Ritual Necromancy’s Oath of the Abyss is the perfect soundtrack for the bleak
and ruthless winter that is ripping it’s way across the country. A black wave of classic death metal, Oath of the Abyss doesn’t try to reinvent the genre, but rather strips it to it’s rotten core. Opening with the instrumental “Accretion”, distant spoken word mingles with droning feedback before pounding drums and guitar kick in, heralding the beginning of the album proper. “Cacophonic Dementia” is a full on assault. Insane drumming linking with an apocalyptic riff while singer JF unleashes his hellish growl. Their songs spin along a chaotic gyre, riffs and drumming morphing as the song progresses, yet always remaining coherent.
The spectre of Incantation looms over this work, but when it comes to USDM, who better to draw upon for inspiration? The production here raises this album above the pack. Stifling and static, there is a claustrophobic sense to this record that is palpable; the auditory equivalent of being buried alive. In it’s unrelenting brutality, Oath of the Abyss derives it’s success from never retreading familiar material. Experimental and violent, this is a tribute to the greats of death metal, yet holds its own against any of them. The titular “Oath of the Abyss” is another track showcasing this bands immense talent. A churning wall of death worship, it’s the perfect way to end this record. Light on solos, they’re used more as musical punctuation here. The brief, schizophrenic solo that comes shortly after the intro to “Oath of the Abyss” is a great example. This is a record about invoking an atmosphere of brutality, not of showmanship.
This is an album full of memorable moments. The outro to “Consummating Crypts of Eternity” stands out as not only the heaviest moment on this record, but one of the heaviest I’ve heard all year. A crawling riff interplays with incessant double bass, a march to the grave that encapsulates the American death metal sound’s funerary obsession. “The Chasm” shifts from high velocity shredding to a crushing, doom-laden riff midway through, providing a stark contrast to the previously unhinged playing that lead up to it. The duality at work here is impressive, showing off an appreciation and understanding for the genre that bleeds through in every detail.
Helping to define the new American death metal sound, Ritual Necromancy succeed in crafting a work that invokes the aesthetic of death metal at it’s raw and most bleak; a soundtrack for the march to the inevitable abyss.
Stifling and claustrophobic, Oath of the Abyss is a tremendous debut LP for Ritual Necromancy, highly recommended for those willing to endure a painstakingly crafted aural assault. Get your copy via Dark Descent Records.
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