the Hengiform I was familiar with these lads meticulously layered approach to black death.  The opening 5:47 track Remnant Fauna wastes no time sucking you into a vacuuming vortex of obsolete dissonant cacophony. As the track opens I am reminded of airy riffiness of Incantation’s Onward to Golgotha debut but with a mix of old Portal or Deathspell Omega. One thing is for sure the first track is absolutely unrelenting. At about 1:45 in a drone bend riff comes into play that could lure Trey Azagthoth through some sort of Sumerian gate. The song continues to build into a drone part that lasts up until around 3:20 when the drummer does mix it up with some drum fill work. This is some gross, grim, palpable black death metal.  The growth in song arrangements from last EP is definitely there.

“Across The Expanse of Nothing” opens up with some come guitar lines with drum fill work following the guitar lines before blasting and technical riff flurries commence.  At Nearly eight minutes this is one of the longest tracks on the album.  Malthusian definitely put a great deal of time into these massively intense arrangements. There is no shortage of riffs on this album and they seem to follow a similar type of phrasing for the most part. There is a sick march section at about 2:20.  Super catchy. Some the track continues to pick up tempo.  The drum work so far is truly relentless. “Sublunar Hex” opens with one of the catchier opening riffs on the album.  This could be considered one of the thrashier songs on the album in terms of drum parts, although for the most part it is a blast fest.

“Primal Attunement – The Gloom Epoch” is total Robert Vigna of Immolation worship riff wise. Opening up with mid paced strummed chords followed by bend tags that sound like they could have come from Dawn of Possession.  Not that that is in any way a bad thing.  This is the longest track on the album at nearly thirteen minutes.  Malthusian do a wonderful job throughout this song of continuing to maintain and build intensity. “Telluric Tongues (Roaring into the Earth) opens up with the same intensity as the album begins with.  This might be a bit to unsettling for some but for me this is as abrasive as I was hoping for from these guys.  If you are looking for fast, atmospheric black death metal.  Here you go.  Enjoy.

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