Back in 2007, the UKs Sarpanitum released one of the best debuts from a UK death metal band of recent memory, Despoilment of Origin. It was released on Galactic Records, the label owned by Leon Macy the founder of fellow UK death metal act Mithras, who also were making quite a stir in the death metal scene at the time with three stunning albums under their belt at the time. However, both have been pretty dark since then, but now 8 years later, both Sarpanitum and Macy have resurfaced renewed and re energized.
The Sarpanitum /Mithras connection was always strong, and now that link is even stronger as Macy plays drums on the band’s long awaited second album (warming up for the impending Mithras return it appears), and while Sarpanitum has evolved a little, and the album is damn strong in its own right, the Mithras tone is even stronger than before.
Immediately from intro “Komenos” the increased synths used throughout the album are prevalent. Not just a spurt here or there but an almost symphonic death/black metal like presence that glosses things in an almost blackened regal majesty, not big cinematic overbearing Fleshgod Apocalypse synths, but certainly more than piecemeal. Look no further than third track “Glorification upon the Powdered Bones of the Sundered Dead” to hear the majestic but still other worldly, tech death vortex blend with ethereal but savage precision. One almost gets a bit of a Lykathea Aflame vibe.
When listening to the likes of “I Defy Therefore I Am” or “Thy Sermon Lies Forever Tarnished” the band’s blend of clinically chaotic but elegant almost cosmic riffage, and the historical imagery and themes makes me picture some sort of giant celestial knights clad in steam punk crusader garb usurping Sumerian thrones in far away galaxies . It’s not catchy or immediate, but presents an epic, swirling, nova of brutality and glistening beauty.
A couple of interludes break up the otherwise relentless pace in “Immortalized as Golden Spires” and “Homeland” that serve to break up the chaos , especially “Homeland” which lulls you into a dreamy sleep before the absolutely stunning “Malek Al-Inkitar” delivers arguably the albums best cut and the closing title track rounds out the album with deadly, opulent savagery and unleashing one of 2015s early, better death metal albums.
Macy and Mithras– you’re up next.
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I was JUST revisiting Despoilment, wondering what these guys were up to… will have to check this out
on Mar 9th, 2015 at 08:15My first thoughts were “This sounds like a BDM version of Mithras”, and now i know they actually are~
on Mar 10th, 2015 at 06:34I’m guessing Leon Macy also recorded and produced this? The guitar tones sound like his signature tone (he puts all guitars and bass thru a Tech21 Sansamp rack-mount thing).
on Mar 14th, 2015 at 09:12Dig both Mithras and Lykathea Aflame plenty, this is on the list.
on Mar 15th, 2015 at 13:34