Oh shit.

So I’ve been on a bit of a blackened death metal kick lately, but also still riding last years symphonic black metal wave that had me impressed and littered my year end list. Well outta nowhere come Australia’s Oath of Damnation with a sophomore album with a violent double penetration of both styles.

After simply clicking on the promo, as it mentioned the likes of Behemoth and Dimmu Borgir, this was a completely blind download that will for sure be residing on my year end list as it perfectly mixes savage blackened death metal with 90s black metal styled symphonics and keyboards. The aptly named  result plays like a a modern black death band like say Hate or Blood of the Wolf with some nostalgic synths, and is indeed furious and malevolent. Throw in that occasionally, I get serious Bal Sagoth vibe circa A Black Mood Broods over a Lemuria, (just check on the 2:17 mark of opener “Imhulu”or start of “The Abortuary”  for just one of many examples. amirite?), with some deep bellows, I was fully expecting vocalist Doomsayer to belt out “AAAAALL WITCHES,  FLY TO MEEEEEEE”

At a brief 35 minutes, the 7 songs all absolutely rip, and drip with epic savagery, as the sweeping keyboards back some pretty gnarly black/death metal. There’s also some really good solos here (i.e. “The Abortuary”, ” To Crack the Earth and Bring Down the Sky”), some thing that’s been noticeably lacking in my recent metal listening. A couple of the numbers really got my blood pumping such as third track “Ardenti Haereticus” and blistering “With Fire and Malevolence”, that shows they can really bear done and go directly for the throat minus the theatrics,  but also as they certainly have a heavier Lemuria atmosphere to them.

Penultimate track “In Death’s Dominion” adds some clean vocals to the mix, they aren’t perfect, but they aren’t terrible either, and thankfully only used once on an other wise killer track. Closer “I Curse Thee, O Lord!” is another standout track that ends the album with the longest cut, though it ends suddenly.

An absolute ripper of an album, made even better by the nostalgic Bal Sagoth ish keyboards (who needs a full on sticking Prague symphony?) and ferocious riffs. Cant wait to hear more from this killer Aussie act.

 

[Visit the band's website]

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