Crushing black/death metal isn’t about blasting end-to-end. Neither is it about doing predictable blast-and-stops. Ritual Chamber’s Obscurations (To Feast On The Seraphim) is highly recommended because they write proper, atmospheric dark death metal that provides the listener solid songwriting and quality instrumentation all album long. The nine tracks of fresh sanguine Seraphim bloodlust on Obscurations… are worth the hard-earned money from any dark death metal fan of discerning taste. Al Necro approved!
Black/death metal is at an all-time high, and as I’ve mentioned in prior reviews, this trend can mean that a dearth of mainstream bands could be tuning an ear into this scene for continued relevancy, and that only justifies apathy for trends. Ritual Chamber is not an example of black/death metal that features mainstream values in kvlt clothing. Ritual Chamber’s Obscurations… is a black sheep full of tempo changes, interesting riffs and atmosphere that few death metal bands can conjure properly. You can let this fucker play for hours and the atmosphere lends the black/death fan the temporary but memorable experience of hell risen from the chasms. Only bands like Aevangelist can conjure better, though similarly quality atmospherics.
If you’ve tuned in lately, you would have had a chance to hear our Premiere featuring Ritual Chamber’s “Void Indoctrination” track for stream. Now, hear the full album unleash hell into heavenly scourging. Ritual Chamber don’t hiccup through nine tracks of quality extreme metal barbarity. The tremolo riffs don’t sound like hackery. This album was carefully conceived in a dark womb of the band’s imagination, birthed with proper production values and unleashed upon the dogmatic ears of a failing societal genocidal contemplation. The thick, swirling, dark riffs make a dense, cloud of smoke billow into the heavens with supreme blasphemy. This style of dark death metal justifies the existence of the sub-genre. The keyboard sections are tasteful. The drums anchor the build-up, then blast with muddled obscurity. For once, the cymbal crashes aren’t as prominent as some bands have done on endless loops.
There are haunting, wailing leads on some tracks that add to the dark atmosphere. The rung notes add the same, and create an added sense of nuance to the album. The intro starts things off nicely, then gives way for supreme Armageddon. As the last track clears your afflicted ears, the sound of Church organ finishes proceedings at such a high note, I am darkly elated. The slow, doomier sections are brilliant, but never last for too tediously long. Highlight track is no doubt the brilliantly executed track eight, Void Indoctrination, so give our premiere another listen. Else satisfy your innate urges for hellfire and smoke to experience the full onslaught of dark death metal made manifest. Highly recommended for the Cvlt! Get it now from Profound Lore Records!
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